Sleeving Rare Blocks Back to Standard Bore

Is it safe to sleeve a block back to standard bore?

Yes it is

ive seen many thats been sleeved,even all 8 holes,depends on hole good the machine shop does it,go for it

I sold a 428 Ford FE block to Donny Keene after he won the NHRA stock world championship, I've known him and his father a long time. A friend of mine had two of them and wasn't going to use both of them so I told Donny about them and he ask me to see if I could get one for him, I have a Dakota 1000 sonic tester and I asked him if he wanted to pay me to sonic test both of them to get the best one and he said yes. I ask what was the least he wanted in cylinder wall thickness and he said anything above .090 unbored was good
He did say he always sleeves all eight cylinder with ductile iron sleeves before building any of his race motors for his NHRA Stocker
I know several other southern CA NHRA 340 Stocker racers that do the same thing
The key to success is having that kind of work done is by having a good Hi Po machine shop do all of it
good luck, let us know what you do and the results

There have been Enginemasters entries with all 8 holes sleeved. As far as I know the only sleeve to use is Darton. The malleable iron aka nodular cast iron material they use are high quality and have more tensile strength than the gray cast of many others.

R.

It is a PIA on one hand but...it can work beautifully Old nascar 348's were awful cores from factory Jr Johnsons guys sleeved them and kept on trucking I have done it several times all with fine results--once it has been done right--correct fit--plate honed--it is good to go IMO

We have done it for years. Doing a Hemi right now dated Oct 11, 1963! We always bore one cylinder on one bank and then one on the other. Then we install the sleeves. Then do two more on opposite banks. Some shops just bore out all 4 or 8 and then bang them all in which really pushes the block around. We also never do 2 cylinders side by side. If you start with a center cylinder you can then move to the far end cylinder then go to the opposite end cylinder and then the other center and never do two side by side. Same with honing. Also, we always use dry ice or liquid nitrogen to drop the sleeves in without banging on them. You always need to align hone afterwards. -- Ray

Good to know

Draw no conclusions such as "If someone did this to engine A, I can do it to engine B".

Very interesting! And good for a customer who has bought a sleeved block from you to know.
But is/was the World aluminum block done with the same care? Or the Chevrolet LS7 for that matter. Both had interference type liners and sold in large numbers. And aluminum is more flexible than iron. Is there a (cost saving) way to get around this routine?

Do you guys ever heat them up after the sleeves are installed to stress relieve them? How much interference fit do you use?

Mike N: My apologies, I thought this thread was about trying to save rare cast iron blocks that never had removable sleeves. The method I suggested was just my opinion and doesn't mean its the best way. This method does put the least stress on the block and keeps the structural integrity from being compromised. As far as cost savings, I guess you could go to some caveman and do it a different way.

That's the right way. Shops I've used have been sleeving this way too, including using liquid nitrogen. Sleeves will be stronger (less wall flex) and sleeving lets you correct the factory placement and angle.

Ray: My thought was whether the procedure was useful also on modern blocks.
For example:
If an aluminum World block needs new sleeves, in what way/order should they be replaced to minimize distortion? (I guess like the factory put them in.)

And if an iron World block (to my knowledge the same design, at least the 5153778 casting) will need to be sleeved, what is then the procedure?

Or are those blocks so rigid that the problem is non-existent?