[SEL] bore and sleave an engine question

[jbcast at charter.net]

---- Curt <curt at imc-group.com> wrote: 
> Ron,
> I am sure there are as many opinion on the subject of sleeving engines 
> as there are brands of engines! It is my position, that as caretakers of 
> these engines, it is our duty to preserve as much of the precious block 
> material as possible. The practice of hogging out huge amounts of 
> cylinder material to fit a sleeve has never set well with me. I much 
> prefer the option of boring the cylinder only the amount needed to just 
> clean it up and get it round and straight again. Then to make a new 
> piston, since oversized OEM pistons won't likely be available. I've 
> documented the piston pattern making process on my website to encourage 
> folks to give pattern making a try. Believe you me I am NO wood worker! 
> But still managed to make a go of the pattern and corebox that was 
> sufficient for Rick to cast pistons for my engines. There is a real 
> sense of accomplishment when you get to hold in your hand the casting 
> that is the result of your pattern making efforts. Dave Otto just made a 
> pattern for his Falk engine and maybe he'll pipe up and tell us about 
> his experience on his first piston pattern.
> As caretakers, someone a couple of hundred years from now will be 
> thanking you for your conservation of the precious block material or 
> cursing you for hogging it all away for a sleeve that is impossible to 
> remove and replace.
> Nomex fitted.
> Curt Holland
Curt, I've made pistons for our antique marine engines, but my reason was to get an aluminum piston. The stock piston weighs 4 1/2 lbs, the aluminum under 2lbs. Makes a big difference in a single cylinder engine running in a boat. I've also sleeved over 40 cylinders, 8 farm engines and the rest 2 cycle antique marine engines. I throw away precious iron filings from the cylinder, you throw away whole pistons. When I sleeve a cylinder with a removable head, I bore from the top and leave the original chamfer at the bottom. This leaves a stop for the sleeve, I machine a bevel on the bottom of the sleeve to match the bevel of the boring bar, when the sleeve is installed it's almost invisible. On the 2 cycles, I cut the ports before installing sleeve, you can see it here.

http://www.oldmarineengine.com/discus/messages/5/3051.html#POST5990

J.B. Castagnos
Belle Rose, LA