Sleeving the 109 Block

[GN87Mike]

Is a 4.000" O.D. sleeve okay for the 109 block to use in one cylinder? The finish bore will be 3.800". Will the O.D. cut into the web too much? I have a horizontal crack in #3 but want to save it. I was advised to only use .005" interference fit and put the step at the top and not at the bottom to reduce the tendency for the crack to lengthen.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[GN87Mike]

Correction above...... only use .0005 interference fit....

Thanks
Mike

 

[Mr.Spool]

Mike dont waste your time

 

[Steve V]

@STGMAN he's done several IIRC

 

[GN87Mike]

Mike dont waste your time

I did a search and it was positive on sleeving. Why do you say don't waste my time?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[GN87Mike]

@STGMAN he's done several IIRC

Thanks,
Mike

 

[750H.P.V6]

You can spend a lot of time and money installing sleeves into a stock block. If the car isn't matching, #'s low mileage or both it's just not worth the effort. Get another block.

Neal

 

[earlbrown]

But put that block in your attic if you don't sleeve it (which really isn't that big of a deal)

Years ago I tossed a 4.1 in the scrap pile because it needed a sleeve. Wish I had the damn thing back now.

 

[GN87Mike]

You can spend a lot of time and money installing sleeves into a stock block. If the car isn't matching, #'s low mileage or both it's just not worth the effort. Get another block.

Those are all the reasons I'm doing it. I can sleeve it for just the cost of the sleeve, the block is my numbers matching block ( I bought the car new) and the block has less than 25,000 miles on it. Back in 2005 I was running 11's with it and the #3 intake runner in the head had a casting flaw that let loose after being on the car for 9 years and let some water in the #3 cylinder and put the crack in it. I have had the short block on a stand ever since and I built another block in 2005 with the help of Lee Thompson a very good friend. I now have access to a complete machine shop so now is the time to save it and put it back on the stand. If I ever use it in the future it will be to put the car back original ( the numbers matching trans is on a stand also).

Mike

 

[GN87Mike]

Some of this thread was lost but I'll update where I am on sleeving the block.

I purchased an L.A. sleeve with a 4.000" O.D. and 3.780 I.D. with a flange at the top. I bored the #3 bore to .020" under the sleeve O.D. and put the step in the top of the bore for the sleeve flange. The step is .010" less than the height of the flange so it will be above the original deck. The diameter at the flange will have no interference fit.

After putting a torque plate on I then honed the bore to 3.998" to have a .002" interference fit with the O.D. of the sleeve.

Here is the bore ready for the sleeve.

I then packed the sleeve in dry ice for a few hours to shrink it and heated the block to about 150 degrees in an oven to expand the bore. I removed the block from the oven and put a ring of Loctite green around the bore approximately 2" down from the top. I then, using gloves, took the sleeve out of the dry ice and quickly pushed it into the bore until the flange was seated. The block was then decked.

After the deck machining it was back to the hone to finish the sleeve bore to size and finish for the #3 piston. With all the machining complete the block was cleaned in a power wash. Here is the finished sleeved bore ready for assembly.

After assembling the short block I would like to temporarily finish the engine and run it on the dyno to seat the rings and verify everything is okay. I will be looking for a 4 bbl intake and an HEI single wire distributor to be able to run it without all the normal ignition and fuel items.

Thanks
Mike

 

[chopped39]

Some of this thread was lost but I'll update where I am on sleeving the block.

I purchased an L.A. sleeve with a 4.000" O.D. and 3.780 I.D. with a flange at the top. I bored the #3 bore to .020" under the sleeve O.D. and put the step in the top of the bore for the sleeve flange. The step is .010" less than the height of the flange so it will be above the original deck. The diameter at the flange will have no interference fit.

View attachment 350972

View attachment 350973

After putting a torque plate on I then honed the bore to 3.998" to have a .002" interference fit with the O.D. of the sleeve.

View attachment 350974

View attachment 350975

Here is the bore ready for the sleeve.

View attachment 350977

I then packed the sleeve in dry ice for a few hours to shrink it and heated the block to about 150 degrees in an oven to expand the bore. I removed the block from the oven and put a ring of Loctite green around the bore approximately 2" down from the top. I then, using gloves, took the sleeve out of the dry ice and quickly pushed it into the bore until the flange was seated. The block was then decked.

View attachment 350976

After the deck machining it was back to the hone to finish the sleeve bore to size and finish for the #3 piston. With all the machining complete the block was cleaned in a power wash. Here is the finished sleeved bore ready for assembly.

View attachment 350978

After assembling the short block I would like to temporarily finish the engine and run it on the dyno to seat the rings and verify everything is okay. I will be looking for a 4 bbl intake and an HEI single wire distributor to be able to run it without all the normal ignition and fuel items.

Thanks
Mike

Where are you located? I have a edelbrock 4 barrel intake you could use. Needs a good cleaning

 

[BobbyBuick]

Who has the torque plate?
My machinist installs the caps, girdle, and torque plate on whan machining for the sleeve .
Mike, i ran a sleeved block (all boost) stuck waste gate at BG last year.torched the head ,cracked 2 mains in the block, torched the head gasket and had to replace the pistons on 2 cylinders .the sleeve was fine and held up with a big crack behind it. If correct sleeve and installed correctly you wont have any issues

 

[GN87Mike]

Where are you located? I have a edelbrock 4 barrel intake you could use. Needs a good cleaning

I'm in Southwest Ohio between Dayton and Cincinnati.

 

[GN87Mike]

Who has the torque plate?
My machinist installs the caps, girdle, and torque plate on whan machining for the sleeve .
Mike, i ran a sleeved block (all boost) stuck waste gate at BG last year.torched the head ,cracked 2 mains in the block, torched the head gasket and had to replace the pistons on 2 cylinders .the sleeve was fine and held up with a big crack behind it. If correct sleeve and installed correctly you wont have any issues

They have a very good collection of torque plates here.