340 Block- Bore or Sleeve?

[JedIEG]

Just looking for some opinions. I think I know what I'm going to do unless everyone else says differently.

My 340 block is at the machine shop where they thought it would clean up at 4.070 from standard size. 7 of 8 bores are perfect at that size and one has rust in it still. They tried going up to 4.080 on that hole and still it has a little rust, but enough I can feel it. I told them to keep going to 4.090 and see if that works.

My dilemma- do I sleeve that one bore back 4.070 to save the other bores for additional rebuilds or hone them all out to 4.090 or 4.100, wherever it finally cleans up?

Build target is a 500hp/500tq street engine with around 400 cid (3.79 crank). The block was cast in 67 and not # matching.

 

[Super-Cuda]

Just looking for some opinions. I think I know what I'm going to do unless everyone else says differently.

My 340 block is at the machine shop where they thought it would clean up at 4.070 from standard size. 7 of 8 bores are perfect at that size and one has rust in it still. They tried going up to 4.080 on that hole and still it has a little rust, but enough I can feel it. I told them to keep going to 4.090 and see if that works.

My dilemma- do I sleeve that one bore back 4.070 to save the other bores for additional rebuilds or hone them all out to 4.090 or 4.100, wherever it finally cleans up?

Build target is a 500hp/500tq street engine with around 400 cid (3.79 crank). The block was cast in 67 and not # matching.

Personally, I would do one sleeve only.

That bore will be perfectly fine with a sleeve and its just adding unnecessary cost to do the rest.

 

[NC Engine Builder]

I would do a sleeve in that hole only, bore and hone the minimum to clean up.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Do the sleeve.

 

[PROSTOCKTOM]

Absolutely, sleeve just the one hole.

Tom

 

[Dartnut]

I would just sleeve the bad hole.
If done correctly, sleeving is just as good as new, if not better...

 

[Oldmanmopar]

I would Sleeve it.

 

[JedIEG]

Machine shop called and it didn't clean up at 4.090. Sleeve it is.

Going to try to go to 4.070 like all the other bores. Hopefully the neighboring cylinders don't distort.

 

[Newbomb Turk]

Machine shop called and it didn't clean up at 4.090. Sleeve it is.

Going to try to go to 4.070 like all the other bores. Hopefully the neighboring cylinders don't distort.

You can bet they will move around. I hope they aren't finished to size yet.

 

[ch1ll]

If you are going to sleeve, why not go 4.06?
Did you have the cylinders sonic checked for thickness?

 

[Michael Brisebois]

I know that I'll be in a minority on this point of view...
Bore and sleeve them all...the whole f'ing lot of them.
I like uniformity...and I like sleeves if they're done right. Of course, if the wall is thin.....

A good shop will bore a shoulder at the bottom and mill the excess off at the top.
That sleeve ain't go'in nowhere

 

[dano]

If you are going to sleeve, why not go 4.06?
Did you have the cylinders sonic checked for thickness?

I agree. I'd sonic check that block and know what all the cylinders are at. Your adding side load with the stoker and spinning that longer arm to get to 500hp.

Invest in a solid foundation.

 

[Newbomb Turk]

I know that I'll be in a minority on this point of view...
Bore and sleeve them all...the whole f'ing lot of them.
I like uniformity...and I like sleeves if they're done right. Of course, if the wall is thin.....

A good shop will bore a shoulder at the bottom and mill the excess off at the top.
That sleeve ain't go'in nowhere

If the shop machines the deck for a sleeve they are compromising gasket sealing.

You put a step at the bottom of the bore. That’s what sets the sleeve height.

Top the sleeve and surface the block.

The head holds it down and it can’t fall out the bottom because it’s sitting on a step.

In fact, the press fit should hold the sleeve in anyway.

If it’s done competently you’ll never know the sleeve is in there.

 

[JedIEG]

Unfortunately other 7 are finished at 4.070 already. For sleeves he already does a step at the bottom as standard practice plus the press fit per the sleeve manufacturer.
If the neighbors measure out of round I'm going to request he rehones everything to 4.075 to get the shape back. Shouldn't be a big deal since he's already going to have it set up to finish the sleeved cylinder.

 

[Newbomb Turk]

Unfortunately other 7 are finished at 4.070 already. For sleeves he already does a step at the bottom as standard practice plus the press fit per the sleeve manufacturer.
If the neighbors measure out of round I'm going to request he rehones everything to 4.075 to get the shape back. Shouldn't be a big deal since he's already going to have it set up to finish the sleeved cylinder.

Sounds like your machinist knows how to set a sleeve. Should be a good fix.

What I don't understand is why if he had one questionable cylinder he finished the other cylinders.

I'm not sure if your pistons will like another .005 clearance. If you mean .0005 thats not an issue.

 

[Kern Dog]

What is a good rate to have a sleeve installed?
I have a 440 that is .030 over but I threw a rod in 2004. That cracked one cylinder. I hate to scrap the block but if installing ONE sleeve costs as much as I'd spend on another block, I wouldn't see the sense in saving this.

 

[JedIEG]

I'm not sure what he was thinking either. He thought it was just cosmetic then realized it wasn't. I'm a bit disappointed he didn't identify it back when he bored it initially for the 4.070 final and I ordered rings.
Lucky I haven't ordered pistons yet so I'll just get them to size. Im planning to use Autotec customs. We'll see if their claim of not upcharging for changing simple dimensions is true (bore, comp ht., ring pack).

 

[JedIEG]

What is a good rate to have a sleeve installed?
I have a 440 that is .030 over but I threw a rod in 2004. That cracked one cylinder. I hate to scrap the block but if installing ONE sleeve costs as much as I'd spend on another block, I wouldn't see the sense in saving this.

My shop quoted $140 plus the sleeve cost. So probably +$200 on top of typical work.

 

[JedIEG]

According to my records this cylinder actually has the thinnest wall on the block, so thats lucky I guess...

 

[NC Engine Builder]

I'm not sure what he was thinking either. He thought it was just cosmetic then realized it wasn't. I'm a bit disappointed he didn't identify it back when he bored it initially for the 4.070 final and I ordered rings.
Lucky I haven't ordered pistons yet so I'll just get them to size. Im planning to use Autotec customs. We'll see if their claim of not upcharging for changing simple dimensions is true (bore, comp ht., ring pack).

Not the end of the world, surely he hasn't finish honed, so he should be roughly .003 from finished bore size

 

[RustyRatRod]

What is a good rate to have a sleeve installed?
I have a 440 that is .030 over but I threw a rod in 2004. That cracked one cylinder. I hate to scrap the block but if installing ONE sleeve costs as much as I'd spend on another block, I wouldn't see the sense in saving this.

I can get one here for $185 installed including the sleeve. And that includes skimming both deck surfaces to get them even.

 

[Mopar Sam]

I can get one here for $185 installed including the sleeve. And that includes skimming both deck surfaces to get them even.

Wow! Your guy works cheap.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Wow! Your guy works cheap.

Thanks for tagging me with a reply.......My dumbASS quoted the slant 6 price, which clearly would not include "both decks". Dammit. LOL My bad. Still very reasonable, though.

 

[Mopar Sam]

Thanks for tagging me with a reply.......My dumbASS quoted the slant 6 price, which clearly would not include "both decks". Dammit. LOL My bad. Still very reasonable, though.

I wouldn't call you dumb, old maybe, but not dumb.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I wouldn't call you dumb, old maybe, but not dumb.

Yeah, I do have a birthday comin up next month. lol