im not sure if anyone has done this but has anyone sleeved a 400 or 351? any idea on what to have the shop do or instructions to give the machinist? or should i not even waste my time with putting sleeves in?

 

Got some questions before I could give a decent answer...
Does your block have cracked cylinder walls? What are you trying to gain by sleaving the block? Are you talking 8 sleeves or just 1 or 2? Is the block stock or has it been reworked/modified already?

 

the block was rebuilt at 13xxxx miles. it was board out .040 over stock on that rebuild. as far as i can tell none of the cylinders are cracked and im talking about doing all 8. im not sure if it will clean up at .060 over.

 

That is really kinda looking too far ahead.......let the machinist do their job, see what they can actually clean up at then make the decision....and there is nothing wrong with sleeving 1 or more cylinders.

 

I am just wondering. I hope it won't have to be sleeved but I'm always curious about everything so I thought I would ask. Especially because I haven't seen many people talking about it. So I wanted to know what people thought and had done. And what people had luck with.

 

I was thinking a picture would give you a better idea of what I am talking about.

 

These blocks are fairly easy to come by. I can't believe that sleving all 8 holes would be cost effective compared to finding a used block and boring that out.

 

I'd find another block if it needs more than a sleeve or two. It's not that the sleeves are all that expensive it's all the labor and machine work involved. You would have to completely machine the block after you get them in, align hone, bore and hone, decking. One would be setting that boring bar up a bunch of times as well as decking it off more than once. You should only do 2 cylinders at a time then deck it off if your going for all eight. If you try to put more than two in at once side by side you will have a hell of a time because driving them in distorts the next cylinder in line.

 

Anyone know if you could sleeve a block to a bigger bore... like 4.125 or bigger? Guess that would make the sleeves wet and I don't know if that is possible.

 

if anything. i would be able to get it done from my school for the cost of parts if there is someone in the performance engine shop willing to try it. with help from the instructor. so im not worried about cost in that respect. i have a second block thats already at .060 over but im not sure how well built it is and its an older block but its a 351m/400 block. would i be better off rebuilding that block?

 

You would have to set up a bore gauge and run it through the cylinders to know for sure.

 

There isn't enough cylinder wall material in one to support it. It won't hurt anything to fall through here and there in a cylinder but removing that much material wouldn't work.

 

I believe Tim Meyer has done just that, sleeve a 400 block for 4.125 bore. I saw it pasted on FB I think.

 

What I would do if your pistons are good and the CR you want is punch it out, sleeve it and punch it back to +0.040 and use your pistons. that saves buying pistons and then you can go to +0.060 on the next build. I believe a liner will run you $40 or so, so that times 8 is $320. plus machine work. It seems like a waste since these blocks are so easily attained. I have 4 or 5 std. bore blocks. All good biulders, most were free. Not very economically done to spend that kind of money. Now, if your block is line bored and has oiling mods and has clearancing done and has main girdles and other time consuming mods, then yes, try to sleeve.
If this block has been just ran through 3 or 4 builds and has hundreds of thousands of miles then why build it? the lifter bores are worn, the electrolysis is probably negatively effecting it, the sealing surfaced are probably deteriorated, the deck may be compromised, so I would think that for half or less of the cost of sleeves a person should be able to find a way less worn block.

 

well the one that im asking about im not sure what all has been done to it. but i know it has been rebuilt at least once. im just trying to figure out what the best thing to do is. i have a second block but it needs to be taken apart and checked, i think its a 351m so i would need to have the old crank and rods checked to use those again and i would need to see about the kit from tim because the second block is at .060 over. and i will have to look for another block or sleeve the first one so i can have a block for when the .060 wears out i can just have another block to build up.