any pros or cons on sleeving a 216?
Back when I was building round track small block engines in the high school auto shop where I was an instructor for about 30 years, I was GIVEN several race-prepped 350 4 bolt blocks because "It's already 60 over- - - -it's worn out!" I put my advanced-level students to work installing 8 sleeves and going back to standard bore. They got lots of good practice, and I got a block with at least 75% of the prep work for a race engine done, for the cost of 8 sleeves. Use 3/32" wall sleeves- - - -no point in boring big enough for the 1/8" heavy wall sleeve if you're not repairing a crack or a hole in the cylinder wall. Also, skip cylinders with the sleeving operation- - - -sleeve cylinders 1,3,and 5, then go back and sleeve 2,4,and 6. It decreases the distortion of the block that way. Leave a 1/8" wide step at the bottom of the cylinder uncut for the sleeve to rest on as it's driven in, then face off the top of the sleeve flush with the top of the block. That sandwiches the sleeve between the head and the un-bored step and prevents it from moving. Use a .002" press fit and drive the sleeve in with a piece of heavy steel plate and a BFH, not a press. The hammering actually creates less stress on the block than a steady push. (Yes, I've installed a few hundred sleeves in my 50+ years in the trade!)
Jerry
