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Labor Day Putting down your wrenches or time for
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| | | | Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 128 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 128 | I have a 1951 235 with worn piston walls. I was wondering if, instead of boring the cylinders over, I could sleeve the piston wall 1/8 inch smaller and get a set of 3 and 7/16 inch pistons. The current bore is original at 3 and 9/16 inches. I know there might be some power loss, but is this the only downside? Has it been done? Is it plausible? Don't laugh...
1946 2 Ton Flatbed
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 8,597 Riding in the Passing Lane | | Riding in the Passing Lane Joined: Jun 2004 Posts: 8,597 | LOL Sorry I couldn't help it. Any thing is possible but practical, no. It would cost more then boreing the cylinders. I would look for a 54 up engine . They have the insert rods with pressure lube system. Then rebuild from there.
They say money can't buy happiness. It can buy old Chevy trucks though. Same thing. 1972 Chevy c10 Cheyenne SuperIn the Gallery Forum | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,742 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,742 | Yes, and I've done that on occasion to meet low displacement limits on certain race tracks. For instance, one dirt track where we raced had a 375 cubic inch limit. One car owner wanted lots of torque, so he sleeved down a Chevy 396 big block to legal size. The car was too front-heavy, and handled lousy, so the off-the-corner torque didn't help much.
If you try that, you'll need to bore the taper-worn cylinders straight first, then drive sleeves in, then bore the sleeves to accept whatever pistons you decide to use. By the time all that is done, you could have bought another block, and had money left over. You could sleeve the engine back to standard bore, and reuse the original pistons, at approximately twice the cost of doing an oversize rebore and buying new pistons. Sleeves cost somewhat more than pistons, plus the machining labor to install them. Doable, yes- - - -practical, NO!
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
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| | | | | Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 128 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 128 | Thanks, fellas. Good to know. Glad I supplied the laughs for this afternoon.
1946 2 Ton Flatbed
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