Reasons To Use Sleeves When Rebuilding Your Engine Block

If you're considering tearing apart your engine block, then you may be debating whether you want to simply bore out your cylinders or sleeve them. Some engines, such as aluminum engines, already come with iron sleeves, so in their case, you would just be considering replacing the sleeve. However, with other engine types, there are times when sleeving the engine will be better. Here are some reasons why you might want to use sleeves when rebuilding your engine.

Your cylinders are severely damaged:

Probably the biggest reason why people install sleeves over choosing to bore the cylinders out is that there are severe problems in the cylinders. If your cylinders are scored, worn unevenly or cracked badly, then you may not be able to bore the cylinders enough to remove the damage. If you bore the engine too much, then you could reduce engine integrity, put it at risk of severe overheating and turn your newly refurbished engine block into a big piece of seized metal.

You want to maintain factory original specifications:

Sleeves are a great way to restore your worn engine block back to its original cylinder size and capacities. Keeping your engine to the original specifications can cut down on problems with other parts that work with your engine. If your is bored out so much that the cylinder sizes change significantly, then might also have to change or modify your exhaust and cooling system parts to accommodate the changes.

You want a higher performance engine:

While some people may want their engines to perform as they were originally built, you might be one of those people who is building a custom car or hot rod. Sleeves are particularly useful when you can't find the type of engine block with the size and dimensions you need. By using custom-made sleeves, you can increase your engine's capacity as well as increase its power and torque. While many hot rod builders prefer to use boring to create these higher-performance effects, not all engine blocks can be bored out to the needed specifications without making them too thin. Sleeving can help solve this issue.

Sleeves can be a great way to repair engine, or change the way your engine performs. There are dry sleeves, which are designed for most engines, and wet sleeves which may offer superior cooling. If you are rebuilding your own engine, just want to know more about sleeves and how they work or you want to know what kind you need, then contact a retailer who specializes in engine parts, like Dean's Auto Repair Inc, to get your started.