Earlier this year I purchased an engine with the intention of putting it into my car as-is. After seeing the transmission it came with was beat to hell I no longer trusted the seller so I pulled the head off, saw there was quite a bit of mileage on it (I was told the opposite) I changed plans and was going to rebuild it. Upon taking the block to the machine shop he found something I had not seen before:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clen/10733586373/

The two layers of the sleeves are starting to split from each other. It's a little hard to see, but there's a distinct black line between the two materials and you can definitely feel it with your fingernail. The machinist thinks it could be due to overheating. Has anyone seen this before?

 

I've never seen that before.

I do not foresee any problems with using the block on na use. I would have it decked for sure. As long as you don't find any crazy tapperness with the sleeves you should be fine.

 

You will have head gasket issues sleeves is coming apart most likely was turbo charged and detonated, speaking from experience.

 

Maybe if you were to get a Cylinder Support System it will force the outer sleeve to connect back with the inner sleeve but all of this will just be a "mickey mouse" job. Your better off getting new sleeves or a new block.

 

Thanks everyone. I have no experience with this problem but I don't think I want to risk anything. Especially because this is engine will be going in a track car and seeing sustained high rpm and heat. If it was a daily or something maybe it'd be worth the risk.

 

never seen that before

just the usual B20 #3 cracks

 

never seen that before

just the usual B20 #3 cracks

 

That would be a great block to trade for someone to sleeve. Whats the rotating assembly look like?

 

Why would this affect head gasket sealing?

 

Yeah, my machine shop had a customer that was almost willing to do the trade, but he wanted $250 from me, which seems ridiculous, I countered and he just decided he wanted to keep his block anyway. I'm thinking I'll need to just end up selling it for dirt cheap to someone who will end up sleeving it. Everything is in great shape, crank, rods, pistons...

I'd be interested in a knowledgeable explanation of why it would or would not affect the head gasket sealing. Unfortunately I don't have the background to know myself - which is why I posted, hoping people would chime in.

 

Basically the sleeve is separating from the liner

 

Looks like heat/detonation damage to me. Especially with all that carbon build up on the piston. I would sleeve it or find another block.

 

I've seen this a few times, it looks as if the OEM sleeves have sunk a lil, decking the block will fix it right up.

 

^^^ i tried that on a built d16 single cam with the same problem couldnt go passed 8psi on a t04e without cooling issues, so for that instance im sure something else was going on.

 

Hmm, lots of conflicting info. Sounds like it's sometimes able to just be decked and used, other times it'll cause more problems. I don't think it's worth the risk in my case.

Anyone have any idea what it's worth to sell as-is, most likely to someone who would be sleeving it?

 

I wouldn't think twice about purchasing it if you were local, I built a B16 for a friend who had the exact same appearance to it. 470hp strong 3 years and counting. Nothing is splitting it is due to the sleeve settling.


Golden Eagle will buy blocks if your interested in contacting them they will likely purchase it.

 

The sleeve is the liner....

So if what your saying is true is it the aluminum expanding or the liner contracting? Do you understand how the block is manufactured?

 

I will get pics of what I'm talking about in a week or so, the block looked like that and I ran it and when I pulled the head again it came even farther apart. The original owner of the car drove it for 2k miles on a base map on 18psi and no timing pulled. Natural Aspirations, I was trying to keep it simple for him to understand what's going on, I know sleeves are called liners also. If you have a better way of explaining it and keeping it simple then be my guest.

 

we are still referring to NA use no?

 

After looking at the photos for a second time, it seems that the crack/separation could only be on the top section. We don't know how far deep it goes down to the block but maybe with a deck surface the crack can get thinner or even disappear.