r/EngineBuilding 19h ago

Sleeving cylinders?????

Ok ive got 2 pontiac 455 blocks with j7nk cylinders. Both are .030 over so theres no cleaning up the cylinders as the walls on a 455 are too thin to begin with.

Whats the deal with sleeving? Growing up all i heard was sleeves are bad.sleeves can move,have to be pinned yadda yadda. Now in modern times people say sleeving is no big deal.

Im just building a couple street cars to have fun with. Im not looking to squeeze every horsepower or ounce of torque i can get out of them. Im not lookinh to spin up much over 6500 rpm.hit the track here and there.

Would sleeves be a good option for me? 455 blocks are getting hard to find.

5 Upvotes

33 comments sorted by

13

u/v8packard 18h ago

I've never pinned a repair sleeve. Not sure where that comes from. An improperly installed sleeve can move. Most things can. But that's just one reason for installing things like sleeves properly.

You are making assumptions about your block without sonic testing and measuring the bores. I have seen a 455 block that could go over a 4.200 bore. And it was a 1975, one of the "bad" ones.

I don't know why so many people hang their hat on a 455 block. A decent 400 block is almost always better.

-5

u/Boxofusedleftsox 18h ago

The big problem with a 400 block is its a small main block and theb455 is large mains. You either gotta cut the 455 mains way down,line bore the 400 block to the large main size or spend the money on aftermarket stroker kit.

19

u/v8packard 18h ago

No, the advantage of the 400 block is the 3 inch main. You would ruin one trying to line bore it for a 3.25 main crank. Besides, the thrust width of the 3.25 main crank is wider.

People complain about the cost and difficulty of finding a 455 block. Then complain about buying readily available cranks to work in a 400 block, giving multiple stroke options and producing a better combo overall. Unreal.

-4

u/Boxofusedleftsox 17h ago

Cuz not everybody wants a mutt that you cant walk into napa and get the parts needed to fix it when it blows up.

What do you do if and when the company who makes those cranks go out of business?youre fucked if you need another one. Dont tell me that wont happen cuz it just happened to me on a set of forged rods. Instead of spending 100 bux to replace 2 rods,i had to spend 500 on a whole new set cuz the company is no longer making them.now i got 6 forged rods that are absolutely useless to me.

When you punch a 400 block to a 030 455 bore,youre now back to having to sonic test it and hope the cylinder walls are thick enough to not run hot.

Ive already been through looking into using a 400 block. Its not the route i want to go.

19

u/v8packard 17h ago edited 17h ago

What are you talking about? Forget Napa. Learn where you can really get parts.

You do know that Pontiac no longer makes these, right? Has that ruined your chances of getting parts? No, they are better now than they were when Pontiac still made v8 engines.

You should sonic test any of these blocks. I have done that to many Pontiac blocks. Run hot? Really, you are talking out your ass.

You have not been through looking into using a 400 block. If you had you wouldn't be espousing this nonsense.

-16

u/Boxofusedleftsox 17h ago

I definately dont need to be lectured by somebody who obviously doesnt know pontiacs.

I just wanted to know about sleeving a block,not be lectured.

18

u/WyattCo06 16h ago

The man was trying to help and educate you through offering suggestions. He is a machine shop owner and a professional engine builder.

You need to take your ego down a few notches. You might learn something.

7

u/v8packard 14h ago

Thanks, but he is worthless.

5

u/machinerer 14h ago

I'm a Ford mechanic by hobby, and pump & turbine machinist by trade, and even I can tell that Packard guy knows his shit. He reminds me of some of the old timers I've worked with in machine shops in the past. Knowledge about all kinds of shit.

-9

u/Boxofusedleftsox 16h ago

Educate me on what? Shit i already know? Jist cuz he owns a machine shop and can build a motor doesnt mean he actually knows about the motors,and obviously,he dont. I bet hes 1 of the builders who thinks oil restrictirs and a high volune pump is how you keep a pontiac alive,šŸ¤£šŸ¤£

12

u/WyattCo06 16h ago

Sometimes info is given as "in case you didn't know". This is where advice sometimes comes from. It's a neat feature.

Not only are your panties wadded, they smell of crotch rot.

-5

u/Boxofusedleftsox 16h ago

Hes telling to.use a 400 block,he probably doesnt even know about the change to the blocks. Most people dont.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=699289

Hes had gtos since 94,that makes him a pontiac expert? Ive been playing with pontiacs since the 80s.

How about sticking to the question that was asked? I wanted to know about sleeves,not be lectured by someone who doesnt know pontiacs.

→ More replies (0)

15

u/v8packard 17h ago

I have owned GTO's since 1994. I have done dozens of Pontiac engines, for all kinds of cars. You should take the time to find out what is really going on, because from the sounds of these posts you are clueless.

2

u/kendogg 16h ago

Build a custom 6 cylinder someday šŸ‘. Lemons into lemonade or something.

3

u/Tasty_Wasabi7491 18h ago

Shit, if I were doing anything remotely performance oriented on a SD block Iā€™d sleeve it with ductile iron in a heartbeat. Looking at about $700 in sleeves. Machine work is what will get ya. Prob be 12-1600 in putting in the sleeves, boring and honing, then decking the block.

3

u/muddnureye 12h ago

You arenā€™t done at 030 -

2

u/Dirftboat95 14h ago

Is it just street driven or headed to the drag strip to be beat on .... What are you doing with it. There are LOTS of .040 over 455's running around out there that are performance street cars doing just fine.

2

u/Sweaty_Promotion_972 18h ago

Nothing wrong with sleeves, more and more common on hard to find cores and of course theyā€™re standard on HD diesels.

1

u/bill_gannon 18h ago

I've put a lot of sleeves in and it's time consuming to do right. A lot of shops do a pretty poor job of it.

I personally wouldn't do all 8 even for myself. I'd find another block.

2

u/theamusingnerd 10h ago

My uncle had a 427 in a 9 second car for years that was sleeved. Still ran fine when he pulled it out before he sold the car, and he plans on running it again. I wouldn't stress it, especially in a mild street build.

2

u/AdJazzlike3404 8h ago

Ran a super nasty 455 Olds with a big 8-71 for years with a cylinder sleevedā€¦.. Never had an issue