Question about sleeving a Gen3 block

[HKusp]

So I have cylinder wall damage on my Gen3 block and because of the plasma lining, you can't hone them the only fix is a brand new block or to have this one sleeved. My intention is for this car to be a daily driven vehicle for the most part, somewhere in the 12K-15Kmile/year range. It currently has a fuel system and a GEN 5 Whipple, so somewhere in the 700+ WHP range on 93. Is sleeving the block and basically dailying it compatible or am I just going to have to go with another new block?

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[WItoTX]

I went with a new block because I wanted the Gen III. My old block had some scratches, but I was assured they could all be fixed without sleeves. From multiple companies.

There's nothing wrong with going sleeved, and it's the preferred method. Regardless, sleeved is going to be basically the same price, if not more, as a new block.

 

[robvas]

Sleeves aren't recommended until ~ 1k rwhp, aren't they? Stock shortblock should be fine for that use

 

[Timbuck]

That’s 100% the reason I darton sleeved my block when I decided to part company with cylinder 3.
I have mine apart again ATM due to oil burning problem. ( which we have found). It was cheaper for me being in australia to sleeve the block than to buy a new one. I daily drive and now done 20,000kms on this engine and bores look like they where plateau honed yesterday. ductile iron is incredibly hard and will out last your pistons many times over. One caveat is due to there thickness they take heat more heat locally before transferring it to the aluminium block. Which is a good thing will loose fitting 2618 pistons the heat stays in the the sleeve help piston get to temp quicker rather than going straight the through plasma bore into the aluminium . So engine block heat up times are a little longer and same with cool down times. I saw picture of a blown up sleeved Honda a few days ago and the piston was in a million pieces and the bore didn’t have a mark haha. The reality other than slight heat transfer difference it doesn’t know it’s got sleeves and everything is the same , just better in every way. Your 2618 pistons will need replacing long before darton sleeves will.
you want high tension ring set to make sure you don’t burn oil… ask me how I know maybe that another thread once I fix it.

so sleeve away brother it will be totally fine.

 

[HKusp]

Sleeves aren't recommended until ~ 1k rwhp, aren't they? Stock shortblock should be fine for that use

Yeah I was pretty sure it was 1000+whp where they are recommended, which is why I was wondering if it was do-able to use as an every day driver, or was it really more for track duty only. I am already regretting the fact that I went with 2618 pistons because they have a tendency to not last nearly as long as hypereutectic and some other alloys. I don't want to sleeve this thing (which I am already leaning away from just from a cost standpoint) and find out it won't work for my intended use. I DO plan on going a little more horsepower once I get the damn thing right. I have a 3.5 inch pulley and that combined with going E, it SHOULD be capable of 900-930ish whp I believe. Getting close to that 1000.

 

[robvas]

Yeah I was pretty sure it was 1000+whp where they are recommended, which is why I was wondering if it was do-able to use as an every day driver, or was it really more for track duty only. I am already regretting the fact that I went with 2618 pistons because they have a tendency to not last nearly as long as hypereutectic and some other alloys. I don't want to sleeve this thing (which I am already leaning away from just from a cost standpoint) and find out it won't work for my intended use. I DO plan on going a little more horsepower once I get the damn thing right. I have a 3.5 inch pulley and that combined with going E, it SHOULD be capable of 900-930ish whp I believe. Getting close to that 1000.

Probably no real drawbacks other than cost. What about a 5.2 shortblock?

The thing about 1000hp is that's when the block distorts (depending on who you talk to) and you want the sleeves for sure.

Definitely don't want hyper pistons in a boosted engine though.

 

[Timbuck]

Agreed. That’s why I sleeved my block. Is it over kill. Sure . But building it for 1200hp and running it at 800 makes it a none stressed set up. Over build underuse , is far better than running at the edge. even though 2618 are the pick of the bunch when it come to pistons , like FFRE use the same Manley extreame duty piston in all of there builds Up to 2500HP. Mine is a street car and the short life of the pistons 60 to 80,000kms kind of scared me a little. So I decided to go Mahle m142P , kind of best of both worlds and good for 100,000kms hopefully. Unfortunately mine , mated with billet boundey pump , oil squirters and low tension oil ring I’ve got an oil burning issue Almost to much oil. Soon to be solved with some total seal rings with higher tension. We are still getting to the bottom of it , but it look like the hardness of the ductile iron and plateau hone on the Darton sleeves the oil ring flutters or hydroplanes over the oil. Just hasn’t got enough tension to keep up. On a normal coyote plasma bore the Finnish is so smooth they seem to do fine.

 

[Golgo69]

Yeah I was pretty sure it was 1000+whp where they are recommended, which is why I was wondering if it was do-able to use as an every day driver, or was it really more for track duty only. I am already regretting the fact that I went with 2618 pistons because they have a tendency to not last nearly as long as hypereutectic and some other alloys. I don't want to sleeve this thing (which I am already leaning away from just from a cost standpoint) and find out it won't work for my intended use. I DO plan on going a little more horsepower once I get the damn thing right. I have a 3.5 inch pulley and that combined with going E, it SHOULD be capable of 900-930ish whp I believe. Getting close to that 1000.

Exactly. I went with sleeved because I was going for 1000+ whp (which I hit easily)

Probably no real drawbacks other than cost. What about a 5.2 shortblock?

The thing about 1000hp is that's when the block distorts (depending on who you talk to) and you want the sleeves for sure.

Definitely don't want hyper pistons in a boosted engine though.

again, exactly @ no drawbacks other than cost

 

[The Watchman]

I have watched countless videos of folks running the Ford Aluminator crate engine to 1000k whp and those engines live there a long time. Then you are actually running an OEM spec motor which is built from the factory

 

[Joshinator99]

So I have cylinder wall damage on my Gen3 block and because of the plasma lining, you can't hone them the only fix is a brand new block or to have this one sleeved. My intention is for this car to be a daily driven vehicle for the most part, somewhere in the 12K-15Kmile/year range. It currently has a fuel system and a GEN 5 Whipple, so somewhere in the 700+ WHP range on 93. Is sleeving the block and basically dailying it compatible or am I just going to have to go with another new block?

Sleeve it. You’ll be fine.

 

[MSheets]

So I have cylinder wall damage on my Gen3 block and because of the plasma lining, you can't hone them the only fix is a brand new block or to have this one sleeved. My intention is for this car to be a daily driven vehicle for the most part, somewhere in the 12K-15Kmile/year range. It currently has a fuel system and a GEN 5 Whipple, so somewhere in the 700+ WHP range on 93. Is sleeving the block and basically dailying it compatible or am I just going to have to go with another new block?

Daily driving a sleeved engine isn't a problem. The old Vega aluminum block people sleeved them because the blocks were crap

 

[HKusp]

I have my original stock block, that I was running when I broke a ring land, at the machine shop being checked to see if we can run that one. I had bought the block and crank that I am NOW considering sleeving before I removed the original engine, thinking that it surely had cylinder wall damage, only to find out that on visual inspection it wasn't bad so I pulled the broken piston and kept the block outside, but under cover. I dropped it off to see if it is usable and between the parts in the block that is damaged (crank, Manley H-Tuff rods, Manley Pistons, all the ARP hardware, etc.) and the original crank and block, I can come up with a good short block without having to go the sleeved route. Thank you all for your input. I will let you know what I come up with as soon as I have good information and make a decision.

 

[HKusp]

I went by the machine shop to pay for and pick up my heads and got some potentially good news. The owner said it looks like that the original block is going to be usable. He told me he'll clean it up, take it apart and look at the crank, etc. but just looking at it so far, he says we may be in business. I'll get the shortblock that just came out of the car down to him next week and between the two, hopefully will have a nice fresh short block, with Manley rods and pistons, and ARP hardware back in not too long. MIGHT still make it to Cruise Weekend in Ocean City with the car if things go well.

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