AusS2000

An Aus member blew his engine and couldn't find a suitable block for rehoning.

So he is having the block sleeved with ductile iron sleeves and is planning to run stock pistons.

It is fairly well known (although not my Arias apparently) that you can't run conventional aftermarket pistons in our FRM sleeves (hence I'll be running a 3mm headgasket to lower compression). This is because the hardness of the FRM sleeves exceeds that of the pistons so during piston slap the tribomutation results in a build up of material on the sleeve and eventually ring damage or seizure.

The question is, is there any issue with running OEM piston (high silicon content) in a block with ductile iron sleeves?

I expect there is no issue except maybe some noise from the different expansion rates of the two materials and the increase of thermal transfer from iron over FRM.

Does anyone have any first hand experience with this?

WhiteAP1

Im told it would only be a problem if the OEM pistons weren't forged. Well now were never gonna know coz im going with TODA hi comp pistons and a thinner headgasket very similar to spoons. Should have a comp ratio of about 12.0:1, or so the brochure says. But im still interested in what others have to say.

Oh and i didnt blow the engine.....i errr, only droped a valve.....

Thanks for starting the thread up anyhow Aus

AusS2000

Nice. If you're going to the trouble of sleeving may as well get something for it.

I think the term 'blow engine' is used a bit generically. Mine didn't blow up either. In fact it still runs, just not very well.

jzz30

the thing is why would you run stock pistons when you already spent about $3000? for the sleeves and machine work? i know this isnt an answer to the question but your sleeving the block for a reason either FI or gain in displacement.(most of the time)

AusS2000

White is sleeving his block because he couldn't source a replacement block suitable for honing. And if you read his above post you'll see that he has seen the light and decided to spend the extra and get some advantage.

I did offer to swap my good stock block for his sleeved one but no response.

WhiteAP1

lol there was a response, it was a "No"

AusS2000

Ok, I'll rephrase. I got 'NO' response. LOL.

AusS2000

White - What did you sleeving cost and what sort of sleeving did they do?

Is your block still open deck or is it now closed?