I haven't been on the boards in a while, but here it goes... about 2 years ago while just starting my Camaro to keep it in running condition (I wasn't driving it..other things came up) it started making a tapping noise, shut it down, thought about it for a bit and determined one of the lifters bleed down, so I took off the valve covers let it run and the tapping slowly went away, a minute or so later the oil coming from the rockers turned to milkshake, I immediately shut it down. I started doing compression/leakdown checks and everything was good until I hit #6 cyl....the sparkplug was smashed, and it only had 80psi while the other cyl. were around 140 psi, and when I did the leakdown check it bubbled out the radiator...so I fianaly got to take the head off...I thought I might have sucked something up and it cracked the head...I was wrong the #6 cyl has a vertical crack in the aft section and both the piston and the combustion chamber have small nicks all over them, but other than the crack there is no damage to the walls and there is no FO in the cylinder, so, question 1, how did the damage happen, and question 2 how much dose a sleeve cost, on average. I have tried to attach pics, but no go from the website...

 

Sleeving a 350 usually costs more than just throwing it away and getting another block.

Possible, yes; been done, of course; sensible and The Right Thing To Do, not so much.

 

Sleeving a block is worth it if you have an expensive aftermarket block or need a specific numbers matching block. For a stock replacement, it's not really worth it.

Cost to sleeve itself isn't that much but it's only a small part of the whole package. Think of it as a cost to do an entire new rebuild. Can be cheaper to just buy a new engine or block.

I've had a few BBC blocks sleeved including a Dart block. When I finally cracked the block under a main cap, I had to throw it out and buy another block.

 

sorry for not being more specific on the engine, it's a GM Goodrich high nickel/tin block with splayed 4-bolt mains, it was converted to a 383 with a full re-build less than 600 miles ago, so it shouldn't need a full re-build, just the one hole fixed, the cross-hatch pattern is very obvious on all the cylinders

 

No such thing.

Even if somebody told you that's what "010 020" on the front casting mold plate meant while they were taking your extra money for it.

Can't comment on this "Goodrich". Above my pay grade, I guess.

If you've already spent enough money on this particular stock block as to install aftermarket splayed 4-bolt main caps (seeing as how there's no such thing available from GM), then sleeving the cyl might make more sense than re-duplicating the total package.

Which is of course, not the same thing as the question you originally asked.

 

it's basically an aftermarket block I picked up at a swap meet in '98 when I blew up my 305 the seller told me it was a "high nickel/tin GM Goodrich block" but here are the facts about it, it has the bosses (not drilled) for a roller lifter spider, the lifter bores are taller than normal, (figured that out the hard way, when trying to put linked roller lifters in it) it has non drilled bosses for a cam retainer, it has a left and right dipstick hole, the head bolt holes are blind (don't end in the water jacket) and it came with splayed 4-bolt caps, they look factory but I could be wrong, when I got it it was a virgin block with unfinished cylinder walls, there are also probably other things I haven't noticed the only markings on it is a 5.7 behind the back china wall and possibly a GM in the same place (I can't remember I will see when it comes out)

 

We're still considering this a full rebuild. To sleeve a block, you're going to strip it down to a bare block. The cylinder gets a huge overbore for a sleeve, sleeve gets installed then bored out to match the piston. Top of the sleeve gets milled down to the deck.

You might get away with reusing all the bearings but all the gaskets need to be replaced and no matter what the crosshatch looks like in the other cylinders, they should all be rehoned for new rings.

So how much are you really saving? It's still going to cost you for all the machine work. All the new gaskets and seals. New rings, maybe new rod and main bearings. I'd always recommend new cam bearings after machine work because it's the only way to make sure the galleries behind the bearings are clean then put it all back together again. Add it all up and from start to finish should be at least $1500. All depends on how much all the machine work will cost.

 

here's an update, I talked to a local machine shop, he told me $125 for the sleave, he said he would re-hone the entire block, re-ring it look at the bearings and re-assemble it, prob for around $800 or so, so when taxes come out I'll be bringing it down there

 

Sounds like a Chevrolet Bowtie Sportsman Block to me.
(splayed caps, blind tapped holes)

so it may be worth sleeving.

http://www.chevrolet.com/performance/parts-catalog.html

download the 2014 catalog and start at page 120,, perhaps you can cross reference the numbers on your block to confirm what it is...

 

You asked why this happened??.On a Bowtie block it shouldn't have.As for me,if I could get it sleeved cheaply enough,I would sleeve it and then sell it off to get another or a aftermarket block.The sleeves do work if done right,just they don't give me warm fizzes for performance use.

 

LOL if this was an aluminum block you would have 8 cast iron sleeves to begin with.

the difference is an aluminum block can actually be repaired (welded) and new sleeve(s) installed.

A cast iron block not so much. A sleeve can repair a cracked cylinder wall, but not if the crack extends into the deck or walls of the block.

You will have to tear down the engine and assess how deep the crack actually is.

How it happened? reading from your combo you are using N20... well that is a good place to start.

I would be inspecting each hole, each piston, and the heads. The main bearings, wrist pins.. etc. Do not just focus on #6

That hole may have been hurt first, but it does not mean the rest of the engine does not show signs of damage as well.

 

I have never had a cylinder sleeved myself, but I've heard that it can be successful. However, I've also heard that if the sleeving isn't done right, it can lead to hot spots in the cylinder and seizing. And of course, boring a cylinder to accept a sleeve means that it's too big to accept any normal oversize piston. I was able to have the cylinders on my R51/3 bored to 3rd over and it runs very well; there are 4th over pistons available for it, so I'm not currently considering sleeving as an option.

 

Did it get down below freezing and you didnt have enough antifreeze in it?
That's the only rational thing I could think of that would have caused your block to crack so suddenly and in that location.

 

BTW, a New chevy performance block sells for $800 from Jegs.
The Bowtie sportsman block sells for $1570

 

Especially considering that you said you hadn't driven it for a while…..

Looks/sounds like you have a lot of nice stuff on the car. Hate to say it, but if it were mine, I'd be hunting for a good block...

 

If he reads the plug with a good inspection plug reader,from nitrous he would find what looks like black specks and rough piston tops.

Actually there are a select few shops that can weld cast iron.But that is mostly for stock rebuilds and non-performance use normally.

The pricing for a Bowtie block at $1,500 + would get me shopping for a aftermarket block over replacing the Bowtie. He should be aware some of the low dollar Bowtie blocks are rough castings and it is as it sounds.Nothing notta done to them for machine work.They are are out of the forge plant and crated. The NASCAR teams use them for the one of a kind custom builds.I owned one in a Bowtie 4.3 and trust me,they are very,very,expensive to finish.

 

Curious.What is the warranty on the job and will it be in writing??.

Not saying it won't work out.Just want to see what guys are offering.