Original engine sleeved: is it still good?

[njsteve]

I am considering buying a 71 Trans Am restoration project. The original 455 HO block sat for many years and as a result of water damage, needed four of the cylinders sleeved. What questions should I be asking the machine shop that did the work to make sure it was properly done. Can the block still be trusted to hold up? It is going to be a restoration back to stock with limited street use in the future. Thanks, NJSteve

[allcamaro]

I have had a few blocks with sleeves and have never had any problems.

[supercomp 8.90]

a while back i bought a 68 camaro superstock car 70s era had been sitting for years the owner gave us the motor in pieces all fresh, and the first thing i noticed was it had 8 sleeves!!!! i talked to my engine builder and he said some guys like to sleeve the cyls to have perfect sealing that you do not always get with a non sleeved block, i have ran sleeves before and if it is done correctly it will be just fine, the bottom of the sleeve should be stepped to the cyl.

[Pantera]

Look close at the bottom of the cyl that have the sleeves. The sleeve should not be the same dia as the original bore of the block. The sleve should be seated against a ledge of sorts left when the block was overbored for the sleeve. there should be at least a 1/6" or more smaller dia of the bottom of the cyl. as compaired to the OD of the sleve at the top of the block. The sleeve would be faced off (machined smooth) at the head gasket surface after it is inserted and seated against the bottom ledge in the bore.


A good pair of sharp pointed (tips) dividers will allow you to determine this.

[njsteve]

Thanks for the help. I looked at the engine today and it was done properly but I passed on the project because it was a pile, no wait, many piles of crap. The block also turned out to be a replacement block, not the original one (no VIN stamp on it) This was a 71 Trans Am that I remembered from 1982. Completely rusted way back when, supposedly all new sheetmetal, awaiting paint now. NOT! The guy that has it now thinks it worth a ton of money. He keeps saying it was a complete car but whenever I would ask him where a particular part was LIKE THE FIREWALL DATA PLATE! he would just say "it's in one of the boxes somewhere." Oh well, I got to renew some old frindships with the guys at the machine shop where this engine has been sitting for 10 years through 5 owners. I didn't realize it til I got there but I knew one of the guys from 1982. He used to do the machine work on my 426 Hemis back in the old days. The search continues...anyone know of a nice 70 to 72 Lucerne blue Trans Am out there?