Tips/Tools for retaining sleeves while heads are off

[TexasPettey]

For those of you that have had the heads off the car for an extended period, what did you use to hold the sleeves down? I understand that they can slide up while the heads are off. Any tips? I'm thinking of rigging something basic up. I've got a bad lifter and will need a small bit of head work to refresh while they are off.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Viper Specialty]

I wouldn't worry about it too much, just dont turn the engine over with the heads off. Most are seized in the block pretty good to start with.

 

[Dan Cragin]

Dan is correct, those sleeves will never fall out. In fact they came be pretty hard to remove. Gen 1 engines only use "wet" liners.

 

[TexasPettey]

Thanks for the help.

 

[Jack B]

Thanks for the help.

The wizard may want to chime in, but, he has indicated in the past that this can be an issue. I have a set of dog bones that bolt to the block and hold down the sleeves. When you have the heads off, I believe that you have to look at the condition of the cylinders, therefore, the need to rotate the crank, hence the problem.

 

[Viper Specialty]

The wizard may want to chime in, but, he has indicated in the past that this can be an issue. I have a set of dog bones that bolt to the block and hold down the sleeves. When you have the heads off, I believe that you have to look at the condition of the cylinders, therefore, the need to rotate the crank, hence the problem.

The only time it can be an issue is if you have a very loose liner, and rotating the crank is enough to pop it out- HIGHLY unlikely, but not impossible. The liners have dual o-rings, and in normal circumstances, even a slight shift would not cause them to tear. The problems stem from an old o-ring that comes up with a liner, and then is chopped into pieces when you push the liner back down, as the old rings have long lost any elasticity.

Worst case, just rotate the crank by hand SLOWLY, and watch for liner shift. If one starts to lift, STOP, and find a way to hold it down.

 

[Viper Wizard]

Since the liners [GENI's only] have been in one place for so long, the o/rings are stuck to the block, so if they move it will rip a piece of the o/ring off! You wont know it until you run it and discover coolant in the oil and you'll be screwed at that point! Yes it is rare that it would happen but why be foolish? "Do it right the first time", just bolt them down with either a set of dog bones or a piece of angle iron.

If you want to talk more about the liners, 914-763-3136