Hey Guys

Here it goes... My AEBS sleeved/decked engine has got a leak between the water jacket and the combustion chamber at the #6 cylinder... either a sunk sleeve or a blown head gasket. Can't see why a head gasket could blow since I was never boosting when ths happened, but I think that the first overheat that I had might have contributed to its deterioration...

The leakdown result on that cylinder was about 90% (retention - 10% leak). The car does not overheat now and drives normally, only pushes out hte coolant into the reservoir on long drives... there IS a very very slight hint of antifreeze vapor odor when I come to a stop... but no steaming from the pipe...

I will be taking the car in on Friday, we'll know more after that. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. This truly sucks!

Either thinking of selling the car after putting in a stock engine... or going forward and fixing the current one... Son't know yet.

 

Man that sucks.I dont think you needed to re-sleeve.Were you sponsored or somethin? Stock sleeves should handle up to 1000hp.
Don't give up on us.

 

Gurgen, that sucks man. The term you gotta pay to play isn't being too nice in your case. Regardless good luck in what you choose to do next. Maybe you could sell your current car after putting in a stock engine, pick up a used 6MT coupe or sedan since you already have an engine and drop in your sleeved one. Then go for the APS TT kit. Just a thought.

 

I'm really sorry to hear this, I've followed your progress with FI since the beginning and I think it goes without saying that from those of us who were/are clueless about forced induction, we really appreciate all of the knowledge you've contributed to the forums.

With that being said, you cant let it go. I know there is a certain goal you are trying to achieve and you've come thus far into it, why not finish it off? (Although I know we're NEVER truly finished)

 

While I somewhat agree with Tony, there comes a time when you've just got to cut your losses. I'd hate to see Gurgen move on, but he's done more than his fair share to help those of us who are "on lookers" and maybe he's reached his financial limit as to what he's willing to spend. (I sure know I would have reached that limit a LONG time ago if I was him).

Good luck either way Gurgen and thanks!!!

 

True, I guess I couldn't argue with that. I'm sure anyone would be at the their of my stick by now.

 

Sorry to hear about it Gurgen. Best of luck on either selling the car or repairing it.

 

There's still a slim chance the sleeve hasn't sunk. We'll see for sure once the engine is cracked open.

 

Thnaks for the kind words, guys, all of you. My financial limit has come and gone a little while ago, I just cannot conceive of jsut parkign the car in an inop condition. So, I had to dip into the debt pool for this.

But this is how oyu learn in the absence of any kind of information to begin with. Hindsight is always 20/20, but of course I wish I didn't do sleeves at this point.

Very true... In fact, like I posted before (on my350z), I am leanign toward the head gasket itself being the culprit, but this a gut feeling based on some prior evidence, nothing more.

 

Not that it helps that much, but the dinner tonight is on me

 

LOL... don't worry about it.. The "car money" is separate...

 

were the heads decked flat? maybe that head was a little warped?

maybe these threads will help ..from the honda boards.. they have lots of experience with sinking sleeves.

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=464754

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=518966

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=833430

 

Why don't the sleeves have a machined lip of .030" or so to keep them from sinking? Are they just a straight sleeve with an ID and an OD and a length? If so, even one keyway on the side (where there is a little beef in the block) would keep the sleeve from sinking. WHERE ARE THE DESIGN ENGINEERS? Can anyone show me a picture. This is really bugging me... sounds like a very easy solution for someone with access to a machine shop (hydrazine...)

 

Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease let it be a head gasket.

Man, it's like a punch in the gut when I read this stuff, Gurgen....... GL !

W

 

.030" is very thin.the diameter of a hair is .003" so 10 times that.the sleeves are heat treated to certain rockwell hardness.therefore it become very brittle if it that thin.
i don't think the lips (flange) are needed if the sleeves are bottom out.meaning they sits all the way down inside the aluminum block.unless the flange are thick for strength purpose.like .25" or more.

here're the posibilities cause to the problem:

1)the sleeve sinks due to the fact that it not sitting all the way down inside the block.if this happened,the sleeve should stay sink (below the block line).

2)in extreme heat,the material expand.aluminum block will expand much more than the steel sleeve which much more stable.another word,during engine run there's a mismatch between them.if i have to guess,it could be up to .010" different.this event is exspected and that's why there's what they called "gasket".just try to keep the engine run cool and when you take the head out visualy check for mismatch or flushness between block & sleeve.

3)the sleeve might been crack right where the coolant holes/grooves.as i stated earlier.the sleeve is hard/tough/strong now but also brittle.if the material itself defected or mistake during installation could put a micro crack in it.then when the engine temp raise it became larger.

4)head gasket.could be defected or crack.they made metal aftermarket gasket for a reason.

5)torque on studs.if they were not properly torque down to spec,the head could actually lift up.

6)check on the block itself around the chamber for any scratch,nick,ding and the finish roughness of the machine cut.if they cut the thing too fast with less RPM then the finish look s really rough.you can see and fell the grooves on the surface.

7)head and block flatness.during the process of machine them flat,they have to set them up on fixture in the milling machine.and if the set up is not right or they over-torque them while trying to hold them down onto the fixture.that will tweak/warp/distort the block/head.after that they milled flat but after they being taken out of the fixture,they return to normal form or spring back to original form and there goes your flatness.

i'm just thinking out loud here base on my personal experience without going for any extensive reseach.so i could be wrong.

Gurgen i'm soo sorry to hear what you been going thru,i feel you bro.but keep your head up.you are so close right now,don't give up.keep moving forward one step at a time.think about the end result.there're things that worth dying for
steve.