From:Mark Hill e-mail:hillm
Subject:RE: To sleeve or not to sleeve? Date:Thu Dec 2 09:07:30 2010
Response to:3161

Dennis,

I feel your pain I could sell six sets of cyliders right now not counting myself. The cylinder thing has reached critical mass. With the cannonball thing coming up I can Imagine it will only get worse.

Best,
Mark
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After 8 years I'm to a point in my long KJ restoration that it appears that I am going to have to use my original KJ cylinders. They are in rough condition as there are some bad spots in the upper cylinder interior walls. They will probably not clean up with a 2.750 bore and that's about as far as I think you can safely bore them. That leaves about a 1/8" of material. At this point I have investigated sleeving them and have talked to LA Sleeve. They recommend no less than 1/16" wall thickness of the sleeve. This would result in 2 walls or 1/8" total and deducted from 2.750 bore would equal 2 5/8" finished bore size. That is 1/16" undersize from stock cylinder which means I would need a custom undersized piston. Has anyone out there done something similar to this and with what result? Some of my concerns are weakening the cylinder too much, having my machinest stake the sleeve in place and the exposed sleeve wall in the combusion chamber which I would port and polish. Or is there anyone out there that has a good set of useable cylinders? Thanks. Dennis