LT5 bare block

[spork2367]

Was this the one that Jim Butler Chevrolet had for sale? I actually have a virgin block sitting on the shelf in my garage. I'd love to see someone remake nikisil plated liners.

[tpepmeie]

RE: aluminum liners.

I believe I could offer Aluminum nikasil coated liners in 4.000 bore at approximately $2500. You would need the block bored slightly oversize to accommodate the liners, and the final honing would need diamond abrasives.

Benefits- Lighter weight than iron, superior wear resistance, lower friction coefficient.

Can you guys let me know either here, or by PM whether you might be interested.

[Jitse]

Hello Todd,

I am interested in a closed deck 4" Sleeve set, the steel version, something similair like you are now using on your own engine.

Two weeks ago I finalized the rebuild of my 368, but discovered the day after I filled it up with coolant, there was coolwater leakage from inside the oil pan.
Toke the oil pan of and saw immidatly the problem, there was coolant slowly sweating from in between a few liners and the block.
Dissambled the engine and found that the sealer from the liners was complete washed away.
The block was send away before to a locally good recommended machine shop,
But from my view now; not that good at all.
They ultrasonic cleaned the block including the liners and after that the installed a torque plate and honed the sleeves ( iron ductile).... the result you know
I provided them with all the technical data (copies) from the service manual, but looks like they did not read and made a short cut. A expensive one for me.

I never want to go back to this shop again and I am going to search for a shop who can handle this job how it suppose to be.

Todd are your design closed deck sleeves still using anaerobic sealer or did you make an modification to o-rings in to the block. I like the closed deck because of the more ridgit design it looks like its also possible to get a thicker wall sleeve in to the block with not that much extra job for a good cnc machinist.

Jitse Betsema

[tpepmeie]

Jitse,
PM sent

[XfireZ51]

Originally Posted by tpepmeie

Cosworth liners and the OEM LT5 liners. Guess which is which

So Todd, is that Cosworth as in C7 ZR1 Cosworth?

[rkreigh]

the nikasil is certainly great stuff and adds to the durability of the LT5 bores.

But can't you just get the ductile iron liners coated?

Seems like it would be lower price and still meet your 4.0 goals

I'd love to see how much it would cost to nikasil coat a set of AES liners.

That seems like it might be feasible.

[george1945]

The pictures of the bare block quickly dispel any thoughts of the LT5 as just having a set of trick dual OHC heads slapped on. The more I learn about this beast, the more I come to appreciate it and respect just how special it really is. I just wonder where the HP would peak on a built, streatable driver in a natural aspiration and a turbo boosted variety. 700-800 HP and up? Easy?

[tpepmeie]

Originally Posted by rkreigh

the nikasil is certainly great stuff and adds to the durability of the LT5 bores.

But can't you just get the ductile iron liners coated?

Seems like it would be lower price and still meet your 4.0 goals

I'd love to see how much it would cost to nikasil coat a set of AES liners.

That seems like it might be feasible.

Ron,
Although you can coat ductile iron, there is no real engineering benefit to doing to. The aluminum is coated for wear resistance, which is obviously not a problem with iron. There is a slight side benefit of friction reduction, but that is really secondary to the main purpose. I can't think of one example, either in production or motorsports with a nikasil coated iron liner. Somebody might prove me wrong, but it's generally not done.

[Hog]

Yes, the whole point of a Nikasil liner is to allow the aluminum to stand up to the rings frictional wear forces.
No aluminum cylinder, no need for Nikasil. The advantage is the aluminum liner, the Nikasil merely allows its usage.

[spork2367]

Originally Posted by tpepmeie

Ron,
Although you can coat ductile iron, there is no real engineering benefit to doing to. The aluminum is coated for wear resistance, which is obviously not a problem with iron. There is a slight side benefit of friction reduction, but that is really secondary to the main purpose. I can't think of one example, either in production or motorsports with a nikasil coated iron liner. Somebody might prove me wrong, but it's generally not done.

I was just reading back through some old posts looking for some info on rings and found this.

Some air cooled forged 4140 aircraft cylinders are nikasil plated.