[IAGeodude]

Today I was able to pull the seized engine and trans from the 1979 W72 Trans Am I bought two weeks ago. When i tore the engine apart it was clear why the engine was seized up, it looks like water sat in the #2 cylinder for quite a while. #2 is so pitted, i dont think it will clean up with a 60 overbore. How hard/expensive is it to sleeve one cylinder in a 400 block? I would try to find another block, but non 557 blocks are hard to find around here. This engine looks like somebody spun the bearings, pulled the block, looked at the bearings and then slammed the engine back in to sell the car. Must have set outside for a little bit and got water in the engine.

[PAUL K]

It shouldn't be a big deal to sleeve a cylinder. Approx $200-$400 for that job. If the engine is original to the car by all means try to save it.

[Dave R]

I would try to save it if numbers matching. Less money than another block and will be fine for the street. If you’re going racing, then sourcing another block makes sense. 557 blocks have a bad rep but they’re perfectly fine for the street and are practically free these days. They make for a great budget build.

Is the 79 TA the one you bought at Iowa auction? It’s unfortunate about the water.

[IAGeodude]

Yes, this is the engine that was in the car I bought at the Waverly auction. It was pretty "interesting" somebody pulled the engine in the past, lost the flywheel clutch and pressure plate, inspected the rod bearings, put the pan back on, and put the partially disassembled engine back in the car.

[Dave R]

That is a lot of work just to put the engine back in. Perhaps he had big plans that were short circuited by the buying of the next car and it was a space saving move to store the engine back in the car.

[Mr Twister]

My guess is to keep all the numbers matching parts together for a future resto/build.

[Stuart]

Any decent machine shop should be able to sleeve it. Doing a single cylinder won't be very expensive.

[hurryinhoosier62]

Stay away from any shop wanting to use a thin wall liner. Additionally, they should be machining a step at the bottom of the bore to support the bottom of the sleeve.

[ANDYA]

I have a 421 that’s .030 over and has one sleeve. There is definitely a step at the bottom of the bore to support the sleeve. What would be considered a thin wall liner vs a proper one?

[IAGeodude]

Found out today that the machine shop I normally use closed this spring, so now I need to find a new shop to do block prep. Does anybody know a reputable shop in central Iowa that has a Pontiac torque plate?

[sdbob]

The SD 455 block I found in salvage yard. Was sleeved in #5 when I found it. We bored it +.030. I've raced it for 30 yrs. Just stk hp though.

[64speed]

My block is sleeved and seems fine so far.

[hurryinhoosier62]

Originally Posted by ANDYA

I have a 421 that’s .030 over and has one sleeve. There is definitely a step at the bottom of the bore to support the sleeve. What would be considered a thin wall liner vs a proper one?

Any sleeve with a wall thickness of .125 or less. They just don’t hold up.

[4dblnkldude]

If this is the same block on facebook most likely its trash. Post some pics!

[455dan]

Originally Posted by sdbob

The SD 455 block I found in salvage yard. Was sleeved in #5 when I found it. We bored it +.030. I've raced it for 30 yrs. Just stk hp though.

How bad could it be?

Didn't H-0 Racing sleeve All 8 cylinders on a Standard 455 block and it was the block in the 74 SD TA the day it set the NHRA National E.T. And Speed record in 1977

[Pav8427]

My engine machining instructor used to say a improvement was to sleeve all 8. Would guess it was based on the quality of cast iron sleeves are made of.

[mgarblik]

Before aftermarket blocks became readily available for many makes including Pontiac, repair sleeves were the only way to save rare, or highly desirable blocks with cylinder damage. To sleeve all 8 cylinders correctly, it is a very time consuming and pretty expensive operation, especially with manual machine equipment. Before we got our semi-CNC Rottler boring mill, it was a 8 hour operation to install 8 sleeves, not including surfacing and honing them after they were installed. So by the time you had 8 sleeves purchased, bored the block and installed them, square decked the block and torque plate honed it you had around $2000.00 in that operation not including any additional machine work. At that point you are very close to the cost of a far superior aftermarket block. But if numbers matching, OE stuff is the goal, sleeves are still an option. Couple years ago we installed 8 sleeves in a early 64 426 Hemi Plymouth lightweight car. Numbers matching deal. The block was windowed in several places from decades old engine failures and had lifter valley damage and 2 long freeze cracks between the freeze plugs. Owner had everything fixed and it was just fine at least on the dyno. He could have bought 2 new Indy Cylinder Heads iron hemi blocks for what he had in that old, blown up, cracked OE hemi. It just depends what your end goal and desires are as the owner. Almost anything can be repaired unless the problem is internal where there is no access.

[hurryinhoosier62]

X 2, Mike. We limited the number of sleeves we would install in “V” diesel blocks to two per bank, but not side by side. Gas “V” blocks were limited to one per bank. Anyone who has ever heard the cracking and popping of a block while sleeves are installed understands precisely how much material is removed from an engine block to install a single sleeve.

[78w72]

Originally Posted by IAGeodude

Found out today that the machine shop I normally use closed this spring, so now I need to find a new shop to do block prep. Does anybody know a reputable shop in central Iowa that has a Pontiac torque plate?

PM sent

[PAUL K]

Originally Posted by mgarblik

. Couple years ago we installed 8 sleeves in a early 64 426 Hemi Plymouth lightweight car. Numbers matching deal. The block was windowed in several places from decades old engine failures and had lifter valley damage and 2 long freeze cracks between the freeze plugs. Owner had everything fixed and it was just fine at least on the dyno. He could have bought 2 new Indy Cylinder Heads iron hemi blocks for what he had in that old, blown up, cracked OE hemi. It just depends what your end goal and desires are as the owner. Almost anything can be repaired unless the problem is internal where there is no access.

Good for all the folks involved in the project. Much more ethical than the restamp process so commonly perferred to these days. I'm guessing the owner was restoring the car for his personal collection rather than assembling to resell.