Thread: Properly sleeve a SR20 block

Can anyone explain the correct procedure for sleeving a sr20 block?

I am now on my second block, sleeved by the same guy and both have given me nothing but problems from day one. For starters, is taking away that thin material between the cylinders advised before the new sleeves are installed?

I keep getting compression in the radiator.

What kind of sleeves is he using? I know it would be costly for you but I would try and get a reputable shop over here in the states to do one for you and ship it to you. Will be cheaper in the long run man.

normally the process of sleeving the block is to overbore the existing bores and then press ductile iron sleeves in then hone the sleeves for install.

heres a good pic of the process

@ Bes. Yeah he used AE sleeves. I have obtained a quote from Mazworx. Totals to about $4k incl. shipping.

@GT2871BB I don't see any pics..?


I just installed and started up the new build. Noticed the bubbling in the overflow once it warmed up. Pulled the head and found this:



a 1cm crack in cyl 3.


The guy who did the sleeves had that section between the cylinders cut away about half an inch deep. So essentially the sleeves are no longer "dry", but meet the coolant passages in that area. What do you guys make of that? Would you say this block can still be used with new darton sleeves, or did that cutaway stuff up my block?? I know the darton sleeves are dry sleeves so they are meant to be pushed in and surrounded by aluminium. Not these part open spaces Im guessing.

My engine builder tried to line up some aluminium inbetween the sleeves before the machining was done for this last build.

Right now I'm torn between:

1) Take a fresh block, just bore it out to 87 or 88mm and get new CP pistons for it. Will loose some power but at least it will be reliable.

2) Get some Darton sleeves, maybe a new block? Have it re-engineered and hope it works?

Ummm that sleeve job doesnt look right. Also those sleeves are bored pretty thing. Is this a 92mm bore?

If so I believe the darton sleeves are the only ones capable of handling that size bore. Plus they have a much better support design at the top of the sleeve.

I had my block done by mazworx and I have zero complaints. Their new stepped deck sleeved blocks are absolutely amazing. Maybe try the darton sleeves and if that fails i would highly suggest just having one done by mazworx if its something you really want.

It's a 90mm bore Ashton.

I can get some Darton sleeves, but I'm concerned about that section of the block that's been cut away between the cylinders. I take it no one else does that when installing the sleeves?

AEBS Sleeve Installation, AEBS T-SLEEVES

here is what iwas talking about i totally forgot toput the link in.

i really dont like the looks of that sleeve job. some things that when i look at it concern me is the little surface area on the deck between the sleeves, seems like the headgasket could be more proned to blowing and getting blow by between the bores if the boost was high enough maybe not though but still dont like the way it looks

even with a larger bore like that the person who sleeved it shouldnt have used such thin bores.

Those AEBS Tsleeves look great, but the engineering looks even more complicated to fit them right. That would be a great soluton given that part of my block have been machined away between the bores already though.

I see in these Darton sleeve installation pics that the same section between the tops of the cylinders are removed prior to the darton dry sleeve installation, so maybe I can still use this block yes. Just with new Darton sleeves instead of these.

http://www.cdpautomachine.com/ecatalog/darton_nissan_sleeves.html