LO 8-5 Identify and describe the configuration and construction of common cylinder block cylinder arrangements

LO 8-05: Identify and describe the configuration and construction of common cylinder block cylinder arrangements.

Sleeved Cylinder Blocks

To rapidly restore a worn-out or damaged cylinder to original specifications, replaceable sleeves are used in premium featured diesel cylinder blocks. The replaceable wear surfaces making up the cylinder wall are called sleeves or liners . Constructed to the same inside diameter and length of the cylinder found in a comparable parent bore block, sleeves may be replaced individually if they become worn or prematurely damaged. Cylinder sleeves are typically made from harder alloys (cast iron) than the cylinder block. More often, the sleeve is made from ductile iron, which has its natural silicon content reduced to only 3–4% and the addition of 1–4% manganese metal alloy. The materials change the normally crystalline composition of cast iron to make it more ductile or bendable, which is more resistant to cracking from intermittent mechanical stresses. Good-quality liners are also centrifugally cast, which means the iron is poured into a spinning mold before slowly cooling. This allows impurities to separate from the metal, where they are machined away, and increases the density of the liner material. Finally, a quality liner will be induction hardened to increase its wear resistance. Steel is not used as a liner material because of its much lower carbon-graphite content that makes it less compatible as a wear surface for rings and pistons. Steel, though much tougher than iron, would simply increase cylinder wear of rings and pistons. Sleeves are commonly used in medium- to large-bore engines operating under extended service conditions and high engine hours. Replacing the liner sleeves using cylinder kits, made up of new pistons, rings, and liners, enables rapid restoration of an engine to factory specifications Figure 36. There are several different types of cylinder liners in use. Dry liners are a liner type that has no contact with coolant, hence the name dry sleeve Figure 37. The other major category is wet liners. Several different types of wet liners are used in modern diesel engines and classified depending on where the liner seats or transfers its clamping load in the block and how it seals coolant. The most commonly used wet-type liners are top-stop, full- or bottom-stop, and mid-stop, also called half-stop liners Figure 38.

FIGURE 08-36: Replaceable cylinder sleeves enable a worn-out engine to be quickly rebuilt and restored to factory specifications.

FIGURE 08-37: Various types of cylinder sleeves.

FIGURE 08-38: Note three common liner designs. Names are given to the liner category according to what area of the liner is used to seat it in the block, either at the top, middle, or bottom.

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