Hitchcocks Forum

1950 500 twin barrels that are bored +60 and have bad pitting. My thoughts are that we make new cast iron sleves, and bore the barrels leaving just the finning and fit the new sleves unless anybody has a better idea. Does anybody have any idea of what sort of fit it will require bearing in mind the remaining finning we will be fitting to is cast iron, alloy finning is more forgiving and I want to be very careful when I press them in. Any thoughts tips tricks or advice most welcome. I'm thinking we should also Loctite them in 620 Loctite?

Norm, you don't really mean "leaving just the finning"......do you? That would mean boring out all of the bore material and thus separating the fins which would, probably then simply collapse. You need to track down a supplier og cast iron sleeves designed for this purpose. There are many in the land of the internet. Then establish a bore to allow you to remachine and an OD to allow you to refit in the existing barrels. The proposal in principle is sound and suitable cast iron sleeves are available. Good luck.

Mike when I said just leaving the finning I meant boring out the barrel to the existing size of the sleve that goes into the cases and making a sleve of that diameter with a lip on the top to hold the sleve in place with a further lip to locate into the head as the original did. Hope this is a bit clearer, I'm not sure of what if any interference fit I should aim for or if the Loctite will handle the temp

What is wrong with steel liners? Plenty of engines use them and they are easy to source or to make from high quality steel tube.
There is plenty of easily available technical information about press fit limits for steel liners into cast iron.
Plus a number of manufacturers.

Papa do you know of any advantage in using a steel liner, no more difficult to make them in steel, different rings needed, or standard cast rings ok in steel liner?

Norm, there are a number of steel liner manufacturers who have all the detailed information you need.
Personally I would NOT want to try and press a cast iron liner into anything. (I did my apprenticeship back in the dim and distant past in a factory that had its own large cast iron foundry.)
However it appears times have moved on:-
http://www.westwoodcylinderliners.co.uk/

Thanks Papa we will make them up in steel, I like that idea much more