I don't know about sleeve lengths as supplied from Darton. I do know the Darton sleeves are routinely used on 4.25" strokes - 468 CID from HPR is the most well-known example i can think of off the top of my head. Not trying to be evasive, I just don't want to answer a question incorrectly.

 

5.800 are the length of the Darton sleeves

 

Poor bastard! Points finget at himself lol It sucked for sure

 

The block looks awesome Darth. You USA guys are lucky to have people like Steve at RED etc who do such good work at reasonable cost.

I have a good feeling about your build this time around. It's going to be a beast.

 

Thanks, man. I do too. I did get an update. ETA on my pissed-ons is 4/13. I do not know if that s ETA for completion or at my door, lol. Either way, it's a date in hand. Then, I should have everything I need. Very the excite.

 

Did you end up increasing the bore size?

 

yup. 4.185. it'll be a 440

 

Fantastic.
It will really let those LS7 heads breathe as well as reduce or eliminate shrouding with those massive intake valves you will be using.
I was going to go a 4.185 bore too but I wanted to leave room for a future rebuild if needed.
Is 4.185 the max you can run with those sleeves?
Overbore not safe?

 

wouldn't be shrouded with a 4.125 bore they were designed for either but more is better.

 

And the dart block can go 4.200 if na. Just recommended 4.185 since they know people will push it

 

Well it says on Dart's website the non skirted block can go to 4.200 bore but not the skirted version.
You probably can go over, who knows.

 

4.185 is max recommended for N/A and 4.155 for FI. Keyword here is recommended. As in you really shouldn’t...
The Darton sleeve is 4x stronger than the grey iron (cast) it’s replacing. The bigger issue here, in my opinion, is the headgasket. Not a lot of real estate left between cylinders, once you get up to the 4.185 bore. Guys do go bigger however.

 

We were going to go 4.2 on my sleeved stock LS7 block build. The builder didn't have an issue with it at all. He just said he'd rather leave room for cleanup if I mess something up at the track. It just depends on the specific sleeves or block that is used I'm sure. And then on what your builder is comfortable with or yourself. Lots of manufacturer limitations are broken regularly like Chevelle mentioned with no issues.

 

for example running >.550 lift on stock rockers....

 

I'm not really worried about needing to do a rebuild to clean it up or anything. But I was concerned about getting good HG seal, for sure.

 

Good call on the bore.
That's another reason I went for a 4.155.
Mamo recommended this as well as my builder in case we ever go forced induction.
Kind of a happy medium.
With an iron block, such as the DART do these have sleeves too or not? As in you don't need to press any in?

 

Some are cast in, some are pressed in. But if you bought the block, they're already in there. If you replace them, they need to be drilled out and new ones pressed in. For obvious reasons, you cannot cast new liners in. The good news for me though, now that the block is sleeved, if I lose a ringland or something stupid, I can simply resleeve the one hole pretty easily. So I see it as much of a future proof upgrade as leaving material. In fact, I see it as better future proofing.

I don't need to run a smaller engine than I would like just to have room for a rebuild. So, I think this is going to be a great foundation for years to come.

if you ever get a chance to look at some of the big diesels, they sell repower kits, which include matched sleeves with the rebuild kit. There are toolds for a shop to resleeve the motor. Pretty trick. I kind of feel like that's what Darton and RED have here with this product and installation combination.

 

Another gentleman and myself would meet in the shop at 4 in the afternoon pull a Kenworth in to do a in chassis major on a 400 Cummins all sleeves and pistons rods wrist pins. Rebuilt heads. Reshape a 1/4 20 bolt to fit in the oil hole on the crank roll the old bearing out, roll the new one in. Boil oil in half a drum with the pistons in it and have the wrist pins in a snow bank outside. New rod piston and pins two guys moving very fast got to get the pin in one motion up against the lock on one side, 6 foot long torque wrench 400
Ftlbs on the mains like 250 on the heads. Rebuilt fuel pump and it's sitting outside at 8 am the next mourning running waiting for the driver

 

I used to run big nat gas engines to power irrigation wells. Biggest was a Waukesha LRO. About 2500 cubic inches if memory serves. Only made 300 hp, but did so at 900 rpm. You could replace a piston and a liner in a matter of a few hours. Heads (can't remember if there were two or three), intake manifold, and exhaust manifold came off in one piece. And went back on in one piece. Used a 1" drive deep well socket placed on a crank throw to push the old liner out. New liner came with a piston and rings installed already. Thought I was going to be down several days instead of just several hours. Those Waukesha boys had no wasted motion. When asked what I could do to help, they mentioned to go ahead and get the beer on ice. I complied.

 

Locomotive engines are the same way. Called a power pack sleeve with piston and rod already installed in the sleeve. Piston has threads in it to put a lifting eye in it. When a new locomotive is built and started to send to the customer it's never shut down except for service. Go by a railroad yard you'll see/hear them sitting idling. Same engine can be set up from 1600 to 3200 hp