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I got an LS3 for $700 that some hack shop drug a bad lifter out of through the top. I'm assuming it needs a sleeve; but I cant find anyone really doing it to LS aluminum engines. Anyone seen this done, or know a decent shop in MD that will do it? Real bad Shes chooched
I got an LS3 for $700 that some hack shop drug a bad lifter out of through the top. I'm assuming it needs a sleeve; but I cant find anyone really doing it to LS aluminum engines. Anyone seen this done, or know a decent shop in MD that will do it? Real bad Shes chooched
Don't know about MD, but any good (keyword: GOOD!) auto machine shop should either be able to do it, or recommend a place that will. Some guys use bronze, but if it was me, I'd go with a 6061 aluminum sleeve, and red loctite it in place. One benefit of bronze is it expands more than aluminum.
EDIT!!!
I made an incorrect statement here!! Aluminum-Bronze expands about the same as aluminum, but pure aluminum expands more than any other metal, INCLUDING BRONZE!!! Sorry for the incorrect statement. So bronze does NOT expand more than aluminum. Bronze does offer better wear as a bearing material than aluminum, but it's really no advantage if you still have 15 other lifter bores that are still aluminum.......
Last edited by grinder11; Oct 8, 2022 at 11:33 AM.
Steve at RED repaired a badly hurt lifter bore for me a couple years ago, while he was sleeving a block. I have a couple of (good as Grinder suggested) shops local to me that sleeve lifter bores. The beauty of bronze sleeves is availability. They are very popular. Lubricity is another advantage, vs aluminum sleeves, but honestly you’d never see the advantage in a street engine build.
I only have 1 machine shop here where I am. I have heard he is an *** to deal with, but haven't heard of the quality of his work. If it comes down to it I can travel a little. I just really hope I can get someone to do it, this would be great in my truck or Chevelle. What did it cost you to get it done, if you remember?
I only have 1 machine shop here where I am. I have heard he is an *** to deal with, but haven't heard of the quality of his work. If it comes down to it I can travel a little. I just really hope I can get someone to do it, this would be great in my truck or Chevelle. What did it cost you to get it done, if you remember?
Not sure of cost in that instance. The build was commissioned by DarthV8r as it was his repair and sleeve job for his 441 build. I had my local shop do final machining here and I did mock-up/final assembly in my shop. I wasn’t involved in the exchange of money between Steve and Darth. If I were you, I’d contact the shop owner local to you and tell him you have an aluminum LS engine that has a lightly hurt lifter bore and you’d like him to have a looksey and give you an opinion. That bore is scarred up but it might hone out. I’ve seen worse. At least you’d have an avenue to consider. If the job is too big for him or you decide to cut your costs, I’d be interested in the block. PM me if you want to sell it.
I'm in the same boat. I bought a 6.2 shortblock from a JY that has similar damage due to a lifter failure.
I thought about using a small brake hone to smooth it out but I'm worried about opening the lifter bore up too much causing oiling problems.
Do not use a brake hone!!! You will most likely remove too much material and damage it. This is one area you don't want too loose of clearances.
I would use a ball hone to take the edges off and remove the least amount of material as possible. I believe it's a 7/8 ball hone I can't recall if its a 240 or a 320 grit , But I would use that with a straight 30 weight oil.
If there is material that is sticking up, I would try and remove it with a bearing scraper or a needle file first.
This is just a suggestion, with nothing to lose. The OP could try pushing a lifter with a smooth body thru the bore. It would take the high spots off, for sure. It would also leave shiny "witness" marks. He could then focus on removing just the shiny spots, until the lifter moves freely. Many times a scored I.D. looks much worse than it is, especially in a soft material such as aluminum. If he's careful how he goes about removing the high spots, the "ditch" that's left may not be deep enough to cause an appreciable drop in oil pressure. Piston oilers will bleed off far more oil than one small gouge. Some guys here have seen the parallel in valve guide damage. Happens the same way in higher mileage engines. Many times, guys can't remove a valve due to the keeper groove mushrooming out. So they drive the valve stem out of the guide, leaving a nice ditch in the guide I.D.....
Last edited by grinder11; Oct 8, 2022 at 11:19 AM.
Do not use a brake hone!!! You will most likely remove too much material and damage it. This is one area you don't want too loose of clearances.
I would use a ball hone to take the edges off and remove the least amount of material as possible. I believe it's a 7/8 ball hone I can't recall if its a 240 or a 320 grit , But I would use that with a straight 30 weight oil.
If there is material that is sticking up, I would try and remove it with a bearing scraper or a needle file first.
I don't really want to use a hone at all. Its aluminum, and stone honing tools usually leave pretty micro pieces of metal in the aluminum. It's really hard to clean out on a normal cylinder bore. Trying to do it to something less than an inch in diameter I imagine would be quiet difficult. I have found that CHE Precision makes lifter bore sleeves for pretty much anything. I just need to find a machine shop competent enough to do it now... that isn't 2,000 miles away from me.
I had mine done by a guy up in Harrisburg, Pa. I had two bores done with bronze sleeves back in 2013. The engine has been fine since. Honestly, this thread is the first time I have even thought about those lifter bores.
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LS3 Lifter Bore Damage 
