Sleeves size question.

[30fgm]

I have a late model ford 8n side mount distributor. Here’s what happen. The sleeve on the number one piston sleeve slipped down to the crank and shattered to pieces. When I pulled the head I noticed that the retaining lip had wore out. When I inspected the rest of the of the sleeves they are loose as well. The sleeves or the .40 thin sleeves. Were the wrong sleeves and piston used? Should the .90 thick wall sleeves should have been used?
Does anyone know the outside diameter on the thin and thick wall slevees. What is the proper procedure to determine the proper sleeve size.
Thanks
Gerald

 

[Dunk]

(quoted from post at 23:48:37 06/05/09) I have a late model ford 8n side mount distributor. Here’s what happen. The sleeve on the number one piston sleeve slipped down to the crank and shattered to pieces. When I pulled the head I noticed that the retaining lip had wore out. When I inspected the rest of the of the sleeves they are loose as well. The sleeves or the .40 thin sleeves. Were the wrong sleeves and piston used? Should the .90 thick wall sleeves should have been used?
Does anyone know the outside diameter on the thin and thick wall slevees. What is the proper procedure to determine the proper sleeve size.
Thanks
Gerald

Hmmmmm quite a few topics that closely relate in the first 2 or 3 pages.

Wonder if someone honed them before they replaced the .40 sleeves....

Here is a quick link to one of those topics.
http://ytforums.ytmag.com/viewtopic.php?t=486693

May have to have her bored for the .90s.

Don't listen to me on this.

The BIG boys will be along....

********

Now wait a minute!!!

Don't I know that the side mounts are supposed to be the .90 sleeves, all of them?

Ah, Ell it"s friday night...

The Grand Ole Opery is sounding good...

How in the world could anyone drop .40s in .90s and put oneback together?!??!??!?

And expect it to work?

I may just be off my rocker.

 

[BillM (OH)]

According to my I&TFO4, the cylinder bore is 3.187 inches, and all 8n's below serial number 433578 have the steel sleeves, which I believe are .040 inches. So, if you get out your inside mic and measure your cylinder, that should give you the answer. Mayhaps
someone has honed it a bit too much in the past.
Sleeves are a .001 interference fit-doesn't sound like you're there. Only solution may be to take it to the machine shop and bore it out for .090 cast iron sleeves.

 

[TheOldHokie]

(quoted from post at 22:48:37 06/05/09) I have a late model ford 8n side mount distributor. Here’s what happen. The sleeve on the number one piston sleeve slipped down to the crank and shattered to pieces. When I pulled the head I noticed that the retaining lip had wore out. When I inspected the rest of the of the sleeves they are loose as well. The sleeves or the .40 thin sleeves. Were the wrong sleeves and piston used? Should the .90 thick wall sleeves should have been used?
Does anyone know the outside diameter on the thin and thick wall slevees. What is the proper procedure to determine the proper sleeve size.
Thanks
Gerald

This is not an uncommon event. The wrong sleeves were not used - they don't come even close to fitting. Nominal block bore sizes are as follows:

[list:3a4fa776aa]
[*:3a4fa776aa] .040 wall: 3.1875 + 2 x .040 = 3.2675
[*:3a4fa776aa] .090 wall : 3.1875 + 2 x .090 = 3.3675
[/list:u:3a4fa776aa]

Keep in mind those are nominal dimensions and in addition to wear there may be some variance from them due to normal manufacturing tolerances. When fitting the sleeves to the bore we are attempting to obtain a diametral interference of .001 which means the machine work is relatively demanding - tolerences of +/- .0005

If the sleeves are ALL loose I'd suspect an improperly executed rebuild by a previous owner. The long thread Dunk linked for you discusses one of the pitfalls that may have bitten you. If they are installed with too little interference the pistons will start moving them up and down as the engine runs causung the bore to wear even looser and eventually breaking the lip off the top of the sleeve. Down into the crankcase they go.

You have a number of different repair options:

• 
  [*:3a4fa776aa] The thin wall sleeves can be obtained with an oversize OD (+.002 & +.005???) if the block is not worn beyond that limit.
  [*:3a4fa776aa] You can have the block rebored for the .090 sleeves. Probably run about $100 or so. If you aer not tight on cash this would be my course of action.
  [*:3a4fa776aa] You can install the .040 sleeves, standard or oversize based on the amount of block wear present, and use an retaining compound such as Loctite 641 to augment the reduced interference fit. If the block is minimally oversize this is a good solid repair at a very modest expense.
  [/list:3a4fa776aa]
  
  TOH

 

[30fgm]

Thanks all of you for the information and the fast response. It has been very helpful.

Gerald