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« on: April 16, 2011, 09:43:45 PM »
A couple of comments come to mind. First, Carl Holbrook was known to furnace braze eight sleeves into a block and then completely go over all the machined areas, treating it as if it were a raw casting. And at one time he used chrome moly tubing as sleeve material. I was a metallurgical process engineer at T&C Livonia at the time and we had a number of discussions about the ideas he dreamed-up. (Bill Coon was actually doing the brazing)
I was amazed at the lay-out of the block in the Jag engine I'm using for Maxton racing. Although when Jag first spec'ed this V-8 design, they intended to use nikasil bores, there was an extended run of gasoline in Europe with high-enough Sulfur content that the combustion process created enough sulfuric acid to attack the bore surfaces. This became a warrantee nightmare, and, although the sulfur content contretemps was solved in fairly short order after identification, the factory has used cast-in liners ever since.
These cast-in liners fit into an aluminium block laid-out in such a way that there is a significant water jacket surrounding each cylinder---but the water jacket only extends down the cylinder for about an inch and a half. Most of the ferrous liner is not cooled by water.
Since I first saw this way of doing things, on an engine that earned a 'Ten Best' on the first year of its introduction, I have believed that the use of properly-installed Hardblok is very justified for high performance applications. About the only drawback is the extra weight. JMO
KS