Perhaps: the concern about losing the tight block-to-sleeve fit with elevated temperature is somewhat offset by the fact that the heat generator (combustion and friction) is within the sleeve, and the sleeve may run significantly hotter than the block? I'm just pondering the fact that coolant temperature would typically be around 180, while temperatures in the cylinders would be much more than that.
My blown hemi has steel sleeves pressed into an aluminum block (only ~.002" interference fit) and I'm not aware of any block-to-sleeve movement problem, throughout a dozen seasons of competition (making approximately 900 HP). It does, however, use flanged sleeves, with the flanges sitting in counterbores in the decks- the O-ring grooves are in the flanges, so head torqueing clamps the sleeves in place- at least at their tops.
Good points - the top of the liner will be hotter than the bottom, but the iron will tend to transfer a lot of that heat toward the rest of the cylinder below, where it inserts into the block. Undoubtedly less heat than your Hemi, and with the short stroke we're running, more of that heat will be concentrated in the top of the liner where the outside will be in direct contact with coolant, but yes, the bottom of the liner should see more
potential for heat expansion than the block bores themselves.
We're looking to use a quasi-flanged sleeve to fit between the bosses at the top of the block to help stabilize that end of it.
Gus cracked his cylinder and when I tried to cut it open for inspection the Nikasil wiped all the teeth off of my band saw, that stuff is hard.
Been reading up on that stuff - only way through it is grinding. Also read about the Jaguar fiasco using it for coating the liners of their early 90s V8s. (Have you ever noticed the inordinate number of times the words "Jaguar" and "fiasco" appear in the same sentence?) Seems the downside is that it's susceptible to sulphur. I need to check ERC's components in their fuels.
Seems that with air cooled motorcycles and racing Porsches, where the heat gets really high, the issue doesn't exist. In a water cooled engine, they don't get hot enough to burn away the sulphur, you get sulphuric acid and scored bores. If the fuel is decent, shouldn't be a problem, and I'm certainly not going to extend a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty to the next owner . . .
I just need it to hold together long enough to bump the record.
Millennium Technologies, the folks in the video, are in Plymouth, Wisconsin.
I'm always looking for a reason to play hookie.