I was cleaning out my PMs and ran across one I sent about a 4.250" bore kit you were considering making for W-type engines.  Did you ever make those?  The PM said you needed a minimum of 4 kits to build any of them, I'm assuming since I didn't hear back from you in '09 that they never materialised.

 

I'd still like to talk to you about those, or at least your design.

 

 

 

That sounds exactly like what I'm looking for - I'll shoot you an e-mail.

 

The bottom counterbore in the Allis blocks is 4.475" so this will allow up to a 4.3" bore with no block work, depending on how far down you pull the piston and what the rod angles are.  I do not run an O- ring though, or they get to thin.  I make the sleves from either John Deere 404 diesel or the newer 4045 or 6068 engine sleves.  Take out ones are abundant here, the 404 is a 4.25" bore and the 4045 and 6068 engines are a 4.19 bore.  I make them to lightly press fit in the bottom counterbore with a little sleve retainer around them.  They sit square on the top flange just as the OEM sleves do.

 

 

I've got a W201 engine right now that I'm fixing up for an unstyled WC restoration project, I had to buy parts or make my own anyway so I used a common set of replacement hyperutectic 4.28 bore BBC pistons, the Deere liners and a set of rods to make a 280 CID engine for it without putting much out of pocket in it.

 

I looked at and measured up some John Deere 3020-4020 gas pistons one day at the salvage yard, with the 262 Buda rods, a set of home made sleves would have been the other combination I was going to put in it.  The John Deere pistons were a good match and have plenty of material on top to machine for any desired compression ratio.

 

I had talked to Power Bore liners about makeing the sleves to my dimensions as I make and sell a few sets of these from time to time.  I wanted to just buy them and stock them here rather than make them.  If I made a few it was going to cost about $115 per hole for ductile iron ones and if I make a large quantity down closer to $80 each.  Grey cast would cost less, but shouldn't be cinsidered an option when they get thin or rod angles get poor.

 

What I'm up to is building a couple of working engines to burn ethanol.  I've always thought it rediculous Allis didn't make these engines in 4.25" bore for the D17/170 series anyway!  I figure its a good time to bore out the block slightly and clean up the o-ring fit anyhow.

 

I'd like to run an 8" Leroi rod with a BBC variant piston.  The main thing is trimming in what compression ratio I ultimately want to run. Also, some practical advice on rejetting tractor carbs for ethanol - as I've never done that before.  I'd like to hear your input on those subjects.