Mercury 260 sleeve removal?

[Badbattery]

Im trying to remove the sleeves out of a junk 2.5 260 block. I have tried heating in a oven 425 degrees for a hour and got nowhere. I heated outside of block with a propane torch to 450 degrees measured with temp stick and got one to come up 1 inch and now stuck. Is boring sleeves out the only option?

[Onetime]

It will never come out that way. Sleeve is aluminum and block is aluminum. They both expand at the same rate.
Only way I’ve ever been able to remove them is machining a slit in the block along side the sleeve to relieve the interference fit. Very carefully so as to not damage the sleeve.

[90VIPER]

Im no expert on nic motors but the oven deal probably wont work because everything expands at the same rate unlike a steel sleeve motor. I think your options are to replate or bore for steel sleeves. Im sure the true experts will chime in soon

[90VIPER]

Ahh onetime beat me to it lol

[wrechin2]

I made a puller that sits on top of the block with a cylinder for it to pull in to. Works great. Doesn't hurt the sleeve but scratches the block to hell from the nic in the ports.

[Onetime]

I remember Mathew Caldwell made one of those and would changed out a sleeve at races. Just pounded a new sleeve in. Always thought it would really gall things up.

[BUZZIN' DOZEN]

So is the 20 over sleeve that merc sells for hipos already nic coated?

[Badbattery]

Advanced sells sleeves with or without nicom. Diamond hone to size after installed.

[BUZZIN' DOZEN]

Clienmark swore they were swapping out sleeves but were using a higher temp, maybe Steve will chime in

[patchesII]

They need to be cut out

[Cervelo777]

What is the draw back to using Advanced Sleeves that are already nicom? Why not do this all the time, why do people send their entire block in to get nicked, if you can get sleeves already done?

[Badbattery]

Erik Kiser at Jasper the race announcer said you guys swapped out a sleeve saturday night and it sure ran good on sunday. How did you pull yours?

[BUZZIN' DOZEN]

What is the draw back to using Advanced Sleeves that are already nicom? Why not do this all the time, why do people send their entire block in to get nicked, if you can get sleeves already done?

I had Ruck do one hole and I think it was $400+, now multiply that X 6

[patchesII]

Erik Kiser at Jasper the race announcer said you guys swapped out a sleeve saturday night and it sure ran good on sunday. How did you pull yours?

Not sure what that was about. I've never changed a sleeve at a race but I have had to change powerheads

[Onetime]

The Ruck sleeves, which I think were a Mercury part, were a top hat type. At least that’s how I remember them but long time ago. They did need to be honed to size after. They were a pretty precise and complicated machining and install.


Always thought the pulling them out and pounding another one in was not such a good idea. Fine for at a race to make the next ten second or less pass but not for any longivity. Usually block got distorted from the piston failure and needed to be trued up. Otherwise the sleeve couldn’t transfer the heat properly.