steel sleeves

[capnzee]

I am having a 2.5 built .044 overbore with steel sleeves. Will the basic set-up be the same as the nikosil sleeved engines. Are there draw-backs to the steel sleeved engines, such as cooling, heating, allowable rpm's, etc.? Any benefits? I noticed on another thread in which the #3 piston seized, one of the replies asked if the engine was steel sleeved. Got me to worrying! capnzee

[Rickracer]

...but there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Pros for steel sleeves: ability to port without having to have the whole block re-coated afterwards, if you stick a piston, you can usually just clean up the bore and go again, or bore over if necessary. I believe the steel bores are much more stable. Pros for the Nic sleeves: excellent heat transfer, argueably less friction, it's the Factory method for the ultra high perf models. Clearances must be set correctly for either. :cool:

[capnzee]

Rick, thanks for the quick reply! I'm not going ultra high performance, just want a quick ride and I feel more comfortable since your answer. Capnzee

[us1]

There are definite cooling modification to be made if the motor is planing to turn over 6500 RPM with steel sleeves and you will need .009 piston to cylinder wall clearance for a .044 over motor.

[Propelled Marine]

Hi capnzee,

Who does your boring for you?
A local guy around here?

[capnzee]

Thanks for the input guys. I believe the block was bored by John Lane who picked up the trade from his father Ed. John is now working out of his own shop in Long Beach. The block is overbored .009 with a little more slack given to #5. Capnzee

[us1]

That sounds cool, tell John Lane I said hi.

[capnzee]

Hey John, Everybody says, "check with Marles"! You must be da man! Capnzee

[us1]

I am Mr. steel sleeve race motor. I learned everythging I know from my best freind Ed Lane. Rest his sole.

[capnzee]

Hi Nick; John Lane, son of Ed Lane, is now doing Ed's work. Ed has passed away but left a legend, and his machines, to John. John Lane can be found at(562) 867-7162 or when that isn't working, (which is most of the time he says) you can get him on his wife's?? cell phone(714) 394-0134. Ed left him with a lot of STUFF he would like to move! Capnzee

[Propelled Marine]

capnzee, thanks for the info

[david laser86]

I had the siezure, but it is all nikosil. still haven't found the problem. Good luck!

[RB in NM]

What cooling mods are you refering to as needed if turning a steel sleeve motor over 6800? I have a pro max I'm looking to turn a few extra rpms on with mods, yer forged top pinned pistons,svs,porting and a few other goodies. Looking to keep the stock poppet system.

Thanks, RB

[us1]

This is all I know about setting up a cooling system. I am sure there are other ways to it that work, I just haven’t found them yet. One word of advice, stick with one guys mods. Doing a few things from 3 or 4 different peoples ideas will most likely not work. Everything I am going to tell you works together. It all has to be done or it won’t work right. You guys with 6500-RPM motors, I do not recommend modifying your stock cooling systems. There is nothing worse for a motor than to run too cold and ONLY high RPM motors need these mods. Find the problem with your stock cooling system and fix it, don’t just go to a 260 HP cooling system. 260s have a life span of 100 hours, I am sure you want your fishing motors to last longer than that. Ok, enough of the lecture.

1. I don’t do much to the lower unit but check to see that the two or four holes drilled up from the nose do not intersect each other before the enter the one large passage leading to the water pump. Mercury had a problem with this and it should be checked. From there up to the exhaust adapter plate I do nothing. Seal the water pump gaskets and seals with heavy grease. Either a ½ or a ¾ inch feed tube is ok to use. Nose cones seem to need two-½ inch hoses from the cone to the pump to really make good flow and pressure.
2. The water now goes up the center of the block and into the exhaust divider plate. No mod here but check the plate for cracks and don’t over torque it. Mercury has switched to a new cheap gasket, which does not seal properly especially when over torqued.
3. Now the water goes into the cylinder water jacket. All you need to do here is install the diverters exactly how Mercury says to. These are VERY VERY important to install or your block will be damaged. Not installing these will allow the cylinders to warp from all the water going on one side of the cylinder. This will not blow your motor and you will not its happening but power will suffer.
4. The water now goes to the top of the heads. In the top of the head is a good place to install a water temp gauge. This is not a head temp gauge it only measures the water temp in the block. Here is where the thermostats are. I install 1/8 stainless steel fender washers in place of the thermostats. 1/8 washers have a hole in them just a little smaller than 1/8. They will bleed off just enough air and water to keep the block full without compromising head temperature. As long as you are using the 1/8 washers it will not mater if you run two hoses off the heads or go from one head to the other then run the hose down (the way Mercury does it).
5. Now the water goes down the heads and into the exhaust adapter plate. I only run a one-piece plate because it’s stronger and easier to modify. If you have a two piece plate I would recommend drystacking it to control the flow of water. There are other ways to block the dump on a two piece plate with epoxy and redrill the right size holes but I never mess with that. Now on the one-piece plate the 2.4 dump hole were pretty close to the right size but I still modify them. The 2.5 plate dump holes were all over the place. I have seen some that were so big the motor could not get more than 5-lbs. water pressure at 9000 RPM. I weld up or tap and brass plug all the dump holes in the exhaust plate. The 2.4 will have 4. Two in back and two in front. The 2.5 will have two ridiculously large dump holes in the front. Keep in mind the worst thing for a motor is to run it too cold so don’t worry about closing these holes up a little. After I block the stock holes I redrill two new holes in the front of the plate, right next to the other holes, that are 19/64. This will allow proper cooling, good water pressure and still let some heat develop. You are looking for a minimum of 15 lbs. at full speed but no more than 30lbs max. Dry stacking is also an option. I block all the dumps and install two 90-degree 3/8 barb fitting in the side of the plate. Then I drill about a 1/16 hole down in the front of the plate to cool the water pump.
6. Now the water will exit the motor through all the dumps and hoses. One of the places it can dump is the popet cover. Do not run a popet. With a one-piece exhaust plate a popet will do absolutely nothing. From the popet plate you should run a 5/16 dump hose for Nicasil blocks or Nicasil blocks with 4 steel sleeves or less. If you have a Nicasil block with 5 or 6 steel sleeves run no dump at all off the popet. This will get the water in the motor a little hotter. The reason for this is that Nicasil can transfer the heat to the water very fast and efficiently pre heating the water for the other steel sleeves. If you have all steel sleeves the water in the block will not heat fast enough and will contribute to a cold seize situation.
7. The final cooling mod for steel sleeve production motors is plugging up the two cylinder water jacket drains and redrilling them in the output side of the water jacket with a 1/16 drill bit.

[RB in NM]

Wow, lots of info bud...!

I'm gonna read it two more times little more slower so's I can digest this wealth of information.

Yer typing thumbs sore yet ?? LOL !

Apprecite it much.

Russ

[us1]

I stored it in Word so I can just cut and past when someone asks about my cooling mods. I cheated, I'm so ashamed.:D

[capnzee]

Hey John, that was a great reply. Not only the water flow information but also the recommendation to get on one horse and ride it! I am steel sleeved and don"t plan to run much over 6500, but sometimes sh-- happens! Capnzee

[us1]

If you are only running 6500 just run the stock cooling system. The motor will last much longer.

[capnzee]

Thankyou John--Done deal! Capnzee

[us1]

:cool: