ANY engine can be sleeved...Mark

 

Sorry for all the posts, but you guys hit my wheelhouse. Have you ever heard the term "blue printing"? This is the process of putting ALL the tolerances in the EXACT middle of the range. Any good racing engine is both balanced and blue printed...Mark

 

If it were my motor and spinning it past 4000 rpm I would blue print it.

 

I agree with that, but I would definitely balance. Even a diesel.

And since it's a 6 Cylinder, in-line or not, I would do all the cylinders the same.

Blue printing a diesel can be good, but it might take forever to break it in. Those old 12 valves were known to break in at 50K, today they are 100K. Cummins has a higher standard then other makers in this size. That's because it's this same engine is used in many industrial applications too.

A close to blueprint is good enough. I've built many a pumper in the last 45 years. I cannot ever recall losing one or may heats for that matter.

 

X2 any and all engines NEED to be balanced, including the flywheel and clutch (or flex plate and converter). With the Cummins, it could mean the difference between "just" 300 k miles and 800k...Mark

 

It would likely be impossible to balance an engine that was not all the same...Mark

 

I don't believe there is a 5.9 or 6.7 that uses sleeves like big motors do, they can be sleeve by a machine shop with press in sleeves if you ruin the cylinder walls

 

You are probably right, I was just repeating what a friend told me. He said early ones weren't and laters were, but I didn't check......Mark

 

I would not worry about "blueprinting" it. If you measure everything out, you will be surprised how close they are. The main objective of blueprinting is to get the deck height where you want it. The factory usually is within 0.005". They use different "grades" of pistons to accomplish this.

 

On these engines you can go half MM or 1MM then you would need to sleeve the cylinder....

 

That is a recipe for disaster. You coud trust the shop to look up all this stuff, and then to bore to the right size but I wouldn't....not in a million years.
cheers,
Douglas

 

Blueprinting includes main bearing clearance, rod bearing clearance, cam bearing clearance, valve stem clearance, etc., etc., this is why a good machinist is ssencial...Mark

 

I work at a machine shop and the machinist said a 5.9 can be sleeved, he's done a half dozen or so that still run around town.

 

The original pistons and cylinders are made to the factory tolerances. When you order 40 over you get that you bore it 40 over and you still have the factory tolerance. But if you order some other manufacturers pistons they will tell you what tolerances to use.

 

Forgive me, but no where in my posts did you see me say do anything without checking. I think everyone missed my point. The math is simple, but the variables are enormous. That's why I said let a good machinist do the work. He will automatically do the proper research with the motor specs in relationship to the piston specs. I have been rebuilding engines since the 60's. The first thing I wouldn't do is order 40 over pistons and try to build around them. I have seen pistons that require as little as .003 clearances. I have seen them that need .010. But 5 to 7 seems to be average. You have to do the research first.You check the cylinders first and see where you can go. I wouldn't bore any engine to 40 unless it was a last resort. But this lad has bought his pistons first. Did no one grasp that?