Model Engine Company of America
Can't get the sleeve out?

First off this can be refereed to as a sleeve, cylinder, liner, cylinder sleeve, or cylinder liner.

The sleeve should be a nice sliding fit or a very slight press, not more than you can push with your fingers. A press fit is wrong. Many times after running and storage the sleeve will become gummed up, rusted or corroded in the transfer port area and carbon will build up around the exhaust ports. This will not allow the sleeve to be removed easily.

The easiest way is to heat up the crankcase to expand the aluminum case more than the sleeve. BE CAREFUL IF YOU ATTEMPT THIS. DON'T BURN YOURSELF.


We feel the best way to heat a crankcase is in an oven. Yes this is the high tech, official factory crankcase heating oven. Your oven doesn't have to be as sophisticated as ours.

Be sure to remove any items that may be damaged from heat.

Start out at 300 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes and proceed through the rest of the steps. If your cylinder won't come out you may have to go as high as 450 degrees. You really don't want to go higher than this.
BE CAREFUL, DON'T BURN YOURSELF. You have to insert your finger into the sleeve and rotate it to free up any rust or corrosion. As you rotate it, pull it out. On ringed engines, be careful not to allow the ring end gap to enter the ports in the sleeve. You may break the ring if this happens.
You should be able to extract the sleeve completely before the crankcase cools off. You have to perform this quickly because as soon as you pull it out of the oven the cooling fins take affect and the crankcase will cool.
Allow all the parts to cool completely on a surface that will not be effected like our official factory 2x4.
Before you reassemble your engine, clean the outside of the sleeve with some good 280 or 400 grit sand paper. If you are installing a new ring see ring installation

The above information is provided as a guide. Since MECOA/K&B has no way of determining the ability of the individual using and understanding this information, we assume absolutely NO RESPONSIBILITY for any damage to person or property from the use of this information.
 

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