Re: Break In Period

Posted by John Harley On 2009/12/27 11:59:08

Friends

I've heard that the life of a sleeve valve engine could be in excess of 300,000 miles. One may have to open it up to put new rings in but must never touch the sleeves. I'm not sure what you do when the sleeves finally do go, I presume it's fatal


Gabriel Voisin in France was a proponent. Sleeve valve engines weren't supposed to be hot performers, but he made the observation that you could make the intake port larger that the bore and small numbers of sports and racing cars were built. He made aob ut 40-50 V12 sleeve valve cars, and I think 2 or 3 straight 12 sleeve valves..


There was a series of articles about Charles Knight in the Horseless Carriage [/[i]i]Gazette about 8 years back. I'm fascinated by sleeve valves but OH, that friction....


Regards


John Harley