Your vehicle's engine is under a tremendous amount of stress and strain. If you have modified your motor to increase power output, this often accelerates wear on the internal engine components. When it comes time to rebuild your motor you have a few choices; you can machine your block to accept slightly larger pistons, or you can use Saturn Ion block sleeves. Block sleeves allow you to run larger pistons, and increase horsepower, but hold a few advantages of over just machining your block. They add strength and integrity to your engine, they provide more efficient cooling, and they offer improved oil and compression control. Saturn Ion block sleeves can be installed by any decent automotive machine shop. When it comes time to build your motor, we highly recommend you consider upgrading to Saturn Ion block sleeves.

The idea of block sleeves dates back to the early years of automotive development. While many companies designed motors with the piston bores cast and machined directly in the block, a few innovative companies developed engines with removable piston liners often referred to as wet-sleeves or block sleeves. These removable liners gave improved cooling, allowed aluminum block engines to run stronger ductile iron liners, and made rebuilding engines much simpler by reducing the amount of machine work necessary. No more boring out your block, instead you could just by a new set of piston's and liners in whatever size and configuration you wanted. While this technology has been used by OEM manufacturers for years it is gaining popularity in the automotive aftermarket thanks to its performance potential.

Q: What is a block sleeve? Why buy one?
A: Block sleeves are inserts that can be installed into your engine block as an alternative to having the piston bores or existing sleeves machined out. Block sleeves are made of high performance materials that will add strength and durability to your motor, especially aluminum blocks, and allow you to safely run higher compression pistons to attain more power. These sleeves will also improve engine cooling and do a better job of controlling oil consumption in your motor. You can order block sleeves with the appropriately sized pistons and have them installed by a local machine shop without much difficulty. If you are looking to rebuild your motor for high-power applications, block sleeves are highly recommended. Do not skimp on strength; with block sleeves you will get the ultimate in durability and performance.