It probably needs a rebuild. Sleeving is only practical on aluminum blocks, since almost all iron blocks are directly bored. If the walls get to thin you can then sleeve it, but it's easier to just get another block.

It probably just needs a basic rebuild, rings, valves etc.

 

How is rebuilding an entire engine "easier" (or nearly as cheap for that matter) as re-sleeving?

 

Because sleeving changes cylinder size, meaning new pistons and new rings. Same with a rebuild. And you have to tear the entire engine down in either case, and bearings are cheap. Sleeving basically requires a rebuild + the cost of sleeves and sleeve install.

 

No. Sleeving doesn't change your cylinder size at all once it's bored. It returns it to it's original size which is exactly why it's cheaper. No need to replace cylinders, etc... (as long as they are in good shape that is)

 

If you go to the trouble of pulling the entire engine apart to sleeve it back to whatever size the pistons are for, and don't replace pistons, you're wasting your time. Then you have the issue of the pistons are going to be worn, so you'd need to bore and hone the sleeve slightly smaller than the original piston size to get proper clearance, and then what? What about rings? You can't re-use them since they're worn into the cylinder wall, so then you have to get file to fit rings to account for the slightly odd variance in bore size due to a worn piston being reused.

Then when you add up the labor cost for filing rings and sleeving a cylinder, it's cheaper to just bore it larger than it was, and replace the pistons and rings with a standard rebuilt kit. Or if you just sleeve it and re use the pistons and rings, they're still worn and it doesn't solve your problem.

That's why no one sleeves cylinders any more, except on aluminum blocks, since the AL blocks HAVE to have iron sleeves to provide a standard iron based cylinder wall(except in motorcycles that use Teflon impregnated aluminum walls). And the AL blocks are expensive, so sleeving is more economical than replacing a $5,000 block.

The only shops that talk about resleeving blocks are building engines like they were built 30 years ago, so you're best off finding another shop. Besides, you can't "re sleeve" a stock I6 Ford, they were never sleeved to begin with. You'd have to punch it way over and beat the sleeve in. Then you risk cutting into the water jackets and not having the sleeve sealed properly, then getting coolant leaks into the oil pan.