[Farmall] sleeves for f-20

[Bill Bains]

I have been watching the list for a long time, all the while learning a lot about rebuilding my '28 Regular and 38 F-20.  I've finally retired and have started rebuilding the engine on the F-20 with help from my mechanic friend down the street and a few calls to Brad Anderson down in Oregon.  I figured it's time to throw out a question to you experts on the list regarding my #1 and #4 sleeves.  

The tractor evidently sat for a couple of years with water in the cylinders and since the front and rear pistons were near bottom dead center all that while, they have extensive pitting and the hone isn't going to get deep enough to fix the problem.  So the question is, what is the best fix?  

Gordon Rice says he will sell me four new 4" pistons, rings and wrist pins that I could use if I were to bore out the existing sleeves to 4".  Is there enough metal thickness to safely do this?  Will the sleeves be tight enough in the block to accept the boring machine withoug coming loose? Is this a good way to go?

My mechanic friend says we might be able to bore the sleeves to about 4" and put a liner back in the cylinders and be able to use the existing pistons.  Is this a good alternative to buying new pistons?

Brad says if this were his, he would find a replacement engine with good sleeves and either take the good sleeves out of it and put them into my engine, or simply replace my engine with one that does not have the problem.

I'd really appreciate input from all you experts out there.

Thanks,

Bill Bains
Port Angeles, WA