Method of joining cylinder bore liners to an engine block

Abstract

Method of bonding cylinder liners to cylinder bore walls, comprising: (a) inserting a cylindrical work hardenable liner into a complementary sized cylindrical bore wall of the block, with a uniform annular radial spacing therebetween of about 0.005 inch; and (b) forcing a nondeformable mandrel throughout the interior length of the cylindrical liner to uniformly circumferentially expand the radially outer surface of the liner into full annular surface-to-surface heat exchange relationship with the interior surface of the bore wall, the mandrel having a cross-sectional radius greater than the interior radius of the liner by a dimension which is at least 0.001 inch in excess of such radial spacing. Preferably, the cylindrical liner is comprised of steel having a ductility of at least 30%, a hardness of at least 35 HRB, and a wall thickness in the range of 0.050-0.250. The mandrel is preferably formed as a spherical element by a process of pressing and sintering followed by precise grinding to shape, and has a hardness greater than either the liner or bore wall.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.