Ayreel

I'm finally getting around to replacing the blown engine in my '85 GSL-SE. I'm replacing it with a used engine that was claimed to still be in good running condition. Anyway, I've pulled my engine and have started swapping over components to the 'new' engine. But, before I installed the intake, I checked the auxillary port sleeves and found them to be completely stuck. I soaked them with penetrating oil/de-carbonizer, and with some light tapping, was able to free up one of them. It has been a couple days now, and the other one is still firmly stuck. Looking at the one I was able to remove, it looks like extreme carbon build-up, inside and out.

Has anyone run into this in a rebuild or maintenance? Has anyone found a successful, and safe, method of removing carbon-locked sleeves?

I was able to remove the sleeves from my bad engine, so I have backups if I end up damaging it trying to get it out.

And it appears to be stuck in a partially open position.

Any help would be appreciated. I'm itchin' to get the engine in this weekend. I've never even driven my car!

LongDuck

There's a lot of information on here about '6'-port sleeves and how they operate, but specific to your question, I used a pair of needle-nose pliers and a lot of penetrating oil to get mine out after 160k miles. This should be done very gingerly, since you don't want to score the sleeve bores with carbon, and you certainly don't want that carbon falling into the intake port and into the rotor space.

My suggestion would be to rotate the crankshaft until you feel the rotor blocking the intake port (judge this by viewing into the center housing for that rotor and turning until you can see the side of the rotor. Then, using the spray lube, get it good and wet and then gently try to rotate the sleeve with the pliers - be cautious not to damage the rotating shaft when you do this; the idea is to get the sleeve to rotate in place first, then to pull it out. The carbon that's built up has formed a 'ridge' behind the sleeve preventing it from coming straight out. Normally this isn't a problem, and actually serves to assist in smooth airflow into the sleeve, but you'll have to get the sleeve free first.

Once the sleeve can rotate somewhat smoothly, try moving it in and out see if you can get it to move a bit. If so, it just takes time and effort to get the carbon softened up enough that you can pull the sleeve. Be prepared to thoroughly clean out the aux ports from all that carbon once you get it out - this is essential to reliable '6'-port function, and the smoother they rotate, the more consistently and smoothly they will open when driving.

Give that a try and reply back if problems. I also have a spare engine in the garage for my SE that I've removed the sleeves from. Amazing how gritty it gets from 150k miles of driving. Certainly a testament that you shouldn't be driving around like a granny never using the secondaries! Judicious use of the secondaries (which feed the '6'-ports) will ensure that you keep intake air flow velocities high enough to prevent a future occurance. HTH,

Ayreel

Well, I just got it free. It definitely required twisting torque to break it free. I had rigged up a tool with a sliding weight to try to break it free straight out, but it never budged. So, I made a new tool with some pipe I found that was just the right size to fit inside the sleeves, and cut some L-shaped notches in the end to engage the pin which would allow me to twist and/or pull on the sleeves. I drilled a hole throught the pipe so I could stick a screwdriver through it for leverage. And this was just the trick to break it free. It was so gummed up though that it still took a lot of effort to work it completely out of the housing.

I plan on using the auxillary ports and blasting out carbon daily!

mcnannay

yeah, on the two engines i pulled the sleeves outta, they were stuck, and i mean stuck in there. just like you said, twisting and pulling with pliers is how i got them out. I can't believe how bad they were, makes think that probably 90% of the sevens out there have stuck sleeves