VW Ali engine barrels with iron liners

[longman]

Has anyone attempted this as I am about build a 2.3 litre flywheel drive engine for my Kitfox.

I am researching interference fit's etc, so any suggestions would be welcome.

As I recall the BSA gold stars had ali barrels with cast iron, meehanite or ductile iron liners, so not impossible.

[dmcnicholl]

I haven't attempted this although I am aware that it has been done. Nor do I know your technical capabilities.

But, the discontinuity between a liner and the barrel forms a break in the heat transfer path from the liner to the outer barrel with its cooling fins regardless of how close and exact an interference fit you can achieve. The very presence of the joint, any joint, is the break and, of course, the poorer the fit the worse the problem will be. Whether or not this is a show-stopper for your intended application, I cannot say. I merely point out the potential problem.

IIRC L.J.K. Setright mentioned this in his book 'The Power to Fly'.

[ivanmanley]

There are aluminium Nikosil coated barrels that could be used. Great plains used to sell them, but don't anymore? They save about 10lbs in weight IIRC

Ivan

[Chris Martyr]

Didn't save many 'pounds' in the other department though Ivan
About six times the cost of a set of 92mm Mahles .