Originally Posted by SteveP

I don't know where this notion that "showing" your equipment is going to make the difference between the average person knowing that one is a quality service and others are not. Anything more complex than a hose clamp may look impressive, but until you've tried all the various methods and know for sure that one method is better than the other, it's irrelevant. Not to mention that the method itself may be a closely guarded process and the key to that service's effectiveness. Which begs the question, why would anyone expect a service to reveal this? Even if the person asking is a skilled machinist and metallurgist, a picture will not tell them anything about the quality and effectiveness of the service. So it's even more pointless to reveal it to those that are completely unqualified. If you have concerns because it's a new service, get feedback from customers. If it's all coming up roses, that tells you a lot more about where to spend your money than a picture of a tool.

I will offer this much - I'd rather the sleeve not be polished to improve it's appearance. It's only cosmetic and can compromise engine performance in two ways (not a lot, but I'm picky). A polished surface is "sticky" and will compromise the atomization of the air/fuel mixture as it passes through the ports. Additionally, it reduces the diameter of the sleeve ever so slightly. It's been my experience that engines with a tight fitting sleeve ALWAYS run better than an engine with a sleeve that easily slides into the engine block. Without getting into the theories of why, I've seen the positive effects of a tight sleeve on hundreds of engines and every one of them has run slightly better as a result. It makes maintenance a little harder because the sleeve isn't as easily removed, but when you see this in a engine, it's a keeper. Not crazy tight, but snug.

I'd actually like to see if some form or knurling and resizing the outside of the sleeve would have an even more positive effect than doing nothing. The pinching process often involves clamping down on the sleeve, which further reduces its OD, so resizing the outside seems that it would pay some benefit. Ultimately this is an exercise in extending the life of the engine as inexpensively as possible, so this may not make sense in the final analysis due to increased cost, but suffice it to say, I would at least prefer no polishing of the sleeve.

Best of luck with your service and kudos for doing what you can for your family.