I am starting to put together a big bore Arctic Cat tripple and just want to get some opinions on which is the better approach for the cylinders - bore them out and re-plate or have them sleeved? Anyone know the relative durability and cost between the two approachs?

Nicasil:
Pros - Very Durable, better heat transfer, less chance of cold seizure, longer ring life

Cons - Costly if you need another, real costly if you have ported cylinders, not-remachinable

Sleeve
Pros- Less expensive of a rebuild, Better ring seal (IMO), Can run a looser bore

Cons - Wear (can be minimalized with maintenance), more time to warm up


IMO for a race engine sleeves are almost more desirable. Better seal, more consistant temps (once warmed up), and if something goes wrong (seizure, etc....) the turn around and ease of repair is greatly reduced.

Depending on the size of the big bore, your only choice may be sleeves anyways depending on how far into the cylinder they go.