Radial vibration of the cylinder liners in open deck turbocharged engine?

[MRDAGERUS]

On Lotus L4 and V8 engines the top of the liner seems to be held in place only by the "nip" of head gasket. Frequent failures of gaskets have been reported, especially on tuned turbo engines.
The theory became that failures are related to the liner "panting". Also, experienced builders recommend "closing" the deck by installing Block Guards. .

Is "panting" the other term used to describe liner shifting?
Is "shifting" = radial vibration? Is this the same as "walking"?
Are there any SAE Papers or Research Reports on this subject?

Mater artium necessitas

 

[MikeHalloran]

SAE has papers about _everything_.

If you're interested in a failure condition, as in this case, you may have to read between the lines a bit.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[SwinnyGG]

I've been around a lot of engines and never heard of the term 'liner panting'.

Lotus V8s are well known to have 2 issues related to head gaskets and liners- 1, using head gaskets other than OEM Lotus parts has a TERRIBLE track record of reliability; 2- the liners are held in place and sealed from coolant passages by liquid sealant. This sealant will often fail if the engine is overheated, leading to very large coolant leaks into he sump and rapid engine failures if the issue isn't caught quickly.