Fuel injector sleeve and engine system remanufacturing method using same

1 . A fuel injector sleeve comprising:

an elongate sleeve body defining a longitudinal axis and including an inner sleeve surface forming an injector bore extending in an axial direction from a first sleeve end toward a second sleeve end having a thread set and forming an injector tip opening;

the elongate sleeve body further including a middle section having an outer sleeve surface extending between the first sleeve end and the second sleeve end, and a clamping shoulder facing the axial direction and extending radially outward from the second sleeve end to the middle section; and

the clamping shoulder forming an undercut, and a sealing ridge transitioning between the undercut and the outer sleeve surface, and the sealing ridge defining a sealing line at an outermost extremity of the clamping shoulder in the axial direction, located radially outward of the undercut and extending circumferentially and uniformly around the longitudinal axis.

2 . The fuel injector sleeve of claim 1 wherein the sealing ridge includes a radius transitioning between the sealing line and the outer sleeve surface, and the sealing line is defined by the radius at an axially outermost location of the clamping shoulder.

3 . The fuel injector sleeve of claim 2 wherein the undercut includes an undercut surface that is spaced axially inward from the sealing line and extends planarly between the sealing ridge and the second sleeve end.

4 . The fuel injector sleeve of claim 3 wherein the second sleeve end forms an inward cutout extending circumferentially and uniformly around the longitudinal axis and axially between the undercut surface and the thread set.

5 . The fuel injector sleeve of claim 4 wherein the radius defines a convex radius size, and the inward cutout defines a concave radius size, and the convex radius size is larger than the concave radius size.

6 . The fuel injector sleeve of claim 5 wherein the convex radius size is about two times larger than the concave radius size.

7 . The fuel injector sleeve of claim 6 wherein the convex radius size is two millimeters, plus or minus a tolerance of 0.2 millimeters.

8 . The fuel injector sleeve of claim 1 wherein the inner sleeve surface includes a first conical surface extending from the second sleeve end in a second axial direction, a second conical surface, and a planar transition surface between the first conical surface and the second conical surface, and wherein the sealing line is located radially outward of the planar transition surface.

9 . The fuel injector sleeve of claim 1 wherein the first sleeve end includes a plurality of tool engagement slots for threadedly engaging the thread set in a sleeve bore in a cylinder head.

10 . An engine system comprising:

a cylinder head including a top deck surface, a bottom deck surface, a sleeve bore extending between the top deck surface and the bottom deck surface and opening in the bottom deck surface, and an upwardly facing clamping surface exposed to the sleeve bore;

a sleeve within the sleeve bore defining a longitudinal axis and including a thread set threadedly engaged with the cylinder head, and a clamping shoulder clamped in contact with the clamping surface via the threaded engagement; and

the clamping surface extending from a radially inward origination location to a radially outward location, and the clamping shoulder including a sealing ridge defining a sealing line spaced radially outward of the radially inward origination location and extending circumferentially and uniformly around the longitudinal axis.

11 . The engine system of claim 10 wherein the sealing ridge includes a radius defining the sealing line.

12 . The engine system of claim 11 wherein the clamping shoulder forms an undercut, and the sealing line is radially outward of the undercut.

13 . The engine system of claim 12 wherein the sleeve includes an outer sleeve surface, and the radius transitions between the sealing line and the outer sleeve surface.

14 . The engine system of claim 10 wherein the clamping surface includes a smooth surface contacted by the sealing ridge at the sealing line, and an eroded surface extending between the sealing line and the radially inward origination location.

15 . The engine system of claim 12 wherein the sleeve forms a cutout, and the undercut extends between the cutout and the sealing ridge.

16 . A method of remanufacturing a cylinder head comprising:

receiving a cylinder head removed from service in an engine and forming a sleeve bore extending between a top deck surface and a bottom deck surface, and an upwardly facing clamping surface exposed to the sleeve bore;

installing a sleeve in the sleeve bore; and

clamping the sleeve to the cylinder head so as to form a fluid seal between a sealing ridge of the sleeve and the clamping surface at a sealing line located radially outward of a radially inward origination location of the clamping surface.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the clamping of the sleeve includes clamping the sleeve via threaded engagement of a sleeve end with the cylinder head, and further comprising stretching the sleeve between the sleeve end and the sealing line via the clamping the sleeve.

18 . The method of claim 17 wherein the sleeve forms an undercut between the sleeve end and the sealing ridge.

19 . The method of claim 18 further comprising rolling a radius defining the sealing line against the clamping surface during the stretching the sleeve.

20 . The method of claim 16 wherein the sealing line is located radially outward of an eroded surface of the clamping surface.