Cylinder liner having modified combustion seal and method

1. A method of modifying a combustion seal of a diesel engine fitted with a cylinder liner having an annular top sealing ridge adapted to be operatively clamped in a sealing position between an engine block and head structure of the engine to provide a circumferentially continuous combustion seal at the sealing ridge, but which sealing ridge is either damaged or mispositioned so as to define a gap at the sealing ridge acting to interrupt the circumferentially continuous combustion seal, said method comprising:

exposing the sealing ridge of the cylinder liner; and

without removing the combustion seal cylinder liner from the engine, positioning a shim against the sealing ridge and clamping the combustion seal shim against the sealing ridge to close the gap and perfect the circumferentially continuous combustion seal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the head structure includes a cylinder head and a plate gasket, and including positioning the plate gasket between the combustion seal shim and the cylinder head.

3. The method of claim 2 including forming the cylinder liner with a top flange having a top surface and a bottom mounting surface spaced from the top surface and facing an annular support surface of the engine block, and positioning a spacer shim between the mounting surface of the flange and the support surface of the block.

4. The method of claim 1 including forming the cylinder liner with an annular fire dam radially inwardly of the sealing ridge and extending above the sealing ridge.

5. The method of claim 4 , including forming the combustion seal shim with a plurality of circumferentially spaced fingers extending toward and locating the combustion seal shim relative to the fire dam.

6. The method of claim 1 including making the combustion seal shim of plastically deformable metal.

7. The method of claim 6 including forming the combustion seal shim with a thickness of between 0.001-0.005 inches.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the combustion seal shim is formed with a thickness of 0.002 inches.

9. The method of claim 1 including plastically deforming the combustion seal shim against the sealing ridge.