osbornk
Old man in the mountains
I'm shocked to learn that ... and it seems like a dumb idea. It seems to negate at least one of the inherent advantages of the boxer engine.
I like the idea of the traditional boxers where u can pull a jug in a jiffy, just like an old air cooled VW or Lycoming / Continental aircraft motor.
I suspect one of the reasons the cylinders are cast with the block is to eliminate the possibility of leaks. Every gasket presents the possibility of a leak. Does any other water cooled engine have removeable cylinders other than large diesel engines? Water cooled boxer engines don't seem to have an issue. Honda Goldwings and Subarus have long had a reputation of lasting a very long time.