An engine block assembly, comprising: a plurality of cylinder liners, each cylinder liner including a liner member extending longitudinally from a top end to a bottom end and presenting a length between said top and bottom ends, said liner member including an inside surface extending around a center axis and an oppositely facing machined outside surface, said outside surface presenting a first outside diameter (D 1) along a first portion of said length and a second outside diameter (D 2) along a second portion of said length, and said first outside diameter (D 1) being less than said second outside diameter (D 2); each of said cylinder liners including a bonding layer of a first aluminum-based material applied to said outside surface along said first portion by thermal spraying; a block formed of a second aluminum-based material and presenting a plurality of bores each for receiving one of said cylinder liners; and said first aluminum-based material of the bonding layer of said cylinder liners being bonded to said second aluminum-based material of said block, wherein said block presents a cooling chamber spaced from each of said bores by said second aluminum-based material, said block includes an upper surface presenting a plurality of bridge areas, each bridge area is planar and located between adjacent bores, said block includes a plurality of cooling passages each extending from said cooling chamber and through a portion of said block between said bores for conveying cooling fluid from said cooling chamber, wherein the bridge areas are used to form the cooling chamber and the cooling passages. a plurality of cylinder liners, each cylinder liner including a liner member extending longitudinally from a top end to a bottom end and presenting a length between said top and bottom ends, said liner member including an inside surface extending around a center axis and an oppositely facing machined outside surface, said outside surface presenting a first outside diameter (D 1) along a first portion of said length and a second outside diameter (D 2) along a second portion of said length, and said first outside diameter (D 1) being less than said second outside diameter (D 2); each of said cylinder liners including a bonding layer of a first aluminum-based material applied to said outside surface along said first portion by thermal spraying; a block formed of a second aluminum-based material and presenting a plurality of bores each for receiving one of said cylinder liners; and said first aluminum-based material of the bonding layer of said cylinder liners being bonded to said second aluminum-based material of said block, wherein said block presents a cooling chamber spaced from each of said bores by said second aluminum-based material, said block includes an upper surface presenting a plurality of bridge areas, each bridge area is planar and located between adjacent bores, said block includes a plurality of cooling passages each extending from said cooling chamber and through a portion of said block between said bores for conveying cooling fluid from said cooling chamber, wherein the bridge areas are used to form the cooling chamber and the cooling passages.