Tweet
Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II
I've been to his house. His dog will eat you.
Originally posted by CTX-SLPR
-
-
Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II
Finally a use for that yellow lab. After all, she looks like she's missed at least one meal in her life... surely you don't mean the black one?!!!
Back to the topic at hand.... what would cause a new Buick 350 to not get oil to the crank? I know there's mods for the 455 to increase oil flow; but does it have the same limitations as the 455?Doing it all wrong since 1966Comment
-
Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II
When I got my Centurion it had several spun bearings and the diagnosis was that the oil pump gasket blew out and the guy didn't notice and continued driving it until the engine was out of oil. Did the engine come with the timing cover? That could be telling. Checking the condition of the oil pump gasket and the gears/housing. Was there any thing threaded into the oil pressure sending hole? I don't remember exactly but I'm thinking if an extension pipe or plug were threaded in too deep it could block the flow, but that's a big IF.Originally posted by Buickguy
I like that ;D :POriginally posted by CTX-SLPREscaped on a technicality.Comment
-
Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II
Baddly installed cam bearings comes to mind, crap in the oil feed passages, bad end clearance on the pump gears causing most of the oil to bypass the pump, cheap timing cover with a restricted oil feed passage from the pump to the block, rear freeze plug pushed too far in and contacting the back of the cam causing it to wipe the cam bearings. Most of the 350 is simular to my V6. Thinking about the main oil supply that's what I'd suspect.Central TEXAS Sleeper
USAF Physicist
ROA# 9790Comment
-
Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II
Yeah all the things CTX-SLPR mentioned. The Buick 350 and 231 are essentially identical in design, one is just missing two cylinders. I didn't mess much with my 231, but it ran with zilch to near zilch oil pressure for years and thousands of miles with out so much as a knock. Never figured that one out, especially since the lifters/rockers never rattled.Escaped on a technicality.Comment
-
Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II
This motor was obviously just redone - so the crap in the block would fit. The crank had been rebalanced for the new pistons - and as I said before, one of the oil passages in the crank had never had oil in it after the cleansing...... my guess still is the motor ran on assembly lube until it wore off, the upper halfs of the rod caps are down to copper.... but I'm still intrigued by the heads because I think they would be very good for a turbo assembly - however, I need to figure out what lunched this motor so I don't do the same. I'll get down to the cam tonight and let you know what I find..... is this like the other buick motors which lube the cam first, then the bottom end?
bright side is they didn't run it long because nothing looks like it spun or got hot.Doing it all wrong since 1966Comment
-
Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II
Yeah, the mains come off the bottom of the cam bearings. If they aren't clocked right they'll starve the main bearing under them. If the heads are 71's they are about as good as they get prior to porting, rods however are nut and bolts. The later (74+ I think) had capscrews and are better. What's your approximate compression? More compression the less peak boost you can cram into it.Central TEXAS Sleeper
USAF Physicist
ROA# 9790Comment
-
Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II
I'd eduguess the compression at 9:1 - those are 68 cc heads with a -10cc piston (guessing on the slight dish).
They replaced the rod bolts with ARP, and given my experience blowing things up; I think the ARP bolts will hold long after something else breaks...... if I was a betting man, I'd say the cast crank is the major limiting factor in this motor.
These heads have had port work done on them - I haven't disassembled them yet, but they look to have minor blending and port matching work done.
I didn't get the bottom end apart last night, tonight I should be able to do it. That sounds very reasonable about they messed up and didn't clock the bearing..... hope it's something that simple.Doing it all wrong since 1966Comment
-
Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II
I'll take your bet, you got the crank, I'll take a split block! ;DEscaped on a technicality.Comment
-
Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II
I'll take headgaskets first but if that's not really a fare bet I'll take rod failure.Central TEXAS Sleeper
USAF Physicist
ROA# 9790Comment
-
Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II
I musta been zzzzzzzzzz not see this post. I love the 70 Skylarks, I think they're a great looking car. I say BBB too. IIRC, they don't weigh all that more then a SBC. Add the weight of the Weiand SC, I think you're close to the BBB. Good luck with the 350 Buick motor.TomOverdrive is overrated
Comment
-
Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II
not a split block, no water in the oil..... and cam bearing doesn't look replaced and is oriented correctly.
oil pump?Doing it all wrong since 1966Comment
-
Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II
I mean what you'll do to it ;)Originally posted by Buickguy
Did it come with the timing cover? I'd pull the pump apart and look at the gasket (if it comes off cleanly..).Escaped on a technicality.Comment
-
Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II
the pump/front cover is off to the side, I was most curious in my limited time as to whether or not the cam bearing was put in wrong.
my goal with this motor is to drive over the crank, as all good buicks hate their cranks and send them south - although, I've not heard of a 350 doing that, maybe because no one is naive enough to hotrod one? :P
presuming the cover is fine, I'll send the cam to delta cam to be reground into a more suitable profile ;D
.... only SB fords split vertically. ;D ;DDoing it all wrong since 1966Comment
-
Re: 1970 Buick Skylark part II
Here's the promised pictures. and a mechanic tip: Silicone is NOT better in larger amounts. This motor probably was broken in, cooled off, then spun a bearing because they got silicone in the oil passages.
Looking at the second oil hole, I thought originally that it was rust; nope, that's red silicone.
If you were doing an offset grind on your crank, it'd sort of look like this:
The holes at the top (in the picture) which are surrounded by silicone and mostly blocked by silicone was the cause of this motor becoming a nice anchor and warning to others.
even with the damage, if i find a cheap 350 that doesn't have spun bearings; I'm likely to put it in the Bu.... the saga continues.Doing it all wrong since 1966Comment
Comment