Engine Swap on a Rivi, HELP!

[Metty]

hey there guys. my lady is looking for a project, i found a solid 69 rivi. everything is done, cept no engine/tranny. i want to swap it over to a little chevy 350/350 combo YES I KNOW, breaking the rules, but it would be temporary until i can rebuild a buick powerplant.

does anyone know the difficulty of fitting on in there? i figure it's just a matter of motor mounts, but would it be possible to use the same drive shaft? or even better would there be a tranny that would hook up so i don't have to modify the drive shaft?:Do No:

[Mister T]

I am by no means an expert on Riviera's, but it does have a 2 piece driveshaft for openers. I doubt that a Chev 350 Turbo 350 would fit without altering the driveshaft. The front trans yoke is most likely different, since I seem to recall that the Riv used a unique one. I could be wrong about this however.

You would also need to fabricate engine mounts, and probably a transmission mount. Then there's the exhaust system, electrical, accessories, plus other items that I'm probably overlooking right now.

Is it not possible to obtain another 400/430/455 Buick engine and a BOP Turbo 400 trans?

[Metty]

ya, DEF. seems like that is a better route LOL. 455's should bolt right up, correct?

[Mister T]

Yes, I believe that a Buick 455 would basically bolt right in. However, it just occured to me that you might need a short tailshaft Turbo 400 trans.

[Yardley]

I'll be ignoring this post for obvious reasons.....

[Metty]

LOL ya, don't worry, i'm back on the 455 train. i found a few good leads here locally. i'll try and find that short shaft. im gonna see if he has the drive shaft for it and such. gonna take a look at it tomorrow.

[RAMKAT2]

You would just be disappointed with the 350/350 anyway, as they are not real good at hauling 4500 lbs around without a steep rearend gear. There are several motors for sale on the board. A short tailshaft 400 mturbo might be a little harder to come by. What part of the world are you in?

[buick64203]

Tom, you are correct on the yoke. Its different than the other 400 yokes. It has a thinner outer diameter to it. Learned about that the hard way when swapping transmissions.

[Mister T]

Tom, you are correct on the yoke. Its different than the other 400 yokes. It has a thinner outer diameter to it. Learned about that the hard way when swapping transmissions.

WooHoo, the blind, errr sight impaired squirrel finally found his acorn.:beer :beer :laugh: :laugh: Meaning that I'm usually wrong on such things. :grin: Thanks Jason.:TU:

[Metty]

im in vancouver canada...so which tranny would bolt up to a 455 then? (and work with the stocker drive shaft)

[doc]

There is another option,,, Nailhead ina 67 has been mighty quiet for a while now..... a 425 nailhead would be a bolt in swap, and a very tough and reliable engine with plenty of power.... and will get around 17-18 mpg if set up right....and it looks cool.....

[Metty]

that's the same block as a 401 right? would that work as well? then throwing the 2speed in there? (this car is gonna be a cruiser for the woman, not a race car :) )

[66electrafied]

You'd still find it easier to bolt in that 455 with a matching Buick transmission. The transmission is a Turbo-hydramatic 400, short shaft, also known as a 375B Buick Super-Turbine. They were available on most Electras, Wildcats, and Rivieras from 1968-1970. The earlier Super-Turbine 400 out of a '67 Buick requires a separate switch for the switch-pitch torque converter which later model carburetors don't have the provision for. A Chevy long shaft 400 out of a pick-up will not work. I'm not sure about the later Buick transmissions that were used between 71-76, I think they were all long-shaft versions.

Finding a Nailhead in Vancouver is probably next to impossible. You might be able to find a 430 or a 455 easier. If you were lucky enough to find a Nail, it would have to be either the 401 or the 425 with a Turbo-Hydramatic 400 from 1965-66 only. Even then, I'm not sure how all the mounts would line up.

The 2 speed transmission that was usually hooked up to a Nailhead was known as a Twin-Turbine or a Dynaflow. It will not bolt up to a newer 455 or will it fit into that body without a lot of modifications. The other 2 speed that was used is called a Super-Turbine 300 and it was used in the LeSabre and Skylarks between 65-68; - it will also not work, nor will a Chevy Powerglide. A common 350 Turbo-Hydramatic out of a Chevy won't work, and I don't think one out of a small block Buick or Olds will work either. So you're kind of limited in what you can use.

[Metty]

455 with the short shaft 400 it is then!! ok. that works, i am sure i can try and dig one out from somewhere. thanks for your help man, a wealth of knowledge right there!!

[Dale]

Tom, you are correct on the yoke. Its different than the other 400 yokes. It has a thinner outer diameter to it. Learned about that the hard way when swapping transmissions.

I learned that little fact when I was about to replace the rear tranny seal.


http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=128495

[doc]

Having done both swaps in a skylark, I still would prefer a nailhead,,,, you can bolt a 1966 th 400 up to the 401 and 425,,,, works great,,,, i have one behind my 410 nailhead... i like the forged steel crank and forged steel rods,,, plus there is not the head gasket popping problem that the bbb has...