I’m planning to build a 215 shortly, and I had a few questions. I’m going with the stock bore and stroke but using 300 heads. The cam I have in mind is the Crower 50234, 284 degrees by 512 lift , any thoughts or suggestions on that ? Also, does anyone still make a good 4 bbl intake for the 215 ?
That cam would be good in a 350. I used a Crower 50232 years ago and it was a little big for the 215. Edelbrock performer and Offy 360 are good new intakes. The Offy dual port is good in a Jeep.
Info from 1985 Hot Rod magazine: https://www.teambuick.com/reference/library/affordable_aluminum_v-8.php
Just thought of another question, is the Rover electronic distributor a type of Hei unit or is a computer required ?
I was told that on the British v-8 forum also, the guy said that the amplifier goes bad on them, is that what we call a module ?
Why are you building a 215? (Not being negative, just curious.) The 300 with alloy heads and intake is a significantly better engine if you can use it. Jim
I don’t want the weight of a 300, I’m putting this in a 58 Thames, if I need more horses I’ll add a blower. I’m trying to build the lightest I can.
> I’m going with the stock bore and stroke but using 300 heads. Are you using domed pistons to restore the compression? The Buick 300 combustion chambers are much larger than Buick 215 (54ccs versus 37cc's nominally). Even with Olds 215 flat top pistons, compression will still be low with Buick 300 heads. Dan Jones
> Also, does anyone still make a good 4 bbl intake for the 215? What's your RPM range and compression ratio? Will you be running long tube headers and good mufflers? The Huffaker single plane has ports that happen to match the Buick 300 heads. All the other intakes will have the smaller 215 port size. With the expansion at the head, flow will slow down and lose momentum. Sometimes this hurts power, sometimes it doesn't. The Edelbrock Performer intake is a good all around street intake. The Dual Port is a good fuel economy and throttle response intake. The Offy 360 was bottom of the bunch in my intake testing on a Ford V8. Dan Jones
I know I’ll lose a few points on my compression, but I’m almost positive that I’m putting a blower on it, so it’s all good. I got one from a regal, also a 3-53 and a 4-53.
I figured on doing some port matching, if I do stick a blower on it flow won’t be much of an issue. Don’t know if I’ll have room for headers. Maybe block huggers.
The Offy 360 Equa Flow intake makes a good base for a blower. Just mill down the center divider and it's a big plenum. Dan Jones
I hear this a lot, and maybe for your Thames it makes sense, maybe it doesn't. Here is why: The weight difference between the 215 and the 300 is exactly 80lbs. If you use the Rover it drops to about 60lbs. Add the blower and blower drive to the 215 and it's nearly a wash. How critical that is depends on what you are building. Usually the tradoff favors the 300. For that extra weight you get a block that is much more rigid and can handle basically double the power levels. The shortcomings of the 215 and rover blocks just disappear. No more concerns about head and main torque values, no more thread pull-out, no more sleeve issues (Rover). Any time you go over 300hp with the 215, head stud retention rears its ugly head. After fighting those and related issues for decades I finally came to my senses. The most displacement you can hope to get out of the 215 might be 300cu.in. and at that level the engine is seriously compromised. They don't tend to last. The 300 OTOH already has that displacement and can be stroked out to 350 by using a 340 or 350 crank and a .050" overbore. As long as you watch your cylinder wall thickness they are dead solid reliable. The 215 and Rover engines have a reputation for failures whereas the SBB (300, 340, 350) have a reputation for reliability and there are reasons for both. Your 300/350 SBB and your blown 215 are going to come out within a very few ponds of the same weight, but the SBB will last longer. The SBB will probably make more power. The stronger rear axle needed for either will help balance the additional weight. Jim
More is not always better, and too much is always too much. I have no intention of boring or stroking the 215, just a cam and intake, 300 heads and port matching, and maybe, just maybe, an Eaton blower. If I can pull 250 hp out of this engine it would be more than enough for the Thames. I don’t wanna go stupid like putting a blown hemi in a 1500 lb T-bucket.
Yeah, nobody said anything about being stupid. Like I said it depends on what you are building. How much will your Thames weigh when it is finished? Jim
I wasn’t inferring that anyone was stupid, if I came across that way I apologize, I would never do that. I intend this thing to be a daily driver, not something I take to a show on a trailer. I’m not after a street racer, but I still wanna go round the Baltimore beltway at 90 mph like everyone else does. Lol
Port matching will gain very little vs the time you put in. Work more in bowl area or just confirm actual compression ratio to be under 9.0 and get the blower.