I think I know the Answer but I don't want to hear it

Is this applicable when A stock crank and bearings are going to be used as far as the clearances?? I will be investing in the the teflon coated bearings, 5/8 pickup tube, adjustable oil pressure regulator. I have the autometer oil gauge, and standard oil pump now. Can someone ball park what the cost should be for the machine work, checking the block doing the oil mods for the 5/8 pickup tube, and reassembling the bottom end??

 

As far as machine shop cost. Call around and ask them the questions. Make sure you are working with a shop that is Buick knowledgeable.

Our local guy here would be about $750 for all of the machine work for a block prep, sizing rods, cutting crank, putting in cam bearings, checking all clearances.

 

If you're going to use stock crank diameters contact TA they make undersized bearings so you can get the .002" clearances.
gary

 

He said he was going to TA, pretty hard to beat that!

 

The motor is coming out tomorrow, But i wanted to prepare myself for what the cost could be. So far I have heard form @2500 to 750, for oiling mods 5/8 pickup tube, and reassembling the bottom end with the crank kit costing $400. Once I tear it down I will post pics for you guys to see.

 

Ok I got the motor out and to this is what I saw. I dont know if this is the only issue, but it sure makes me feel a little better. I will be buying another flywheel from TA tomorrow, and I will also pull the crank doen and have it checked and new beraings, along with the TA 413 cam as I have been wanting to go with that cam for a whille now any way. Is there anything else that could have been damaged by the flywheel being cracked liked this?

 

Probably not, I've seen this before. In both cases, the trans had not been bolted tight enough to the block and worked loose. The flex plate takes most of the abuse. Potentially, the converter could give you trouble downstream, but I did not experience that on my car when the flexplate was cracked like that. Note that the damage could have started before you bought and used that flexplate- you may not have initiated the crack, they probably propagated after you were using it.

 

I was just telling my father inlaw that when the motor was out last year I should have replaced the flywheel then, and I didnt, So I am kicking myself now. Can you tell me the benifit of the internally balanced flywheel vs the externally balanced unit. The flywheel that was on my car was externally balanced, but I see TA sells both of them with the internally balanced one being $100 more. Should I pull the torque Converter and have it checked??

 

I'll have to defer to a Buick expert's answer for your question. I know generic, and some serious SB Chevy details, but Buick is fairly new to me.

 

Even with that little bad quality picture that thing is really messed up. Wow. I'm thinking you might get lucky and that will be your only issue. Did you ever find anything in the oil?

BTW, it should be mentioned that you have a flexplate. Flywheels are used on manual tranny cars, flexplates on autos. Just to be clear when talking to Dealers or whoever...people interchange the names all the time but be careful when buying parts etc as there is a difference.

 

You cannot use a zero balanced flexplate or balancer unless the entire reciprocating assembly is being converted to internal balancing. Internal balancing is not the factory method and requires the balancer and flexplate be zero balanced like a wheel/tire. The factory external balancing used counterweights on the flexplate & balancer.

Even if a shop balanced the assembly before it was last put together, it is most likely retaining the factory external balance strategy. The least you can do is take both your old and new flexplates to a shop that does balancing to make sure the new counterweight is matched to the old one. If the engine wasn't shop balanced last time around, just bolt on the new flexplate and run it.

Devon

 

I contacted TA today, and I will be dropping the motor off on Monday. Tim has quoted me $1300 if my crank is not able to be polished and reused. That includes all oiling mods to the block 5/8th pickup tube New Cam Bearings, new flexplate, new main and rod bearings, as well as balancing the block, sonic checking, vatting, honing the cylinders and mains. New double row billet chain, and gears. Is there anything else that I need to have done on the bottom.

I will be running the TA 413 cam with my stage one heads, and I really want to make this the last time for a while that I have to tear this motor down. can you guys tell me if there is anything else that I am missing??

 

you going to re ring it??

 

I would get the larger capacity oil pan with windage tray.
Jamie

 

Can some one tell me if the life expectancy is the same with the gapless rings vs the regular Moly total seal rings? Benefits of going gapless. The difference in cost is about $100. So to answer your question it is yes, but what direction I am unsure of at the time.

 

How do you tell the Ta repro pan from the original pan?

 

Life should be the same as long as the Total Seal gaps are done correctly. The usual improvement numbers tossed around is a few % less leakdown and 5-10 hp for a 350-400 hp engine. TA will know better than I do, ask them.

I ran Total Seal's first generation gapless design in the late '80's and early '90's and had no complaints, but have no back-to-back data to show their direct effect on performance.

Devon

 

I have the motor completely torn down, with the exception of one of the damn timing cover bolts that snapped in half in the timing cover. I have tried to tap the bolt out, drill it out, and nothing, but thats another issue. Once i pulled the mechanical pump out I noticed the arm was bent up, and about a 1 inch section was broken and chewed up. I know I am not the first this has happened to, but what is the solution for this other then running an electric pump?

Any thoughts on that timing cover bolt would be great as well.

 

The fuel pump mangling might be due to the fact that there's a known interference with the stock mechanical fuel pump and aftermarket double roller timing chains. Normally, the easy fix is to oblong the fuel pump bolt holes so that the pump can be mounted about 1/16" to 1/8" forward. The eccentric lobe on the camshaft will still make the pump operate fine. This may well be the root cause of your troubles.

Regarding the broken bolt, if you've not been successful, let TA do the rest.

Devon

 

That is what I was thinking as well, its amazing what you discover when you tear the motor a part. A cracked flexplate, and a shredded, & bent fuel pump arm, and it looks as though I had some oil leaking past some of the rings on the pistons. I really wanted to take the timing cover off and get the cam out before I took the block to TA on Monday, but I fear that if I keep going I am going to become so frustrated that I may end up breaking the timing cover.

How would I know if I have the 5/8ths pickup tube. I ran the numbers on the block and the block is a 71 block, and I know that in 71 some of the blocks had this modification.

By the way Keith Black Pistons KB 357 Any good reports on these. The link below will take you to them.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/UEM-KB357-030/