New 1967-76 400-430-455 Timing Cover

Check out this great NEW part from Proform and available through most speed shops including Jegs ($274), Summit ($295) and others!

YES! It's the Buick 400-430-455 timing cover -- Proform 69510 Aluminum Timing Chain CoverBuick V8 400-430-455 Engines

Includes:
Mounting Bolts
Beaded Mid-Line Gasket
Reusable Steel-Reinforced U-Gasket
Installation Instructions

 

Silver-Seal, Pioneer, Clevite...

 

I took a look, Jegs has the wrong picture and Summit has no photo. After seaching the net, I saw a pic that looks like a stock cover. I just bought TA'S Cover/Pump assembly which is superion to the stock original by far. If this cover is well built it could be a good thing for someome on a budget build. Guess someone will have to give on a try and let everyone know. You could always send it back if it were found to be junk. The cost savinge is only around $200 + or - compared to a bare TA COVER though.

 

It's in the 2009 Proform master catalog on page 17. I had already bought a few TA covers, the last of which I just used. I might try one of these next just to see. It looks like a very nice piece, as if they used a TA cover for their picture- right down to the crank trigger mounting boss, the front side neoprene seal, and the bosses around the heater and bypass hose connections. Even the casting texture is the same. Looks like a nice one if the one in the picture is actaully it. Just the new seal design makes it worth it, especially if you're just going to cut off and weld up the stock oil pump to use an aftermarket oil pump.

 

I called Proform and according to them, they have engineered the TA changes into this cover.

 

http://www.who-sells-it.com/cy/prof...performance-parts-19106/page-19-fullsize.html

bottom right corner


Quite a surprise to see a Buick 455 part in the Proform catalog.

 

My mistake, Thats a lot better pic. If the cover is a good one I wounder if TA will drop their price?

 

I'll bet they're full of it. I purchased a so-called Proform cover two years ago and it WAS the TA cover according to the part number - they're showing their own part number now. Looks like regardless of who is selling, they're coming off the same tools and mfg processes. It would be great if someone can confirm where these are coming from.

Devon

 

I called proform today. They said gthey are not selling them yet. They wont be ready for about 3 months. The tech guy did say they are a quality aluminum peice with all oil mods already done. Similar to the ta deal. So since i saw it advertised on jegs i called them. The tech guy didnt believe me so he looked into it. Came back and said yeah we advertise them for $274, i dont know why they are so much..i laughed.. anyway he expects them in august

 

I got the same answer in April when I talked to one of their engineers.

 

Hmmm Patent infringement?

 

What opening oiling holes and moving fuel pump bolt holes?

Would better language on my part have been:

The took into consideration the deficiencies with a stock cover and redesigned their aftermarket cover to virtually eliminate the problems associated with a stock cover and todays ever changing performance parts.

 

If it is the same as T/As I guess the $250 profit margin will have to go down some o No:

 

I doubt the foundry would use the same chemistry in the metal for a different customer. TA uses 356-T6.
If they are using the same metal the price difference would be TA probably ordered 50 or 100 at a high cost to them compared to say 500 being made for the big company at a lower cost.
Ray

 

Does anyone have one of these??? This is starting to smell like another bulldog scenario.:blast:

 

I don't think so. Proform doesn't sell to the public direct. You can only get their stuff through wholesalers. 9 out of 10 times, the public doesn't see their catalog. But wholesalers such as Summit and Jegs upload the new catalog to their site to create pricing scales and other info. This is what happened here. I would be willing to bet.

If they said it won't be out until August, it won't be out. They're good people making good parts at a fraction of the cost to the consumer over at Proform.

 

Just beware of what you buy. If that is a pos from China your begging for trouble. Just think who did the R & D work for Proform, TA performance. I have dealt with alot of knock offs in the work I do and you get what you pay for.

 

I think it is a good move for us as the Buick community to have a choice.

Give em a chance. Remember some of the GM junk covers we had to buy because there was nothing else.

Tom

 

I doubt anyone tooled up to make these for an engine that hasn't been produced in 30 years and has an aftermarket supplier available. My money would be on whoever casts these for TA had their contract expire with them (TA) and now they can sell to whoever they want. Not a ton of machining in our timing covers EXCEPT they just need to hold some decent tolerances in the oil pump cavity. Even those tolerances aren't that bad for a modern CNC with a decent operator/programmer. If memory serves TA had their covers cast by someone in Mexico. If these covers are Asian then disregard the above. :error: