I got the 1520D, just double checked on my invoice. Maybe I dont have the right oil sump? wouldn't surprise me, knowing my luck! could anyone confirm, by my photo, if the oil sump is supposed to look like what I have? I have also just shoot an email to TA with a couple of photos, see what they say. it's almost like the oil pick up needs to be rotate more, maybe was welded in the wrong place? Thanks, that's good to know! I also have the 1406 lifters, but have 1419A pushrods. the guy at TA said it would work fine with the cam I bought. thanks for the heads up on the oil pressure. I'll leave it as is with the black spring and if I come across the same high pressure as you, then I'll do the same to drop it. but thought it should be 60 and not 50? Called a shop here in the UK and they can get me a stock oil pickup, but will take a week or so and it's £30!
Buick 350s only ever had 1 pan design, as far as I know. I'd just take the tube and whack a section out of the middle to get the right clearance. Don't want it too close, can suck to the bottom of the pan, but too far and it could suck itself dry during rapid accel/decel. 3/8 to 1/2 of an inch is what I think it should be, someone correct me if I'm wrong. Easy way to measure, straight edge on the gasket surface of the pan itself, measure to the bottom + the thickness of the gasket compressed, so I'd say roughly half of the gasket's thickness for that measurement, straight edge on the pickup, measure to the block. The pan measurement should be larger than the pickup to block measurement by 3/8-1/2 an inch, exact measurements pending. You can prime the oil system without Vaseline first to check if you have sufficient pressure and to make sure it's getting everywhere it needs to, then pack it up as the engine starting and running will spin the pump faster than you can with most hand drills, unless yours is over 1,000rpm. And for oil pressure, expect 50-60 cold psi at idle and while priming. If it's less, mess around with springs and regulator settings until you get that. Hot at idle, both my engines have been 25psi, cold is 60. I forget which spring I use, both were using a stock '76 timing cover (no better than any other year, just what I had), and the TA pump guts and plate. Standard volume.
Thanks Mr Sony! I might cut it but even if I do I don't think it will be enough, it needs to kind of extend to the right..... I'm going to look for my old oil pick up again this evening, if I can't find it I'll have to get a stock one and wait a week for it.... or see if TA can send it over. well.. got a reply from TA, what I need is the TA1520B!! it's the pickup for the 69 engine... the 68 engine is what I got, 1520D!! just my luck on having an odd engine!! can't believe, I didn't even noticed that on the website.... the whole thing stopped because of an oil pick up!
Well... got a reply from TA, to get the correct oil pick up over here is $100! but the good news is I found my old pick up! So this evening I gave that a good clean with brake cleaner and blown loads of air through it, it's like new! Then headed over to my friends house, set the oil pump properly and closed the sump. Tomorrow evening we are moving the engine back to the workshop! tomorrow I'm ordering the oil: and also need to order the oil filter, but need to check my old photos as can't remember what was on the engine. Also already got a complete set of Autometer gauges, Voltage, Water temp and oil pressure to be fittted - kindly donated by a friend who upgraded to different ones in his Nomad.
Your chances of getting a similar pickup aren't very good. I try to buy them at different stores and have even bought them for later years such as 75 century. The rule is the pan and pickup always stay together.
Just got home from work. Oil and filters been ordered!! Just having a bite to eat and getting the guys together to move the engine back to the workshop.... I'm hoping the 4 of us can manhandle the engine into the back of a truck, or else we will have to go get the engine crane from workshop.
Well... we moved the engine! Didn't even needed the engine crane, the 4 of us lifted it off the stand and into the back of the truck, down the workshop and back on the stand. Already started bolting on stuff to it this evening..... getting closer!
Hhahahaha, well spotted!! Once i had the engine in the workshop I was so eager to start that the pulley was the first thing to hand, once I put the bolts in I was like DUH!!! Couldn't get it off as didn't have the puller at the workshop, so was hoping no one would notice hahaha
You should be safe without the jackstand under it. I bet you could jump up and down on top the engine without stressing the stand too.
the engine is a damn heavy lump.. I'm very peculiar with things like this, not sure if it's the same expression in the US, but over here we call it "belt and braces" Even if I'm going under a car I put like 4 or 5 jack stands, just in case.... when the engine is on that stand it kind of tilts, so that lump of wood and the jack stand helps to support it. I'm going to take the opportunity the engine is out to also run a new wire from the starter to the coil (need to find my wiring diagrams!) The wire that usually gives the 12V to the coil when you crank, comes directly from the starter motor, but was missing and I couldn't get access to the starter.... so what I have done was run a wire from the coil to a switch in the cab and then to the battery. On the days that was too cold and it needed an extra bit of voltage to fire up I'd just flick the switch on, crank it, start and turn the switch back off. there's a few things I'm not sure about on the electric side but I'll get to ask about that soon. it's mainly about the coil and the balast resistor. I had different opinion on using the resistor or not. I need to check my wiring diagrams, because I have done the whole wiring in the engine bay as it was a mess when it got here from the US.
http://www.v8buick.com/index.php?th...ystem-function-tests-and-modification.248990/ The above explains the function with points.
Thanks Larry, I'll have read tomorrow during the day (it's 10pm here now). I have ditched the points and put a crane conversion - although haven't run the truck with it yet. I don't think I have a resistance wire either and I think, can't remember exactly, that is the reason why I have the balast resistor in line with the coil. I have to go back to when I redone all the wiring, I have pretty diagrams I have done as well hahaha
The wire from the "R" terminal of the starter solenoid is only a bypass wire. It bypasses the resistance wire DURING CRANKING ONLY. Once the engine starts, voltage flows through the resistance wire. You only need the bypass if you are running points. Find out if you need resistance for the Crane Xri.
On another note... this turned up on the local american car group on facebook.. £500 for the engine and box. I offered £200 for the engine. with all the knowledge I got from you guys here I'm thinking of getting this one and build it up with time and make a great engine out of it. Will see what the seller says, won't pay more than 200 that's for sure.
That '75 motor should have the good, beefier rods in it. I'd grab it. Never know when another SBB will pop up in the eastern hemisphere for sale. Bore it .030 over, shave the block a little, as well as the heads, good valve job, crower level 3 cam retarded 4*, some cheapo dish pistons, you;d have a low compression (8.5:1 or lower, depending how much is shaved) engine with 280ish hp and 380ishftlbs that you could basically run on dog water. I did the same with my '76, but a comp 268 installed straight up (4* advance built in) and it ran great on the lowest octane I could find.
