transplant has begun NOW: transplant has concluded! NOW: slight problem Well, I'm without the GS for a little while... the engine came out easily enough after I decided to pull the tranny with it. It's a PITA to leave it in! The TH350 is built and has a kit and I love it, so it will stay behind the bone stock SF 455. 2 questions: does it bolt DIRECTLY and SEAMLESSLY to the 455 or is there any trick to it? And, it looks like the exhaust needs modification... is it unwise to drive the car with NO exhaust connected? Might cold air go up the manifold and cause any damage? Thanks for your input, Frank :beer
I know what you mean, but it IS fairly protected by the brace across the front and the AC condenser.. :Brow: :bglasses: :laugh: :grin: frank
Hey Frank Everyone has the same thoughts. Watch that grille! About your questions. I don't know about the TH350. However, I do know that you will need new exhaust pipes. Tail pipes will be okay of course. It won't do any harm driving it to a muffler shop. (If you can stand the noise and keep away from the law!) :laugh: I'm doing the same thing to my 71 GS also. However, I'm pulling the front end and detailing the engine compartment at the same time. I just started pulling apart the front end today. My 455 went to the rebuilder yesterday. It looks like you'll be done before me. Let me know your first thoughts when driving the car with a 455 opposed to the 350. I need some motivation to get this done asap! Cheers and good luck Harvey PS Watch that grille. :spank:
Not to sound like a broken record.... but OMFG please take out that grille before you put the engine back in!! :eek2: :eek2: :jd: But in regards to your original question...... I have heard it can cause damage to your heads by running with open manifolds for very long. Besides that, I would at least want some makeshift downpipes to at least direct the HOT exhaust away from your wiring and nicely painted engine bay. I'm sure you can rig up something to at least get the exhaust down towards the ground. Good luck, looking good....except that grille hanging there totally unprotected. :laugh: :beer
I plan to detail the engine compartment too, but not to any show winning extent. Are you replacing your wiring harness, reusing yours or building your own? I can't decide on that . frank
Hey Frank You got me off guard there! What do we need to do about the wiring harness? I thought the harness would be the same. Harvey
If you do take the grill out (easy to do), use a piece of rubber and a pair of vice grips around the studs before trying to spin the nuts off. You don't want to just crank on those nuts as you'll probably crack the grill. You need to hold the studs. The rubber will prevent you from marring the studs. I got my new harness from www.lectriclimited.com. It isn't installed yet, but it came highly recommended. A new one is $142. Best of luck.
The wiring harness will be a little too short for the 455. You can get a repro harness from any of the Buick Gs suppliers. I got mine from OPG for 135.00. Its gorgeous! Jason PS.... almost had heart failure seeing the engine over that grille!!
I have never seen where open exhaust manifolds will hurt anything. I ran an old 430 with 125K miles in a 75 Monte Carlo for 3 years on the strip with no problem. And it got lots of street racing/cruising with a Y pipe and a turbo muffler on it. I also ran a T350 trans in that car behind two BBB for 4 years with only a shift kit and never had a problem. Tons of racing abuse. And to top it off the trans. sat for about 11 or 12 years in a barn and I took the pan off to check the condition and then I put it in the car in my avatar and drove it 675 miles to BG and sold it there. The trans will bolt up no problem and the torque conv. will also.
Yeah, I'm not worried at all about the TH350. I guess the best thing to do is buy a wiring harness... I prolly couldn't make it look right if I did a homemade job. Frank
What's the deal with your hoist boom? It looks over extended to be safe. That engine and transmisson weigh a lot. Cool picture. PS - Watch out for the grille.
The hoist isn't over extended, it's just extended. The nose is bent like that on purpose. It works better that way... it's not being stressed, but I guess it does kinda look like that. I bought it to pull a camaro engine some years ago and it wasn't long enough, so I lenghtened it about a foot. I pulled the 455, complete with TH400 attached... no problem. I did the welding myself. It's not going anywhere! Frank (limit pusher) Brooks
Looking Good Frank, sorry I wasn't there to see it in person. Maybe I could have taken off the grill for you before you started pulling the engine :laugh: That 455 is going in before the Austin Area Buick's Picnic RIGHT. Let me know if you need a hand, even if it is toasting a cold one :beer
