I'm also still thinking about either buying a 231 turbo or just modifying mine for one, just need to find a grand national engine that doesn't cost 2 grand. It's just hard to Figure out the best solution on a tight budget.
Think i decided tonight that im going to keep my v6 for now, it gets the job done and i feel like it has enough power for a daily driver. Im just curious if you guys think its worth getting rebuilt? or what parts to get rebuilt/performance upgraded, with a 4bbl carb and intake will it decrease my mpg? trying to stay under 500$ if possible. Also, Im going to pull my engine and clean/paint it and clean up everything under the hood so next year i can hopefully open my hood without hiding my face Thanks for suggestions. one more thing, is a MSD ignition worth it just as a addon to a non modified engine? pros/cons?
Alright, im working at the fair and going to be getting a check early october for about 700 bucks, trying to finalize what im going to do. I missed a chance for a 231 turbo on craigslist because im broke until that check. So im on the hunt. I would love a 455 but I will driving 30 miles a day and dont want to break myself in gas, when i drove down and back from vancouver i figured i was getting 13-14MPG so im just trying to beat that. with a 455 or even a 350 for that matter i would also need a new tranny. so my hunt begins. any tips or thoughts are always welcome. and Dan, Is it a complete 455?
Your first purchase should be a transmission. You can plan long run or short run on cost. Something cheap like a working 2004r will bolt right up to the V6, no mod's necessary just make sure you get the TV cable adjusted properly. That'll kick your mpg up. My odd fire v6 only got 18'ish with the 2004r. My current firebreathing 455 with OD trans get's 19.5 highway, and a low-compression, regular gas, small cammed 455 I had in there got 18 around town and 23 on the highway. The easiest conversion would be a Buick 350 with a 2004r transmission. Get a decent low end torque cam in the 350 and that combo should net you well over 20mpg and probably upwards 25+mpg on the highway. That should get you through college.
You have to get the torque converter with the transmission. If you plan on rebuilding the transmission prior to installation you may as well just purchase a new torque converter. Personally, if you are at a junkyard and can see why a car with a 2004r is in the junkyard (smashed side, etc) and pulling the pan the fluid looks relatively decent (or look and smell the ATF on the dipstick, but less certainty) then I'd try my luck and just install it in your car with a fluid change and pray it works. But I don't mind doing work twice.
just looked them up at a local pick and pull, they are only 95 dollars for a automatic transmission, so if it was a messed up one, it isnt like throwing down 900 dollars like i've found on craigslist.
Just read this post http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=222207 And I'm a little confused, do I have to hook this up? What's the point of "locking" it in 4th? Won't it stay there when it's supposed to be?
You'll either want a TCI kit, or do the pressure switch modification in valve body so it will automatically lock up in 4th as long as 12v is supplied. The modification is pretty easy, just replace a pressure switch in the pan and a small re-wire.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TCI-376600/?rtype=10 I found this one, but I also found just the wire relay, would I need the entire kit? Or what would I need for the modification?
Is there a external wiring kit? I'm trying to find everything I need to get a pricing range and all parts.
Third page of the instructions show it comes with the external wiring part (vacuum switch). Pending how you want final control of the torque converter, you may want to buy a toggle switch, but it isn't really necessary.
If I didn't put a switch in it, would it do it automatically? also, I don't understand what the Engine vacuum switch is in figure 5 it's the ground, but do you tap into a certain one?
The vacuum switch will control when the converter locks up by controlling the ground source to the converter lock up. So you would have to run the red wire to a fused positive source (I ran mine to a spot on the fuse block in my old Firebird), and the black ground wire to the vacuum switch, which the other terminal on the vacuum switch would just have to attached to some point on the car for a ground, it's not picky. Then of course a manifold vacuum line to the vacuum switch so it can sense load and disengage the lockup if you push the pedal down enough.
Okay, so the Vacuum line I already have running correct? I don't have to splice into anything like that. And where would the vacuum switch be at?
Yeah, the vacuum line going to the TH200 can be rerouted to the Vacuum Switch that comes with the kit. Not sure what you mean by "where would the vacuum switch be at?". The switch comes with the kit and you can mount it anywhere you want and just run the vacuum line and wires to it.
Okay, that's what I thought, I think I'm over engineering it in my head, it's a lot more simple then I thought.
Thank you for everything, if you're ever up in Washington I'll buy you lunch! Should be getting everything next week or so, and still looking for the right 350 to buy
