Hi Jim, Just started my 455 to 470 build. Totally stock 455. Regarding the crank grinding, should I trust my local grinder here in Toronto or is it still worth the shipping cost sending it to you? Is there anyone here you know of that is really good with Buick motors? I trust everything you discuss in the threads but shipping these BBB around the USA can get costly. I will need the piston and more advise as I go. I have built motors before but only for street cars. This is different. Strickly drag racing. I saw the mock invoice for a 470 build, but it was missing the block gurdle install cost. $$?? Thanks. Mel.
Mel, I can't comment on your local guy's ability.. best thing you can do is go talk to them. It's not rocket science, any good crank shop should be able to offset grind the rods to 3.95 stroke, (2.200 journal size, although we typically end up at .10 under to clean it all up). You also need to widen the throws to 2". We index and equalize the cranks here also, so ask them about that.. I do not know anyone in the Toronto Area who builds BBB motors. I just built one for a guy in that area. Below 650 HP or 6000 rpm, the girdle is not required. RPM more important than power, so if your building just a drag race motor, then it's probably a good idea, but not absolutely required either. I have a 470 at just under 600 HP that runs 10.30's in a 68 GS in a local guy's car, he has had no issues, and does not have a girdle. I would imagine he traps at around 63 to 6500.. He has two seasons on it now, so we will get a good idea of how that is going to work out when it comes back for a freshen up. The lighter piston does help. I do the girdle installs a bit different. We machine .200 out of the risers over the caps, to allow us to keep more material in the cap. This seems to be effective in reducing the instance of cap "pinching", where you lose the register of the cap due to it pinching in the middle. In fact, I have one on the stand that is getting an 8-71 Hampton Blower on it, that was a complete, perfectly running motor that was sent to me for the upgrade, and I took number 2 cap off with my fingers on dis-assembly. We had to put Pro-Gram billet caps on that one. Cost on the girdle is whatever TA gets for it ($495?) and we charge $795 for the install, with the extra custom work. You end up saving the extra money, the first time you freshen the engine, and don't have to put new caps on it.. at least that has been the track record so far. Good luck, be glad to help guide you thru the 470 build. JW
Thanks Jim, the advise is priceless. I meet a Buick guy at the Toronto Motorsports Park at the end of last season on Test an Tune day. He was running a 68 GS. Name was Glen Baker. Runs super stock. Maybe its the same guy. We chatted for a while and I sort of picked his brain on the 455. He didn't give away too many secrets. Funny thing was, he had his teenage daughter running that day, for practice. She ran 10.88 first time out and he looked disappointed. Not in his daughter I don't think, but the car. There were alot of street cars that day and he said they left water all over the track from their exaust pipes. My teenage son runs our 83 Regal at 12.05, best time. I'm happy as a pig in ____. Its thrilling watching your kid race. Anyways, point here is Glen got me excited and modivated to get rid of the stroker 383 chev. in the Regal and go BBB. I just spend 6K on that motor in the spring but what the hell! Love Buicks. I will try to post some more pics. I haven't mastered adding stuff to my album.
Sorry Jim, the car Glen Baker has is a 70 Skylark. I checked some pictures I had from that weekend and saw the mistake.
Mel, Glen is not my customer, but he is the guy to ask for the info on a local machine shop for your project.. Unless he does them himself, he has had the work done, and has probably years of experience with that outfit. Good luck JW
Hi Jim, Just got a major set back in my 455 build. Took your advise on the sonic checking from your thread on core shift. Great piece of info by the way. Turns out the thrust side in cylinder #1 is only .103" thick at the thinnest point. Most of the others are thin also. Getting some readings around .145 to .180 at best. Seems the entire block is thin. Its from a 73 lasabre. Probably doesn't matter though. Do you think filling it completely will make it useable? My engine guy said he can bore it slightly off center to save the wall stock. I'm thinking scrap. Your thoughts would be helpful, Mel.
Mel You can't fill the water jackets on a street motor, the oil will overheat very quickly. Insure that the sonic tester is calibrated correctly.. Buick uses different iron than most other automakers, and as such, it requires a different sound velocity setting in the tester. Just make sure it was calibrated to that block, before testing, and if so, then I would suggest that you find another block. It is very unusual to find a block that is that thin.. but I have seen it from time to time. And when you find one that is usable, I do recommend offset boring based on your sonic checks. That's how we do it here. JW
