New member - Greaser007 - introduction
October 16th, 2018, 08:29 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Redding, California
Posts: 68
New member - Greaser007 - introduction
Hello Everyone,
I have recently purchased a '71 Buick 350 longblock, which I think has "2" heads, can't remember for sure, but it appears to have fresh heads that were installed on a tired short-block. If this engine is an easy builder with no cylinder boring required, it will probably get installed into a '71 Jeep Gladiator pickup for my oldest daughter, 32yo.
Also, I have purchased what appears to be a really nice 455 "Fa" marine shortblock. While searching for heads, I found a 455 marine engine that had sat out in the weather and a few cylinders had filled up with water which pitted the intake valves pretty bad. That means I need to purchase 4-new intake valves.
One of the two engines will get installed into the '71 Jeep Gladiator pickup which originally came with the Buick 350
I will start a thread to pick up information and guidance on my 455 engine / build, and what particulars I should follow and to learn what some pointers on specifics.
I am here to get some practical advise from you guys who are always tinkering with the Olds entertainment 'devices' or 'apps.' ( autos ) and ( engines )
My folks are stuck in the '50's, and I am stuck in the '70's. go figure. right ! my grown kids are stuck in the millennial-era. I am retired since April 2017 from a long career of Land Surveying and retired out after serving 20-years for the California state highway department to earn a retirement pension with health plan
I turned 67 years old in Sept 2018, living in the rural area of Shasta County, 15 miles southeast of the town of Redding, California. I hate to admit this, but it has been 20-years since rebuilding an American engine, which was Ford 300-inline six engine. Since then I have rebuilt, Suzuki, Toyota, Isuzu and honda fuel injected engines successfully. Oh, almost forgot, I have a little '46 ****** CJ2a which make for good "yard-art", and you know the wife must just adore that rusty jeep. right !
Early this year, I pulled apart the trans-axle in my '02 Subaru WRX to give it an inspection because I was chasing a terrible Drivetrain grumble. (I thought the noise to be a carrier bearing. The grumble wound up being the Vicious Coupler (center-diff as it may be called by some people) which is within the transfer-case.
The "viscious-coupler" is basically just an "in-line" positrac unit connecting the front drive to the rear drive. Being a snow skier, my WRX has kissed several snowbanks trying to be Jay Pastrana, and spinning broadies in the parking lot. I guess that burned-out the Posi-clutches. _ _ _ kind of amazing I got it all put back together again. The turbo down-pipe is a booger. I have driven this WRX now for 11-years, and it is one of the Funnest vehicles I have owned. I have driven my CJ-7 Jeep through the famous Rubicon Jeep trail 16-summers. I put a for pickup T-18 transmission in it in 1984 with the 6:1 granny crawler gearing to ease through that trail.
I drove a '95 Gmc Suburban 2500 4x4 with 6.5L Turbo Diesel and ran the clock up to 295K miles and never had a valve cover off of that engine. I faithfully ran Marvel Mystery oil in the diesel fuel to purposefully aid in lubing the injection pump, but to also keep the Optical Sensor clean in the pump. The engine at 295k miles ran like brand new and the oil consumption in that engine never changed. Just like a Volkswagen TDI, it consistently consumed 1-quart of oil in 400-miles, and maybe more if working hard climbing the Sierra Nevada mountains while towing a 6k loaded trailer. If any member here in the forums has any questions about the 6.5L turbo diesel gremlins, please feel free to contact me direct. The PMD ( pump driver module ) on these engines is the main cause of Migrain headaches, and caused all kinds of weird codes to be thrown which you must remember, codes are Defaults, and may not be the True-cause-of-Issues. If you have a leaking vacuum line to the turbo wastegate solenoid, the ECM will throw an "Injection-pump" code, and the local Mechs want $4400 to change out an injection pump, when it is really Not-Needed.
I often wonder how many "un-knowing" Consumbers paid the $4400 to the mechanic when all they needed was a good 9-inch piece of electricians-tape to hold the hoses together at the one-connecting-fitting from vacuum pump to Turbo wastegate solenoid. OK, i'm done sharing thoughts _ _ _ for my introduction.
Len ( Greaser007 )
I have recently purchased a '71 Buick 350 longblock, which I think has "2" heads, can't remember for sure, but it appears to have fresh heads that were installed on a tired short-block. If this engine is an easy builder with no cylinder boring required, it will probably get installed into a '71 Jeep Gladiator pickup for my oldest daughter, 32yo.
Also, I have purchased what appears to be a really nice 455 "Fa" marine shortblock. While searching for heads, I found a 455 marine engine that had sat out in the weather and a few cylinders had filled up with water which pitted the intake valves pretty bad. That means I need to purchase 4-new intake valves.
One of the two engines will get installed into the '71 Jeep Gladiator pickup which originally came with the Buick 350
I will start a thread to pick up information and guidance on my 455 engine / build, and what particulars I should follow and to learn what some pointers on specifics.
I am here to get some practical advise from you guys who are always tinkering with the Olds entertainment 'devices' or 'apps.' ( autos ) and ( engines )
My folks are stuck in the '50's, and I am stuck in the '70's. go figure. right ! my grown kids are stuck in the millennial-era. I am retired since April 2017 from a long career of Land Surveying and retired out after serving 20-years for the California state highway department to earn a retirement pension with health plan
I turned 67 years old in Sept 2018, living in the rural area of Shasta County, 15 miles southeast of the town of Redding, California. I hate to admit this, but it has been 20-years since rebuilding an American engine, which was Ford 300-inline six engine. Since then I have rebuilt, Suzuki, Toyota, Isuzu and honda fuel injected engines successfully. Oh, almost forgot, I have a little '46 ****** CJ2a which make for good "yard-art", and you know the wife must just adore that rusty jeep. right !
Early this year, I pulled apart the trans-axle in my '02 Subaru WRX to give it an inspection because I was chasing a terrible Drivetrain grumble. (I thought the noise to be a carrier bearing. The grumble wound up being the Vicious Coupler (center-diff as it may be called by some people) which is within the transfer-case.
The "viscious-coupler" is basically just an "in-line" positrac unit connecting the front drive to the rear drive. Being a snow skier, my WRX has kissed several snowbanks trying to be Jay Pastrana, and spinning broadies in the parking lot. I guess that burned-out the Posi-clutches. _ _ _ kind of amazing I got it all put back together again. The turbo down-pipe is a booger. I have driven this WRX now for 11-years, and it is one of the Funnest vehicles I have owned. I have driven my CJ-7 Jeep through the famous Rubicon Jeep trail 16-summers. I put a for pickup T-18 transmission in it in 1984 with the 6:1 granny crawler gearing to ease through that trail.
I drove a '95 Gmc Suburban 2500 4x4 with 6.5L Turbo Diesel and ran the clock up to 295K miles and never had a valve cover off of that engine. I faithfully ran Marvel Mystery oil in the diesel fuel to purposefully aid in lubing the injection pump, but to also keep the Optical Sensor clean in the pump. The engine at 295k miles ran like brand new and the oil consumption in that engine never changed. Just like a Volkswagen TDI, it consistently consumed 1-quart of oil in 400-miles, and maybe more if working hard climbing the Sierra Nevada mountains while towing a 6k loaded trailer. If any member here in the forums has any questions about the 6.5L turbo diesel gremlins, please feel free to contact me direct. The PMD ( pump driver module ) on these engines is the main cause of Migrain headaches, and caused all kinds of weird codes to be thrown which you must remember, codes are Defaults, and may not be the True-cause-of-Issues. If you have a leaking vacuum line to the turbo wastegate solenoid, the ECM will throw an "Injection-pump" code, and the local Mechs want $4400 to change out an injection pump, when it is really Not-Needed.
I often wonder how many "un-knowing" Consumbers paid the $4400 to the mechanic when all they needed was a good 9-inch piece of electricians-tape to hold the hoses together at the one-connecting-fitting from vacuum pump to Turbo wastegate solenoid. OK, i'm done sharing thoughts _ _ _ for my introduction.
Len ( Greaser007 )
October 16th, 2018, 01:56 PM
#3
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Hicksville, NY
Posts: 31
Sounds like an amazing project. I wish you the very best with it! There's so much info out there to be found. Youtube is great and I'm sure these fine folks here know a whole lot too! (Shh but that's why I came too lol) I hope to see some pics of her!!
October 19th, 2018, 07:28 PM
#6
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Redding, California
Posts: 68
I am glad to be here to share thoughts and humor. 
I finally did measure the intake valves in my "C" heads and they measure 2.072 head diameter. My favorite parts guy at the local Napa store referred me to the Napa machine shop in the next town north to source valves. I am very anxious to get started on the 455 head rebuilding, but too many other hot-spots to put out prior too,
Thanks guys, for the hello,
and I am looking forward to sharing ideas, and for me, _ _ _ learning about these Olds engines as I am just getting started in the Oldsmobile arena.
And also I am hoping for some good Parts Sourcing from you guys who are on-the-know.
Back in the mid '70's there was a guy in town who's mother had a 442 and I don't know of any of my friends cars that beat it, including roadrunners and camaros and mustangs. I wonder if the 1967 Ford 390 GT mustang would give the cutlass a run-for-the-money, due to "power-to-weight" ratio ?
Advertised horsepower on the '67 390 according to Chiltons 65-72 was 335@4800rpm and Advertised torque was 427@3200rpm. Not bad torque w/ hyd lifters @ 10.5:1 compression.
Len
I finally did measure the intake valves in my "C" heads and they measure 2.072 head diameter. My favorite parts guy at the local Napa store referred me to the Napa machine shop in the next town north to source valves. I am very anxious to get started on the 455 head rebuilding, but too many other hot-spots to put out prior too,
Thanks guys, for the hello,
and I am looking forward to sharing ideas, and for me, _ _ _ learning about these Olds engines as I am just getting started in the Oldsmobile arena.
And also I am hoping for some good Parts Sourcing from you guys who are on-the-know.
Back in the mid '70's there was a guy in town who's mother had a 442 and I don't know of any of my friends cars that beat it, including roadrunners and camaros and mustangs. I wonder if the 1967 Ford 390 GT mustang would give the cutlass a run-for-the-money, due to "power-to-weight" ratio ?
Advertised horsepower on the '67 390 according to Chiltons 65-72 was 335@4800rpm and Advertised torque was 427@3200rpm. Not bad torque w/ hyd lifters @ 10.5:1 compression.
Len
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