231 Even-Fire Guru sought
- Thread starter Oldscarnut
- Start date
If you are still looking for engine I know where there might be one or two. Or are you looking for car too. I know where both a Lasabre and a Riviera is. Actually 2 Rivieras one is v6 one is OLDS diesel.
Chuck, just wondering if you are still looking for an engine? I have access to several 78 and after RWD 231 which should be "Even Fire". Not to say that 76 to 77 "Odd Fire" engines are not there, I just know the current V6 Buicks in the yard are 80s vintage.
From what I've read all the tooling was sold to Kaiser Jeep in early 70s, late 60s. I'm familiar with the 225 Dauntless, not so much with 231. But I can look. If they are available I can pick one up, I usually get the cores as builders for about $250 to $350.
I also have access to FWD 3.8 (231) Buick 3800. But as FWD would probably need adapter plate, I've heard of it being done, just haven't my self. I don't have any 3800 with the Eaton Supercharger, but can send a request out and see what happens.
From what I've read all the tooling was sold to Kaiser Jeep in early 70s, late 60s. I'm familiar with the 225 Dauntless, not so much with 231. But I can look. If they are available I can pick one up, I usually get the cores as builders for about $250 to $350.
I also have access to FWD 3.8 (231) Buick 3800. But as FWD would probably need adapter plate, I've heard of it being done, just haven't my self. I don't have any 3800 with the Eaton Supercharger, but can send a request out and see what happens.
Does anybody know of a 4.1 4bbl intake for sale on this topic? I have an appropriate 350 cfm Q-jet for it. My t-stat housing on my Edelbrock is beyond corroded, and will not keep a seal and hold coolant. I'd be willing to pay $150 for a stock 4.1 intake.
Please forward any excess responses to me. I am willing to pay that price and costs to ship also.
Chuck
Just making conversation...pulled a 231 w 100k out of my '81 Regal in favor of a Buick 455 back in ~1991. That 231 2 bbl CCC still sits on the garage floor at mom's house. I've often wondered how one of these rwd v6s would be with the efi manifold off of a fwd '89 lesabre although the TB would be rear facing. Seem to recall those engines were really torquey for a v6 of course in a fwd package. Didn't realize with the even fire, it would be purdy simple to adapt TBI to it as well. Of course none of this materialized as a fellow enthusiast hopped up a NA carb 231 v6 put it in his Regal and the best he could muster was 15.xxs. He ran some deep 4.xx rear gears too. Needle$$ to $ay he wa$ di$appointed from a performance $tand point. Guess what I'm sayin' is if was in this situation putting a daily driver together, I'd venture down the TBI path deep gears in the rear and OD trans is a must.
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Sure, if i come across any. The last ones i saw on eBay and a Facebook group of mine were going for $250+. Too much for me right now.
It is a good experiment, as TBI gives low end torque and better fuel burn (MPG), but my concern would be the ECM/Computer module in a pre-81 carbureted engine with nothing but a lean burn 2 bbl. At least for me, the ease of swapping parts that are ready to go is the only route I want to take. TBI requires constant fuel pressure which mean an electronic fuel pump, and someone to map the ??? to run fuel injectors at the correct flow. I doubt the stock cast iron heads breathe well enough without some mods as well, Finding an intake and carb would be probably less than hakf the cost of the TBI set up and added parts to make it go. If you are trying to get your ET lowered by seconds, your way is a great start but too complex and out of my realm. Carbs can be made to limp you home, but Fuel injection can stop cold and dead. For me it is just comes down to cheap, easy and reliable fixes. and I will lieave the street racing and drags to the younger generation. If you try it, I hope you will clue us in on the steps you take!
Since you have a great working knowledge of the 231, as I was getting the cam bearings in, I found them to be troublingly difficult to install. In fact after 2 sets I am still not happy with the result. As advised, I tried to reinstall the old cam to see how it spins, and the first bearing (timing chain end) was smaller than the #4 cam race. I would say without miccing them, that they are roughlly the same diameter. It brought the question, could this be a turbo block? Are the cam bearings different sized? This is the cam that came out of the engine. The bearings had to be destroyed to get them out, so I cannot compare them. but now I have to wonder what year even displacement. I bought for a normally aspirated engine and destroyed one set of bearings putting them in, I ordered standard bearings for the 1980. Where do I go now? I have never heard of over/undersized cam bearings. HELP I am stupified! Maybe I need a machine shop? I am getting pretty good a installing cam bearings now. Hopefully there is a simple solution to the sizing.
Sizes are the same but not all blocks transfer oil from the pass side galley to the driver side galley the same way. Some have grooves in the block, some do not (ie 3.8 vs 4.1)
TA cam bearings with dual groove dual feed work with either style
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