231v 6
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I tried improving my 231 with a Qjet upgrade with little improvement. Swapped the whole thing out for a MCSS powertrain with HO 305 and TH2004R and never looked back. N/A 231s are pretty hopeless and are simply dogs. In took a lot of add ons by Buick to get power out of them like turbos and intercoolers, proof you can polish a turd.
Plus, the SBB has GOBS of low end torque if you do anything to it (3.85 stroke for the win) so you can get by with the probably 2.41s and still have enough power down low to get yourself out of (or into) some trouble. My first 350 I built with 8:1 hyper pistons so it'd drink 87 all day and get about 15ish mpg with a properly tuned QJET. If I had the money, I would've grabbed a TA dual plane intake and a FiTech setup. The only real downside to the SBB in a g body, is as there is only ONE style of header in the aftermarket, you can run into fitment issues. Plus, for 500 bucks, 30hp isn't worth it. When the aluminum heads come out though, then it will be. If you are a thrifty shopper, you can spend about 2500 bucks and have a small block buick that makes big block torque that weighs 100+lbs less than a SBC, both being all iron.
If you haven't guess, I like my SBBs. 😛
If you haven't guess, I like my SBBs. 😛
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Don't kid yourself. There are multiple downsides including bad oiling and a propensity to wipe cams. Other than to ability to say you have a Buick motor, a SBC swap is superior to an SBB swap to a any disinterested 3rd party observing and weighing the facts. I don't even like SBC's but I don't see the evidence not to pick one over the multiple other options, if "bang for the buck" is the #1 deciding criteria.
First off, I've built 3 Buick engines, never wiped a cam. 2nd, that oiling "issue" is massively blown out of proportion. My 60psi cold, 30 hot at idle begs to differ. And it mainly pertains to 455s and the turbo 6s when pushed too hard in stock trim. Poor maintenance also plays a large part in the rep these engines get. The turbo 6s are very good engines, as I'm sure you know, but they have their limits. 3rd, there are many benefits to having a SBB. As I said, they're lighter. They make more torque. They literally drop in place of a 231. The only other drop in swap would be a 4.1 or another 231. The ONLY downside, is there are no aluminum heads to make it even lighter than an aluminum LS. Buick engines are not for those who want to go fast cheap. They are for those who want something different. They can be built cheaply, I did it, as have many others. The SBBs were never really beaten on, much like the 231s. They were just kind of "there". If you know where to look and what cars to look for, you can find them practically being given away by people who don't know what they have.
Well said sir. There are several oil mods that work well on Buick engines. I've been thrashing my 455 for 10 years with no issues. Like you said, NOT the cheap way out. I woud give that title to the SBC. That being said, I still think Buick is a better engine choice, though I'm partial to the big block. 😉
Where is the animated rolleyes smiley.
An Iron block SBB with AL heads would not be lighter than AL LS. Period, never gonna happen.
We've been thru this. You said you were going to buy a scale. Multiple sources on the internet have weighed SBB's and have determined the "450 lb" number for a fully dressed SBB is BS. Start at "over 600lbs" for an Iron manifold motor, not "450" then redo your weight calculations.
An AMC SB is about the same weight as a SBB since they share design features and materials and both are roughly based on the Buick V6 and an AL head one is still 50 - 75lbs more than an AL LS... which is around 400 lbs for as running motor without exhaust/accessories.
Again, start with "600 lbs" (at least 570 lbs min) and Not "450 lbs", then subtract weight for AL aftermarket parts.
An Iron block SBB with AL heads would not be lighter than AL LS. Period, never gonna happen.
We've been thru this. You said you were going to buy a scale. Multiple sources on the internet have weighed SBB's and have determined the "450 lb" number for a fully dressed SBB is BS. Start at "over 600lbs" for an Iron manifold motor, not "450" then redo your weight calculations.
An AMC SB is about the same weight as a SBB since they share design features and materials and both are roughly based on the Buick V6 and an AL head one is still 50 - 75lbs more than an AL LS... which is around 400 lbs for as running motor without exhaust/accessories.
Again, start with "600 lbs" (at least 570 lbs min) and Not "450 lbs", then subtract weight for AL aftermarket parts.
I consider my Dart Big M block lightweight since at 4.60 bore it is 30 lbs lighter than the same block at 4.25 bore.😉
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