BBB find

[olds307 and 403]

Arguably of all the BOP motors, the 455 olds is the most pita to work on, but when it's right it's right. I do wish Buick followed suit with Pontiac and Olds and allowed the top ends to swap around.

The 455 Olds heavy as hell crank, rods and pistons do not like rpm without help. The problem is no one in the Olds world can agree on clearances or anything else. The Olds stock forged rods are too soft as well. The Olds 350 with smaller main diameter and much lighter parts means a lot less bottom end failures plus less overheating issues as well.

 

[Slowpoke]

Buy new, extra/spare rocker buttons.
http://taperformance.com/products.asp?cat=232

Thanks!

 

[MrSony]

Yep. Ditto on those rocker buttons. BUY TWO PACKS!!!! They only come in 16, there's no room for screw ups. For easy install, put them in hot water for about 15 minutes to soften them up. Clean up any burs or anything out of the old holes on the rocker shaft, make sure the rockers are in the right place, and bang em in with an extension and a dead blow. Don't need to beat the hell out of em, they're plastic after all. Short taps. Wiggle the rockers to make sure they won't come loose and you're good to go.

 

[Slowpoke]

Yep. Ditto on those rocker buttons. BUY TWO PACKS!!!! They only come in 16, there's no room for screw ups. For easy install, put them in hot water for about 15 minutes to soften them up. Clean up any burs or anything out of the old holes on the rocker shaft, make sure the rockers are in the right place, and bang em in with an extension and a dead blow. Don't need to beat the hell out of em, they're plastic after all. Short taps. Wiggle the rockers to make sure they won't come loose and you're good to go.

Thanks for the advice . trying to take the water pump of. Just as I expected bottom left hand bolts are a b*tch. Got one to break lose Pb blaster is magic. Gonna let it penetrate a little more before I go after the other

 

[MrSony]

Thanks for the advice . trying to take the water pump of. Just as I expected bottom left hand bolts are a b*tch. Got one to break lose Pb blaster is magic. Gonna let it penetrate a little more before I go after the other

Fighting the short ones or the long ones that go through the pump and cover into the block? From the sounds of it, seems like the bolts that go through a water passage. Those tend to leak. If you end up breaking the bolts, Alloyboltz sells bolt kits for engines, and they are whom I got my Buick 350 bolt kit from. Intake, oil pan, timing cover water and fuel pump and valve cover. All the bad reviews are from people not reading instructions with the stainless hardware. Use antiseize, and DON'T over tighten or cross thread. Hopefully you won't have to deal with broken bolts, but it does happen. Good luck to ya. Still jealous of that score.

 

[Slowpoke]

Yep. Ditto on those rocker buttons. BUY TWO PACKS!!!! They only come in 16, there's no room for screw ups. For easy install, put them in hot water for about 15 minutes to soften them up. Clean up any burs or anything out of the old holes on the rocker shaft, make sure the rockers are in the right place, and bang em in with an extension and a dead blow. Don't need to beat the hell out of em, they're plastic after all. Short taps. Wiggle the rockers to make sure they won't come loose and you're good to go.

Thanks for the advice . trying to take the water pump of. Just as I expected bottom left hand bolts are a b*tch. Got one to break lose Pb blaster is magic. Gonna let it penetrate a little more before I go after the other

Fighting the short ones or the long ones that go through the pump and cover into the block? From the sounds of it, seems like the bolts that go through a water passage. Those tend to leak. If you end up breaking the bolts, Alloyboltz sells bolt kits for engines, and they are whom I got my Buick 350 bolt kit from. Intake, oil pan, timing cover water and fuel pump and valve cover. All the bad reviews are from people not reading instructions with the stainless hardware. Use antiseize, and DON'T over tighten or cross thread. Hopefully you won't have to deal with broken bolts, but it does happen. Good luck to ya. Still jealous of that score.

Got them broke loose. About 1/4 inch. Now I can be patient and let the pb blaster do it's thing. I think I'll be able to get them out clean. Fingers crossed. Just back and forth a bit at a time. Slow wins the race I suppose

 

[Slowpoke]

Buy new, extra/spare rocker buttons.
http://taperformance.com/products.asp?cat=232

I just watched a you tube video on these. But the guy replaced with the heads taken apart. Can I change these one by one with everything on?

 

[Slowpoke]

Finally got out those **** bolts. Gladly they did not break. Water pump was locked up. Some gunk behind it but that was expected.

 

[Slowpoke]

Was cleaning out garage today and found a fan pulley I bought a few years ago that was advertised for a 455. It was a good price so I got it. Anyways compared to the one I just took off its huge.

 

[Bar50]

I love 455 Buick engines. Like one of the best kept secrets from GM. All the haters never ran one, instant torque, designed to effortlessly hurl a 4600 pound luxo-barge down the highway with a TH400. While sipping low octane fuel.