Chevy smallblock vs Buick smallblock

[loneSTRregal]

So i have a 1978 buick rregal t-type with no engine or trans , i bought this car back from the guy i sold it to , it had a sbc befroe i sold it . Id rather build a buick 350 but from what Ive read they are expensive , I kno a sbc is cheaper . My question is what will parts will transfer between the two ? like heads cam intake etc ?
any help would be great

 

[nycutlass]

So i have a 1978 buick rregal t-type with no engine or trans , i bought this car back from the guy i sold it to , it had a sbc befroe i sold it . Id rather build a buick 350 but from what Ive read they are expensive , I kno a sbc is cheaper . My question is what will parts will transfer between the two ? like heads cam intake etc ?
any help would be great

just off the top of my head nothing will swap maybe just the carbs

 

[loneSTRregal]

looks le or now to stick to my bugdet Ill build the a sbc chevy again

 

[nycutlass]

looks le or now to stick to my bugdet Ill build the a sbc chevy again

chevy is the cheaper way out ......besides your car is all set up just to drop it all in

 

[monte olrac]

depending on how much horse power you want, but if i were you i would stuff a big buick motor in it, if you are looking for something stock build a buick, if you want cheap upgrade options later build a chevy

 

[joe_padavano]

chevy is the cheaper way out

Also the boring way out. Another belly button SBC.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ......

 

[jrm81bu]

Ya I find my sbc really boring. Listening to people complaining about other people putting sbc's in a non-chevy vehicle is about annoying to us as you being annoyed that its happening and will continue to happen.

 

[KrisW]

Well, due to my afghani dial up internet via cell phone via USB, I have not been able to get on here for a while. After cruising the posts, there is NO WAY I can pass this one up. It's just not possible.

I love Buick engines, everyone knows that. So, I am biased in my opinion, but that doesn't mean I am wrong. Buicks were built better at the foundry than Chevy engines were during the period of cars we are building. The 350 Buick doesn't cost that much to build, especially if you are willing to cruise eBay and craigslist for parts. TA Performance helps a lot too.

And there is NO WAY that you hearing us whine about sbc swaps could be anywhere near as annoying as actually seeing them get done!! Imagine, if every malibu you saw had a Japanese turbo 4 cylinder swapped in under the hood. After the first few, you would wonder what was wrong with every other Malibu owner.

I lost my respect for the chevy small block after seeing so many of them blow up shortly after rebuild. The Buick and Olds engines were built much better at the factory, and when you rebuild them they don't seem to require as much machine work to "make them right" as a chevy small block does. Anyone who races B-O-P engines will tell you what they have seen upon initial tear downs.

Anyway, I just have to throw that in there...

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

The biggest Buick negative is the oil pump design. That cast aluminum timing cover with steel gears is not exactly one of mankind's better ideas. Yet, Buick, Cadillac and AMC all used it and on every one of them is becomes an Achilles heel. Also, AMC engines were far better made than their Chevy counterparts with better head flow, high nickel blocks and tighter machining tolerances. They also have one of the worst oiling systems, especially compared to the SBC which is one of the best. Having killed a set of bearings and a pump in an AMC in around 15k miles has made me very leery of that oil pump design. Yes, I am a bit biased because I roll with the 55 year old Chevy design in my car, but I by no means feel that it is the pinnacle of automotive evolution like some of the old farts do. There are however, more solutions to common issues when going with a Chevy. If I were doing a swap, I would start with a newer block as some of the older ones are pretty crappy.

As for a Nissan in a G body, I would do it in a heartbeat with the R35 GTR's twin turbo V6! Heck, even the older R32,R33,or R34 Skyline straight six with twin turbos (RB26DETT) would have a place between the fenders of my Olds any time someone wants to donate the parts for the cause. It would be far more different than anything anyone has done in one of these cars an old pushrod V8 from the age of the dinosaurs!

 

[KrisW]

That's not nearly as bad a problem as some would lead you to believe. For a daily driver or a racer up to 400 HP or so, you can get by just fine by buying a kit (less than 20 bucks) that has a steel bottom spacer plate and another 20 bucks will get you and externally adjustable oil pressure regulator. It really is simple and easy to do. Yes, the inside of your timing cover where the oil pump cavity resides might be worn, but it is not trash by any means. I have done this a few times and I have never lost an engine due to oil pump failure, except once.

That one time was because I didn't know what to do. The engine had over 150k miles on it and while I was beating the crap out of it the oil pressure dropped to zero. Upon teardown, I found that the oil pump relief valve had gotten stuck open due to sludge. Knowing better now, the above oil mods go on every engine I get.

Heck, even the Grand National and the Turbo Trans Am used that oil pump and they do just fine.

Stock Chevy pumps dump on you too. Every one I have had didn't do well without either a stock Z28 oil pump or a Melling M55HV upgrade. By the time you do that, and throw in the oil pan gasket too, you have spent more to cure the chevy's oiling problem than you have that Buick.

Now, when you go over 400HP, then there are a few little things you need to do to the oil passages on the block. The advantage is that you can do these at your house with a die grinder and drill bits. You don't have to pay a machine shop to do anything for you.

I am staying Buick.