That lifter valley looks promising. I think MrSony is right about it being cared for.
BUILD THREAD JRP's '87 Regal Thread
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This is definitely one of the cleanest engines I've ever dissected. My v6 was a total sludge monster.
I've been trying to calculate what its gonna cost me to get this thing to the point I can put it in the car. So far, between buying the hitch and wiring, renting the U Haul, the gas for the trip, the engine and transmission itself, plus a new hoist, I've almost spent $1000 just getting this thing to where it sits.
Now I've got to get about $100 in oil mod parts from T/A Performance, plus a minimum of about $100 in parts from RockAuto which includes the intake gasket, exhaust manifold gaskets, the timing cover gasket, the oil pan and valve cover gaskets, valve stem seals, the timing set, and new motor mounts.
So that's about another $200, and that doesn't include a cap and rotor, spark plugs or plug wires (I can reuse for now), a new fan clutch (again reuse for now), any carburetor stuff, paint, or a camshaft that I'd like to swing for. It would be great if I could find a used TA 212 or Comp 268 cam.
It may be cheaper, but stay away from used flat tappets. It's a thing you don't want to gamble with. Replace the front cam bearing if it looks bad (odds are it isn't, but you never know), TA sells just the front bearing. DON'T use gaskets on the exhaust manifolds. Buick never did and when people do it can distort the manifold and make it crack, or make small cracks worse. If the manifolds are still on the heads, leave them on, less risk of breaking bolts and costing you $$$. Summit sells gasket kits for ~$35, takes all the guess work out of it.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/slp-260-1012/overview/make/buick
You can buy motor mounts from the auto parts store, for your car in V6 form. They're big awkward rubber things, you'll know them when you see them. Get a freeze plug kit, replace them while it's out. As well as the pipe plugs and cam plug at the rear of the block (probably be the final thing you do, engine has to be off the stand and flexplate removed for it, loctite the flexplate bolts and pipe plugs). For the plugs in the heads, the part number is this: 555-020, Dorman brand. You'll need 4. They don't come in any kit, and you can't just go upto a store and say "gimmie some 1 1/8" freeze plugs." I've tried. They look at you like you're speaking Japanese. Part store websites says it don't fit, and lemme tell you this: When it comes to that, f*ck it. It don't know anything about Buicks.
OH. Lastly, a Ford 460 rear main seal fits. Use that. It may have been changed recently, but again, while it's out...
The side seals don't fit, but I just goop RTV in there and put some on the mating surface of the block and cap, and on the sides as well. No leaks. The rope seal at the front, get it to fit as tight as you can without bunching up, you can stick the balancer in there to kind of form it until you're ready to use it. Soak the rope in oil to make it more easily formable. Cut the meeting ends diagonally so they over lap eachother.
The side seals don't fit, but I just goop RTV in there and put some on the mating surface of the block and cap, and on the sides as well. No leaks. The rope seal at the front, get it to fit as tight as you can without bunching up, you can stick the balancer in there to kind of form it until you're ready to use it. Soak the rope in oil to make it more easily formable. Cut the meeting ends diagonally so they over lap eachother.
Heres pictures of the lifters and other stuff from the '76 still marked from when I pulled them two or three years ago. Lol
Whoops...
I broke two bolts, both on the driver's side. No big deal, just drilled them out and tapped them. The one is a little crooked but you can't tell once the manifold is on. I'd rather have them break off now while the engine is out of the car than later of I tried to remove a manifold in the car.
Didnt break a lot of em... wow. On Buicks that's rare. Its the outer ones that break, the ones where they go through the flange and poke out. Glide a file across the manifold and head to true them up if you wish, gaskets aren't needed, but if you want to use them, I ain't gonna come up there and stop you. If they fit flat enough, you can use high temp rtv if you want, a thin coat.
I see the tab that used to be tacked onto the lower half of the tube. If I recall you said you still all 3 parts from your '76, so you're good there. Plug the hole if you have any plans on power washing it.
I know I kinda surprised myself that only two broke. If gaskets arent needed, I'm not gonna use them, especially since you said they can cause warps and cracks.
Ta-da! Found it-
Not yet sure how I'm gonna clean this thing before paint, but power washing seems the most logical way.
The tab on that is broken too...The lower tube bolts to the block, the upper bolts to the exhaust manifold heat shield. I'd just clock them where you want them and drill a little hole in the lower tube to tack them together.
You can get the exhaust surfaces flat enough with a file (they're pretty flat already, hence why buick never used gaskets) to where they should seal without any gasket or sealant. Inspect the manifolds for cracks. All buick 350 manifolds are the same , for all intents and purposes, so your '76 manifolds can swap over, or you can mix and match, like I did, to have a good set.
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