350 dipstick clearance w/ stock exhaust

Discussion in 'Small Block Tech' started by esanford, Jul 10, 2019.

  1. esanford

    esanford Member

    My '68 LeSabre 350 4bbl is, as far as I know, stock. The engine was burning massive amounts of oil, so as a stop-gap while I save up for a rebuild, I'm putting in another 350 short block from a swap meet. That engine came with different heads which wouldn't bolt up to my exhaust, so I'm using my own heads. While installing the heads, I notice the dipstick in the new block uses a tube- mine went straight into the block, no tube. Problem is, the tube points directly into the stock exhaust manifold with my heads bolted on. Also, I don't have the actual dipstick, just the tube.

    Any suggestions? Heat/bend the tube? Is there some more generic tube/stick combo I could buy that would fit, or could be bent to fit?

    I'm happy to post pictures and/or part numbers of what I have if that's helpful, but I'm at work at the moment.
     
  2. alec296

    alec296 i need another buick

    Ta performance has a different tube and stick.
    The question i have is how the exhaust manifold does not match the head so you had to swap heads. All 350 heads have the same bolt pattern.
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2019
  3. Mart

    Mart Gold level member

    He better post pics.
     
  4. MrSony

    MrSony Well-Known Member

    ...is your new 350 actually a 350?
     
  5. alec296

    alec296 i need another buick

    Yea, you are gonna need pictures. And you need to know the year of the shortblock you are using, as 1968 rockers oil thru head, and block may not have that option, and 1970 and up oils thru pushrods, so lifters, pushrods and rockers from the later engine must all be used to have a correct operating valve train.
     
  6. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    You saying you have to swap heads to get the exhaust manifolds to line up with your exhaust?
    Or your exhaust manifolds don't line up with your exhaust?
    Or, your exhaust manifolds wont bolt to your heads??
     
  7. MrSony

    MrSony Well-Known Member

    All 350 heads and manifolds bolt up the same...
     
  8. 1987Regal

    1987Regal Well-Known Member

    I think it may not be a Buick or not 350... Dip stick in block & no tube and heads are different.. just saying something fishy
     
  9. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    Might be a 340 Buicko_Oo_O
     
  10. esanford

    esanford Member

    DING! Looked at the numbers on everything- turns out there was a 340 in my car :(. The block is a 1374557, ('67 340), heads are B1376330J ('66 340). I just made sure this engine I found was a 350 when I bought it, which it is, and visually the holes all seemed to line up, so I went forward. I did check my VIN to verify I have a '68- at least I got that right!

    So, here I am with my 340 heads, push rods, water pump/dist, pan, and crank pulley all bolted up to my 350 short block (including lifters), with new gaskets. Is there a way forward here, or is it a lost cause? So far I see the dipstick issue (which seems small), and now I see the block has pins that register the intake, and my intake has no holes. Can I remove those pins and use the 350 valley gaskets with the little bump outs? The push rods are solid (no oil passage through the center), will that work?

    I'd be happy to use the whole 350 setup, but I don't have an intake or exhaust manifolds to match the 350 heads, and as I mentioned, this is a stop-gap solution to get the car on the road, so I'd rather not hunt all that down right at the moment.

    Thanks guys!
     
  11. alec296

    alec296 i need another buick

    Look for another 350 or rebuild yours.
    340 has different valve order on cam. So basically the 340 will open the exhaust valve with the intake lobe and open intake valve with exhaust lobe. And cams are different sizes so no the cam wont swap.
    Crank and rods are the same between 340 and 350, so you have spares if needed.
    Pistons are smaller on 340.
     
  12. esanford

    esanford Member

    Dang. So to put this 350 in, I'll need to find a 350 4bbl intake and exhaust manifolds. Anyone have a line on these around Minneapolis?

    The block is 1382201. The heads are B1382546R (71 w/o Air Injection Reactor, I guess). I also don't have the rocker shaft/towers/rockers for these heads, and I'm guessing the 340 rockers/push rods won't work since these '71 heads oil through the push rods. How do I tell if this block will oil the heads through the push rods?

    Anything else I need to be concerned about if I'm putting this 350 long block in where the 340 was- other bolt-ons or accessories I need to worry about?
     
  13. alec296

    alec296 i need another buick

    350 is a bolt in for 340. If you can find intake and exhaust manifolds it should work fine. I have a 2 barrel intake from my 71 engine. If you want it. Im in Chicago. Rockers wont work. 71 oils thru pushrods, so you will need 71 pushrods and rockers. You will need new lifters.they are not compatible and used lifters on a different cam equal a worn out cam. Oiling is different, if lifters dont pump oil to rockers thru pushrods they will wear rockers.Use your pulleys and waterpump. 71 has a different length pump. The exhaust may not bolt up. You may need the head pipes cut and refitted.
    I suggest matching the year of engine to distributer. 340 has a different timing setup, manifold vacuum to advance. If you run ported vacuum like a different carb will do, you may have too much mechanical timing and get spark knock. And bearing damage.
     
  14. esanford

    esanford Member

    The lifters came in the '71, so I assume they match the engine. What determines if the lifters can oil the heads? The lifters themselves? Something in the block? The block casting # (1382201) seems to indicate 68-71, so this block must work with both types of head oiling?

    I was hoping to keep using the 4bbl carb that's sitting on the 340 intake right now- will that not work? If it will, I can keep the dist vacuum the same as it is now.
     
  15. Gallagher

    Gallagher Founders Club Member

    I've got a 1974 cast iron 4bbl intake and a pair of exhaust manifolds that you can have, for a 350
    You'll have to pick them up in Elk River, or I can deliver to St. Paul next weekend.
    If you stop by, you can look over the rocker shafts and other parts you might need.
     

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