401-425 Head Swap?? I was wondering if using 425 heads on a 401 is a bolt on deal. I have a '64 Riv with a great top end. Botttom end is wasted. I just picked up a '65 Electra for the engine. It has a suspected head gasket problem. I was thinking of changing the heads from one to the other. Also condsidering using the switch pitch trans. Any real benefit? Thanks.
Same Heads The only reason to swap heads would be if one set is in better working condition then the other. The 401 and 425 share the same heads and valves. Cheryl
Cheryl, thanks for the reply. You've been a help to me in the past. You posted a nailhead interchange picture for me. I lost that with my last hard-drive. Who do I ask about the transmissions? Which is better to use. I can't really tell a difference in performance with the cars that I have. Is a shift kit available for either ST400? I would also like to say that that if anybody deals with member ldposse, you've got a great friend. He and I did this '65 Electra together. Parts for both of us!! Daryn
Which "either ST400"? The 64 Riv or the 64 Cat? Just kidding. Yes there is a shift kit available, Carmen Faso sells an old TransGo kit for $50. Contains an oil pump spring, modulator valve spring, a 1/8" drill bit, and a diagram for drilling two holes in the spacer plate. Unlike shift kits for the 65-later TH400, this one does not contain valve body to spacer plate and spacer plate to case gaskets, or a pan gasket. I have found a source for obtaining those separately, without having to buy the whole overhaul gasket and seal kit. So, depending on what you want to do, I could scan and email you the spacer plate drilling diagram and you can use your own drill bit. The two springs are the same as in the 65 and later kits, you may be able to scrounge those items up from other list members or vendors and shops that participate on this list. Might try MeanBuicks (works for TCI), or Jim Weise or Jim Burek, they build quite a few performance TH400s. For the pan gasket, buy a Wix 51879 filter. The adjustable modulator also works with the ST400. Tom Telesco, Telriv on this list, also recommends flipping the 2-3 piston in the valve body over and leaving out the spring, while the vavle body is off. Maybe Tom will see this and tell us more.:Smarty:
Buddy it does'nt matter what engine you slap in that chopped,slammed,tubbed,shortened,re-worked and I am missing some,that rod is ready to be a cartoon comming to life,. Its is nice to see different happen... :jd: Doug,Toronto,dntn.
switch pitch trans!!!!! I installed a switch pitch trans and motor in my 64 skylark over 15 years ago. I drove it hard until the oil pump bit the dust in November of last year ( nailhead still runs with new pump, Long live Prolong ) with the switch pitch not hooked up. I loved it all that time but knew it could do better. When I installed the new nailhead i built back in January i was disappointed in the performance, seemed the same. I hooked up the switch pitch, I didn't have the stock pieces so I made my own, and the car came alive. I have guys wondering what I did to make the differrence. The switch pitch makes the motor come alive. Give it a try. Hook it up to the brake switch if you have to to test it. Good luck!!
Doug, (up rivr), I'm not sure what you mean. To me, it does matter what I put in my car. I have been looking for that "white whale", affordable, Riviera since I was a kid. I got one. Motor was junk. Oops. Price got me. I've been looking for an affordable powerplant for about 2 years. Now I have one of those, with a little help from friends. I'm just asking a few questions so I don't mess her up again. She's not cut, tubbed, or likely to be a cartoon anytime soon. If you have taken offense to what I just wrote, I'm sorry. You are/were too nebulous in you reply/ post for me to keep quiet. If you'd like to elaborate, feel free. Daryn
Ralph, Thanks for letting me know about your personal switch pitch experience. I have one in my '66 Deuce+25. Maybe it's not set the way it should be. My '64 Kitty will out-step the big one in no time. I know all about the weight and engine size, but... I can't tell about the difference in the transmixers. I was just curious if there was a big benefit in putting a S-P in my Riv, instead of leaving the orig. ST400 in it. I'll ask how to hook it all up later. D.
Switch Pitch Not sure it my reply went through so here it is (again). I recommend going with the Switch Pitch. There is an excellent article at <<http://442.com/oldsfaq/oftsp.htm#SP TransDetail>> that explains everything you could ever want to know about Switch Pitch. I'm not sure how much performance you're looking for but here's what I know; Switch Pitch transmissions are sought after by guys who drag their Buicks. It gives you a higher stall when engaged and higher torque, and reduces lurching while stopped and in gear. It's like having two different stall converters and almost like having another lower gear. There are three basic ways to wire it; my 65 Riviera came with it wired to the throttle linkage - this has one major advantage and one major disadvantage. The advantage is it automatically engages when you floor it off the line. The disadvantage is that it engages at high throttle, on the freeway for instance, and the additional slippage reduces power, at a time when the higher stall does you no good. Another way to wire it is with a toggle switch. This gives you complete control of when it engages and disengages but you have to physically switch it on and off when you want it. This is how some of the dragster guys have it set up. I have temporarily set it up this way in my Riviera in part because the switch at the throttle linkage isn't working. I went from getting only about a 10' squeal to peeling up to 5000 rpms in 1st gear, albeit with a modified cam and an improperly tuned carburetor. The third way, is wired to the brake lights. This is apparently the way Cadillacs w/SP were wired and is probably the best compromize. More complex combinations of the above can also be achieved. I've heard, "I wish I had S/P on my 64." So if you don't think you want it, you can probably get a decent price for it. But I would keep it. It's not that common and it will make you car worth more if you decide to sell it. Good luck - Z
