Hi guys this choice is keeping me up tonight. I need some help in figuring out what I should do. I have a 73 455 in good running shape. I also have an chance to trade a carbed 3.8 that I have to a guy for a good running 67 buick 430. Which ever one I pick it will be going into an 87 regal. Both engines are stock and the only mods that I plan to do right now is a cam swap and drive besides taking the smog stuff off of the 455. Here is my question. Which engine would have more hp and torque in stock form and are there any pros or cons to using each. My thought is that the 430 would give me the most right now and I can leave the 455 on the shelf until I am ready for the hopup rebuild. Also if I go with the 430 could I use the hei distributor from the 455. Decisions Decisions but I know that you guys can help me out with this one. Thanks.
67 will have the one year only high flow exh manifold and probably has the big port heads, both of which could eventually be put onto the 455. the 430 will definitely have the small combustion chamber, may require premium gas. the 67 430 was rated at 360hp/475tq, the 71 455 ( which was the last year rated in Gross ) was rated at 345hp/460tq in the Riv. 72 and 73 show the same ratings ( 270hp/390tq ) and i think most of the drop from 71 to 72 was because of the change from Gross to Net, not an actual drop in output. upshot is, i think the 430 will run a little better and it's got the added benefit of having cheap go-fast parts you can put on your 455.
430 will have a bit more rare cool factor, being the 455 in that body style was the mod of choice across the brands, using an Olds or Buick 455.
It is very likely the 430 was overrated at 360 hp peak. Here is my take on the the relative engine outputs. http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=143875&highlight=normalize
Guys thanks for the information and if anyone else has anything to offer then please keep it coming. I didn't think that the numbers would be as close as what you all are saying. I guess really the only benefit for going with the 430 is a few hp and torque, that I probably will not be able to feel, but I will be able to ride with the 430 while I save up money for the TA SE heads and rebuild.
Those future TA heads will not help you on the 430 because of the smaller bore. It is money wasted unless you appply those to a 455.
Jim, I think he's only planning the TA heads for the future 455 build. Regardless, the 430 would still love the TA heads, especially with port work. The gains come from chamber and port design improvements, not just valve diameters. Even though the bores may shroud the valves a bit, it certainly didn't stop a friend from knocking almost a half second off his 436 Regal with that head swap alone, and he didn't bother notching the cylinder bores for valve relief the way I did my 436 a long time back. His SE heads were out of the box with only some port matching, too. Devon
Maybe I should revise my comments to say that on a 430 you will not realize their full potential. Here is another post in which one of the senior Buick engine builders and racers concurs in the stage 1 head limitations for 430 applications: http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=117529&highlight=valves+shroud
The TA heads would definitely be going on the 455. There is no replacement for displacement with all things being equal.
If anyone cares, here's the trick to help improve that situation: Factory did this on the Ford 427 for high-riser heads, and Vizard recommends the trick, too. Devon
kinda makes you wonder why buick changed the design on the manifolds when they seem to have gotten it right the first time.
Looks to me like a cost save drove the change. The later manifolds seem to have a simpler core design that may have sped up manufacturing cycle times overall. Probably another design/process deemed "too expensive" like the variable pitch stator. Devon
