***Buick 350 Alum Heads Update***

Discussion in 'Small Block Tech' started by sean Buick 76, Apr 6, 2016.

  1. sean Buick 76

    sean Buick 76 Buick Nut

    I was planning to do a twin turbo buick 350 into my 78 Skyhawk, it would have been a lot of fun.
     

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  2. PGSS

    PGSS Gold Level Contributor

    It's strange that now that the heads are actually finished and a some sets sold, this thread has been stagnant LOL!
    I wan't something posted????:D
     
    ceas350 likes this.
  3. alec296

    alec296 i need another buick

    Seen a couple of heads mentioned on the fb page. But no results posted yet.
     
    PGSS likes this.
  4. sean Buick 76

    sean Buick 76 Buick Nut

    There are 13 sets of heads that have sold. I’m sure we will see some great results very soon.
     
    ceas350, MrSony, Mike B in SC and 2 others like this.
  5. PGSS

    PGSS Gold Level Contributor

    Wow, I didn't realize that many were sold..:)
     
  6. Darron72Skylark

    Darron72Skylark Well-Known Member

    A couple of weeks ago I picked up spare Buick 350. Finished the tear-down last night. It had a lot of carbon on the iron heads and piston tops, but the bearings and camshaft all looked pretty reasonable, no deep scoring or other issues. This week the bare block will go to my machinist, and once he's done with it I'll start collecting parts and assembling the engine. So while there are no "results" to speak of yet, I hope to have a fully built Buick 350 by the end of the year. I am planning to spend the money for dyno testing after the engine is put together.
     
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  7. MrSony

    MrSony Well-Known Member

    I might have to postpone my head purchase till after taxes, BUT I aim to jave my shortblock done by years end.
     
  8. sean Buick 76

    sean Buick 76 Buick Nut

    What is the plan for the short block?
     
  9. MrSony

    MrSony Well-Known Member

    Basic stuff. Opening up the pickup hole, good balance job, capscrew rods with arp bolts, probably a new crank. #7 journal is pretty bad. Forged autotec pistons and deck cut for 10:1 (91 octane and a fair bit of initial timing friendly), TA cam bearings, used bluprinted stock cover (for obvious reasons), either another crower 3 but retarded 4* or a level 4. I like my 3. 17" of vacuum. Probably an oil balance line. Basic stuff.
    Its a driver. Daily. Snow shine wind or rain. Id be fine with 400hp but i do it right I could eek out 425. Maybe 450. Might need a hairier cam than a 3 for that.
     
  10. sean Buick 76

    sean Buick 76 Buick Nut

    Sounds perfect, have them check the block deck surfaces and square them off. Often they are not perpendicular to the crank. I would do a custom camshaft by scotty brown.
     
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  11. MrSony

    MrSony Well-Known Member

    How much custom cams usually run from him?
     
  12. Jim Blackwood

    Jim Blackwood Well-Known Member

    Last custom I had ground ran about $30 more than a standard grind, so plenty affordable. Wasn't Scotty, another of the Buick specialists but at the moment I can't place the name.

    I just picked up two blocks today, One I had degreased and the other I had earlier baked in the oven on the self-clean setting and I had them blast it. Wasn't that impressed with the job on either one, I think they will both have to go into my bead blasting cabinet for touch-up. The self-clean cycle was a little excessive, I won't be doing that again, although running it up to 450-500 degrees for an hour or so might be enough. Good for stress-relieving I suppose. These are 300 blocks. If things go to plan they will both get TA/Rover heads, Forged slugs and 350 cranks for 5.7L displacement. Rods are 6.2" long Carillo Nascar take-outs. The last set I bought are the Pankle version with the corrugated parting line and 1.850 big end. Should clear the cam without any clearancing.

    Probably forgo the CNC porting, though if John's willing to pay for it on his engine I will order one set that way, take some measurements and then consider how far to take the other set. Neither of these are drag engines but both are expected (with boost) to make "adequate" power. Building for about a 7K redline, wouldn't mind some recommendations for valve springs.

    Jim
     
  13. sean Buick 76

    sean Buick 76 Buick Nut

    Scotty Brown custom cam is about the same $ as an off the shelf cam
     
  14. sean Buick 76

    sean Buick 76 Buick Nut

    Very cool! I would wait till I had head flow numbers before I ordered a custom cam. And I would ask the cam guy to spec the valve springs. .
     
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  15. Jim Blackwood

    Jim Blackwood Well-Known Member

    OK, no indication that Pankl is affiliated with Carillo in any way, looking at the rods and packaging. Obfustication by the seller trying to draw in more wiews would be my guess. Nice looking rods. I don't think they have an oil squirt hole for the cam but that can be added. I would have liked a larger journal size, but I guess it'll do.

    Jim
     
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  16. Mart

    Mart Gold level member

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  17. Jim Blackwood

    Jim Blackwood Well-Known Member

    Thanks Mart, good to know. The Carillo rods have about a 2.006" diameter big end, the Pankl rods are about .0025" smaller. Both about 530 grams, both about a .780" pin, both 6.2" long, and both easily much stronger than the stock 300 or 340 rods which are cast. Aren't the 350 rods also cast? I think so. The heads should be purchased before the pistons are ordered, simply accumulating funds at this point. Then the pistons can be spec'd to match the heads, rods and stroke.

    What I like about this combo is that the costs are shifted from the rods to the pistons and allow maximum flexibility in matching components. These rods cost less than $100 vs a set of Hersche rods at well over six. The difference between a good set of hypers and custom slugs is about $400, leaving another $200 to put into the crank. So the cost is a wash. Which means the bottom end cost is the same either way but this way you get stronger pistons and the combo is perfectly matched. Overall it is an extremely cheap build for this level, leaving money on the table for the heads. Then going the bare head route lets this great engine result squeak in at something reasonably close to the cost of the average build. The cost to finish the heads can vary widely and be shifted a great deal depending on budget and required results, anything from cheap stock type components bought off ebay to titanium valves, springs, and retainers and TA roller rockers with a professional porting job. The nice thing is those frills can also come later, and an amateur clean-up is certainly worth the effort. Provided the bottom end is done right to start with, the heads can always come off later for relatively easy upgrades.

    Jim
     
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  18. alec296

    alec296 i need another buick

    340-350 rods are cast . And same length.
    Sounds like you have honda journal rods. 1.889
    What is the big end rod thickness. I have some narrow.820 rods i cant use.
     
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2019
  19. Mart

    Mart Gold level member

    Andy, when are you going to have your eng finished? I think I saw rust on it at Daves.:D
     
    alec296 likes this.
  20. alec296

    alec296 i need another buick

    Not sure what Derek is up to with it.
    I guess Henry got 265 out of heads though
     

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