Fixing Up 1976 Buick Junkyard Engine

Looks good!
The metallic blue Buick used in '75 '76 was nice, but any Buick performance V8 or V6 I think should be Buick redp
My V6 in my '87 GN I painted Buick red, to heck with originality:TU: The original black made it look like a Mercruiser LOL

 

I didn't know 75 and 76 were blue lol When I would google "Buick 455" all results showed them in red. But yeah, I think red looks much better too An as far as the, "to heck with originality", I couldn't agree with you more :grin:

 

Anyone know of a decent, cheap, aftermarket electric fan I could use for my 455? I saw a very cheap set on amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...id=1445240886&ref_=sr_1_3&s=automotive&sr=1-3). Would going with this be ok? Or should I just stick with my clutch fan if I cant afford a higher end electric?

 

Hello. Quick update on the build. The engine, transmission, and rear end are in the car now :grin: Also, I didn't really want to cut the driveshaft, so my mechanic and I went to the junkyard and found one that was just the right size for my car. As far as the fans, I got the ones mentioned in the above post, but in 12 inch version. After measuring the rad, I realized the 14 inch fans were to big. Right now, all that is left is small details (belts, hoses, wiring, etc...) So far, it seems to be more roomy than I thought it would be.

 

Here are a couple of pics of the completed swap.





Also here is a sound clip of my setup. I recorded the video at night, so it is a bit dark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=l43y6VOpgI4

 

A word of caution, get rid of the plastic fuel filter, its a fire hazard:eek2:
If you need a filter, use a steel can type (inline)

 

Thank you for the heads up. I did not know that. I will definitely look for a metal one as soon as possible.

 

Looks clean!! Good job! :TU:

 

Sorry I forgot to mention in my previous post, yes the install does look good, good job:TU: Take your time, work methodically and you'll have Buick torque ripping that car apart:laugh:

 

You will be getting rid of the electric fan or fans, they aren't up to the task I promise you, you have to shroud the entire core and pretty much all aftermarket electric fans aren't capable of cooling our engines. A factory electric fan is the way to go Linc Mark8, Dodge Intrepid,LS1 FBody, ford contour, etc have fans that will fit our core size just a heads up

 

X2 on what Ethan said about the fans. Look into a Lincoln Mark vIII/Taurus fan if you want to go electric. They are awesome. I've never even wired up the high speed on mine, and on the hottest days my car has never broke 190 just with "low" operating. I just need to run one switched hot wire to get the high speed working, but I doubt I'll ever need it.

 

Lol you are absolutely right. I already noticed my electric fans aren't cutting it. The temperature has not reached 200 yet though. I am lucky it is winterish right now, and I live in a rural area, which gives me more time to find another one. Thanks for letting me know which cars to look for.

 

Awesome read. the 455 build I am planning on doing parallels to yours. Good to see your engine looking clean. Hows it running now?

 

Thanks, and sorry for the extremely late reply, but it was running good... up until I ran over a huge bump and punctured the transmission fluid pan. That was in February, and due to very very limited funding, that has left my car parked to the day. I got a job that pays me more just recently though, and the project has resumed. Already ordered a transmission pan, fluid, and shift kit.

As mentioned earlier in this thread, I was having overheating issues in stop and go traffic due to the small fans I got, so I plan on fixing that. I need to check size, but if it checks out right, I will get electric fans for a 2005 Chrysler 300 tomorrow. A friend of mine uses them on the Chevy Silverados he fixes up, and swears by them. (https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-620-039-Radiator-Fan-Assembly/dp/B003S9I8OU)

The final thing pending is rigging up a kickdown switch to work with the car. Still not sure how to go about that, but will see later.



Btw, this is why I punctured my pan

 

What alternator are you running?

 

The alternator is the one from my 1985 olds delta 88 with 307 engine. All the connections fit perfectly, and it did physically fit. Only thing is power connection on alt is in front of the engine, a bit close to it, but it does not actually touch the engine, so it should be okay.

 

Hello. Anyone have any ideas on setting up the kickdown switch? I friend recommended a nitrous switch. Would that work? If so, could anyone link to one that may work? I saw the B&M one (https://www.summitracing.com/parts/bmm-20297/reviews/), but it seems that the reviews are not very good.

 

What trans?
T-400 its electric kickdown, should be a connector on the side of the trans, the wiring goes to a slide switch on the gas pedal.
T-350, cable on right side of trans, cable goes to gas pedal.
Easiest would probably get the gas pedal that matches the trans your using, and hook it up the factory way.

 

The car was originally equipped with a 200-4r, but a TH400 was swapped in its place, so I need to go electric. Next time I have access to my car, I will check if it previously had something to activate the kickdown under the gas pedal. If so, I will see if it can be swapped for the electric switch. Thanks for the pointers