OK Im rebuilding a 455 the year of the engines a 1976. Im going with the stock cast iron heads because I heard that the Aluminum Stage 1 heads wouldn't bolt up to a 73 or 74-76 engine without modifications. Plus cast to aluminum burns up head gaskets from my experiences. But Im trying to get this engines as close as I can to stage 1 specs. But I need some specs and advice? Im CC'ing my heads and wanted to know what the stage 1 heads run at? Ill probably keep my compression to 10:1 and Im balancing my engines as well. Do I need to balance with a flexplate on? Where should get a new one from? Ext. So if anyone can give me some stage 1 specs and maybe some machining advice on this engine I would appreciate it. Thank you,
Adam, I'm no expert but here's a couple things for you... My 76 block accepted the 71 heads no problem. That means you'll have no trouble using the aluminum heads. What year are the heads? Popular opinion is that the 76 heads are doorstops. Too much smog, no quench, no compression. Pick up a set of 67, 68, 70, 71 or 72 castings if you can and convert them. Engine should be balanced with the flexplate & balancer you plan to use. Machining of the block requires a shop with a torque plate. ...there's LOTS of reputable machine shops listed on here, search around and you'll find a few. Hope that helps!
I do believe you can rent torque plates from some of our service providers such as T/A Performance and others. Then you can have your local machine shop do your boring and honing work.
I got A buddy of mine doing all the maching on my engine and he wants me to get some information on the specs im trying to get. From what Ive heard people have had problems bolting TA's heads to later model 455's. I do live right down the street from TA Ive been there a couple of times (not an easy place to find) I guess I could call them up and ask few questions. Do any of you guys know of a website that would have 1970 stage 1 specs just to see if turning my 76 engine into a 70 stage 1 is even close to possible Thanks,
Plus Im sure Theres no way Im going to get a good of a deal on my engine work if I had TA Performance doing it for me, Yeah it would be nice but I dont have a lot of money to through at some basic maching work and plus Ive been waiting for my engine work to get started and now hes ready and who knows how long TA would have my engine laying around. Unless somebody would generally know the price range on machine work and how long does it take to get your engine started. Im sure TA is busy and would take some time to get my engine back
You're still going to need PARTS! Call (or stop by) TA & talk to Mike or Dave. They will steer you in the right direction.:TU:
You may not get as good as a deal, but you would know it was done right! Proper machining on a BBB is 3/4's of the battle..... I'd pay the extra money.
Hi Adam you are making quite a few assumptions about TA's pricing, willingness to help, and backload of work as well as what and how their aluminum heads can be used. You would be best advised to pick up the phone and talk with them, or go on over there and ask questions, rather than to assume..... Please also do some reading here on the boards - several questions you have asked or hinted at have been discussed several times such as basic costs to rebuild an engine and how long it takes the typical machine shop. Costs vary widely based on how many parts you plan to reuse or replace.....times vary widely based on HOW much work you are having done. Also stressed Over and over and over again, is that you should in NO WAY trust your BUICK engine machine work to a shop that does not SPECIFICALLY know BUICK motors and how to build them. There are several issues that make our motors unique and NOT THE SAME as building a typical chevy motor, for example. Again.....these areas of concern have been covered several times here and using the search function should lead you to a few good nites of reading. Can your friend who does machine work learn what is needed to work on a Buick Motor ?? Im sure, if he's a good machinist, that he could !! Will it come out as good as someone who's been doing BUICK motors for a long time ??? o No: YARDLEY on this board just this past year went through a NIGHTMARE of a time spending thousands of dollars with a machine shop who said "Sure....I can do a Buick Big Block" and then went on to waste not only his time and money, but RUIN his parts Good luck with your project
Adam; You don't want to run 10:1 compression with those non-quench heads. I think 9:1 is all you can get by with. It has been said that you will get more detonation with a 9.5:1 non-quench engine, than with a 10:1 engine with quench. This would be using premium fuel. I think the only thing the 76' heads have going for them is a bigger exhauhst valve. I plan on using my 76' heads on 9.0:1 mild street engines. The 75/76 heads have a .060" clearance where the quench should be and there is nothing sane that you can do about it. Mopar BB heads are the same way after 1967 I wonder how they get by. You're right about finding TA Performances's building. Last summer when I was on vacation in Pheonix I drove all around, Both sides of 101 I think it was. There were no markings on the building. I turned around in a parking lot behind TA and noticed two tarp covered eingines with BBB exhaust manifolds sticking out--It was Memorial Day and they were closed.
you are making quite a few assumptions about TA's pricing, willingness to help, and backload of work as well as what and how their aluminum heads can be used. You would be best advised to pick up the phone and talk with them, or go on over there and ask questions, rather than to assume..... Also stressed Over and over and over again, is that you should in NO WAY trust your BUICK engine machine work to a shop that does not SPECIFICALLY know BUICK motors and how to build them.these areas of concern have been covered several times here and using the search function should lead you to a few good nites of reading. Alan, I work on lots of buicks but Im a body and paint guy, People come and go and some people get work done by TA Performance, I Love TAP and wish there were more companies that would work with buicks as closely as TAP does but the guys that I know that had work done by TAP said it took a while to get there engine back the cost was out of my budget and something about a year later he got his engine back and was trying to get to the 100th Ann. buick show he still had assembly work to do on his engine to make it in time. The guy that's building my engine does great work he's a good friend and we ship a lot of our BUICK engines to him for work but from my understanding is he hasn't done a lot of 455s or hasn't done any and was asking me if it were possible to get the specs of the engine I was trying to reach for mine. I thought what better place than this site? I don't know about the search on this board thanks for telling me and maybe I did assume about TAP from other peoples experiences but I don't want the same to happen to me. TAP is a busy place Iv been there and my engine would not be on the top of the list. Which would be fine if I haven't been waiting to get as far as I am now. I was supposed to do body and paint on Mikes car as a matter of fact and swap out services for engine work but I haven't heard from him? So basically in a nut shell, This is my first 455, I was wondering if stage 1 specs can be closed to reach with a 76 engine and where i could find those specs that's my main purpose of these post we could take it from there, iv looked threw the Internet with no luck, and heard that TAP stage 1 heads wouldn't bolt on because of different oiling or water passages being different sized? Thanks for the input, Ill try the search, but I guess if i have no luck Im on my own.ou: If you think I was putting down TAP in any way you are wrong, I cant stress how much I appreciate TAP and it being down the street is great, most the engines that come in the cars that I deal with are pre 70's and just looking for some rookie guidenceo No:
Adam....All's Cool :bglasses: I was just trying to save you the serious headache I've heard told over and over when people bring their stuff to a shop that doesn't "Speak" Buick. I was just trying to save you from that possible outcome..... As far as TA's schedule / backlog. - I haven't a clue and didn't know you had input from local's to base your statements on, nor that you've had "dealings" with Mike T. I don't know if there is one specific post that contains all of the tech. spec. Info for clearences, torque settings, sizes, etc.etc.etc. for a complete motor from oil pan bolts up to the air cleaner wingnut :laugh: and everthing inbetween, but by using the search function for specific parts (Like the crank for instance) you'll get the info for that piece. then piece it together part by part. The search function is a button up on the top right of each and every page.....the buttons read [user CP] [Register] [Calendar] [Members] [FAQ] [SEARCH] [home] You enter keywords to search on - in the crank case I would enter Crank torque clearance endplay etc etc. There should be some thread that contains all this somewhere There are several people on this forum who's profession is building these motors and several who could do it as a profession if they wanted.....everyone is here to help One of the basic problems with boards like this (tech. stuff) is that the guy's "In the Know" usually get asked the same Q.s over and over again and for them it can get a bit repititious answering the same "Basics" week in and week out - even though they're great people with a willingness to help. If I had the answers I surely would have given them to you. I appologise if my post had a "Tone" to it - its all interpreted by the reader here in Cyberland. I interpreted the "tone" of your message as you had no knowledge or experience with TA and were "assuming" - as it turns out It looks like I was Assuming My Bad Stick around....this place kinda grows on you
Alan, No problem... I have no problems with you or anything you said, I can understand how questions can get repetitive, I haven't really been on board long enough to really notice and can totally understand how you could feel the way you did from my post. I should have been clearer and on my questions, and reasons for them.:beer I just don't know what to do with my engine you know. AZ has emissions on 67 and newer. So my engine has to pass emissions. But I want HP. My main concern are my heads...I was going to just port and polish them, but if its not worth it because there 76 heads and TA's stage 1 heads will bolt on maybe Ill just wait and save some more money I guess. But I would still have to port and polish them if I wanted them to...right. Doubt they come that way. Well the saga continuesou:
Adam; I'm not quallified to answer you're question. However I do know the 75/76 heads have a higher failure rate for cracking. They tend to crack in the combustion chamber from between the valves outward toward where the quench area should be. I belive they crack because the metal removed to create the non-quench head weakened the casting. If you used them and they failed you would only be out gaskets and time. I don't think they would leak bad enough without you noticing the signs to cause a hydro lock and corresponding damage. I wish this site had spell-checker!
Adam, Give me a call Monday at 602.997.0570 I know a great machine shop in Phoenix. They are not a "Buick" rebuilder, but they triple check everything they do. I would love to get them involved in Buicks. If I had to have a motor done and could not wait on TA I would use them in a second. They build strip, circle and dirt car motors, not to mention daily drivers. If you gave them a build it would be perfect. The only thing I could say bad about them is they believe in hardened seats and they probably do not have a torgue plate. If TA rents theirs then it would be a local deal. John
76 heads 75-76 heads are the same the would be ok for mild motor.you could use up to 74 heads as chambers for 71-74 are same and will come up about 3 cc in converted to stage 1 as the bigger valve takes up more space.shave heads 020 and you could be at 66-67 cc which is roughly what 70 stage 1 heads are suppose to be.and yes the ta head should work on any year block.:beer andy
Adding hardened exhaust seats I can only hope that no one else wastes their time and money installing these in BBB. :error: ou: :gt: I would ONLY install these as a LAST DITCH EFFORT to restore sunken valves, from too many valve jobs!! :Smarty:
John, The guy that's doing my engine works at a machine shop named JT's. Its by Rods carburetors if you know were that is its on the West side of phoenix (by the way, would not get a carb rebuilt threw them). The guy that's doing my engine does a lot of buick engines and I didn't know it at the time but he has done buick 455s before. His name is John actually. He's a good guy does great work and is a real good friend which is good because I gave him a torque converter and he's going to knock of 50 bucks or so on my cost. Which is always something good you can do when you know the guy that's working on your engine. Plus im going to go down there and do some of the work myself like port match the intake valves ect. But i do have a couple chevy engines that need rebuilt so maybe I'll hold on to your number for know.:beer
