My opinion is it do it if the engine is out. And your already chasing problems. He is complaining of valve train noise. It could be several things. That problem should be verified before most of the other work begins to confirm that problem is being addressed. But I would really like to know reference on the no spun bearings facts. As I’m short a capscrew rod due to a spun bearing. Either way he’s apart. The 20 bucks in drill bits won’t be a waste.
I've seen that guys videos before. Doesn't seem the brightest. Considering he said he ordered a Mother Thumpr... and he had a chevy qjet on his engine in one of his other videos. I mean, I gotta give him credit, not many kids now are wrenching on these older cars, especially buicks. The paint on the engine looks new, so maybe it was rebuilt at some point and rebuilt rather poorly. What I noticed right off is how loose his timing chain looks.
If you'll read back through my posts, you'll see that I'm not trying to talk anyone out of doing any oiling mods. What I am trying to convey is that the oiling journals do not need modifications on stock-moderate engines. I also said that all Buick engines have oiling issues, as well we all know. All oiling mods are recommended to improve oiling, and will be quite effective without journal mods on anything but racing engines seeing regular usage above 5500 RPM. My contention is people talking about how every engine needs the oil journals hogged out in order to survive, and at any performance level (even stock), which is untrue. Opinions are one thing, but endorsing (conceded) biased opinions as fact is another. You can fix all the oiling issues without journal mods on stock-moderate builds. You guys want to blame all Buick's oiling problems on the oil journals, when in fact the real problems lie elsewhere. You're recommending oiling mods to be performed by anyone who's never done it before, and justify it by saying the bits are cheap. Well what if he accidentally breaks through the block if it's not drilled out perfectly? Then you have to sleeve it, then you'll have to this, then that. It's fine if you're a professional engine builder I suppose. Getting it drilled out just right won't be a walk in the park for someone who's never done it before, and all this on something that's not even needed in the first place for his application. After all this, he's probably ready to chuck the damn thing out the door and get a chevy. Making sure the bearing orifices are properly aligned, TA's front cam bearing, booster plate and adjustable oil pressure regulator will solve all oiling issues in all but the most radical Buick 350. If you're getting increased PSI with RPMs and you're seeing the 10 PSI per 1000 RPM ratio, you're good to go, and all done with the factory oil journals. Make sure you get these numbers with 5w30 or 10w30 and you're golden. I never said a Buick 350 couldn't spin a bearing. Was it because of the factory oil journals? Or was it some other issue (take your pick) with the rest of Buick's oiling problems, and stack on top of this people love their big cams and want to rev the hell out of it, then yeah I bet larger journals would have helped.
Anyone that can't run a simple hand drill has no business even attempting an engine build of any sort!
And you, didn't you spin a couple bearings in your freshly built low compression low RPM comp 268 cammed no oil mods "stock" rebuild?!
Because it's impossible to mess it up even with cheap bits and a simple drill, right? ...but this is beside the point. I think it's all solved now. Everyone needs to hog out the oil journals and all is well. It's simple and cheap.
Yes, it was all because he didn't do the oil journal mods and had nothing to do with the other oiling issues Buick is famous for.
What are "oil journals"? There is no such thing to my knowledge. Oh, here it is, I found it; https://oiljournal.info/en/
Imagine all the money everyone has been wasting on other oiling improvements when all they needed was a drill bit and a hand crank. lol
The advise is to the original poster of this thread that he has conveyed in many of his posts that he is VERY capable of working a simple hand drill. It sounds like you're insulting the guy by not recommending that he do the simple oil mods because he isn't capable. Just because you would possibly(or already have, me thinks the lady protests to much) scrap a block drilling the oil passages larger doesn't mean anyone else would doing this simple to do mod. Doing the mods was intimidating before the first time I did them on a 455 block but after I did them I thought, it was easier than I though it would be. As long as he doesn't get greedy and wants to go to big for the casting he'll be alright, even a block with some casting shift will be ok because that area is pretty thick there. We're only talking 1/16" larger from 7/16" to 1/2", around 15% more flow, more than enough material there if the drill doesn't follow the smaller hole perfectly. Just opening up a hole the larger drill is going to follow the smaller hole pretty close unless the person drilling the hole is WAY off on the wrong angle when starting the hole. So ok, here ya go, anyone that doesn't think they can handle a simple hand drill to open up a few oil passage holes in an engine block, don't attempt the Buick engine oil mods without adult supervision.(or someone that has handled a hand drill before) That's all I have to say to you on the subject so quit trying to bait me, I'm done.
Yes, yes I did. Wanna know why? My dumbass forgot my front oil galley plugs. I thought my gauge was just bad when it said I had no oil pressure. Broke it in for 30 minutes, put 4 miles on it, started tapping up top. Figured out what the problem was (first engine build, **** happens), installed the plugs, staked em, engine ran GREAT for 5500 miles. 60psi cold at idle, 25 hot. Pressure at 6k was over 60psi. After the first 1000 miles I literally beat the piss out of it every day. Blew up a Th350, Revved it to 6k all the time. Went on a top speed run and had the thing at WOT for like 4 minutes. The engine went on my way to school rather uncerimoniously at like 35mph. Went home, yanked the motor, took it apart, and yep. Front cam bearing (sealed power bearings, didn't know about the TA bearings) was shredded, bearings all scored, #7 was black, but NONE were as bad as the ones in the video. I firmly belive that if I were to have installed the plugs, it would still be running. Here's a video of my engine for fun:
Anybody can scrap a block attempting to drill out the suction galley. It isn't hard to do, even with a 1/2" bit. In fact it is difficult to get the hole started so that it stays perfectly centered and much easier to have it walk off to one side. If it does and you keep right on drilling it can break through. With a 5/8" bit the chance is much greater. That is why I ALWAYS recommend using a piloted bit. That way the bit has to stay centered in the existing hole and there is a zero chance of breaking out. Depending on the way you build engines you sort of deserve the results you get. If you haven't done much design work with hydraulic systems you can be forgiven for not understanding the effect inlet restriction has on a gear pump. Why do you think most engines have the pump in the sump to begin with? It's because gear pumps aren't good at suction. Same as your gear type fuel pumps. Do you put a Holley fuel pump on the firewall? No of course not, you put it as close to the tank and as low as you can get it. Because while it pushes very well it doesn't suck worth a darn. The oil pump is exactly the same. Restrict the inlet and you get cavitation and it pumps nothing. That particular phenomenon tends towards very abrupt onset, meaning it may be just fine, and then all of a sudden it is not. Yes the factory setup was below that threshold, but how far? From what we see among rebuilds, not far enough. All the oiling mods we do are incremental. They all help a little. Even tightening up the bearing clearances, the biggest thing we can do, only helps a little. Yes, you can just do part of the job. And you will get part of the results. If that's good enough for you then be happy. Jim
Derek, I was just trying to have a bit of fun. No harm or baiting intended. No need for insults. This is a very good discussion.
My whole point to all this here is that people are blowing the need for oil PASSAGES (not journals, lol) out of proportion. It's absolutely best to get the most you can out of anything, as long as it can be safely done. My point is it's not necessary, UNLESS you put some serious strain on the oiling. I never even bothered to drill out any oiling holes because I always went mild/stock and it didn't need it, even revving to 5500 and beyond occasionally (with a stock cam). If we want, we can liken it to exhaust needs. If the factory came with 2 1/4" dual exhaust and the engine is stock/mild, just how much would be gained by going to 3" when even 2 1/2" would be overkill? I guess it's not the same though, but it still conveys the gist of things by going too large on something not needed for the particular application. Perhaps I could be forgiven for simply not knowing better in my ignorant state.
