Hello Its been a long day :O...sorry if i ramble upon my introduction to this list. Thanks for letting me read all your posts..good reading! I have Bracket raced my 72 Cutlass Supreme Buick 430(Bumobile) for a few years now. 12.68@108 stock cast intake postons cam/headers 3 inch ex. flow masters out the rear,3500 stall,391 chebbie 12 bolt. She was getting tired and the oil press was LOW! We tore her down today and found these melted peeling out the ends cam bearings,and a durty pick up screen http://images.andale.com/f2/115/106/3596099/1097565154314_1024_001.jpg http://images.andale.com/f2/115/106/3596099/1097313796444_1024_002.jpg http://images.andale.com/f2/115/106/3596099/1099490926542_1024_003.jpg I am sure glad we stopped when we did,,,rule always listen to your friends. Question is why did the cam bearings fail? I had the new oil pump gears,the steel plate they ride on(girdle the pump)adj oil press gauge is turned right in. The two plugs at rear of block were removed and the two passages joined with pipe. She had 10-15 pds at 1100 rpm idle and 35 pds@3500 rpm maybe 40 @ 5000 :O Yes this is why we stopped. The plan is to check all clearances,,i have read in your posts here about 2 thou clearance is good every where,,,430 likes it tight I cant afford a new frt cover and i hope with what i can learn here and tightening up the bearings we can have higher oil press. I also hear of the larger pick up tube 5/8 compared to the stock 1/2". But you must drill out the block the 5/8" also. There must be a mod. to the oil pump hole also then? I checked a center piston rod today and a main cap everything seemed ok...but after reading other posts i see i should be checking rod#7-8? Thanks for any hints to up the press!! Good luck!! Randy H. 58 Olds J2 72 Cutlass Convert. 72 Cutlass(Buick430) http://images.andale.com/f2/115/106/3596099/1025497466346_takeOff.JPG
I hope someone jumps in here because I'm not the guy to answer this but from what I remember reading, the line in the back of the block connecting the two galleys is no longer used much. I think it was more important back in the days when there really weren't any better cam bearings available. If the cover is in good shape, you should be able to build good pressure as long as the bearing clearance is where it needs to be. The passages being opened up will help flow but the bearings are what will restrict the flow and enable the pump to build the pressure needed. Do a search for oiling mods and block mods and you should come up with some reading material!! Ken
I sent my front cover and oil pump to Earick Racing Engines for blueprinting. I now cary 30# at hot idle (800 rpm) and 70# at 5000 rpm. My stuff was in good shape but needed new gears. Cost me $120 and was worth every dime. I have all the standard mods to the motor and the clearances are set to stock specs.
more oily stuffs/cam bearings Hello Thank you George N. For your website.... http://www.buickperformance.com/ Also thanks too Jim Lore for posting the link. I see i have some work to do oil mods. I also wanna fill the lifter area with drain backs in the ends,,,try to make the block strong and not flex. The rear cam bearing was not in bad shape the forward ones were finished. Thinking this was due to the chain and gears up frt? Also thinking like some of the reading i have done,that the pipe in back of block mod. joining the two passages may have contributed to the cam bearing failure? Seems to make sense if the pass. side passage is feeding cam bearings and the passage is spewing oil out the back through the pipe too the drivers side lifters and rockers/shafts. I read somewhere about the dieseling of the cam bearings failure...too high oil press. ,,, i was told maybe my oil pressure gauge was incorrect,,,but i dont think this was the case.The lower portion of the cam bearings got all the damage..looked like heat maybe(no oil?),like the timeing chain had hammered it down via of the frt end of cam? I see the later blocks have larger pick up tubes and feed passages.....but i also read that drilling out my 430 suction passage too 5/8 may be risky? I agree the #1 cam bearing feed should be drilled larger and the mains also on my early block. I will do the frt cover mods to the oil pump larger smoother passages. After the crank is turned and new bearings(dual grooved cam bearings) i hope my pressure with my old frt cover is higher next time. What are the clearances desired at the mains and rods bearings? Good to know there are some people out there willing to help me out with Buick stuffs...THANKS! Good luck! Randy H.
More damage :O/plan of attack. Hello I took the rest of the pistons out today and main caps. The #3 rod bearing had reached the copper,the rod looks like it was just starting to see the heat. I am starting to believe my melting cam bearings and the rod/low oil press. was due to the mod. of the pipe joining up the two gallerys in back of block and somehow getting hollow pushrods in my motor. How much press. would i lose through the rocker tips from the hollow pushrods? I will be buying solid 430 pushrods which is what should be in there. The oil would find the easiest path in the passenger side gallery and that would be straight ahead into the pipe and drivers lifters and rockers. Your giving up your cam bearings/rods to have better lifter press. and rockers on drivers side? The newer grooved cam bearings should help the drivers side via #1 cam bearing. Not joining the gallerys would put more oil press. on the cam and rods bearings(a good thang). I like the mod. i read about joining up the sender hole to the pass. rear gallery plug. Looking through the feed hole on frt of block normally the oil has to turn right at 90 degrees,,now going through the sender hole also the oil may turn left or right(more flow?). The only downfall i see too this is the#1 cam bearing up frt.(which is also feeding drivers side)may lose a little press. as some oil would be entering and feeding the rear rod and mains and cam bearings due too the sender pipe to back of block mod. The curves the oil takes can be fixed up alot i see in the pump cover and block,many 90 degree corners can have a better radius via dremel tool ect. Well next i will learn how to debeam my rods,machine shop work,bore the block,ect ,ect,ect$$$ With .002 clearance on the rods and mains we will see what kinda press. we will have in the spring next year. Thanks for all the help again. Good luck! Randy H. http://images.andale.com/f2/115/106/3596099/1001796904860_frontview.jpg http://images.andale.com/f2/115/106/3596099/1092465701489_0829_001.jpg
