A while back a friend of mine bought a NOS 455 shortblock. It was brand new and still in the factory Cosmoline to keep it from rusting. I want some opnions from the engine builders on this board. So we are sure that we have the right cause and course to fix it, Engine has now run about 500miles, it runs strong. It doesn't leak any oil, not a drop, you don't see blue smoke out of the tailpipe. (only now and then when you hit the gas and get off it sometimes produces a little blue smoke). If you take a 100mile trip on the freeway, and check the engine oil 2 or 3 quarts are almost gone! JW thinks that it might be that the cylinders walls after so long of a time are glassed and have become so hard/rock solid that the pistonrings can't worn in right, and that there the oil consumption comes from. If this is the case, would just a flexhone job do the trick? Or need this block to be bored just one over (0.20) to cure it, and some new 0.20 pistons and rings? Anybody share this idea? Or can someone chime in who did also buy such a engine and used it in his car. And can tell me if they have had the same experience with it. I never have seen such a nice 455 block never run or used, so I like to do it right for my friend and cure his problem with it. Tnx Robert Noeken
Start with the easy stuff. Oil coming up the PCV system? Valve stem seals in good condition? Oil coming past the intake gasket? Have you made several heavy-throttle/high gear accelerations with it? I'd run it IN HIGH GEAR from ~30 mph to ~80 mph with the throttle opened as far as it'll go without ping--WFO would be good. Then coast from ~80 back to 30 with the throttle closed. Accelerate back to 80, and then coast again. Repeat several times.
What oil are you using? Hopefully it isn't synthetic. I would suggest 20 wt with a quart of Shaler Rislone. Bob H.
A good flex hone may do it,but you will need a qualified operator with alot of patience and tireless arms to do it. Problem is, you still need to strip/ clean the motor to do it, and after the cost of that, a proper machine hone is only a bit more.
all is fine in the topend of the block and new no leaks etc. It could be the oil rings on the pistons that needs to be replaced after sitting almost 35+ years in the engine?
I think I'd check the compression, make sure you are using a mineral base single weight break in specific oil, and have a look in the cylinders with a borescope. I'd suspect frozen or damaged oil control rings. The lack or oil smoke may indicate it is burning the majority or the oil coming past the rings in the combustion process. The compression test with tell a lot in combination with what you see with the borescope.
Compression is ok, you can't check if the bottom oil scraper pistonring is ok with a compression test. Its a strange case, but we will find out what it is oneway or another. Any help and thoughts appreciated, before we take engine apart. Regards Robert
No mineral oil 20W50, even the break in oil will be sucked up somewhere and disappears in tin air. Engine runs strong no noise nothing, will idle very very nice, no oil fumes nothing. Will start right up with one turn of the key. Engine has no leaks no sweat, if you park it there is no drop of oil on the ground even after a couple of days. Perhaps thats it..this engine is to good! But like I said if you take a 100 mile freeway drive 1 or 2 quarts of oil are gone..so it looks like at higher rpms the oil gets sucked up somewere.(this engine is in a Boattail with orginal boattail posi 3.20-3.40 range gears I believe). We even tried a plug in the place of the PVC hole (even when there was no apparant oil in the pvc tube), and let the engine breath true breathers in the valvecovers. Cause this engine doesn't have a valleypan under the intake or any kind of oil splash shield. Also that didn't help,ou:
That is where the oil is going. A splash shield is not optional. Without it, oil is siphoned out of the valley through the PCV and burned in the cylinders. I had the same issue when my aluminum heads were installed by a shop that did not install a shield under my intake. I used 3 quarts of oil on a 600 mile ride to Ohio. I subsequently pulled the intake, installed the AM&P splash shield, and oil used dropped dramatically. YOU MUST HAVE A SPLASH SHIELD.
Ok then I will track down here a splashshield, an orginal one can be found here I guess. If not then I will order an aftermarket one. Tnx guys Will let you know if I can find a new one here, and how this works out! :TU: Greetz Robert
Yeah, that is what he said. And I am 100% sure that he is wrong. I went through this myself. I doubt his 455 is any different than mine. Look at the pictures. My oil use went down to almost nothing when I installed the AM &P shield. TA Performance mentions this in their instructions. Have a look. http://www.taperformance.com/PDF/Intake_Instructions.pdf
Yes thats what I said, but this an easy install, and test if this is the problem. I found 2 orginal new intake splashshield pre 72 and after 71. So will install those and lets hope thats it! What does TA mean by those 2 cathes? Are that 2 square holes made in the valley pan right under the intake ports? http://www.taperformance.com/PDF/Int...structions.pdf
Robert, Lets make things simple. Your 455 is the same Buick 455 that we all use. If you do not use some sort of shield under the intake, two things will happen. One, oil will splash onto the bottom of the intake and crossover passage, and the oil and intake will run hotter. Two, oil will be sucked into the PCV valve, and into the intake and engine cylinders. There is no test here as to if this is your problem. It is the problem, and Bruce knows this, because Bruce has been into Buicks for a long time. Blocking the PCV is not the answer. All that will do is increase crank case pressure, and push oil out of the engine through gaskets, or where ever it can. When you install a shield under the intake, your oil consumption will be reduced greatly, or stopped completely. The stock metal intake gasket has 4 catches. There are two on each side, front and rear. The catches are actually 2 cuts in the metal, and a small depressed area of metal between the cuts. When you push down on the center of the metal gasket, while installing it, the catches catch on the edge of the heads, and hold the entire metal intake gasket in place. If you have any natural intuition as to how things work when you look at them, you will see what I am talking about, when you actually go to install the gasket. The TA instructions I linked, are very easy to follow, when you have the metal gasket in front of you. Either follow those directions, and use the composite gaskets, or just skip the composite gaskets, and use the entire metal gasket. The bottom line is, this is your oil consumption problem. Of this, there is NO DOUBT in my opinion.
Larry, I think your right.:beer ' Will let you know how this 455 will react to this oil nappy:laugh: Greetz Robert
When I first started to read this thread my first thought was did you use a after market intake as the baffles provided are basically worthless. In most cases one has to fab up a baffle or modify a original to use on the aftermarket intakes. The splash shield is actually a baffle to eliminate oil scavenge and if it is not in place you will experience just what you have described. Install the intake baffle and your oil consumption will cease. Good Luck and let us know what your results are.
Larry, I agree with you, baffle is a must. Just going with what he had said. With 2 breathers and no pcv I have no oil consumption issues. Hey that's how all cars were prior to 1966.....
Yes, but you have something shielding the bottom of your intake for other reasons. Also, not everyone plumbed the PCV into the intake like Buick did. And even in the valve cover, you need a shield to prevent oil from being pulled into the air intake.
We will see what happens. I checkout the heads these are 72 heads (non stage1) there were converted by PAE long time ago to Stage 1 specs (valves etc). With poston alu B U I C K valvecovers. The engine is a 71 455, and the intake is a PAE/POSTON S-divider. Picked up the 71 and down and the 72 and up splasshield, I can return the one we do not need. Since these are 72 heads It must be the 72 one. Will take of the intake tomorrow, have to remove the LPG system this car uses as fuel. so it will be a litle more work to do. Keep you posted! Greetz Robert
