Some of yours mentioned thay have a factory stage 1 on their Fusll size's 455. Was that an option or just good fortune ? How can one know (without opening the engine !) if he has a Stage 1 engine ?
You would have to pull a head and look at the size of the valves to know for sure. Some big cars for some years had a high performance option and some called it stage 1. Apparently some were outfitted with the big valve engines even though they were not speced for the car.
On your Centurion, if you have the 2-letter engine code of TA, then you most likely have big-valve heads. The 2-letter code is located between the #5 and 7 cylinders on the deck of the block. You'll probably need some degreaser and a wire brush or some sort of brush to get the crap off the block to read it.. Or, do you have your buildsheet? If you have the option code L76, you have a "Hi Performance 455". It's not a Stage1 by any means, but has the big-valve heads. It also has a slightly hotter cam (between the stock and stage1 cams), and some transmission alteration.
I do not think so but I think it is the same as the 71-2 Riv GS cam which = GM# 1237664 That is not the same cam number as a reg Riv, a stage 1or 2 GS , or say a non stage GS.
Right... Specific cam for the "Hi Performance 455" option that came in the Riv GS and optioned on the Centurion.
The article must have been in the GSCA newsletter as if it were the Build Sheet Smartin you would have it. You can still get the cam but I take it you want the cam card numbers.
ya, i was wanting lift/duration/seperation specs if you've got em. otherwise i'll just have to shell out for something like the Standard Catalog of V8 Engines. :spank:
cool, that's what i'm talking about. so for completion purposes we need the 67-69 and 75-76 numbers and lobe separation.... i'm so retentive :spank:
Correct me if I'm wrong. It doesn't seem like you could really notice the difference between the standard 455 and the GS 455 in a full size. My '71 GS Riv TA code 455 is locked up so I can't compare it to my '73 Riv standard 455. I'm going to have to swap the 2 to drive the car.
You have to take the entire factory drivetrain package / calibration into account and not just the camshaft. BUT, if all you did was a camshaft swap on the same drivetrain, then yes, I don't think there would be much of a difference. I think it was once stated on this board (in regards to the Skylark body) that the difference between the GS 455 and the Stage-1 package at the drag strip was a maybe a fender length at the finish line. I think a bigger car would negate even the fender length.
On the Rivs with the big valve 455's, Buick put in a 3.42 or 3.23 rear end. That must mean that those 455's perform better at higher rpms. Buick wouldn't have done it if it didn't make a difference.
My GS Riv is a #'s matching car, complete with the 3.42 posi. However, i intend to install a '73 455 (std) instead of rebuilding the orig. TA 455. Due to many other Buick projects at this time. It just seems that I probably won't notice the difference between the 2 engines. Sorry, I didn't mean to change the tone or meaning of this thread.
I have never seen one but the Stage1 option was available in all the full-size 74 Buicks. I know that some LeSabre with the 455 option had a 455 bagde in their grilles (but some didn't have one). I have seen a few 74 LeSabres with it on Ebay, even 4 door models. I'm wondering if some 74's had a Stage1 badge in their grille too, it would have been strange on an Electra!
My parts manual only shows a Stage 1 grille badge for Rivieras. Here's a page from the 74 Buick Selling Manual that talks about the Stage 1 option.
