What's a nailhead?

Discussion in ''Da Nailhead' started by per, Mar 25, 2003.

  1. per

    per Well-Known Member

    :puzzled: Sorry for my ignorance, but what's a "nailhead"?

    Is the 430 and the 455 "nailhead's"?

    What differ the "nailhead" from other Buick engines?

    Per.
     
  2. Marco

    Marco Well-Known Member

    Welcome to the board Per!

    Here is the Nailhead information you requested. Enjoy!

    PS - the 430 and 455 CID motors are not 'nailheads' motors.
     
  3. nailhead_sled

    nailhead_sled Well-Known Member

    Its what the Chevy and Ford guys really want for Christmas
     
  4. per

    per Well-Known Member

    Thank you.

    So when I overhauled my 55 Roadmaster 322cid back in 84, I did a nailhaed. COOL.

    Small story from then. Got it all ready, engine painted, carefully installed in the car, looks good. Try to start. NO F.... COMPRESSION!!!!!!
    Great disappointment and early night. Next day heads off. Paint f...ed. No fault found. Still no compression. When cranking it sounded like open valves. Realeased the rocker assy, and it started smooooth. Found out that the new hydr. lifters was for a 1956. Could have killed the supplier.

    Per.
     
  5. cowboy dan

    cowboy dan Active Member

    i was talking to some guys at this shop called hole shot. i told them i had a buik 430 from the 60s'. he replyed "nailhaeds are good motors but harder to find parts for" so does this mean i don't have a nailhead??? missinformation.... i hate it!!!
     
  6. BuickStreet

    BuickStreet Well-Known Member

    The big block Nailheads are the 401's (also called 400's in 66 to placate the Pontiac chiefs who complained when Buick used a motor bigger than 400 in an intermediate car when the GM policy was not to allow bigger than 400 cubic inches in any intermediate cars - so they called it a 400 as it wasn't quite 401 although it's was the same 401 Nailhead) and the 425's. The 'not so big block Nailheads' are the 322 and 364's of the mid 50's and early sixties. 'New generation 400's, 430's and 455's (the ones with the angled valve covers) are not Nailheads.

    Nailheads can easily be identified by the flat valve covers, which run parallel to the ground and intake manifolds which sat flat on the valley cover. If your valve cover is angled and your intake manifold is also angled like most '67 and beyond GM V8's then it's not a Nailhead.

    There are many reasons to want a Nailhead but there are just as many reasons to want a 430/455 as well. Horses for courses. I like the different firing order of the nailhead, which give them a mellow/growling sound which still puts a shiver up my spine every morning and afternoon.

    They stopped making Nailheads in 1966...which is a shame because they where cast with a high nickel content in their cast iron (similar to the infamous 010 small block *hevy blocks and conrods) which makes them suitable for todays unleaded fuels.

    Please feel free to correct me on any technical inaccuracies but thats about it
     

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