So I just found a local shop to do my machine work and im trying to decide just what exactly to have them do and came upon a quandry. My first thought was to have it ( it being a `69 430 ) bored to 4.250 so I can use Keith Black and the bahjillion other offerings available for 'other-than-buick' engines. Yea I know that most manufacturers will make a custom piston for a little extra but I want to be able to interchange and not need custom stuff. Anyways I found out that the bore for a .060" over 454 is 4.310 and using an online calculator found that a 4.310 bore and 3.90 stroke = 455ci but the Buick bore for a 455 is 4.3125. What im wondering is if that small a difference in bore still means the pistons arent interchangable between Buick 455 and 454 bored .060" over. Assuming that I wanted to keep more cylinder wall intact and went with the 4.250 bore there wouldn't be any clearance issues with the 3.90 stroke ( 443ci lol ) but does anyone have a rough estimate of how much compression would be lost from the stock 10.25:1? If its half a point I dont care but if it drops to anywhere near nine it would mean getting domed/notched pistons. p.s. I just learned why Chevy used a stock 4 bolt main and Buick has always had a ( production ) 2 bolt. You guys probably all know but I can't wait to bring it up in front of my chevy powered friends. :Smarty:
I have a friend running Chevy pistons in a Olds 425 but they are custom made. Chevys have smaller pins, different compression height and probably a few more differences. You couldn't use a Chevy piston right off the shelf, but probably could have one made Chevy style to fit Buick rods. If you had Chevy rods it may work but then you'd have to get your crank cut to fit Chevy rods. Either way custom stuff costs money.
You cannot use the chevy piston in the Buick, there are too many differences. When people talk of using a chrysler bore size for the Buick 455(.038 over 455) it's in order to use the more common chrysler sized rings. You guys need to understand that you are not going to build a less expensive Buick engine by using more common chevy parts. When doing a low budget more stock engine, your least expensive route is to stay all Buick. Jim Burek
Re: Re: brain buster So it sounds like rings are the only thing that interchanges without serious modification. Thats exactly what i needed to know. Thanks guys! :TU:
