I concur. Get that thing primed! If it dosen't prime you'll have to pack the pump fulla vaseline. Don't mess around or take shortcuts. No sense in ruinning a good engine.
I'll prime it, I'll prime it! (I'm just typing that so my dad will read it) Thanks again for the advice. I wasn't able to pick up anything this weekend because I was visiting family in Indiana and everyone out there closed up shop for the holiday weekend. Oh, well. I'll be back at it again, on Monday, calling around to the junk yards. While I'm at it. I wanted to connect a tach, oil pressure gage, etc. Can this 68 motor take an oil pressure gage and where will it plug in? I know where the voltage and water temp gage plug but not the tach or oil pressure. MARK
I see a 72 SKylark dist on eBay but I think it's a points dist like mine. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=33690&item=2422733209 I asked the guy but haven't gotten a reply yet. I made my own priming tool and got oil dumped all over my shoes from the oil filter location (no oil filter present). I put the oil filter on and now and the motor turns over easier but still no oil pumping up on the rocker arms. Do I need more priming or will it eventually spray up there when the engine starts up? BTW I stopped priming as soon as I struck oil. Thanks, MARK
I think Mike has a few HEI 350 Distributors for sale in the "Parts for Sale" section of this board. The one on E-bay is points. You can prime your engine for a few minutes. Oil should work its way to the rockers. It'll work better when running. The oil line for the presure gauge mounts on the passenger side front of the block right behind the the aluminum timing chain cover. There will be a sender there now.
I've called around to the local bone yards but nobody has the Buick distributor. If I'm looking at the same "parts for sale" list, it says there is no cap or coil or plug wires. I can do without the plug wires but I would still have to go find the cap and coil. Or would I be able to use my coil and just need the cap? I found the cap at Advance Auto Parts for $9.00. MARK
OIL PRESSURE I made the mistake of Thinking my oil pump would prime itself after I rebuilt it and put a timing chain and gears in it.........BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!! Thank God it only ran for 10 secs or so before I did the exact same thing you were told to......run a screwdriver end to the oil pump gear. It must of ran for 2-3 mins before I got pressure and it almost yanked the drill out of my hand. AT THAT POINT I HAD OIL COMING OUT OF EVERYWHERE! T hat's what you need to do to make sure you have sufficient oiling to the valve train...........Eric
Mark, The coil is unique to the HEI. I'm guessing the coil would work outta your V-6 distributor.( Anyone know?) The coil is mounted in the distributor cap, not a big seperate unit like with the points. See if the distributors that Mike has for sale come with the "module". The coil location is shown on this pic.
No luck on the distributor. That's okay though since I still have a couple of weeks before I drop this in the car. The one on eBay is a points dist as I thought and Michael's does not come with the module. I will probably run up to my dad's house on Friday to do more priming then see if I can get the engine to turn over. I really appreciate all the help I have been getting on this topic and others I have posted, especially from Floydsbuick. Hopefully I'll gain enough experience from this to help others as you have helped me. MARK
Gee, thanks Mark, I feel bad that I have an extra HEI when you don't have one, but thats one of those things I plan on keeping in the trunk in case I break down on a road trip. Something has to turn up soon. As always, keep us posted. By the way, I see headers are on the way:TU:
I'm seeing HEIs here and there. I just have to find one for the right price. The lowest I have found, locally, is a used one for $75. Yes, the headers are on the way (Super Comps like you have). Now I have to drill out the six exhaust manifold bolts that broke off when I tried to remove them. MARK
I hate when them manifold bolts break However, it;s a common problem with these. If you don't have some really sharp drillbits, I suggest you buy some. By the way, your 68 engines valve covers will have clearence trouble. You need the ones that have sloped ends. Mostly for the passenger side to clear the heater box. Its still a tight fit, but it works. These covers are everywere. Heck, I probably have some. I think they are 1973 up. You'll know to look at them. Theres a swapmeet this Fri-Sat-Sun in Canfield Ohio. Its usually a good meet. I'm going up Sunday after worship, so I'll look for a HEI for you. Maybe you might wanna check it out. Is Canfield within your range?
I have no idea where Canfield is. I live in Westerville which is 15 miles north/east of Columbus. I can look on Yahoo Maps though. If I can't make it up there, maybe I could pay you a finders fee or something. :Brow: I have some really good drillbits and I've done this type of thing before so I'm not too worried. Just ticked because it IS SO common. Speaking of clearance, will there be any other clearance issues like the hood? I have the Poston S intake and Edlebrock carb so I know that will make it a little taller. I know we've already talked about the header clearance on a separate post so that will be taken care of when the headers get here.
I don't know if you'll have clearence issues. I'm running a stock 69 intake and quadrajet. If your near Columbus, Canfield will be like four hours away. I'll keep my eyes open for a good HEI. I see your engine in your avatar. Any more pics of your project?
Oh, yes. I have a bunch of pictures but I'm at work and they are at home. I even have pictures of the work I was doing on the 3.8. My wife said she was going to make me a scrapbook of everything I've done when it's all finished. Speaking of pics, my engine looks, sort of, red in the avatar but it's more like a Chevy orange. I can definitely tell it was painted that way. Is it suppose to be blue like yours? That is the color of engine paint I just bought. I was getting ready to paint the valve covers since I removed them but I think I'll wait to see what you have or can get. I don't think I'm going to make it to Canfield! It ended up being 178 miles or something like that. Shhheeeesh! MARK
A 68 350 will be red in color. Buick red is not a parts store available color, but it is available from other sources. I understand that there is a Ford red at Autozone that is a close substitute. GM started painting the Buick 350s blue in the seventies(1975?). As for my engine, I was gonna paint it GM blue, which is available at Autozone. However, I painted it "torque n teal". Why? I don't know. just something different. I would think in a 1985 Regal that blue would be close to correct, if that combo was factory. You know, right beside the cans of "torque n teal" there was some purple?!?!:Brow:
I got GM blue from Advance Auto Parts. Even if it's not right, I like the color. What do you expect to pay for an HEI and what do you want for the valve covers plus finders fee?
Don't know if I'll find you a distributor for sure. No finders fee necessary if I do. I'm going there anyway, so its no big deal. I'll see what valve covers I have today.
Distributor Have you checked at the "new parts" outlets for a remanufactured distributor? They are cheaper than you would think and have a warrantee. I run a points ignition in my '68, no problems as long as you remember that the points are a maintenance item. I usually get out the dwell meter and timing light every time I race anyhow, so the distributor stays in good tune.
The remanufactured one was $120. I don't need one that bad. I'll either keep the points, see what I get at the swap meet or keep rumaging through the bone yards. Thanks for the input!
AARRGGHHH! I just read one of your other posts Dan. You were helping some other newbie who wanted to put a sbc in his 87 Regal. You mentioned his Metric Tranny would connect to his motor but wouldn't last long with the Buick 350. Wouldn't you know it that I have that stinking metric transmission as well! :ball: My brother has an 85 GN tranny that is slipping real bad. I wonder what it would cost me to go get that thing serviced and use it instead of what I have. Or if it will even work. I have a console shifter and he has a floor shifter. :blast:
