well im starting to reassemble my 215. I have been asking a few questions about it lately. I pulled it out of the car a few days ago (myself and 2 others actually lifted it out of the car with out a hoist) and started to disassemble and clean it...lol cleaning it is a very tough job in its own. I have it stripped down to the the short block (crank, pistons and rods) and plan on putting the rest together this weekend. Are there any tips on how to go about this? I have a new cam, lifters, intake, carb, double roller and distributor. any step by steps to go about this would be great! this is my first engine that i am tackling. and imagine this will be quite the learning experience. The knowledge that all you members have just astonishes and impresses me! I have butterflies about doing this motor...lol...but im sure with a little guidance from you experts i can get it done right. I took it apart no problem but im sure putting it back together is the tougher more detailed job. Details on putting the cam, timing chain and distributor in would be awesome.
Check the size of the oil pickup in block.is its small like the 350(7/16) I would drill it out to 1/2.drill out oil passages in oil pump housing and get a big pickup tube.
I removed the old camshaft today. I cant get the cam key off of the old cam to put in the new one? is there a secret to this lol. any help wiould be much appreciated.
I use vice grips. Turn the vice grips sideways and clamp 'em on the keyway, then push downward using the nose of the cam as a fulcrum. Keyway should pivot upward.
got it out... man was it a pain..i tried hammer and a chisel for a while, didnt work went with the vise grip method didnt work...so i gave up. Came back 5 mins later and whacked it out on first hit!
A step-by-step on installing a cam in a Buick 215/Rover V8: http://thebritishcar.com/showthread.php?909-Triumph-TR8-Rover-V8-Cam-install-guide and cam break-in info here: http://thebritishcar.com/showthread.php?904-Cam-break-in-Procedure Do you have a repair manual with torque specs? Be aware it can be very easy to strip the threads in the aluminum 215 blocks. Use anti-seize liberally. Dan Jones
great info! I put the cam in yesterday, the article said to not apply the break in lube on the journals...I did. Should i take it back out and wipe the lube off? I also did not apply any grease to the chain or gears...which i will now do. I just got my carb today so i am hoping to have it ready to start this weekend.
> Should i take it back out and wipe the lube off? The lube is thick and can block the small oil holes so I'd wipe it off journals and use it on the lobes and lifters. Are you aware of the priming problems with the timing cover oil pumps? They can lose prime so some pack the gears with petroleum jelly. Do you have a priming tool and drill to spin the oil pump? You need to do that before starting the engine. Usual process is to check that each lifter is getting and equal flow of oil. However, on the Buick 215 you need a second set of hands to rotate the engine while priming the oil pump. This is because the rocker arms have slots that meter oil out while the rocker rotates. If you just spin the oil pump without rolling the engine over, not all rockers will see oil flow. Did you check the rocker shafts for wear by sliding them over and checking the underside surface? Most recommend bushing the rocker arms when replacing the shafts as the aluminum arms will embed with steel (from the old shafts) and score the new shafts quickly. > Anyone recommend a certain oil or oil additive to use when breaking the engine in? Brad Penn break-in oil. Stay away from the additives as the ratio of additives in the entire additive package is important. Some oils get worse when you add ZDDP because the ratio of zinc to phosphorous to other additives changes. Dan Jones
I was told you can use an old distributor for a priming tool? I have an old one off of a 455 will it work? also what do you need to do to the distributor to use it as a priming tool? My rocker arms were pretty bad so I bought Some from a guy on here,they seam to be in pretty good shape.
Post 11 shows how people use an old dist. to prime the pump. http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.p...ld-for-over-a-decade&highlight=priming+socket I personally never have done the priming method. I just pack the oil pump cavity with vasoline, and start up the engine.
alright that seams easy enough, I think i will pack the pump with vasoline and prime also...lol never hurts to be safe....I already have butterflies about the first start. This will be my first engine that i have done myself.
I got some lucas break in oil form a buddy of mine, Is this stuff any good? He gave me 5 quarts for free. So i thought id give it a try, unless someone tell me it is junk
Alright, I have yet another question. I just got my valve springs installed today and was about to put the heads back on the block. I Have felpro head gaskets and was unsure if i should put them on dry or use a sealer? Thought I would check and see if any of you wise buick guys happen to know best way to go about doing the head gaskets. Any pointers is much appreciated! Just thought I would also throw in a huge thanks to the guys who have been helping me out so far with the answers to the questions that i present and the tips. having so many seasoned buick guys giving me input and direction definitely makes things less worrisome lol.
got the block assembled the rest of the way today, went pretty easy. Except for the intake valley pan....was kind of a pain to get it positioned right. Got the engine in the car...that was fun lol, me and a few other guys picked it up with out a hoist and dropped it in. So tomorrow I will be hooking everything back up and hopefully going to start it up this weekend. Kinda scared about the first start...any tips on adjustments with carb, distributor to make for a easier/better first start? edelbrock 500 carb.
Did you follow the torque sequence listed here for the head bolts? http://www.teambuick.com/reference/engine_torque.php Fire it up, set the timing, and break in the cam at 2000-3000 RPM but never let the engine stay at the same RPM, carry it up and down.
