hi i am new to this forum and i think it is great. my question is : i want to swap out my dead buick 231 (broken connecting rod) from my 84 cutlass and put in a buick v8. what is the easiest swap to do? basically i want to pull out the v6 and drop in the v8. which v8 will work best and from what years? i do not want to rebuild the motor, just drop it in. also will everything form the v6 fit on the v8? please give me any advice. thanks
Hi omsrex,just a heads up,we like to see who we're typing to so it's recommended you post your name. Having said that,let me say the V-6 Buick to 350 Buick is one of the easiest swaps you can ever do. All the accessories and brackets from the V-6 will bolt right up,the trans will bolt up(but may not last very long) and use the 350 Buick flywheel.Use a 307 Cutlass fan shroud.You can even use an HEI Buick distrbutor and plug it into your harness.I think any 350 Buick from 1975-1980 should have the HEI dist. Hardest part is the exhaust needs to be fabricated.:TU:
In addition to this info, if you use the v-6 motor mounts on the 350 Buick, it will drop right on to the factory frame pads. However, I would use the after market urethane mounts as the stock v-6 rubber mounts are too soft for the 350. The mounts are available through H&R PARTS N STUFF. Jim Burek
thanks for the quick replies. what donor cars can i look to get a 350 from? or better yet does anyone have a good used 350 for sale around NJ? also what exactly do you mean by exhaust fabrications, GSThunder? what carb should i use? i also plan to use a th350 trans. i would love to hear more on this topic if any has anymore info to share. thanks Omar S.
Omar, I swapped a 1972 Buick 350/350 turbo into a friends 1981 El Camino (G-body, like your car) a couple of years ago. We pulled out the blown up 231/250 turbo, bolted on the V-6 mounts to the 350 Buick/350 turbo set-up and dropped it in.The trans is the same length so no need to change driveshafts or crossmembers ,but you'll need to make something to hook up the kickdown cable to the carb. The 350 Buick engine is the same all the way from 1968 to 1980 so finding one shouldn't be a problem,but of course the later models will have the HEI dist(it should have a 350 turbo behind it).You will need to upgrade to a V-8 radiator as the V-6 one is quite small.I would find a late model(75+) with a 4 barrel or swap on a factory 4 barrel intake and carb(but thats just me...haha). The exhaust pipes will need to be in a different spot for the new engine so it's a good time to upgrade to a dual exhaust system.
You guys are Great! I just have a couple more questions 1. what is the diff between points and HEI distributors? how will this effect my application? where can i find a good one at a good price? 2. will the a/c. alternator, p/s pump, and all the pulleys from the v6 transfer over to the v8? 3. what is the best carb (size/make) to use for a stock motor/cam? should i use computer controlled or not? could the intake manifold dtermine whether i need to use a 4 or 2bbl or even a specific model? 4. should i use headers or exhaust manifolds? if there are even any headers for my car. 5. should i do anything to the motor before i drop it in? change the fuel pump, gaskets, or anything else? i was planning on a full tune up, water pump change, new belts, new radiator, and what else? 6. can i use the same fan from the v6 for the v8? 7. also if you guys have any last remarks andor suggestions before i get myself into this. I know this is a little long but you guys are great and always seem to want to help each other out. this is a great site thanks. Omar
1) HEI is an electronic distributor which eliminates the points.Your car is already wired for an HEI so I'd stick to that.Any Buick 350 after 1975 should have the HEI dist. already. 2)Yes 3) I wold stick with the factory 4 barrel /Q-Jet or if you want the factory 2 barrel will also work. Non-computor will be the easiest. 4) Your choice on headers or manifolds.We used the factory manifolds.Try the Regal V-8 forum here on this board for some good info on headers.Under the hood,your car is just like a Regal. 5)I would replace the fuel pump and the other things you mentioned. 6) Yes ,if it's good 7) Check the condition of the starter
thanks for all the great info. what do you guys think about buying a motor in a junkyard? the guy said he guarenteed it would not knock, rattle, or smoke. it is a 76 buick 350. also is to hard to rebuild the oil pump or should i just leave it alone? one more thing. are the intakes different for a 4bbl and 2bbl? ok 2 more questions. what kind of mufflers should i use and what kind of power should i expect this motor to produce? thanks
