Intake manifolds

J

Jim Blackwood

New Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
What 4bbl intakes will work on about an '87 3.8? My wife's car has a 2bbl intake and the air cleaner interferes with the hood latch but I understand the 4bbl one will clear it so I'm looking to swap it out. I know, that sounds weird. But it's a Triumph TR7 with a John's Cars Buick 3.8 conversion. Apparently with the 4 everything fits in just fine. So, thanks for the help. Jim
 
factory 4.1 4bbl intakes, holley street dominator, edelbrock performer, weiand x-celerator, kenne-bell intake, offy intake. I have seen a few 2x4 buick 3.8 intake manifolds.
 
Thanks for the quick reply. Looks like I made a mistake though, I just reviewed the papers that came with the car and it's an '82 engine from a Buick Regal. Does that make any difference?

If not then I'm guessing I need to look for a 4bbl carb and intake from any 4.1 then? I'm not worried about performance. I just want the least expensive swap to a 4bbl that I can make. Thanks, Jim
 
Jim Blackwood said:
Thanks for the quick reply. Looks like I made a mistake though, I just reviewed the papers that came with the car and it's an '82 engine from a Buick Regal. Does that make any difference?

If not then I'm guessing I need to look for a 4bbl carb and intake from any 4.1 then? I'm not worried about performance. I just want the least expensive swap to a 4bbl that I can make. Thanks, Jim
Click to expand...

The heads were changed in '79 so yes look for a 4.1 from 79 on up. '79 is when they changed from odd fire to even fire. You can tell by looking at the engine cause the distributor has towers evenly spaced around the cap. The odd fire ones are not spaced evenly (They are oddly spaced :wink: ).
 
Let's give you a better idea. The 4.1 intake is the easiest way to do it but GM had the 4100 which isn't the same engine. Unless you have a computer that controls the carb you'll need an earlier carb. The Holly is made for the 78 and earlier heads so it won't work unfortunatly. Come into the before black section and do some searching.
 
Thanks guys. I'm sort of a noob to the V6 but not to Buick motors in general. I've played with the 215 for 3 decades, built a blower motor and am in the process of building a blown 340 for my car:
BritishV8 Forum: 340 upgrade
Jim Blackwood's wicked blown Oldsmobile 215cid powered MGB and I'm also president of the "Deviants" who are building a 455 MGB-GT:
BritishV8 Forum: MGB Roadmaster
YouTube - B.A.D.A.S.S. MGB-Roadmaster 1st drive (3)

I've been a strong supporter of the Buick V6 engine in terms of it's suitability as a powerplant in small British cars. Although as yet we don't have a great number of those cars documented we're working on it.

So I'm not totally in the dark but I sure appreciate your help since there are a lot of things specific to the V6 that I don't know. Like not being intimately familiar with the production changes and when they occurred, or with the interchangeability of parts. So to be more specific about what I'm doing here, I found a TR7 to buy my wife for her birthday. It had to have an automatic tranny and this one which has the Buick engine and a 700r4 was an exceptionally good candidate (the John's Cars kit was a plus, and it uses a 1/8" thick adapter plate to mount the 700r4). The problem is something that you guys will probably recognize immediately. John made his kits to work with a 4bbl engine, using an Edelbrock triangular foam element air filter, and everything tucks in there nicely. However the builder of this particular car used a 2bbl engine and apparently the 2bbl carb is centered further back on the intake. Our intrepid builder simply taped over the rear of the opening on the air filter and sat it on the 2bbl carb, where it interferes with the hood latch mechanism and the fresh air plenum for the cabin, which he left off. This allows engine compartment air into the car, obviously not a good thing.

Now I have 2 choices as I see it. I can configure the engine as John expected it to be (and get more power, which Edith most definitely does not have to have but which I will enjoy when I drive the car), or I can construct a cold air inlet and remote filter for the 2bbl. Likely as not the last of those choices will be the least expensive, but also the least pleasing. A possible 3rd choice might be if Edelbrock makes a 2bbl filter.

I appreciate the recommendation to read the posts in the Black section and will, as time goes on try to make my way through them. But there is a lot to read. How much of it is specific to 4bbl intakes? A little here and a little there I'd guess, and though it'll be fun finding those tidbits, not particularly fast. I just want to make sure before I start seriously shopping for parts that I'm not trying to buy something that won't do me any good, that's all. So thanks for the good advice and I'll try to keep you guys in the loop, and if you like, on the other two cars as well. Go Buick!

Jim
 
Here's something for you to read Jim. If you decide to go with the 4.1 intake there's a lot that you can do to make it flow better. I still prefer the Q-Jet myself but there's other options like the Holly spread bore replacement.
http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/be.../281474-modification-4-1-4-barrel-intake.html
This is one of my posts for those of us into non SFI cars. To give you a better idea of the history of the V6 the first one was 198 cid and it was increased to 225cid. It was sold to Kaiser and stayed the same until GM bought it back in 74. They made some changes to the engine and increased it to 231. In 77.5 the design was changed to even fire and in 79 the high port heads came out. In 86-86 the block was once again redesigned and the lifter valley was enclosed as well as the main oil galley was moved to the passenger side about .5" to help with oiling issues. It stayed this way until the end of the RWD block in the late 80's.
 
Thanks Charlie. I'm curious about what changes were made in the engine when they went to the FWD version. Is it still usable as a RWD engine? Did they change the starter mount for instance? I know they changed the oil pump and ignition and at some point went to neoprene main seals, but did they also make further changes to the heads? I'm also aware they went to the small corporate bellhousing pattern like is used on the GM 60 degree motor which they used in S10's and Camaros as RWD, presumably a bellhousing would be available. This is just for general reference, my brother has a stock TR7 and is considering an engine swap.

Jim
 
Great post on the 4.1 intake btw. You'd never know by looking at the carb flange that it could be opened up that much.

Jim
 
More history for you

When GM changed to FWD initially all they did was change the bell housing and mounting design for the flywheel. Then they redesigned the heads and timing cover which became the 3800 motor. In Austrailia they used the engine in RWD applications and it worked fairly well. We have a couple of members from there but they haven't been on in a while. When GM went from the off center to the on center 3800 Series II FWD engine it's basically a poor mans Stage II but it has the small bell housing. It was used in the Firebird and the Camaro so you can get a manual bellhousing attached to a 5 speed if you want. Some of the guys are loking at this newest design and there are a few catches to them but it's a good swap if you can do it.
There are a few threads in the hybred section and so far the best these guys have done is in the 10's with very few mods to the engine. Adding the turbo is about all they've done so that tells you right away it's a great idea.
 
Jim Blackwood said:
Great post on the 4.1 intake btw. You'd never know by looking at the carb flange that it could be opened up that much.

Jim
Click to expand...

I can understand why someone would get an after market intake but I used to run this intake with a 1" hiker and it did as well or better than the after market ones. It's the same design Ruggles used in the Indy pace car with the mods about the same. Lots of meat to cut and If I had a TIG or aluminum wire for the MIG I could do a lot more to it. A little metal added to the front runners on the outside would allow me to cut even more out and make it flow even better.
 
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