Any good articles about a Buick 455 in a gbody?

[KevinB]

I just picked this Olds Cutlass Salon up this weekend:

The 307 in it is a freaking turd!! I found a good Buick 455 for cheap. Or I can turn the crank in my spare '87 GN drivetrain and go that route. I'd rather do the 455 thing. I want to keep the a/c and all accessories. Need help finding a complete parts list of what is needed.

TIA

 

[86brick]

I would check out~ http://www.v8buick.com

There is bound to be plenty of information on this swap over there as I know several guys over there that have Regals with the 455...

-EDIT

Actually I just went on there myself (haven't been in a while) and they actually have a section devoted to V8 Buick powered Regals~

http://www.v8buick.com/forumdisplay.php?f=41

And I see you already posted in there... LOL :biggrin: :wink:

 

[Aztlanahauc]

A 455 Olds engine will drop in using the 307 mounts. I also believe the accessories(sp?) from the 307 will be able to be used on the Olds 455 also.

 

[Dewey]

I don't know all the specific details, but there are a few differences when switching small block accessories to a big block Olds. I'm fairly certain that some work has to be done to the AC bracket as well or the compressor will not clear the hood. Might want to browse the Realoldspower board if you decide to go with a BBO.

 

[turbofish38]

I've got a Buick 455 in a 82 Regal. Pretty easy swap if you're into junkyard sourcing the parts. The hardest part is the motor mounts. With all of the holes drilled in the crossmember there is isn't one hole that will work with the factory motor mounts. You will have to drill your own.You can use the accessory drive pulleys and brackets off of a 231 V-6. The only part you cant use is the crank pulley and any stock 455 pulley will work. For cooling I used the Intrepid cooling fans with the F-body radiator and used some IC hoses that were cut to fit. I'm running stock cast iron exhaust manifolds with a TA Performance dual 3" pipe kit. It fits like crap, go with a Torque Tech kit. Its a tight fit on the passenger side with the evaporator case. The valve cover and exhaust manifold sit up against the heatshield, which by the way I highly recommend because the heat will melt the plastic. Get the shield off of any TR. NA's dont use them. Thats pretty much it. They only thing I had to purchase pre-fabbed was the exhaust pipes. Everything else either came off of a NA 231 car or were spare or broken parts from my 86 GN. I'm using a 200-4R for a transmission.

 

[KevinB]

I've got a Buick 455 in a 82 Regal. Pretty easy swap if you're into junkyard sourcing the parts. The hardest part is the motor mounts. With all of the holes drilled in the crossmember there is isn't one hole that will work with the factory motor mounts. You will have to drill your own.You can use the accessory drive pulleys and brackets off of a 231 V-6. The only part you cant use is the crank pulley and any stock 455 pulley will work. For cooling I used the Intrepid cooling fans with the F-body radiator and used some IC hoses that were cut to fit. I'm running stock cast iron exhaust manifolds with a TA Performance dual 3" pipe kit. It fits like crap, go with a Torque Tech kit. Its a tight fit on the passenger side with the evaporator case. The valve cover and exhaust manifold sit up against the heatshield, which by the way I highly recommend because the heat will melt the plastic. Get the shield off of any TR. NA's dont use them. Thats pretty much it. They only thing I had to purchase pre-fabbed was the exhaust pipes. Everything else either came off of a NA 231 car or were spare or broken parts from my 86 GN. I'm using a 200-4R for a transmission.

Thanks everyone.

Turbofish, what exhaust manifolds did you use? Did you retain the a/c? Does the torque tech exhaust go all the way to the manifolds or are they for headers? Do you have any pics? kbolger@cinci.rr.com

Thanks alot!!

I was thinking about the Buick 455 b/c I found a complete engine with a recent rebuild, a b4b intake, and a th400 (which I will not use) for $500.

 

[83hurstguy]

an Olds 455 will be a pretty straight forward bolt in, with minor bracket changes for the A/C compressor... there are headers available for the swap as well. You'll be able to find a running 455 pretty cheap on the Olds boards.

You could find a much better running SBO for pretty cheap as well. A 350 or 403 will be a night and day difference from the 307.

 

[usetaboost]

whats everybody getting for gas mileage on the 455s and overdrive?

 

[BuickMike]

A freind of mine from awhile back put a '71 Buick 455 in a '84 Diesel Regal and it turned out great. I guess the Diesel motor is close to the weight of the 455, so he did not change the suspension and the car rode well. Supposedly all he did was drop the motor in to line it up where he wanted it, mark and drill the holes from the motor mounts, and figured out what brackets / shroud / hoses / etc. to use. He put a BRF trans behind it and the rear end was a 8.5" which I believe is stock in the Diesel models (I may be wrong). All in all it was a nice swap and he was claiming 18 - 20mpg on the freeway. I'm not sure what rear gears he was using.