Knocking rod on 1981 sport coupe

[blackandwhitecustoms]

I recently purchased a 1981 regal sport coupe with intent to fix and resale so have a few questions
1. What is cheapest way to repair rod knock without sacrificing reliability?
2. Once i have motor pulled what upgrades should i make keeping in mind intent is to resale but want something nice until a buyer comes along.
3. What else should i check that may be common to go out on.this particular car.


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[charlief1]

At the very least you'll need to get into it and see what damage has been done to the crank. If you're lucky then resize the rods and turn the crank along with vatting the block. New cam, rod, and main bearings along with rings. If not then it's a complete rebuild which will cost between a couple thousand to $$$$ thousands. Even on a carbed turbo these engines cant be built properly without someone that knows them and someone that says they build ford, chevy, and chrysler all day won't be able to build a reliable Buick engine to save their life. There have been more than a few horror stories from newbys that thought they'd found the perfect guy to do an engine and either bailed afterwards or had to go back and spend even more money because they didn't listen to advise that was given.

 

[blackandwhitecustoms]

Can i put turbo on a na 3.8? Also how hard would it be to swap in a 4.3 and instal buick turbo setup on it

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[charlief1]

A 4.3 chevy is a different engine all together different than a Buick and to put it in you'd need a different tranny. You could put the turbo set up on an NA but there's no guarantee that it'll survive. The turbo engines have different pistons in it that are designed for use with the turbo boost.

 

[blackandwhitecustoms]

Ok thats good to know definately dont want to put something that wont last. Would i lose alot of value going with a v8

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[charlief1]

Ok thats good to know definately dont want to put something that wont last. Would i lose alot of value going with a v8.

Among the Buick guys that will pay the most, yes. For the average idiot that aren't enthusiasts of Buicks, no, but they'll pay less than true Buick guys. You could also (God forbid) donk it and make more from a dope head, but that's up to you as to where and how you market it.

 

[ek02]

If it has a rod knock, chances are it ran out of oil, has very low oil pressure, or is simply worn out. You can install a reground crank and bearing kit cheaply without pulling the heads if the connecting rods are OK, which I have done many times on engines under warranty, or in very good condition. On a 1981 with any miles on it, you are probably looking at a complete rebuild or a good used engine.