Lost all oil

[Ttype83]

It's a sad day for the 83, it lost all it's oil on the way home today from work. I just but 3 quarts back in and it's still 1/2 quart below add. The lifters sound like they collapsed and who knows want else is damaged...I'll try to pull the down pipe tomorrow to see if the turbo survived.
Now I can not get the 82 GN either...I more than likely going to have the hole thing rebuilt.

 

[pat83t]

I only have to words to say to that:

THAT SUX!

sorry to hear it. if I wasn't using my motor I would let you borrow it. Make sure when you have it redone to open the oil feeds to the main bearings up to 3/8" and have the crank chamfered. It really helps. what caused the total oil evacuation?

 

[Ttype83]

I think that the rear main gave out, but when I but 3 quarts back in and started it up, I saw none driping out. I know that my rear leaks...smell + oil on crossover.
I'm going to check the rad & turbo tomorrow to see if that's were it went.
My vac/boost gauge jumped to 3 psi boost at 70mph going up a lit hill then started to jump about 1 psi in each direction...
That's want I get for 1. NOT HAVING A OIL GAUGE (light only) 2. Havingthe radio so load I could not hear the engine going down.

 

[Ttype83]

Well I saw no oil under the car, so I don't think it was the rear main. I didn't get a chance to pull the down pipe before the tow truck arrived, so I'll check it a the shop tomorrow.
No oil in rad, oil pan, under car.....this leads me to the turbo......
We will see ...hoping for no shavings in the pan.

 

[b4black]

Jim,

Sorry to hear about your motor. Do you know for sure it's damaged inside? I bet these motors can handle a little time without oil under normal driving conditions. I know plenty of people the let ther oil get low enough to let the lifters collaspes. They filled it up and everything was fine. Hopefully it's only the turbo seals. Get a new $125 CHRA of the ebay lady and you'll be back in business.


If it's done, I'd get a running NA 4.1, throw it in as is. Then beat the snot out of it.

 

[Ttype83]

Originally posted by b4black
Jim,

Hopefully it's only the turbo seals. Get a new $125 CHRA of the ebay lady and you'll be back in business.


If it's done, I'd get a running NA 4.1, throw it in as is. Then beat the snot out of it.

Well I spent 3 hours at SETurbo today with Dana going over the car. First thing we did was start it...I was scared too, but he had faith.
The car sounded good, no rod knocks and the lifters sounded good to. He thinks that I blow the back of the intake gasket, the oil comes down from the top on both sides of the block and trans. He also found that my drivers header is cracked VERY bad at the back(1/8 inch gap at least) I feel much better today. I was going to have the turbo hogged out if it was bad.
But he brought up a very good point, he said that it is one of the cleanest cars he has seen and rare with my options and to leave it lightly moded and pick up a project to beat the crap out of.
I think that he has a very good point,(plus making me feel great about my car when it's surounded by some GREAT looking GN's plus 1 olds 442 (buick powered)
I'm having the flowmaster removed and replaced with a better system and down pipe(manderin bent sp?) 2 1/2 to 3" single shot, double roller timing gears,rear main, install BFR trans and if I have enough left.....ALKY so that I can run a solid 14 boost
and wop on sum mustangs
OH ya...a darn oil pressure guage

 

[gunnervirus]

Jim,

It's good to hear that your car is not in as bad as you first thought! Go ahead and hog the turbo out anyway.

Ben

 

[Turbo-Rich]

Glad to hear you may have dodged a bullet
& it sounds like your getting taken good care of @ SETurbo!
Bet you can't wait to get her back, how long do they think it'll be?

 

[pat83t]

I wish I had a good shop like that around here. At the last car show I went to I had half the people walking by wondering why my carb sat so far over on the drivers side and why I had exhaust pipes going to the top of my motor. oh well I suppose that I could always move back there. Or maybe not

 

[Ttype83]

I should get the car back by the end of next week. It's been to long already, driving the wifes SUV is nice but I would rather have my buick.
I'm not going to hogged it out, going to start to have the dings fixed and a nice set of rims...RIMS first

 

[Tonya83T]

Originally posted by Ttype83
OH ya...a darn oil pressure guage

lol!

I am glad to hear it wasn't @ serious as you thought, but still sorry to hear it's down @ all. I hate being without my car. I get kinda moody if it's been away from home for more than 2 days. Good luck, I sure hope everything works out for you.

 

[Ttype83]

Time for a update, car's still in the shop. Timing gears & exhuast were back order (seems everybody beat me to getting one). The exhuast was going to be another 4 weeks. Dana decided to go with another company to get my moving again, he had been waiting for all the parts to come in to start.
Well he started last night and found that the vavle seals are gone, in side of headers are covered in oil, but the turbo is fine.

It's going to get a 3 angle cut, a new cam, lifters and a custom 2 1/2" mandrel bent cross over & down pipe to a 3" single shot.

Also found out today that there is a differnce in the way the 83 & 87 trans TC plugs in, when I get a part number I let all know.

Should get the car back in 3 weeks it's already been a month I miss my car but I should have aleast a 75hp gain.

Well that's all for now, If I can get some time off I'll shot up there and take some pics of it all toren apart.
Thanks for looking
Jim

 

[Freddie's Buick]

GET THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE FIRST!!!!!

Been there........electric gauges are easy to install, not too expensive. Check out my home made tee at my site.... $3.00 at Home Depot...very cheap!

 

[b4black]

On the exhaust, are you going with a 85/87 Turbo Regal style Y-pipe? This is the one with the WIDE opening after the converter. They are readily available and the Hooker setup is fairly cheap.

You would just need to get a different cat or test pipe to connect to the downpipe. Then you could use the 85/87 exhaust hanger at the transmission.

 

[Ttype83]

B4Black (Rich)
They are going to use the 87 stainless steel cross over rewelded at the passenger side to mate to the manifold, test pipe & exhuast is for a 87 and the down pipe will be custom welded.
So it should hang to the 87 trans.
There is a guy that stops by that has a 83 T (mike)that has done a lot of mods, including the trans swap. This is were we found out about the TC switch needing to be replaced. He is goning to help with the repairs & mods.
I need to get some time off from work to get pics and meet Mike and see his 83.

Freddie ....thanks it's on the list to be installed before car is back in the road , do you remember the part numbers you used for the T?
Thanks

 

[Freddie's Buick]

It was mostly trial and error.....a 90 degree brass fitting and various others. Buy a new OE oil pressure switch, ( they're real cheap...I think about $3-4.00). Use it as a guide for the other brass fittings. There's a section in Home Depot with almost any brass fitting one could imagine. (Use my pic as guide).....good luck