Please Help Me!!!! 83" Buick T-Type

[Besso]

I need to know if the 83" Buick T-Types have the same compression ratio, pistons, cranks and so on as the 82" Buick Regals. I started to work on my 83" T-Type with my old man and i had a friggin' Epiphany. We planned on exchanging the blocks, pistons, cranks and what not and then i realized that there were some differences between the blocks. My 83" T-Type has some sort of sensor mounted on the block and the 82" Buick Regal Block doesn't. Both blocks are stock. And i need to know what the differences between the engines are. I don't want to be driving down the street and have my engine blow up on me. We have started the restoration and if i find out that they have different pistons, cranks, valves, ........ and so forth i will be mighty pist off. I have already spent thousands on this restoration and if i have to back out now, then i will sh!# the bed. I went to my local parts store and i looked in one of there manual books and it said that they had the same compression ratio. The 83" T-Type engine is the regular 4-bbl 3.8 liter carbureted Turbo engine, and the 82" Regal is a regular 3.8 liter ? bbl carbureted engine. Please reply, i don't care if you post it, Instant Message me, send me an E-Mail, or call me at 2:00 in the morning. I need help bad.

Thanks, Besso.

 

[pat83t]

differences.

Well one major difference is the crank. The n/a motor does not have a rolled-fillet crank. The compression ratio is the same but the pistons are different. Those are a couple of differences but I am sure I won't be the only one responding either.

 

[fc227]

Hi

The crank and pistons are differant. the compression ratio is the same.

The crank is a non -rolled fillet on the NA engine , and the Turbo pistons (stock) have a extra casting strut in them to make them tuffer.

The sensor on the back of the block is the knock sensor.

 

[b4black]

Deja vu'

Here's what I typed when you asked this same thing two weeks ago in the General Tech forum:

For the bare block, there are some minor casting differences, but otherwise they will be interchangeable. Ditto on the heads.

But the turbo engine had a much better crank and pistons.

You will be OK with a non-turbo (NA) long block in your '83 T Type as long as your keeping it somewhat stock. The NA can handle quit a bit. Put the '82 NA long block in, but keep the '83 engine for rebuilding when you want to get serious.

If there isn't a hole for the knock sensor on the '82, just drill and tap one.

 

[b4black]

If you have any concerns about the NA crank, read this:
http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27773