TA exhaust headers for 455 transplant to 65 Special?
Dear Team Buick members,
I'm continuing to try to figure out how to stuff my recently acquired Buick 430 in my 1965 Buick Special wagon. The puzzlement for today is how to get the exhaust out.
Option-1 is to use the cast iron exhaust manifolds that came with the engine. I have evidence that this can be made to work thanks to Ted Nagel.
However, I just got off the phone with TA-Performance since they offer exhaust headers that they claim can work specially with their custom TA 1820C Frame Pad and Motor Mount kit. Tim at TA-Performance proposes two options:
Option-2: Use the TA 2012CH headers and tell the car to "inhale hard" as it will be a tight squeeze. Tim mentioned (as did Ted) getting around the steering column is a challenge.
Option-3: Spend tons of dough, get the TA-Performance Stage-2 aluminum heads, then go with the TA 2014CHC exhaust headers. Going aluminum heads would be an outrageous expense just to get exhaust headers, but there are other considerations pushing me toward aluminum heads. According to Tim at TA-Performance, this would make getting headers into the car much less of a struggle.
So my question is for the Team Buick brotherhood: has anyone successfully managed to use TA Performance exhaust headers either using option 2 or 3? If so, what was your experience with it? Was the experience a curse a minute or ultimately was either scheme really workable?
Thanks in advance to the Team Buick gurus!
Cheers, Edouard
Thanks - advice is indeed consistent.
Hi Bob (and Team Buick brotherhood),
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Bob
I would suggest the manifolds...:(
Tim at TA Performance tried to put a brave face on it, but basically he said the same. It certainly doesn't look very promising to try the TA headers without the stage-2 heads. I'm curious to find out if that other route is any better, but I fear . . . the $$$ involved in that option has made that approach essentially just as daunting to virtually everyone.
Oh well, I at least checked out my options!
Thanks for the feedback!
Cheers, Edouard
Ah, if it was that simple!
Hi Ted,
You don't understand . . . . you see the fellows at Orinda Motors asked if it were possible to put in exhaust headers into the car. It's a homework assignment! :bgrin:
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ted Nagel
Edouard, how much power do you want from your 430?
The problem pushing me to consider aluminum heads has nothing to do with the exhaust headers. It an unfortunate problem with the 430 itself. The casting number of the cylinder heads is 1382985. That indicates they are the big port heads. According to Paul Muller who was very kind enough to do some checking on this, having the intake valve seats hardened on this particular casting is very difficult. TA Performance won't do it. The only folks who will try are Gessler. Now given that these things are after all cast-iron, the cost of shipping them across the country, having the work done, and then getting them back is close to $2000. All this when these heads are vulnerable to cracking and some of the machining will be very tricky indeed. Is it worth spending $2000 when there is a real risk you might end up with a cracked piece of scrap iron when it comes back to California? For $500-600 more, I can have the TA Performance aluminum heads. I haven't make up my mind completely, but $2600 for a sure thing seems much more reasonable than risking $2000 and potentially having nothing.
Now of course that doesn't argue exhaust headers or manifold by itself. However, if I were to go with the aluminum cylinder heads, perhaps it would be worth the extra $500 to have a clean setup - especially if the existing exhaust manifolds are looking a little weary. Also, these changes are going to significantly reduce the weight of the engine. Given that the car wasn't designed for such a heavy engine - I'm certainly all for that.
What I wasn't aware of was the down-sides of exhaust headers (mainly because I didn't have a chance to look.) Someone on V8 Buick mentioned it makes the car more noisy. Is it really bad? BigRivy mentions maintenance - what special care and feeding do exhaust headers require?
Thanks to all and as you can see . . . this engine swap is S-s-s-s-simple! :clonk:
Cheers, Edouard :bgrin:
Not just transportation - but a "special friend."
Dear BigRivy and Paul,
Just a quick reply before I head off to take care of other things. . . .
Sure, if my goal was to simply get some life back in this car - there would be much cheaper ways to do it. Supposedly, I could just stuff the used 430 into the car and see what happens. The yard claimed it was still running then they removed it.
However, this car isn't just transportation or an interesting project to me. I grew up with this car and to put it bluntly: this car has been more faithful to me than any woman (can you hear me brother? :^^:) This car has literally gotten me out of jams that I couldn't have easily extricated myself out of otherwise. So I'm going to try to do something really special with the car. No it doesn't make sense - some things don't! If you don't believe me - read the daily news! :bgrin:
So I'll be stubborn and at least seriously consider the aluminum cylinder heads. I haven't ruled out the exhaust headers either. At the very least, I would want to do something to make the exhaust manifolds look really nice. Even if this rebuild isn't at all intended to make the car into a racer - I do want the engine compartment to look as if I did! :thumbsup:
Thanks to everyone in the "Buick brotherhood!" :shield:
Cheers, Edouard