rebuilding 430

[major_mitt]

Ive got a spare 430 complete engine sitting in my garage, (as u do) and with the 430 thats currently in my Riviera starting to so signs of wanting to die in the not too distant future its time to rebuild one of them.

With performance goals in mind and being in New Zealand parts and engines (especially buick) aren't so easy to come by.

I understand the only difference between 430 and 455 is about 3mm difference in bore size.

Is it possible to simply bore out my engine when rebuilding it to a 455 spec and chucking some 455 pistons in it?

While im on the subject. Is it best value for money to port and polish the stock heads or buy aftermarket allow ones from the likes of TA?

Thanks

[bob k. mando]

While im on the subject. Is it best value for money to port and polish the stock heads or buy aftermarket allow ones from the likes of TA?

brand new TA heads flow more out of the box than a set of heavily ported factory irons and the cost for a good port job is pretty much a wash. then you've got the weight savings for aluminum as opposed to iron.

Stage II ( headers required ) Street Eliminators with an alum intake should fit in right where your current engine is without hood clearance problems.

on the downside, you might need to respring the front of your car after taking all that weight out of it.



its time to rebuild one of them.

unless you can find a Buick specialist in NZ, you should probably have a Rover guy do your rebuild.




Is it possible to simply bore out my engine when rebuilding it to a 455 spec and chucking some 455 pistons in it?

sometimes possible, especially for the 69 blocks. but it's definitely something that you'd want the block sonic checked on all the cylinder walls and you'd want the machinist to check for core shift all the way around before you even got started.

it also wouldn't leave you much / any meat for a bore cleanup.

[major_mitt]

Thanks for the advice

There are plenty of v8 performance shops down here who do GM so finding someone with the know how shouldnt be a problem.

Sorry for the ignorance, I thought the buick big blocks were pretty much identical apart from differences in bore. No worries, ill keep my options open.

better start saving up for those heads then

[bob k. mando]

There are plenty of v8 performance shops down here who do GM

"doing GM" is NOT the same thing as "doing Buick".

you try to build a Buick to Chevy tolerances and it will almost certainly blow up within 5,000 miles. Buick's are much tighter on the mains and rods.

that's why i recommended a Rover guy. the aluminum Rover v8 ( 215ci and 3.5L to ~4.6L ) from 1965 to 2004 was actually the original small block Buick ( 1961-63 ). there are many design concepts and tolerances that were originated on the SBB and then carried through to the BBB ( 1967-76 ).

if you can find a reputable Buick specialist down there then i don't have any objections. but if all the GM guys think that "GM is GM" you're going to have a problem.




I thought the buick big blocks were pretty much identical apart from differences in bore.

they ( 400, 430, 455 ) are but they are thinwall castings. .030" should be fairly easy but bigger than that and you should probably be having the block checked for core shift and cylinder wall thickness before you start throwing a bunch of money at a block.

there are reasons why the Buick 455 only weighs ~40lbs more than a 350 SBC when both are dressed out in factory irons.

[Leftcoast]

hey I noticed that you may have swapped out your heads for aluminum ones, I am in need of a set of cast heads for a 430, mine are cracked and cannot be fixed, if you have a left over set I would love to buy them off you or if know of someone who could point me in the right direction i would greatly appreciate it, thanks