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Thread: buick 300 performance build

  1. #1

    buick 300 performance build

    i have a 66 skyark with the 300 v-8 and a st-300 trans, i am in mid restoration and i believe my engine is finally on its last leg. i was thinking about a big block performance build but i think due to money constraints and for the sake of origonality i woud rather just buid the 300. honestly i am a pontiac man and i know little about buick engines, does anyone know anything about the performance potential of this engine? and if so what parts are recommended? thankyou for your time

  2. #2
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    There isn't a lot of aftermarket support for these. Even a 4 bbl intake is hard to find.... it was only made in 1965.
    For a nice build, just do the old hot-rod stuff.... mild port on the heads, recurved distributor advance, dual exhaust.
    Crower offers a nice selection of cams, as does Accelerated Motion:
    http://www.crower.com/
    http://www.amotion.com/amcams.html#14821

    TA Performance currently has Rover style aluminum heads in the works for the 300-340. They'll be pricey!
    Walt
    65-66 GS's

  3. #3

    300 is a great motor but...

    There really aren't a lot of choices for the 300 but it is a great little motor. I have one in my 64 Skylark and I've made some little improvements. Early 300s like mine came with aluminum heads and intake. I upgraded to a 4 barrel intake with a Carter AFB carb, level 2 Crower cam, and performance ignition.

    You could also bump the compression with some flat top pistons. The original Power Pack 300 had 11:1. Mine is running somewhere over 9.5:1 according to the books I've got. The aluminum heads dissipate heat better so theoretically you shouldn't have any problems with predetonation. I've always run regular gas in mine and never had problems.

    Of course, I am telling you all this with a 455 Buick in my garage ready to put in. There is no substitute for cubic inches. There are also a lot more performance parts out there for a 455 Buick.

    For a mild street application, the 300 is a great motor. But if you're looking for more than that, I recommend going big.

  4. #4
    i have heard people say that 340 parts are interchangeable is that true?

  5. #5
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    The 350 Buick should have built

    It is possible to put a 340/350 crankshaft into a 300 block. This combo has several advantages over a 340 based motor. The 340 is very
    wide (@10.2 inches, it has a taller deck than a big block chevy and about same height as a 400/455 Buick), and many people who are not familiar with Buicks (most) mistake it for a big block. The reason Buick engines have such tall decks is that their engineers never adopted slipper-skirt pistons on any of their engines. Non slipper-skirt pistons require much longer connecting rods combined with taller decks to allow the pistons to clear the counter weights at the bottom of the stroke. By using a slipper skirt piston and a 300 connecting rod, their is enough room in the 300 block to install a modified (mains reduced to 300 main size) 3.85 stroke 340/350 crank. With a over bore of .050 you end up with 349 c.i..
    For people who worry about rod length to stroke ratio, this combo yields a 1.55:1 ratio which is better that 454 chevy and several popular Ford and Chevy stroker motors.
    If this combo becomes popular, 300 blocks will be more valuable.
    I am currentely building such a motor and will keep you up-dated.
    Last edited by DynoDave; 03-11-2010 at 10:25 PM.

  6. #6
    pay close attention to the rod bolts and cam lobes as there will be minimal clearance with the 340-350 crank in a 300 block. curious as to what you did with the different main journal size of the 340-350 crank vs the smaller 300 main journals. Bob
    Bob Gibbs

  7. #7
    Even a 4 bbl intake is hard to find.... it was only made in 1965.


    not quite true. the 1965 intakes were cast iron, the 1964 intakes and heads were aluminum.

    there was an alum 4v intake available in 1964. if you get an alum intake, try to get the alum heads with it as the runners in the cast iron heads won't line up properly.



    i have heard people say that 340 parts are interchangeable is that true?


    some parts, yes. not the intake though, the 340 has a much taller deck and a much wider intake.

    some parts can also be stolen from the Buick 231 v6.

    something you'll probably find much stranger, there are a lot of parts that you can steal from Rover v8s, although you can't use their intakes either. the Buick/Olds/Rover 215ci is a shorter deck than the 300.
    http://www.aluminumv8.com/tech/tech.htm



    I am currentely building such a motor and will keep you up-dated.

    this combo has already been built by D&D Fabrications. see the link above.
    The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation.
    Vladimir Lenin

    Government schooling is about "the perfect organization of the hive."
    H.H. Goddard, Human Efficiency (1920)

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Gibbs View Post
    pay close attention to the rod bolts and cam lobes as there will be minimal clearance with the 340-350 crank in a 300 block. curious as to what you did with the different main journal size of the 340-350 crank vs the smaller 300 main journals. Bob
    Bob, you probably have experience or know about having to grind connecting rod bolts to clear the cam on a 383 small block Chevy stroker combo when using stock 5.7 in. Chevy rods. The same is true for the 300
    Buick stroker when installing the 340/350 crank. The bolt head on the side of the rod closest to the cam must be ground and, if done properly, the integrity of the bolt is maintained. It is advisable to only do this with aftermarket rod bolts such as ARP. The mains must be ground down from the 3 in. 340/350 size to 2.50 in. standard 300 dia. At first glance, this seems like a lot to remove but the machinist will be able to grind a larger than stock radius into the crank cheek which gives the crank more strength. The rear main seal journal must also be reduced. At 2.5 in., you still have a larger main than a 350 Chevy ( 2.45 in. ). This reduces bearing speed significantly, which reduces friction, and also lightens the crank.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by bob k. mando View Post
    Even a 4 bbl intake is hard to find.... it was only made in 1965.


    not quite true. the 1965 intakes were cast iron, the 1964 intakes and heads were aluminum.

    there was an alum 4v intake available in 1964. if you get an alum intake, try to get the alum heads with it as the runners in the cast iron heads won't line up properly.



    i have heard people say that 340 parts are interchangeable is that true?

    some parts, yes. not the intake though, the 340 has a much taller deck and a much wider intake.

    some parts can also be stolen from the Buick 231 v6.

    something you'll probably find much stranger, there are a lot of parts that you can steal from Rover v8s, although you can't use their intakes either. the Buick/Olds/Rover 215ci is a shorter deck than the 300.
    http://www.aluminumv8.com/tech/tech.htm



    I am currentely building such a motor and will keep you up-dated.

    this combo has already been built by D&D Fabrications. see the link above.
    I looked on their site and only see 215 stroker stuff. The largest combo I see is a 3.7 bore and a 3.4 ( stock 300 ) stroke. My motor uses a 300 block with a .050 over bore (3.8 in. ) and a 340/350 3.85 stroke. I am sure I am not the first to try this, but I never see anyone discuss it on any of the Buick web sites. I am also making major changes to the valve train to eliminate the weak Buick rocker arms. Because the stock 300/340 head has such poor flow numbers, especially considering it will have to feed 349 c.i., the head has received major porting with the aid of a flow-bench. This motor will be run on a dyno in one to two months. I will keep you posted.
    Last edited by DynoDave; 03-08-2010 at 10:56 PM.

  10. #10
    I looked on their site and only see 215 stroker stuff.


    yeah, i know. that was a one off project for them and it's been a couple of years. i was just pointing it out if you maybe wanted to give him a call and see if he'd let you pick his brain a little bit.

    their more typical stroking work is putting 300ci cranks into the 3.5L - 4.6L Rovers. being as they are Buick/Rover 215 specialists.




    the head has received major porting with the aid of a flow-bench.


    you are aware that 215/300/340/Rover-style alum heads are next up in TA's development timeline, right?
    The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation.
    Vladimir Lenin

    Government schooling is about "the perfect organization of the hive."
    H.H. Goddard, Human Efficiency (1920)

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