Have a nailhead question?

I here about I have a nailhead motor in this car with several different displacements. I don't know if these people are full of **** or not. I am buy know means a Buick person so I have no idea what is fact or fiction I am just curious what is the real "nailhead" motor or are there several versions and what makes it ? Thanks for any info and I will try to keep the dumb questions to a minumum.

 

Well, I believe, anything with vertical heads made by Buick is a Nailhead.

322, 364, 401, 425. All of those are Nailheads. They also made some smaller aluminum ones, but I don't know the displacements of those off the top of my head.

EDIT: Did some looking, the other size for a Nailhead would have been a 264, and the smaller, aluminum V8's aren't cl***ified as Nailheads, but "Buick Small-Blocks."

 

There is also a 264 nailhead.

 

Don't confuse nailheads with the 215 and 300 cubic inch Buick V8s that were produced from '61-'67. They also have vertical valve covers (like a true nailhead). If the distributor's in the front, it's not a nailhead.

 

Thanks for the tip, I was doing some research, and I did find that out to be true. Thanks for keeping me straight.

 

The nailhead is characterized by its vertically positioned valves. This is why the valve covers sit parallel (rather than V'd), and give them their unique look. The relatively small size of the valves (like "nails") give them their name.

The later Buick 300 motor (sometime erroneously referred to as a "baby nailhead") externally resembles it , with vertical valve covers. But the valve placement in the head is different, hence they are not true "Nailheads".

Edit: I see this was addressed as i was typing.

 

Vertical valve nailheads came out in '53 and lasted till '66. Cubes in '53 were 322. In '54 the cubes were 264 and 322. Pretty much anything with a two barrel was a 264. I think all '55's were 322's. 364's were for '57 and '58. '59 started with 401's and 425's were an option starting in '63. So much for boring information.

To me there are three cl***ically beautiful engines: a Nailhead; a HEMI and a Flathead. But that's just me!

 

Thanks guys ! much appreciated and understood ! Won't be B.S.ed again !

 

53-56 264 and 322

57 started the 364 went to 61

59 started the 401 went to 66

63 came the 425 went to 66

The 254 and 322 share a bellhousing pattern.
The 364, 401, 425 share a bellhousing pattern.
As was said all distributors are in the back.

 

All '56 Buicks had the 322 cu in. 1955 was the last year for the 264.

 

I love 'em...................

 

The 264 was in the 1954 and 1955 Special only, and was only a 2bbl carb. Absolutely everything interchanges with the 322 for those years, except the block and pistons. Buick actually cast a separate block that can NOT be bored to 322.
The 264 had no harmonic balancer, just a cast lower pulley. I think, but am not certain, that the 1953 322 also had no balancer.

I believe that a 2bbl carb was standard for the Special and Century line, with a 4bbl optional in the Century line. Not sure about the Super or Road Masters.

In '56, all Buicks had the 322.

Breathers in the oil fill cap and valley pan from '53 to mid '55, when they changed to caps in the valve covers.

-Brad

 

I thought all Century's had 4bbl carbs. Was like a Roadmaster motor in a Special body. Like a Super 88 Olds was a 98 motor in an 88 body????

 

Don't know about Olds' but...
Special had shorter wheelbase (122 inches) and smaller body, and 250hp engine, 2bbl.
Century also had shorter wheelbase and smaller body, but 300 hp engine, four-barrel carb.
Super had bigger body and longer wheelbase (127,5 inches) and 300 hp engine, 4bbl
Roadmaster had longer wheelbase, bigger body, some extra sidetrim and 300 hp/4bbl nailhead.
These were in '57 and '58.
Pontiac, Cadillac, Oldsmobile, all had tri-powers as option during late fifties, been thinking why Buick did not offer one?

 

good info and great picture

 

I've got a good friend who is has a TON of '54 Buick stuff--he loves those cars.
I wrote to him, and here's what he had to say for the carbs:

54, 55 Specials - 264's with 2 bbl (This is the smaller body)

54,55 Super 322 with 2bbl (This is the bigger body)

Above with Stromberg and Carter, mostly Strombergs

54, 55 Century 322 with 4 bbl (Smaller body)

54, 55 Roadmaster with 4 bbl (Big body)

Above with Carter maybe a few Stroms

56 Specials, Supers 322's with 2 bbl. Carter and Stromberg

56 Century's, Roadmaster's 322 with 4 bbl most Rochester some Carters

He wasn't positive about the crank pulley vs. balancer for '53 322s, but is leaning toward them having no balancer, just a cast steel crank pulley that presses on just like a balancer would.

-Brad

 

great engines man - beautiful engineering!

 

Brad, you must be talking about Lamar.....

 

Yup, that'd be Lamar.

Great guy, and his collection of cars, parts knowledge about these things has REALLY expanded since I met him 5 years ago.

-Brad

 

Lamar knowing where to find Buick parts is how Brad met a scruffy old fart that lived on a hill in the woods.
Has it only been five years?
Seems soooo much longer.

 

You're not old.

-Brad

 

Brad:

The 322 in my shop is from Lamar. It was surrounded by a Roadmaster once!

Gary

 

Wonder if that was the Roadmaster that got loaded on a trailer with a loader on a rainy afternoon in north AL....

Brian

 

Brian, my lonely nailhead came out of a Kansas Roadmaster...

 

Beautiful to look at and I can testify, more expensive to build than a SBC!

Atlantic Machine in New Bedford, MA, just finished a complet rebuild on mine last week. '64 Riviera 401. cu.in. with a hot cam. 1" aluminum risers for the Quadrajet intake, Sanderson headers, steel flywheel. Will mate to a Tremec 5-speed in my deuce roadster in the background here. Lots of work still to go!!!!

 

Hey woodie,
Do you have a local supplier for cast iron water pumps?

 

Does anyone know of a book or web site dedicated to building a Nailhead? The guy I sold my 401 to knows less than me about them (Hard to do), he asked me for guidance on building a tough drag race motor out of it!
Any books like 'how to build a 401' something like that??
I miss my beautiful motor.
Doc.

 

Sorry, I don't. I bought a new FlowKooler pump for this engine. I have the old original if you want it for rebuilding?

 

Try here........

http://www.buickstreet.com/build-a-better-buick-nailhead-page1.html

 

Awesome man, thanks. When the motor was mine I was on a few Buick boards but there was a lot of conflicting info. Had the heads done at Gessler to level 4, man this thing would have been a sweet motor!
http://www.gesslerheadporting.com/m...9be03ed92964066b85256dd80027777d!OpenDo***ent