Post-Nailhead Buick V8s

Isn’t the 350 Buick a fairly close relative of both the 215 (Aluminum) V8 and the 231 odd-fire V6? How do the external dimensions compare?

I’m a bit confused. Some preliminary research makes it sound as though the 215 begat the odd-fire Buick V6 and the cast-iron 300ci V8. The V6 stuck around until ‘67 and reappeared in ‘77 eventually becoming today’s even-fire 3.8L (which derives its displacement from using the same bore as a Buick 350 V8), and the 300 grew into eventually the 340. Is the 350 a direct enlargement of the 215-300-340, or some hybrid of the 430/455 and the 215-300-340?

I re-read Fat Hack’s excellent tech article on the Buick 350, but it doesn’t squarely address this. I guess my question is: Will a 350 Buick go where a 215 or an odd-fire V6 once lived?

-Dave

 

The 350 evolved from the 215/300/340 design, but the cylinder heads and intake manifold are 350 only. You can stick a distributor from a 350 Buick in a 215, and the basic camshaft design may be the same, but the bell housing pattern on the 350 is the common B-O-P pattern, like the 300/340, while the bell pattern on the 215 (and '62-'63 V6) is completely different.

 

What he said!!

I have been a Buick fan for a long time and used 231's, both oddfire and even fire, in several projects some years ago. I currently have both 340 and 350 engines in project vehicles. I even test fitted both, using stock exhaust manifolds, in my '54 GMC pickup, to see if the heads & manifolds of one offered better clearance than the other. There were virtually the same in that regard. Not so surprising since the ch***is' GM was using were essentially the same even though the body style changed between '67 & '68. Good engines in my opinion and, even better, they ARE NOT SBC's !

 

None of the engines you mentioned are Nailheads.
Learn all you need to know here
http://www.teambuick.com/

 

Unless the thread ***le has been edited, it clearly states "post-nailhead".
Just sayin'.

 

don't understand what point you are trying to make????????

 

I've got a bit of info on these.

The 225 and 231 are virtualy the same.
The "odd fire" came about from the unequal crank rotation between firing events.

http://home.off-road.com/~merls_garage/oddfire.html

The hot setup my dad did in the early 70's was to replace the 225 in jeeps with a 340/350, exact same bolts on the front, same motor mounts ect.

Still running that '67 340" in my jeepster.

 

Stupid me....I thought it meant Post concerning hailheads.

 

The aluminum 215" V8 doesn't have anything in common with the V8 or V6 engines that have been mentioned. GM sold the tooling and all rights to British Leyland and they have since been using it in Land Rover products.

 

I am sorry but you are mistaken, at least partly.......Yes GM sold the tooling to Rover in England and they may still be using it. But that doesn't change the fact that the '64 Buick 300 cu in V8 was a direct decendant of the '61 thru '63 aluminum 215. Changes were made for '64, presumably for at least two reason, iron vs alum cost savings and the larger size and weight of the upsized '64 GM intermediates required nore power. A**** those changes were the iron block, longer stroke and changed bellhousing bolt pattern for example. In fact it is common practice of 215 builders to retrofit the 300 crank into 215's. The '64's retained the aluminum heads and intake manifold form the prior models. In '65 and thereafter the heads and manifolds were iron as well. As previously stated, the 340 is punched 300 with minor head modifications. The 350 likewise, but the heads and intake were modified still further.
The original Buick V6's of '61 thru '63 (198 cu in) were iron versions of the alum V8 with two less cylinders, 90* cylinder banks, and resulted in the 90-150-90-150 etc firing rotation. This caused a lateral shake, rather than verticle, and very soft rubber mounts were used to absorb it. The '64 up 225's were punched out versions of the 198 and with the changed bell housing pattern of the 300 up V8's.

GM also sold the tooling for the V6 225's to Kaiser Jeep Corp for continued use in Jeeps until it was replace with the AMC 6's about 1971 (after AMC bought K-J), if I recall correctly. GM repurchased the tooling and intro'd the V6 again in '75 Buicks and later redesigned the crank and cams to fire evenly. That was done by grinding two seperate journals on the same throw, offsetting one from the other, though the rods rotated side by side. Along the way displacement was boosted to 231 (3.8L). The same crank technique was used later on the Chev 229 & 262 (4.3.L) 90* V6's

 

225 v6's are 3/4 of the 300 Wildcat V8, 231 V6's are 3/4 of the (buick) 350 V8. So pistons, rings, rods, rod bearings, disty, oil pump are interchangable. Main bearings may be, not sure.