Hi, I just picked up a 64 Rivi that has been garaged since 1977. She was ticking hard so I pulled the intake and the valley pan, installed new lifters, push rods and one hammered rocker arm. I cleaned everything up and put it back together. It's still ticking. How long does it take for a set of lifters to pump up? Is there a test to determine if I have problem in the lower end? (besides redlining the motor until something lets go). Thanks. Trying to make the Pile Up. Mike
Did you watch the rockers to make sure that they're all moving like they should and you don't have a flattened lobe on the cam? It would behoove you to pull the pan and clean it out, and pull rod caps one at a time and check bearings.
Is it a 401 or 425? I ask, because over the years I've heard a lot of stories of 425s throwing rods, from a bunch of different people, some abusing the engines, some just tooling down the highway, but I've never heard anyone talk about killing a 401. -Brad
Thanks. I was hoping to drive it to the Pile Up. Rebuilding the engine isn't really feasable between now and Thursday night. I have the gas tank being dipped, no exhaust and absolutely no test miles. If I didn't have that pesky thing called work or the need to eat and sleep...Maybe. Mike
It's a 425...I had it running last night for a few minutes. She started idling fast and then got rough and died. It sounds odd now when cranking but nothing is hanging out of the case and it does still crank. There is definately something ugly going on...
Never heard of that happening, heard of people abusing them and them going south, but not just out of the blue. Since the car sat up for some time, did you change the oil before running it? Did it have oil pressure? You should be able to use either a mechanics stethascope or a long screwdriver to listen and determine where it's coming from....
If this one has crank/rod issues, it'd be the fifth one I've heard of in casual conversation. One from a guy at work who wasn't abusing it, one sitting in a junkyard, Lamar Walden rebuilt one a bunch of years ago that had rod troubles and had blown the block once before (it was welded/repaired when Lamar got it), and I read about one on a website a couple years ago, but I forget which site. It might have been Marty at NW Speed...either that or it was the Nailhead group. This would make 5, and I've never heard of a 401 having problems. -Brad
I've been on the Nailhead list since it started 5 years ago, and the one previous to it, I don't think it was there, though there does seem to be some truth to the 401's having better wall thickness than the 425's. If it came out of Marty's mouth I wouldn't trust it. What one sitting in a junkyard? Was it pulled out of one and had a knock? The Lamar one, it was already an issue once, did he line bore the mains for the rebuild? Not saying you're wrong... I just have to say I'm a bit skeptical... I've been playing with Nailheads for quite a while and have not heard of any problems. As a matter of fact they have been one of the most bullet proof bottom ends in my experience. All forged, quality castings. I probably need to knock on wood now as I'm getting ready to fire up a freshly rebuilt 425 this week.
Not to rain on anyone's parade, but dam near every early Buick knocked.........a little...mostly due to cracked piston skirts......but it has been a very long time since then...back when they were new, late 50s and 60s..........but like most have said...the crank and rods seemed to hang in there, even with a bit of a knock, knock, knock.... M.
Unless you forget to run 'em with oil, it's kind of hard to mess up a nailhead......with those tiny valves, it's damn near impossible to over rev them, IMO. I've been running a 2x4 401 for about 7 years in a '55 Special with a 4-speed and a 3.36 rear end. I probably put on 2-3k miles a year, a couple of trips down a local drag strip for shits & giggles, as well as a 2k mile trip back & forth to the Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, KY. in 2006 and a trip to the Rumble in '04 (?). The trip to BG was at 70+ mph all the way, with the tach at 3k-3200 rpm. The engine runs just as good as when I assembled it all those years ago.
Guy came into Lamar's shop with a 2x4 Riv that had a bad knock. Lamar pulled the engine and saw that the block had been repaired once before. Told the dude to find a new engine because he wasn't going to touch that one. (Lamar doesn't usually mess around with anything but Chevys, but when I found a 2x4 intake, one valve cover and a pair of heads in his storage room, I started asking questions!) One in the junk yard was in Alabama, sitting there on the ground with a window in the block. Old guy told me he wanted $800 for it! And no, he wasn't kidding. "The block's no good, but you can still use the heads, oil pan, and probably most of the other pistons and rods." I was speechless. And the guy at work who lunched one. He's been a Buick guy since coming home from the hospital in a '56. That's three. We'll throw out the other one, because I'm not sure where I heard it. This one would make four 425s that I know of, all dying due to a problem with the reciprocating assembly. And I've NEVER heard of a 401 doing it. -Brad
That's funny as the reciprocating assembly from a 401/425 are the same. Bore is different while means pistons are different, block is different... Crank and rods are the same.... except for the early 401's with the dynaflow crank end.... Still leaves me with questions as the why the ones failed.
I know! I've wondered too. Totally speculation...I've wondered if it was the blocks or pistons. It doesn't really matter to me, since the chances of me ever owning a 425 are slim, but I find it interesting anyway. -Brad
The Jalopy Journal
