Richard454 Richard Hayes Atlanta, GA (5 posts) Registered: 08/30/2009 08:14PM Main British Car: 65 & 71 Corvette, BMW 320i 327ci, TBD, Buick 215 |
Buick Motor Works...German/American/British swap
I'm finally getting back to a project I had running decades ago- a Buick 215 into a BMW 320i.
I had it running in the late eighties-took it apart and it has just sat. Good new is- I have decided to get it back together. I'm running a Buick block and will update the heads w/ Rover's 3.9 HRC 2479, Edelbrock 4bbl w/ Holley 390cfm. Have TR8 Bellhousing/Flywheel (lightened)/Clutch and slave mated to a LT77 5 speed. The shifter came off a Jag- was shorter and worked out great. Rover 3500 exhaust manifolds & valve covers-Plus a Rover Tach mounted behind the BMW face. I'm test fitting the motor-and was looking to do something different w/ the oilpan. Had a Buick center sump pan- cut and mover the sump to the front. Just doesn't seem like there's enough oil capacity. I have a Rover 3.9 aluminum pan sitting around and it looks a heck of a lot more substantial than the old Buick/Olds/Pontiac. Has anybody cut and flipped this one(Rover 3.9) around to a front sump OR does anyone know of a 215 pan that's front sumped? I've seen the Dry sump set up-but this car will mostly see the street. I've got 3½" worth of clearance from the bellhousing to the center of the pan -than almost 7" from the center to the front. Any ideas? Thanks in advance- Richard PS-What a GREAT forum-My eyes are bleeding after trying to see every piece of info this site has!!! |
NixVegaGT Nicolas Wiederhold Minneapolis, MN (659 posts) Registered: 10/16/2007 05:30AM Main British Car: '73 Vega GT 4.9L Rover/Buick Stroker |
Re: Buick Motor Works...German/American/British swap
That's a sweet project. So it was running with the 215 back in the eighties? Dude. I'm with you on the oil capacity. I think mine was 4 qts. if I remember right in my 215 Vega. I swapped the oil pan for a 300 and fabricated a new crossmember to accommodate it. I was thinking about adding some metal to the sump even still. The remote filters help raise the capacity a bit if you're interested in doing that. It looks like you've got tons of room in the front.
If I'm seeing it right it looks like the engine sits just ahead of the centerline of the front wheels. Is that right? I'm looking forward to seeing how this one turns out. Cool! |
Richard454 Richard Hayes Atlanta, GA (5 posts) Registered: 08/30/2009 08:14PM Main British Car: 65 & 71 Corvette, BMW 320i 327ci, TBD, Buick 215 |
Re: Buick Motor Works...German/American/British swap
Thanks-
I did have it running and drove it for a thousand miles or so. Kept having low oil pressure issues-figured out it was the rocker arm shaft- one had broken-when a bolt pulled loose out of the head. The engine sits nicely -like you said at the centerline of the front wheels. And actually weighs LESS -than the iron block 4cyl that was in there originally. About 325lbs vs 340lbs. As far as the oil pan goes- I really like the substantial pan that I've got sitting around here off a Rover 3.9. The P/U would be easy to modify (shorten) so I might just see what my welder friend can do about flipping the sump around to the front. Here's the pan- |
castlesid Kevin Jackson Sidcup UK (361 posts) Registered: 11/18/2007 10:38AM Main British Car: 1975 MGB GT Rover V8 4.35L |
Re: Buick Motor Works...German/American/British swap
Richard,
Has your block got cross bolted mains as the sump you show is from a 4.0/4.6 engine, the 3.9 engines had a steel sump? Kevin. |
Richard454 Richard Hayes Atlanta, GA (5 posts) Registered: 08/30/2009 08:14PM Main British Car: 65 & 71 Corvette, BMW 320i 327ci, TBD, Buick 215 |
Re: Buick Motor Works...German/American/British swap
Kevin-
I got the engine in parts from my buddy's machine shop- and was told it was a 3.9... My first thought was to got through this engine and use it-BUT I already have a bunch invested in the Buick block-so I'd see what was interchangeable and/or better. Everything I wanted to swap would just add up-so I decided the heads would be the only parts to go w/ on the Buick block. The block IS crossdrilled for the main caps- HRC 2411 is the block casting numbers so it looks like a more desirable 4.0 block. Thanks for pointing that out!! So maybe now I look at a 3.9 sump? The one I have looks like it'll take a lot of work to move the sump to the front since the pan is also offset to one side. Richard |
roverman Art Gertz Winchester, CA. (3188 posts) Registered: 04/24/2009 11:02AM Main British Car: 74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L |
Re: Buick Motor Works...German/American/British swap
Richard, If you could only find Larry Wolbrink, formerly of Yorba linda, CA., he could answer, ALL of your questions. Larry did this same swap with a turboed ,215" in approx. 1985? He ran it at Riv. Int. Raceway at a Bimmer club event. It ran away and hid from many big $ Bimmer's on the straights. He used a new T-5 and as I recall the car wound-up lighter. Let's remember, there are multiple ways to get increased oil capacity. Remote oil resovoir,(s), Like Moroso, verticle bottle,1.5 qts. ea./cheep.Use (2) one on frt of oil supply, one on rear. If you want to reduce "cold start wear", put a solenoid in the line. Oil cooler, yet another. Use your Rover pan tray or cut-down a "B-block"Mopar to fit.Makes for effective, full length ,windage tray. good Luck. roverman.
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roverman Art Gertz Winchester, CA. (3188 posts) Registered: 04/24/2009 11:02AM Main British Car: 74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L |
Re: Buick Motor Works...German/American/British swap
Whoops, forgot, it "mite" be easier to convert a Ford front sump pan. roverman.
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castlesid Kevin Jackson Sidcup UK (361 posts) Registered: 11/18/2007 10:38AM Main British Car: 1975 MGB GT Rover V8 4.35L |
Re: Buick Motor Works...German/American/British swap
Richard,
Difficult to see in your picture but I see no sign of the cross bolt holes or undrilled bosses in your block, they are low on the side and obviously line up with the mains caps.Looks the same as my 4.35L 3.9 based engine. You could use either a 3.9 or slightly smaller SD1 sump. I suppose it might be possible to cut the flange off the top, turn it round and weld it back together again and modify the pick up/strainer to suit., The SD1 is also slightly shallower and may give better clearance. The Buick 215 may also work but I think the rover ones are a bit more solid. Kevin. |
Richard454 Richard Hayes Atlanta, GA (5 posts) Registered: 08/30/2009 08:14PM Main British Car: 65 & 71 Corvette, BMW 320i 327ci, TBD, Buick 215 |
Re: Buick Motor Works...German/American/British swap
Kevin-
I have several blocks laying around...The one mocked up in the car is a Olds- The one at the machine shop -that's gonna go back in the car is a Buick. The one I got the alum pan off is just sitting in my basement (see pic) and now I know Is a 4.0 Rover block. I might just get the "Speedway Motor's" Oil pan kit that Greg Myers did an article on- [www.britishv8.org] I'll also look and see if there are any Ford Front sumps lying around too. I've got a couple Buick pans at the machine shop- but The aluminum looked really pretty!! So- I'll see what my welder buddy thinks- Thanks for all the input. Richard |
castlesid Kevin Jackson Sidcup UK (361 posts) Registered: 11/18/2007 10:38AM Main British Car: 1975 MGB GT Rover V8 4.35L |
Re: Buick Motor Works...German/American/British swap
Richard,
Assumed the block in the earlier pic was the one you were describing. As you have a nice 4.0 block and alloy sump you could in due course build it into a stroker bottom end. easy to make it 4.6 and if you use the 4.0 pistons you get approx 10.8/1 comp ratio. With a stroker kit anything up to 5.2L is possible. Good luck with the project. Kevin. |