future engine build up planning....

[MY85pontiac]

ok so i'm a buick V6 nut. for some reason i like the n/a buick V6 and i'm thinking of building one up in the future for a mild application about 250-300 HP with EFI (like TBI) and i'm wondering what i have to do to achieve that with a n/a engine.

if i want 9:1 compression do i have to get custom pistons? i cant find any that are above 8:1.

what kind of cam specs should i look for and what would be the most important aspects? i dont know much about selecting a cam for a buick V6 so any help would be appreciated. what about lifters, springs, push rods, rocker assemblies? can i use the stock stuff?


do they make a blower for the buick V6? all i see is turbo stuff, no supercharger, no blower stuff. dont get me wrong i like turbos but i wanna try a blower, that would just blow everyones mind to see a blower on something other than a V8. of course if i go boosted the compression will be down to 8:1 and IF i can get a blower i'll use a carb, otherwise i might go SFI turbo or twin turbo and go for 500 HP.


am i nuts for liking the n/a buick v6???? all i hear is "put a 350 in that car" or "put a GN motor in there" but what i really hate is people who with "you need...(insert engine of choice here)".

 

[gunnervirus]

P.A.W. sells hyper pistons for about 180ish. The book says it would give you about 9.5 to 1 static compression. That would be about the highest you could go on pump gas without having to retard the timing.

Isky cams are pretty good for N/A. they go for about 120.

You could leave the valvetrain stock.

With mildly ported heads, a 4 barrel, and a good exhaust. That should put you around 200, if not more.

Hope this helps,

Ben

 

[MY85pontiac]

well oddly enough i found a blower! http://www.blowerdriveservice.com/blower_comp_kit.html

i dont know how much it is but i expect it to cost at least 1500 bucks. if i go with a blower i'll definitely need forged internals.

they have a stage i that can make up to 12-15 pounds of boost, i'd say thats enough to make some nice HP and torque numbers.

i'm stilling considering making it n/a but the thought of freaking people out on the street with a blower on a V6 seems intruiging to say the least. normally when you see a blower you automatically think "its on a V8" whooping on people with a blown V6 especially a buick motor that isnt turbo would show that buick V6's in general can be a major threat to V8's and four banging ricers alike. i can be domestic and "different" at the same time. after all when was the last time you saw a blown Buick V6 rolling down the street?

 

[unboostedV6]

Yes, you're nuts. GB

 

[MY85pontiac]

well finally, someone with some courage and honesty. either that or you're just as crazy!


any idea how much power i might get out of a basically stock block with forged internals, compression of about 8:1, slightly better than stock cam, maybe some head work for better flow.

so if i go with a blower at what point would i need a turbo block? how much boost can i get away with on a n/a block? i wasnt thinking of going any more than maybe 7 pounds of boost. i think this level of boost would be ok, wouldnt it?

 

[b4black]

Are you going for power or shock value? A 4-71 GMC blower will certainly shock. But it won't be effective ($/hp) for making power, IMO.


There isn't any difference between a turbo block and a NA block (bare). Ditto on the heads. The differences are all in the internals. A NA short block can handle 10psi from a turbo just fine. I would put it on the motor you already have. What's the worst that could happen? If you break it, there's plenty more in the junkyard. I would get a real price on that 4-71, I'm thinking i would be over 2 grand. You could buy a complete SFI drivetrain for that.


If your really interested in making power, cheaply, effectivly and still different, go with (drum roll please), a blow thru turbo. Add the exhaust from a 86/87 turbo V6 to your motor and force it thru your carb instaed of a throttle body. I'm already collecting parts to try this someday.


OR how about a twin turbo carb set up? Nasty83Regal is trying to sell one. That would be different (expensive and inefficent like the GMC however). http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58568

 

[MY85pontiac]

i know a guy that has done blow through turbo setups and it is intersting but he also said tuning it can be a nightmare if you dont know how and i dont know how to tune a carb fora turbo application. he mentioned i get some a book i think is called maximum boost and it would point me in the right direction.


he also putan evil thought into my head which he has done, twin turbo blow through. he found that two turbos make the engine more streetable.


are you saying i can put a turbo on my n/a motor and run it up to 10 PSI? i had talked about this once before with my old auto tech teacher who worked at a buick dealership when GNs were still NEW cars and told me i shouldnt run any boost on this engine because of the cast internals. yes buick V6's are a dime a dozen at the junkyard but i see no sense in doing something that might be foolish. i prefer doing things correctly or the best way possible. so yes price is a concern but what is more important is doing the build up correctly no matter what setup i go with. i want to be different and a blower WOULD be different, not cheap but definitely different. n/a is nice and i would like to make some a good amount of power with no power adders like a turbo or blower but i also like the allure of going boosted instead of getting a big cam and high compression.

 

[b4black]

Originally posted by MY85pontiac
are you saying i can put a turbo on my n/a motor and run it up to 10 PSI?

Yep!

I know the motor in my '82 GN/SC is a NA. If you go to a GM reman or Goodwrech engine, they now specify a 3.8 NA (VIN A) shortblock as a replacement for VIN 3 and 8 motors (Carb/Turbos), with a warrenty.

Poeple have run NA engines in SFI cars to some pretty good times. They are pretty durable engines. If can find a good running 4.1, I will use it as is and add a turbo to it. When/IF I start running in the 12's then I'll start to worry.