Author Topic: 3.8L V6 Buick (Read 5316 times)

Toyojoe50 · « **on:** Nov 25, 2008, 10:39:28 AM »

Hey i was wonderin if anyone has information about this oddfire 3.8L V6 Buick engine, i have it in my 79 toyota and i am havin a hard time with the getting it runnin. if anyone knows what the timing on the distributor to the engine is that would be a huge help, and any other info on this engine would be helpful. thanks.

Hawk Thor · « **Reply #1 on:** Nov 25, 2008, 03:11:22 PM »

Search for "L36", might have to add "V6", "Buick" or "Camaro" to the search but you´re sure to find some info.

kneedownnate · « **Reply #2 on:** Nov 25, 2008, 10:00:22 PM »

there's a ton of info out there on the buick v6. Let me know how it goes, cause I'm planning on sticking one in one of my rigs at some point

Toyojoe50 · « **Reply #3 on:** Nov 25, 2008, 10:52:34 PM »

Quote from: kneedownnate on Nov 25, 2008, 10:00:22 PM

there's a ton of info out there on the buick v6. Let me know how it goes, cause I'm planning on sticking one in one of my rigs at some point

ok ill let ya know how it goes, ive only heard good things about it just from talking to other people who have done this swap, but ill let ya know.

Ferg · « **Reply #4 on:** Nov 30, 2008, 01:54:20 PM »

Had 3.8L swap years back. Now have 4.3L, much better.

kneedownnate · « **Reply #5 on:** Nov 30, 2008, 02:38:13 PM »

What were the downsides ferg? I know even the low hp version of the 4.3 makes around 50hp more than a standard 3.8, but had you done anything to bring up the power on the 3.8 or did you leave it stock?

Nothingface5384 · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 12, 2008, 05:41:35 PM »

odd fire huh? so you had a 77 and older 231?
78 and up is evenfire
then the fuel injected ones from 3800 series 1 to 4?

Toyojoe50 · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 18, 2008, 02:14:33 PM »

Quote from: Nothingface5384 on Dec 12, 2008, 05:41:35 PM

odd fire huh? so you had a 77 and older 231?
78 and up is evenfire
then the fuel injected ones from 3800 series 1 to 4?

well they actually split the oddfires and even fires in 77, they were making odd fires for the first half of 77 and then the second half they switched over to the even fireing engines. im not sure about the newer engines i dont know much about those. do you or have you had a buick?

Nothingface5384 · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 18, 2008, 02:21:49 PM »

yea, i'm a big buick guy, had a 79 regal with a 3.8, 64 lesabre with a buick 300, and my 72 lark with a 350

and what i learned is they really run well when you power time the dizzy and love bigger carbs then other engine

v8buick is a good board

Nothingface5384 · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 18, 2008, 02:43:56 PM »

downsides compared to the chev7 4.3 would be it would need oil mods to the timming cover and the hole to the pickup in the block(not needed buy always good to do)..both easy to correct..buick is detuned from the factory too, rv or mid range cam would be a nice upgrade, along with powertimming the distrubutor, both easy and cheap. engine runs a tad hott compared to the chevy but all buicks run on the hotterside..
pros would be lighter engine (375 vs 450), distro up front, more torque once you power time it

looking up the fireing order now

Nothingface5384 · « **Reply #10 on:** Dec 18, 2008, 02:58:48 PM »

btw, firing order
1-6-5-4-3-2

Nothingface5384 · « **Reply #11 on:** Dec 21, 2008, 08:24:11 AM »

bump, get it running decent yet?

kneedownnate · « **Reply #12 on:** Dec 21, 2008, 02:33:37 PM »

Quote from: Nothingface5384 on Dec 18, 2008, 02:43:56 PM

more torque once you power time it

More info please! I've been seriously considering selling my 231 since they don't make a ton of power, maybe go with a 22ret instead, but I'm curious to know what kinda hp and torque numbers we're talking about?

Nothingface5384 · « **Reply #13 on:** Dec 21, 2008, 03:56:19 PM »

i have no persoanl experience with the oddfire buick 225 nor the oddfire 231(3.8) just the laster buick 231 and 4.1 engines but mainly buick 300/340/350
but it all shall apply as they were all dirived from the buick 215 :-)

the 3.8 wasnt tuned/built for performance, but rather economy...so they stuck a :pokinit:ty cam in it, tuned the distro for ecomonly and pair it with a car that had 2.41s in the axle!

but yea...it's just like building any other engine
pair of headers and 2.25 duals, 4v intake(aftermarket is easier then finding one off a 4.1 engine) 390 holly or 400cfm carter/edelborck on a stock engine 500cfm edelbrock on a stout one.

chevy 250 distributor cap with evenely spaced terminals and a hi-volt coil kit.
can tune the distro with more advance all in before 2500 rpms with probly no more then 34 total timming something like 16 inital 12 advance and about 5 or 6 vacumme
2600-2800 stall
a nice midrange cam will wake the engine up too(poston buick and ta performance are the best) something with .420 lift anything more you'll need the guides cut.
i beleive you can put oversized valves in
good mild street port will do wonders also( can do for free if you have a dremel)

4.56 gearing wiud do nicely

doesnt take much work to get 1 hp per cu with these engines
type of cam really determins the total balance of the peak hp and tq..

Nothingface5384 · « **Reply #14 on:** Dec 21, 2008, 04:05:53 PM »

PAW cam # 10303 is a nice cam too

something like
217 HP @ 5500 RPM
237 FTLBS @ 3500 RPM

i seen another combo that had 275 ft of torque with about the same hp

Nothingface5384 · « **Reply #15 on:** Dec 21, 2008, 04:24:31 PM »

btw, nate, if you want a v8 that'll drop in with no mods a buick 300/340/350 will be it
lots of torque out the box, and can find a running one with 80k for 50 to 150 bucks
uses same mounts..only thing you may have to rework from the previous buick v6 setup would be the exhaust downpipe and maybe a larger radiator
buick 350 is the lightest at 450 lbs...unless you find the 64 300(iron block w/ al heads/intake...400lbs all iron 300 is more like 468 lbs

kneedownnate · « **Reply #16 on:** Dec 21, 2008, 08:15:33 PM »

Mine's an evenfire

It's set up with an edelbrock intake manifold and carb and what appear to be advance adapters headers. I don't think it has anything special for a cam, probably just stock. Since it's a rebuilt engine, I figured I'd probably wait till break in is complete before I stuck a bigger cam in it.

If I went with a v8 it'd be a ford small block

Toyojoe50 · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 03, 2009, 02:09:22 PM »

ya isnt that buick 350 an alluminum block?

Quote from: Nothingface5384 on Dec 21, 2008, 04:24:31 PM

btw, nate, if you want a v8 that'll drop in with no mods a buick 300/340/350 will be it
lots of torque out the box, and can find a running one with 80k for 50 to 150 bucks
uses same mounts..only thing you may have to rework from the previous buick v6 setup would be the exhaust downpipe and maybe a larger radiator
buick 350 is the lightest at 450 lbs...unless you find the 64 300(iron block w/ al heads/intake...400lbs all iron 300 is more like 468 lbs

Nothingface5384 · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 03, 2009, 06:02:55 PM »

nope...its all iron at 450 lbs

buick 215 v8 is all aluminum so are the rover engines 3.9-4.6 or something like that..which are also buicks

79 turd · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 03, 2009, 07:06:37 PM »

I have seen some v6 buicks run hard most of them are black and are good at doing

kneedownnate · « **Reply #20 on:** Feb 03, 2009, 11:25:25 PM »

I'm guessing they say grand national on the side and whistle while they work

kneedownnate · « **Reply #21 on:** Feb 03, 2009, 11:43:03 PM »

So does anybody have any suggestions on which cam to run in one? I want to pull as much potential out of the engine as possible if I run it, and it seems like a good cam and some head work will go a long way.

79 turd · « **Reply #22 on:** Feb 04, 2009, 07:10:36 PM »

i will have to look in to it a lil but you might be able to put a roller cam in it and there are lots of options out there for those.

Toyojoe50 [OP]

Toyojoe50 [OP]

Toyojoe50 [OP]

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