Topic: 231 buick v6

[YotaJohnBoy4x4]

what do you guys think about me putting one of these motors in my truck....?  a 231 buick v6.... how hard ... mounts evertyhing

[Rocksurfer]

I believe it's an easy swap, but there are issues with the buick motor and oil not pumping in the engine at extreme angles. You'd be better off with a Chevy 4.3 engine swap.

[camo89]

231s are getting hard to find but there a good fit in the yoda compartment id look for a 4.3for ease of parts

[RockRescue]

I had a 79 with the 231 in it  fit great  Advanced adapters makes everything you will need . Problems i had were breaking motor mounts  .  i got very good at extracting bolts out of the block . also DO NOT try and use a flex fan  unless you like to buy radeators . i went through 3 in 3 day  .  use a electric fan .  I know there are 2 different 231  a odd fire and a even fire ? i cant remember the diff rt now but mine came out of a Grand National . Very fun but also a pain cus i was always messing with something on it .  I stay all Toy now

[kneedownnate]

Steer clear of an odd fire, they're a wierd bird!  I'm pretty sure that was only on the earlier versions though.  Even fires should be fairly plentiful.  I've wanted to do it for quite some time, mostly because it's a far easier swap than a chevy v8/v6, and you don't have to body lift to clear the distributor.  Downey carries pretty much everything you need to do the swap too.  Also, stay away from grand national turbo engines too, unless you're going to stay with the turbo setup.  I'm not sure what it would take, but it might not be too hard to mount up a supercharger off a newer one too.

[yodaboy4life]

i like my 4.3l it has good power and OK amount of space left under the hood but i did not do the swap so I'm not much help here

[Willy Mammoth]

231 is only 3.8L and the 4.3 is well a 4.3L. The 4.3 is also a knock off of the 350 V8 and is a good motor.

I would skip the 231 and just do the 4.3 if you want a big V6.

[Ferg]

Kind of a theme going here.  Go 4.3!  Having had both, skip the 231 idea you'll be a LOT happier.

[Nothingface5384]

i'll be doing the same buick swap...but i'll be using the 252....4.1 engine has the lowend the 3.8 lacks..
You can steal all the ecm stuff off a chevy 4.3 if u want to fuel inject it along with a holly 4v to tbi intake adapter. if your sticking to carb get a 390cfm one.
i'll be putting in a rv cam  headers, and maybe upping the compression...hopfully i'll have close to 300lbs of torque, and around 180hp

btw for 2700 you can get yourself a centrifical s/c from xsperformance.net
and if you dont mind cutting up your hood hampton sells a roots blower for the 3.8 lol

[Ferg]

4.1s run hot.  The cyclinder walls are siameesed, therefor less coolant passage and no coolant between the cylinders.  Good luck!

[kyle_22r]

i always liked the idea of doing a 231 swap, but they're kinda funky engines.  i don't think that anybody's touched on the fact that they're lighter than the 4.3 as well.

i think the main problems were head gaskets and the oiling system is kind of wierd.  i did a bit of research into the swap a few years ago.

[Nothingface5384]

yea i did...but in another thread...roughly about 375 pounds..
i never heard of any headgaset problems...oiling passages yes..but u can always get them machined if your worried about that...and yea thanks i forgot about the siameesed walls of the 4.1.

[kneedownnate]

A $2700 supercharger would be nice, but a $50 eaton supercharger from pick n pull would be nicer!  Especially considering you could probably walk out the door with everything you need for less than $100, and I've seen full eaton rebuild kits on ebay for about $60 or so.  I still think for simplicity you can't beat this engine.  Yes, a 4.3 swap has a much greater aftermarket, but why do the same thing everybody else does, just because that's what they know?  You won't be pioneering toyota engine swaps, merely sticking with one of the simplest and easiest ones around.  I've always considered it because (atleast with the downey parts) all the drivetrain stays in the same location, it's fairly light for what it is and can make good power, you don't need to do a body lift or firewall work like with the 4.3, and when done right it looks like it was made to fit these trucks. 

I also think this is one of those love it or hate it swaps too.  Guys that have done a 4.3 and like it can't understand why anybody would do different.  Now with 3rz swaps becoming more prevelant, thanks to bigmike, I would be willing to bet some people will lean this way too the more proven it becomes.  I personally would rather swap in a 1kzt, but don't have the $5,000 to pony up for a half cut.

[Ferg]

I had a 3.8 back when they where 'the thing'.  Nothing but problems.

Now run a 4.3.  MUCH better!

[Nothingface5384]

hey ferg what  kind of problems did u encounter with the 3.8
just to give ppl who are doing one a heads up