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63 riviera engine swap ??

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by lonely king, May 6, 2012.

  1. lonely king
    Joined: Mar 8, 2006
    Posts: 418

    lonely king
    Member

    hey guys
    need to some help here on a engine swap for a 63 riviera..I searched thru the threads but alot of opinions..my engine has a knock on it stock 401 with a stock dyna flow trans ..on a budget and i know its costly for a rebuild on this engine ...and dyna flow only will bolt on to the 63 motor ..im hearing a 351 olds will bolt right in ?? please help with with some advise guys ..im not a motor guys and need advise as im looking ideas that will help me in getting the car road worthy ..thanks ,,
     
  2. oldolds
    Joined: Oct 18, 2010
    Posts: 3,407

    oldolds
    Member

    I would look for the newer nailhead motor with a TH400 behind it. I think you might need the driveshaft as well. I think 65 or so.
     
  3. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    The 351 Olds will not bolt right in. The reality of the situation is that replacing the engine with anything except another Nailhead will end up costing you more in the long run. Especially if your time is worth anything. I would say the first order of business is to determine what the knock is. where is it coming from? There are a couple things that can end up sounding worse than you think they are. Bad rocker or rocker shaft is one. So I'd suggest a more thorough investigation to determine the exact problem before a plan of action is formulated.
     
  4. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    64 through 66 had the SP/ST400's
     

  5. Painter D
    Joined: Jan 9, 2009
    Posts: 277

    Painter D
    Member
    from DFW

    I agree with this.
     
  6. super10
    Joined: May 20, 2007
    Posts: 64

    super10
    Member
    from oklahoma

    I agree with zman, not mention the cool factor you would be losing if you took out the nailhead. I own one these cars myself and for me it has been rock solid dependable in stock form.
     
  7. PackardV8
    Joined: Jun 7, 2007
    Posts: 1,170

    PackardV8
    Member

    No, that 351" Oldsmobile is even more rare and expensive to rebuild than your 401" Buick.

    Yes, agree completely. R&R, cleaning, machine work is the same for any engine rebuild. The Buick parts are more expensive than for a belly button, but what isn't?

    Bottom line - get someone who knows how to troubleshoot your knock, then start saving to fix it right. You'll be glad you did.

    jack vines
     
  8. lonely king
    Joined: Mar 8, 2006
    Posts: 418

    lonely king
    Member

    thanks guys !!!
     
  9. d2_willys
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 4,285

    d2_willys
    Member
    from Kansas

    Neutral safety switch is different, along with shift indicator. Crossmember may be different too.
     
  10. slacker1965
    Joined: Aug 17, 2007
    Posts: 120

    slacker1965
    Member

    please don't kill the value of your rivvy.
    you can drop the pan w/o taking your motor out(you do hafta lift it up tho)
    have you tried searching for a running 401? if yours is terminal that is.....
    you probably will be able to find a car with a running nailhead without too much effort..... seen lots go for $500-$1500.....
    searchtempest et al is your friend.....
    since you have a dynaflow, I think you can go a coupla years earlier on a 401 & still be a bolt in, others here & on the buick sites will know...
    good luck, keep us posted
     
    Last edited: May 9, 2012
  11. d2_willys
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 4,285

    d2_willys
    Member
    from Kansas

    59-63 401s will work, along with 59-61 364s.
     
  12. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,730

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    All 364's will work...
     
  13. d2_willys
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 4,285

    d2_willys
    Member
    from Kansas

    Your right! I was almost asleep when I commented.
     
  14. Ol Dawg
    Joined: Oct 6, 2010
    Posts: 161

    Ol Dawg
    Member

    Stick with the 401 ! Someone mentioned rocker arms' & or shaft. We replaced quite a few back in the day when I worked for a Buick dealer. They will make quite a noise.
     
  15. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    If the cylinder walls aren't worn too much and there is a rod knocking you can probably pull the engine, tear it down, have the crank turned and then do a rering and valve job on the engine and put it back together and run it another 80K or more.

    I'm with the other guys on this one, a Riv without it's nailhead under the hood would loose a lot of it's value both in resale and image. Parts will be a bit harder to find and a bit more expensive but the labor to repair the engine should be pretty close to the same as any other similar V8.
     
  16. F.O.G
    Joined: Oct 31, 2006
    Posts: 259

    F.O.G
    Member
    from Pacific,Mo

    Check to make sure the T/coverter hasn't come loose from the flywheel, real common
    thing on nailheades and will sound like a rod has started knocking.
     
  17. lonely king
    Joined: Mar 8, 2006
    Posts: 418

    lonely king
    Member

    thanks guys really helps with the info !
     

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