Technical 1961 Buick 401 engine a couple questions

A couple months ago I picked up a '64 Riviera less motor or trans for stupid cheap.

Today I found a '61 Electra I can get the motor and trans out of. I know the trans is different and I'd just as soon keep looking for the 64-66 trans, but I can buy the engine pretty cheap, and it is a nailhead and the right size one for the Riv, if a few years older.

Car's been sitting since 1976 and was parked with the radiator in it, although it does have an air cleaner on the carb. So at best it's a set-up core that's going to probably need to be rebored.

What should I look for on this motor? I'm thinking I should pop the heads and get a look at the cylinders and see if it can be taken apart at all. What's prone to cracks on these?

How much is too much to pay for one in this shape?

 

first thing is it free to turn over? its a Buick nothing cracks

 

I just said it's going to be a set up core, it's been sitting for damn near 40 years.

 

you also asked "whats it worth" and "see if it can be taken apart" so its a very relevant question but I Ill leave you to the others.........................

 

If the air cleaner and spark plugs are in place there is a good chance you could get it running. Was it stored indoors? Either way.

Can you get a look at the motor from underneath and see if the core plugs are in place? If it was left with water in the rad it could have frozen and cracked the block. By now the coolant would have dripped away in any case.

You will want to take it apart and check it out, if not too many miles are on it you may get way with rings, bearings, timing chain and touch up the valves. And of course rebuilt carb, fuel pump, and starter.

If the car has been sitting outside in upstate New York rotting into the ground, scrap price or not much more. $200 - $500 for the whole car, take it home and salvage what you can use, sell the rest for scrap for $200. Under the circumstances if you can buy the car for what it is worth you can be a little chancy and not be risking too much. If it turns out the motor is no good you can get most of your money back.

 

"see if it can be taken apart" ... I once took heads off a Pontiac 389 that sat out with no air cleaner on it. One intake valve stem had rusted through completely, and the only way the pistons were coming out of there was busted up in pieces. But that was even moot as the cylinder liners showed visible cracks from top to bottom.

I doubt this is that bad, I had another 389 that sat for a similar period that I had turning over after soaking it a few weeks and then whacking the pistons with a mallet. But I was always a Pontiac guy, not so much the Buicks. The hood is open and I don't know how long it's been that way. The carb looks like it's probably junk, showing a lot of corrosion.


I didn't even look at the miles, typically '61-'64 GM cars got parked up here because the frames rotted out. I can't see under this one, but it looks like it was under trees someplace before it got to where I found it.

 

Study up on Nailhesds before you let anyone work on it. They are not your typical every day rebuild.

 

Yes , be very careful on a rebuild lots of little details to take in consideration. There is a guy in California whom is the go to person. Helped me allot on the last one I did. Not cheap to do correctly. Valve train and cam very expensive, like a Rocket Olds

 

So this isn't your first rodeo. I think you should use your own judgement. After all you have seen the car and we haven't.

 

The hole in the back of the crank that centers the torque converter is a different size for the dynaflow behind the 61 eng. versus the th400 that would be in the 64 riv. Might want to search out a nailhead from 64-66 to make it easier to run a th400. 64 riv would have been a 425 also...