Buick FireBall V6 engines.... info?

Can anybody tell me where to find the engine number on one of these motors please???

 

bump!!!

 

bump again!!

 

I have been running a 1964 225 V6 with the 300 Super Turbine transmission in my 29 Ford roadster pickup for about 25 years. It works quite well. I pull a heavy Tear Drop trailer behind it most of the time. It could use a lot more power when I go up the mountains on the way to Bonneville. I am debating changing to a 1990 4.3 with a 700R4.

Fred Drew

 

hard to find, but they made a mercruiser aluminum v-6 odd fire 225...very evry rare, but internals are the same as all the other odd fire buicks...still have one in my 48 cj 2a willys...also some one earlier stated that they are roomier then sbc...well fact is it is wider then a sbc..........

 

I have one sitting in my garage been there for 15 years or so. Its out of a boat with a flywheel. Used to run them in my M38A1 jeep with 300 V8 flat top pistons, Edelbrock intake, holley 4 barrel and Mallory dual point distributor. 5:30 gears. Used to blow the doors off small bock chev's in the 1/8 mile dirt drags. Sounded like a mad bumble bee.

Strong and long lasting great little engines

 

Can anybody tell me where to find the engine number on one of these motors please???

 

Left top of engine block ahead of valve cover, per my book, for 1963, 1964 serial numbers, engines also carry "a production code with prefix identifying engine and year, then a four symbol sequential production number" which on a V6 is on the front of the block below the left cylinder head gasket. First symbol J = 63, K = 64, L = '65, etc.


I'd thought Jeep used the V6 into the '70s, the first couple years under Kaiser both Buick V6s and 350 V8s could be had in the Jeepsters, the V8s replaced by AMC when AMC bought Jeep. GM bought the design back in the 70s because of the need to downsize cars and gain fuel economy -

 

Thanks heaps.
Russ.

 

my old odd fire 225 bored 60 over..they clean up well.....

 

As was mentioned (incorrectly), the V6 did not replace the aluminum V8 (215). The aluminum V8 was available in 1961 thru 1963. They were both available in 1961 Specials. In mid 1977, Buick introduced the first "even fire" version of the Buick V6. This engine has a smoother idle, but more vibration than the older engine. The odd fire engine uses a distributor cap with equal spaces between the plugs on the distributor cap and the even fire engine has unequal spaces between the plugs on the distributor cap. For what it's worth, I would suggest you use an even fire if a smoother idle is important.

 

I had a '55 CJ-5 with a 225 swapped in. It was a torque monster. I snapped the spider gears out of the front differential twice by accidentally tapping the gas too hard while going over bumps. I had an Offenhauser manifold with a QJet on it and electronic ignition. I had dual exhausts on it, one came out in front of each rear tire. I had to run a passenger side exhaust manifold on the left to clear the steering box.

I think the oddfire sounds really good at idle with dual exhausts, kind of like 3 Harleys running at once.

 

bigest issue with staying with the odd fire, is it has a stronger crank then the odd fire...rough idle??was an issue with grandma and grandpa according to gm..so they smoothed it out....even fire...

and to those who say the GN's are better then the oddfires, well check the local sand drag circuit...about 100 to 1 odd fires running over the even fires...10,000 rpm's + in my sand funny....besides i really need some one here to buy my intake in the classified adds.........

 

Interesting. I have a NOS odd-fire 231 short block I got from a Buick dealer for $25.

Everyone tell me to "throw it out" but being a pack rat........................

 

Wow, this thread I started 7 years ago. How did this come back?

 

Well I bought this manifold from Topolino Kid and was now seeking a carby solution to get the best all round performance out of my engine, any deals out there???

This is a great alternative thread for V6 guys, glad you started it Kojack.

 

Thanks for the help, I found the number, but having trouble deciphering the 1st digit not sure if it should be a numeral "5" or a letter "S" ???

The whole serial numbers reads 5K113312

Ive posted on a Buick Site but nothing so far!!!

 

Can I use a 4 barrel on this engine..I have an intake for it..I bought a NOS Offenhauser intake..I read somewhere these are hard to tune or to run with a 4 barrel.....I also have a set of headers and a Ford banjo torque tube... I'm planning on cutting them apart to build a set of Laker pipes...

 

Sounds good, what body are you using???
We all like pic's to see your project.

 

Just for the record, I have been told from a Buick site that the engine number I have will lead with a "5" for the year 1965 and the "K" indicates the Kansas factory where it came from.
The remaining part of the number is just the vin cross match to make up the rest of the serial number.
I am not sure if the info is correct but sounded OK.

 

i've got to go look at one of these, before i go anyone know the engine length?
or a link to engine dimensions.

cheers chris.

 

I have a 1967 Buick 225 v6 in my 48 Crosley rat rod. Great engine! Very fast and a lot of torque. I put a y-block adapter and run 2 stromberg 97's on it. Has 2 speed powerglide.

 

FWIW: The Buick 198 V6 was not available till 1962 in the Specials and Skylarks. And it had the same bell pattern as the aluminum 215 V8. Nothing but a dual path drive automatic or the Olds T5 rotohydramatic (F85 slim jim) would bolt up to these engines. Rover V8 transmissions would probably bolt up too. So anyone saying they bolted a TH350, Th400 or other BOP patterned automatics right up to these blocks didn't have the 198 or 215. They probably had the 225 with BOP bell pattern.

 

OMC had a marine version 225 If I remember correctly had one in a 19 ft Slickcraft(heavy boat)moved it along quite well.Tons of torque for a small motor.Gray marine used a lot of Buick motors in 60's maybe where Fireball name came from.

 

When did they finally put the kibosh on this design....or did they?

 

General Motors bought the rights to the engine back in '74 and started using them again in the '75 models, albeit with a .050 larger bore (making use of Buick 350 pistons) as a 231. Sometime in mid 1977, the change from "odd fire" to "even fire" took place, with a splayed crankshaft. The 3800s that were used in '90s/early 2000s LeSabres and Park Avenues were actually loosely based on the original design.

 

There are two forums on Buick that will turn on the lights. http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/photoguideindex.html
http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/
I have a 231 evenfire in my TR3 Triumph. It has a mild cam, Smokie Y valve job, headers and a Inglese 2 3c IDA Weber induction on it. It went through a high schooler and has been moving that 3 along good for 20 years now. Biggest difference between the early and late engine is the cylinder heads and the 8445 heads are the peak of development unless you find a set of TA Performance heads. A little time spent in those forums will pretty well clear up how much HP they are able to put out with the correct amount of money spent.
Regards
Greg Hornbostel

 

Being a jeep guy I love these engines. I've got a 225 and a 77 231 last of the odd fires with the newer style heads. Also scored a rare even fire light weight flywheel but for the jeep I'll use the big nasty.. Some day.. And did you guys spot that nos 215 I picked up. Love me some odd ball motors

 

Gonna run one in my 65 American

 

I just found 1 of these Fireball V-6 in a '65 Buick Skylark in a local Salvage yard. Should it be saved or let it go to the crusher. I did save the air cleaner.