72 Skylark engine swap.

[roche314]

I just blew up the motor in my 72 buick skylark (350 4barrell with turbo 350 tranny) and was wondering if I could swap in a small block chevy?

[steve101]

if i remmeber correctly when i had my 72 skylark you should have enuf room to drop in something bigger if you so desired. thats one car i should have kept

[roche314]

Do you know a small block chevy will bolt to the buick turbo 350 tranny or do i need to get a different tranny?

[Madcat455]

Originally Posted by roche314

Do you know a small block chevy will bolt to the buick turbo 350 tranny or do i need to get a different tranny?

You'll Need a different tranny, engine mount plates, re wire the engine compartment (starter is on the wrong side), Not to mention a Kevlar body suit for all the flames the Die hard buick guys will throw at you....lol.

Really, it can be done... but stock to stock, a Buick 350 is easy to find... it'll drop right in.... and have more power than that chevy.

But really... why you thinking so small... 455's drop right in with relative ease

[steve101]

455 now your talkin

[roche314]

yup a 455 would be nice, but I threw a rod through the block at the track on saturday, there is a running 350 sbc down the street i can get for cheap and would like to make it back to the track in 3 weeks.

[Madcat455]

I guess it could be done in 3 weeks... Just have to find a trans, and frame brackets for the engine mounts. Then re-route all the wires once you have it in.

Good Luck

[roche314]

I got it done in 3 weeks and had the car back on the track, just so you know here is what I had to deal with:

- tranny: The chevy block bolted up to the buick tranny no problem, there are 2 sets of holes on the tranny.

- motor mounts: Need to weld some chevy motor mounts to the crossmember. This ends up being a little ugly since the mounts on the buick motor are in the center of the block, while the mounts on the chevy are in the center of the block. This means that the new mounts get welded on at the very edge of the crossmember.

- none of the accessory brackets or pullies for the buick motor work on the chevy block

- power steering pump is an issue. The chevy brackets up the power steering pump right where the steering box is. I had to make my own brackets so that the pump sits a little bit higher and clears the steering box.

This worked fine for a circle track car where it doesn't matter if things under the hood aren't that pretty,

[taz-manic]

Originally Posted by Madcat455

You'll Need a different tranny, engine mount plates, re wire the engine compartment (starter is on the wrong side), Not to mention a Kevlar body suit for all the flames the Die hard buick guys will throw at you....lol.

Really, it can be done... but stock to stock, a Buick 350 is easy to find... it'll drop right in.... and have more power than that chevy.

But really... why you thinking so small... 455's drop right in with relative ease

hi just wondering I heard that there are after market mounts to make the buick to chevy swap easier and the starter on a chevy is on the passenger side and the buick is on the same side is it not ,thanks for any help if you can

[bluebuick]

Originally Posted by taz-manic

hi just wondering I heard that there are after market mounts to make the buick to chevy swap easier and the starter on a chevy is on the passenger side and the buick is on the same side is it not ,thanks for any help if you can

I put a 396 in my 1970 Skylark. No problem except the gas line is on the other side. Now the car starts all the time because the 350 Buick was line bored and this resulted in a loose timing chain. When it was cold it would not start. I would change the timing and then it would not go when hot. Chev engine solved that b.s.

[bluebuick]

I put a 396 chev in my 1970 skylark no problem.
The Buick needs a larger timing gear set to overcome slop caused by line boring. Chev is a superior mill