Buick 300 Swap?
Rock Crawling
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 378
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Camel Trophy
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 4,743
Likes: 985
From: Southwestern Virginia
Shoot! I double checked last night with both blocks side by side. Sure enough, they're different. So we'll be moving forward with the Rover block and the 4.6 crank. The block will receive an overbore to clean up the cylinders. I'm hoping for .030 or more, but we'll get the machinists opinion on what the sleeves will accept.
The crank will be offset ground. We are debating on rods. I'd like to get some shorter aftermarket rods with a smaller big end, but we could still use the 300 rods. With the 300 rods we could theoretically achieve 298ci with a .030 overbore. I found a set of rods that *might* work on Summit and with those we could achieve 317ci with the same .030 overbore.
We are still planning for ported 300 heads, bigger valves, and we need to get the rod choice nailed down before we decide on pistons.
Ah! Pistons. I believe, again theoretically, weight also be able to retain the 4.6 pistons if we use the 300 rods and just real/hone the small end for the wrist pin. I haven't actually crunched the numbers yet, but we'll see. If that's the case I'd say that will solidify the use of the 300 rods and we'll sacrifice the 19ci in the difference.
More to come as we figure this out!
The crank will be offset ground. We are debating on rods. I'd like to get some shorter aftermarket rods with a smaller big end, but we could still use the 300 rods. With the 300 rods we could theoretically achieve 298ci with a .030 overbore. I found a set of rods that *might* work on Summit and with those we could achieve 317ci with the same .030 overbore.
We are still planning for ported 300 heads, bigger valves, and we need to get the rod choice nailed down before we decide on pistons.
Ah! Pistons. I believe, again theoretically, weight also be able to retain the 4.6 pistons if we use the 300 rods and just real/hone the small end for the wrist pin. I haven't actually crunched the numbers yet, but we'll see. If that's the case I'd say that will solidify the use of the 300 rods and we'll sacrifice the 19ci in the difference.
More to come as we figure this out!
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Camel Trophy
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 4,743
Likes: 985
From: Southwestern Virginia
Well folks, this might turn into a Buick 300 swap after all! I'm trying to make compromises to save my buddy some money, but he seems set on going full blown on this.
He's told me he would still like to use the 300 block after hearing about possible liner issues and walked cam bearings in the Rover blocks. He's tells me he knows a machine shop that will make the bellhousing adapters. He's also trying to source a Buick 350 crank and have that offset ground to accept 6.2" NASCAR connecting rods. The increased length at the back of the crank will take up the space created by the adapter. The CPS and starter will both mount into the adapter plate. As for the flexplate pattern being different, he's going to have the Rover flexplate machined to fit the Buick crank.
We will also still be using the Rover timing cover and the keyway on the crank snout will be lengthened to accept the Rover oil pump.
The rough final displacement we're looking at right now is around 367ci/6.0l. Whew!
We are still shooting for using the Rover EFI setup. Given the 2.0l of increase in displacement I am now sure we are going to have to go with the 4.6 MAF housing, or even the larger BMW MAF housing with larger injectors. At this point I am also considering using the zf4hp24 transmission from my '03. The intake will be adapted for the taller deck height and the valley (since it is a different design than the Rover/215 style valley) will be sealed with a plate. The tops of the China wall will be drilled and tapped to have the cover plate bolted to them.
He's told me he would still like to use the 300 block after hearing about possible liner issues and walked cam bearings in the Rover blocks. He's tells me he knows a machine shop that will make the bellhousing adapters. He's also trying to source a Buick 350 crank and have that offset ground to accept 6.2" NASCAR connecting rods. The increased length at the back of the crank will take up the space created by the adapter. The CPS and starter will both mount into the adapter plate. As for the flexplate pattern being different, he's going to have the Rover flexplate machined to fit the Buick crank.
We will also still be using the Rover timing cover and the keyway on the crank snout will be lengthened to accept the Rover oil pump.
The rough final displacement we're looking at right now is around 367ci/6.0l. Whew!
We are still shooting for using the Rover EFI setup. Given the 2.0l of increase in displacement I am now sure we are going to have to go with the 4.6 MAF housing, or even the larger BMW MAF housing with larger injectors. At this point I am also considering using the zf4hp24 transmission from my '03. The intake will be adapted for the taller deck height and the valley (since it is a different design than the Rover/215 style valley) will be sealed with a plate. The tops of the China wall will be drilled and tapped to have the cover plate bolted to them.
Three Wheeling
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 62
Likes: 15
From: Washington State
Well folks, this might turn into a Buick 300 swap after all! I'm trying to make compromises to save my buddy some money, but he seems set on going full blown on this.
He's told me he would still like to use the 300 block after hearing about possible liner issues and walked cam bearings in the Rover blocks. He's tells me he knows a machine shop that will make the bellhousing adapters. He's also trying to source a Buick 350 crank and have that offset ground to accept 6.2" NASCAR connecting rods. The increased length at the back of the crank will take up the space created by the adapter. The CPS and starter will both mount into the adapter plate. As for the flexplate pattern being different, he's going to have the Rover flexplate machined to fit the Buick crank.
We will also still be using the Rover timing cover and the keyway on the crank snout will be lengthened to accept the Rover oil pump.
The rough final displacement we're looking at right now is around 367ci/6.0l. Whew!
We are still shooting for using the Rover EFI setup. Given the 2.0l of increase in displacement I am now sure we are going to have to go with the 4.6 MAF housing, or even the larger BMW MAF housing with larger injectors. At this point I am also considering using the zf4hp24 transmission from my '03. The intake will be adapted for the taller deck height and the valley (since it is a different design than the Rover/215 style valley) will be sealed with a plate. The tops of the China wall will be drilled and tapped to have the cover plate bolted to them.
He's told me he would still like to use the 300 block after hearing about possible liner issues and walked cam bearings in the Rover blocks. He's tells me he knows a machine shop that will make the bellhousing adapters. He's also trying to source a Buick 350 crank and have that offset ground to accept 6.2" NASCAR connecting rods. The increased length at the back of the crank will take up the space created by the adapter. The CPS and starter will both mount into the adapter plate. As for the flexplate pattern being different, he's going to have the Rover flexplate machined to fit the Buick crank.
We will also still be using the Rover timing cover and the keyway on the crank snout will be lengthened to accept the Rover oil pump.
The rough final displacement we're looking at right now is around 367ci/6.0l. Whew!
We are still shooting for using the Rover EFI setup. Given the 2.0l of increase in displacement I am now sure we are going to have to go with the 4.6 MAF housing, or even the larger BMW MAF housing with larger injectors. At this point I am also considering using the zf4hp24 transmission from my '03. The intake will be adapted for the taller deck height and the valley (since it is a different design than the Rover/215 style valley) will be sealed with a plate. The tops of the China wall will be drilled and tapped to have the cover plate bolted to them.
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Camel Trophy
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 4,743
Likes: 985
From: Southwestern Virginia
Got the first major piece back today! HD flex plate made of AR15 steel. Just about double the thickness of the stock flex plate. This should definitely hold up to the power. Had it cut by a buddy of a buddy who has a plasma table.
As for being an alternative to an LS swap... I don't really see it as that. This will be super neat, but more costly only to end up still making the same or less power, and then you're also still stuck with the Rover ECM *unless* you swap in a Disco 1 transmission (hydraulically controlled instead of electronically) and use a carb/distributor on the motor. Otherwise you can still get stranded by a bad CPS or a grenades Rover oil pump just as easily as a Rover v8. This effectively only addresses the head gasket issues while also giving an increase in displacement and therefore power.
With that in mind, *if* there were enough people interested with cash in hand, yes, I would offer the adapters.
As for being an alternative to an LS swap... I don't really see it as that. This will be super neat, but more costly only to end up still making the same or less power, and then you're also still stuck with the Rover ECM *unless* you swap in a Disco 1 transmission (hydraulically controlled instead of electronically) and use a carb/distributor on the motor. Otherwise you can still get stranded by a bad CPS or a grenades Rover oil pump just as easily as a Rover v8. This effectively only addresses the head gasket issues while also giving an increase in displacement and therefore power.
With that in mind, *if* there were enough people interested with cash in hand, yes, I would offer the adapters.
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Camel Trophy
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 4,743
Likes: 985
From: Southwestern Virginia
Very little! I've dropped both the Buick and the Rover off at my buddies, that's been a few months now. I was actually just chatting with him today and he is planning to start tearing them apart this week. I'm crossing my fingers it'll be ready in time for URE in October, or at least the December CROC event in Uwharrie. I'd like to pull the little camper down for both but the 240k mile 4.0 is real tired.
5th Gear
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 5
Likes: 1
What I am going to do I am putting a 430 in my 67 buick GS340 so I will have a perfectly good running 300 left over. The motor has 38 psi of oil pressure it pulss 24 pounds of vacuum at Idle and has never in the 5 years I have owned it used a drop of oil. I also have a 88 chevy S-10 at wall work service that I was planning to do a V-8 swap in any ways. So I figured why not reuse it in my S-10. I would get the V-8 swap kit from summit. This consits of stell plates that the chevy motor mounts bolt to.
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