I had made a CYLINDER COMPRESSION TEST and had 160 PSI. Recalculated the COMPRESSION RATIO and it turned out to be 9.2 with these slightly dished pistons. WE ARE NOT DONE YET. STAY TUNED FOR MORE.
Most 455 Buicks favor 30-32 degrees of total timing...What are valve sizes on the heads? Stage 1 heads are 2.125"I and 1.75" E as compared to non stage 1 455 which are 2.000"I and 1.625"E. Stage 1 1970 455 actually had 10.5:1 Compression, non Stage 1 1970 455 had 10.0:1 Compression. The Reed cam installed is a very mild grind for a 464 c.i. Buick. This cam is all done making power at 4500-4700 rpm..The actual lift of this cam is only .487" I and .506" E using the stock 1.55 ratio Buick rocker arms. The cam card lift figures were using a 1.60 rocker arm ratio. There are many other cam grinds available that would produce substantial power improvements over this Reed cam. The low compression (9.2:1) of this build is definitely decreasing potential torque and hp.
@midnitesquirldog1 Exactly backwards! I personally have been stranded by electronic ignition three times, including once in the wrecker I was driving, and as a wrecker driver I've towed more than I can remember. Points on the other hand, won't leave you dead. After years of faithful service they will eventually cause a miss or a stumble, but you can still go home or to a repair shop. I have never towed a vehicle with points that died in use. Give me points, every time! And vintage cars that came with points should NEVER be downgraded to electronic crap.
Good man knows a second set of eyes can be a confirmation. Just like putting the tools down and taking two steps back to rethink, it's like hitting a reset button.
In 1974, my dad being a Buick loyalist buying brand new Buicks every 2/3 years, got me a '70 GS STAGE 1,4spd. 3.42:1 posi(a/c). I didn't know what I had other than a 4yr old car. But, the 1st summer I had many guys who actually had pre 70's muscle cars tell me how nice a car I had. All I did was put radials, & a fiberglass fan. Octane booster & on to school. I wish I knew these 2 fellas when I had my car. These guys are gr8. Very informative video
I'm 55 years old now when I was 15 years old I bought my first car it was a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado brand new paint brand new vinyl top all new tires mint interior but ran like a pile of trash 455 Oldsmobile engine I took it to my best friend's dad God Rest his soul $70 later cap rotor plugs and plug wires a new coil and a new set of points and a couple hours of my best friend's dad's time I had a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado that would rip the front tires literally off the rims sorry to say I no longer own that car I wish I did I truly miss it but someday there will come a day where people like Nick are no longer here and nobody will know how to do this kind of old school technology if I'm not wrong the books Nick is looking at is called Chilton's books that you don't see anymore my best friend's dad had shelves on them keep up the great work Nick and I'll keep watching the videos
I currently own a 65 Olds 442 with a modified 400 engine. Factory specs on an olds 400 is 360 HP and 510 ft-lbs stock. The engine was re-engineered by Chief Engines out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. They build engines for the off shore power boats, so they are a top tier engine builder. The engine was reconfigured out to 442 cubic inches, the compression was dropped from 10.25 stock down to 9.6 to 1. The crankshaft was lightened and converted to internal balance to reduce engine harmonics. A custom lunati cam with 4 degrees of advance and additional lift over stock was used. Advancing the cam 4 degrees increases cylinder pressure creating additional HP. You lose some top end this way but the intake maxes out at 5200 RPM, so works quite nicely. Extensive work was done to the heads. The result was 469HP at 5200 RPM, and torque was increased out to 529 ft-lbs. So basically 100 HP was added to the motor. This just goes to show there is a lot of potential in the old V8 engines that can be brought out with proper engineering. I'm sure this Buick could be improved to.
My first car was an Electra 225 made in September of 1969. It had the '69 body and what I think was one of the earliest 455 engines made. (All the books said it wasn't offered until 1970.) It was confusing for the guy at the parts store, because I had to get chassis parts for 1969 but engine parts for 1970. Watching this brought back so many wonderful memories for me. I advanced the timing and that Land Yacht would put down a stripe. BTW, I believe the Chilton's book we had in the early 80's showed 360 HP for single exhaust and 370 for dual.
I like the way you both explained the problem and what each one of you were looking for to remedy the situation. You're viewers can learn much from your channel. This is how I learned from racers who had major knowledge and a house full of trophies.
I worked at a Buick dealership from 1978 until 1984 doing line work, and my dad worked for Buick Motor Division for 25 years as an executive, after being a mechanic for 10 years at a Chevrolet dealership. With all of that being said my twin brother bought a beautiful white 1972 Gran Sport Stage One and I pulled his original engine out, rebuilt it after, and reinstalled my dad's 1970 Stage One temporarily, until I got my brothers original 72 rebuilt, and removed the 70, and reinstalled the original 72 model that came in the Gran Sport originally. They both ran like they were intended. Later on I installed dad's 1970 Stage One in a 1975 Buick special, and a Stage two camshaft, with a rear axle ratio of 5.00 to 1 which was rediciculous, but certainly made for one rediciculous fast car, with the exception, and that was the traction problem, but boy was it fun to drive. I wish that I still had that car today, except I would have put a 3.90 gear or one a little less crazy than the 5.00! Thise were the good old days! I miss those days for sure!
Hi Nick, in 1975 a gentleman I knew gave me a 1968 Buick Electra 225 with a blown engine. I picked up a 430 engine out of a junkyard. Put the engine in, started it up and #4 rod was knocking! What a pain to drop the oil pan! I took #4 cap down, and it looked just fine, no scars. I checked the the bearing and it was STD. I. He led the new bearing with plastic gauge and it proved to be with speciations. I buttoned everything up and that engine ran trouble free for years!
I worked for Buick in 1970 as a dealer mechanic. 1970 Stage 1 engine was 10.5 : 1 comp ratio. 370 Hp 'listed' but probably more like 425 actual. Carburetor was also different on the Stage one. Nice work Nick, glad to see your diligence making it right. Keep up the good work on the channel. Hat's off to Manny also, good to have a knowledgeable friend like him to help.
The ratings of all of this are jokingly skewed. When the standard valve 455 was put in a Riviera, Wildcat or Electra, it's rated at 370. The SAME 455 engine in a GS 455 was rated at 350. Chevy and Pontiac did the same thing. The bigger valved and very slightly bigger cammed Stage 1 was rated at 360. All just a rating game. The Stage 1 was rated at 10.5 to 1 compression only because the slightly larger valves took up a tiny bit more space in the combustion chambers. All 1970 455 pistons were cast and were the same. Another example of silly "ratings" ... the 360 hp LS5 Chevelle's 454 was rated at 390 hp when installed in the Monte Carlo.
@@LR-my2di there were actually 3 different buick 455 codes,SF code was 370 hp.,I dont remember the others right off hand but they were 350 and 360 hp.,I checked into that years ago but went 425 buick nailhead instead for my project so never remembered the other codes for the 455's
@@steveesman9469 Yes, Steve. I can remember that there was SF, SS and SR. The SS was the under-rated Stage 1 with the slightly "hotter" cam and bigger valves; etc. These other 455 engines did have their own codes but were identically built and thus were all the same regardless of the codes which denoted the car into which they were installed. That includes the standard GS 455 rated at 350 hp. That same engine was used in an Electra, Riv. or Wildcat but was rated at 370 hp. Just a ratings game.
I watched a lot of your videos Nick and I just ran across this one that I must’ve missed when it originally aired. I just did a 401 Buick for a customer, I begged him to go with the 455 and leave his original 401 one from his 68 GS In the garage for possible replacement later but he wanted to keep the numbers matching engine in there, I went through a lot of gyrations with this engine but we ended up making 400 hp. TH performance and take a much larger Cam you guys had. Keep up the good work!
I remember going with a good friend of mine in 1970 to Canton, TX to pick up the new Buick GS Stage I that he had ordered. It was bare bones except for the Stage I engine. Three speed on the floor, no radio - he just wanted to race it. It was truly a torque monster. Back in the day, I never saw a car off of the showroom floor that was as quick as this one. He put a four speed in it, some headers, and carried slicks to the track, and turned 11.90 quarter miles (if memory serves me after 50+ years) -- until he blew it up. He dropped a stock 455 in it and sold it. Good times!
My first car was a 1970 Buick GS 455 and I was NEVER outrun on the street back in the early 80's and there was still a lot of musclecars on the road back then.
@@onesecureone A lot of Buicks had 455s. All other things being equal in factory options, a 1970 GS455 Stage 1 should be a little lighter than a 1970 Chevelle SS LS6
Omg I LOVE these old Buicks back in the day I owned a 70 Electra 225 and a 72 Riviera with the tear drop back window they both had the 455 and yes they were torque monsters I LOVE them old Buicks
A few basic steps when changing points on a distributor is to always clean the point cam lobs and then grease them with the appropriate lube. I never see this done on many of these channels all though it may be done off camera. I heard reports that newer replacement points have been having problems with the point cam lobe lock wearing prematurely. This may be part of the problem, no lubrication. Also, always check the timing after setting the dwell / point gap. Dwell affects timing. On a points system the timing changes as the points wear (changes dwell). That is only one of the many reasons cars all went to electronic ignition when in 1975 unleaded gas and catalytic converters became the standard. Dwell angle degree is the the amount the points are closed and is the most accurate and easiest way to set point gap instead of using a feeler gauge. I always use a dwell meter to set points on any make or model vehicle. Spin the engine (using a remote starter switch or someone in the car) and read the meter while setting the points. GM with the distributor cap window is by far the easiest and a blessing when they came out especially that Chevrolet always put there distributors in the back of the engine. Just my two cents on point systems. On my own 1969 Ford 351W car I added Pertronix Electronic Ignition in 2001 and haven't changed the timing since!
YEAH...I BOUGHT A TUBE OF THAT GM POINT LUBE...YUP...MY 55 235 DAD BOUGHT NEW...HE PUT A DUAL POINT DIST PLATE IN IT FROM A 53 BUICK...BOLTS IN...HE EVEN PUT EX VALVE ROTATORS IN THE HEAD...BUT THAT CRAZY ENGINE WOULD STILL BURN AN EX VALVE AROUND 32 to 35,000 miles...crazy...
You don’t lube the lobes you stack some on the following edge of the rub block on the points. The block won’t spin the grease off and as the block wears it adds grease to the contact point automatically. I used to use Standards Blue Streak line or Napas points exclusively. They come with cam lube.
@@cammontreuil7509 Putting a window in the cap was a blessing since the distributors were hard to reach in the back. I agree on the location being not a good idea.
I'm a 67 year young gear head I was raised in a 55 Buick roadmaster conversable I love Buicks I had a 62 lasabor wildcat with the 401 in it and I was very surprised how quick it was and a good looking car also I had buddies that had 69 GS and 70 GS cars very quick cars so I'm a Buick lover I'm waiting for the new GS to hit the market the Buick 455 was a great motor also Pontiacs were no slouches eather I've had them all mopars, plymouths ,Buicks Pontiacs,Chevys ,fords,Oldsmobiles,Cadillacs, murcurys, amcs, gmc,volvos,bmws, Mercedes, jaguars, I love them all for what they are peace bro
I like how you keep a shot cuz nice and clean floors clean everything is clean that's where the shops should look when you're working on something surgical room
I wish I had RUclips in the 80's when I ditched my points for electronic ignition. Thank you Nick. I learn something every time I watch your videos. You're the best!
Sometimes you want a classic that is really a classic I'm building a 67 C-10 with a BBC nothing will be electronic. The idea behind it is back in the 1980's when I was in my late teens what would I do with it if I wanted to make a hotrod out of it didn't have the money back then to do it. Something about the smell of a rich running carburetor not one electronic part on the thing. Today I'm not street racing anymore too much to lose if I get caught I want to hear a big cam and smell that gas smell at a small car show.
Nick I love these engines! My buddy had a convertible Buick 4spd 455 stage 1 . It would run heads up with Hemi's and big block Chevys. Nick you are a Canadian icon!
Nick , your a perfectionist. Every car you work on , is treated like you actually own it , your fantastic . There is also a stage 2 Buick g.s.x. , rated at 540 horsepower, at 510 in torque, it runs a 10. 7 in the quarter mile at 123 m.p. h. Stock. They were called the hemi killers.
With respect to the story time comment on the 71 Hemi Cuda race against the 70 Buick 455 Stage I, I was there and witnessed the event. If I remember correctly the agreement between the racing parties was stock appearing cars with just slicks and stock appearing they were. The owner of the Hemi Cuda had made a remark that he had changed to a different cam the night before and the Buick was allowed to be running an inverted air cleaner lid. Nick was right , about the Hemi Cuda being trailered in. I believe the Buick GSX drove there. The Buick was the underdog with its 750 cfm quadrajet against the Hemi's 2x4 carbs and cam timing. Both cars had cast iron factory heads, manifolds etc. We also know the Hemi on the dyno liked cast iron better than aluminum. I would say the race was fair under the circumstances and agreements made. It's too bad the Hemi guys decided not to continue. I love both makes and have owned and raced both. Buick motors that are modded are so under estimated.
My son just started a job in an engine shop in London Ontario. Tearing down, machining and rebuilding engines. He is a red seal mechanic but wanted to specialize in engines. Race. everyday and diesel engines. I told him to watch your channel so he can learn from your experience
My dad took one of these out of a 72 Riviera boattail. He dropped it into 51 Studabaker truck. These had a factory fiberglass front fenders and hoods. The motor was rebuilt by Butler Racing Engines here in Tennessee. It was dyno'ed at 850hp N//A. The truck was a purpose built pro touring car. It is a beautiful build. Coors Silver and candy red H.O.C. paint. BBS 3 piece gold anodized wheels with graphite lip. Brass plated grill and trim. bagged. Its an incredible looking truck man. Screams too.
riviera correct spelling lmao , lol spelled it wrong, i was a little kid when he had that car 12 years old never forge t how it ran really strong motor nice car to. split window in the back
That 455 will turn 6,000k all day long!!! 4,600 is piddly. You guys reminded me of a 425cid 1965 Olds 98 two door hardtop I had! Man,I remember putting down a 1968 Chevelle 396 big block 4 speed. My trans was an early version of the 400turbo,catch 2nd gear scratch shifting itself!!! VERY Light rear end,I used sand bags for traction!! This baby "DiD" outrun the Rock County and Winnebago County Sheriffs cars. Rock County had newer Oldsmobiles with police interceptor engines, hah hah hah!! My brother and I rebuilt the 425 using Sterling Speed and Engineering out of Rockford for the heads! It was STOCK,but a go fast. Keep up the good work Nick. Thanks. GOD bless all. Pastor Jeff 🙏
Just finished watching video, loved it. Nick and Manny, the way the talk that ate tuned into each other and the project they are working on. The connection is unreal, you can tell they live what they do and want to give their costumer the best product. 👌
With over 25o dyno pulls for superstock nhra, let me tell you, A/f ratio is everything, timing is secondary to a point depending on adjusted altitude. If it ain't ready to run on the dyno, it ain't ready. Still love your you tube!
Seems like an Edelbrock performer manifold would make a difference on the old Buick and be very street-able. back in the day my 440 ran OK with the stock intake and headers. Once I installed the performer intake, the beast came alive!! lots of top end RPMs and power
Yes - but that eliminates any Pure Stock or even F.A.S.T. racing so the best solution is to Extrudehone. And of course port-match. Use thin steel head gaskets. And on-top too - a heat spacer - and everything opened-up and matched.
@@karaDee2363 Yes it is but … it disqualifies the car for the Pure Stock, and F.A.S.T. ( factory appearance stock tires ) racing classes it was born-to-run in. The ExtudeHone of intake - exhaust - and heads is much of why you see “Pure Stock” cars running 2 seconds and 10 mph faster than they did new. And we rarely ran street gears above 3.90 or 4.10. Although I ran 4.56 with a 289 K-Code Mustang I
I was working back East as a Millwright apprentice in 1982. One of the journeymen Millwrights built tractors for the tractor pulls. He had a 1972 Buick Gran Sport Stage 1 that had been on blocks in one of his garages for 9 years. 455 motor, 4-barrel, 4 speed on the floor. He had a bunch of Kenne Bell magazines with articles for building the engine, but he had not gotten around to it. The car was Seamist green pale color in the interior/exterior. He wanted to sell it and offered it to me because he did not want his kid to get it when he turned 16 the next year. He was afraid his son would kill himself in it. He even offered to paint it a different color as part of the deal. I had just bought a 1000 Kawasaki LTD off the showroom floor and was making payments, so I stupidly passed. He was asking $1500 including the paint job!! One of my life's greatest regrets...
Brings back memory's of my 1973 Buick Century , the one mod I added was a MSD 6A ignition box , never had a miss fire ever after that , a little water in the fuel , not much will cause some big headaches .
the big difference between a hemi and stage1 is not only 20 pound of torque its where you make it a 426 hemi make 490 lbs @ 4000 rpm the 455 makes 510 lbs at 2800 rpm
Is it really that low of RPM? That’s pretty incredible, and would be a monster on the street. I’ve known they made 510ft/lbs for 40 years but figured it was around 3500+RPMs. All of our American V8s only have a few crucial differences, and some aren’t exactly magical. Things like compression ratio, bore vs stroke, conn rod length, are all relatively straightforward. But from the carb to the piston is where the real voodoo was. And exhaust manifolds were also a huge variable, but Hemis really had an advantage as far as flow into a cylinder. But even that isn’t the whole picture. I’m not sure when the engineers realized this, but swirl or tumbling were extremely helpful in keeping the mixture homogenous. It doesn’t matter how much air/fuel mixture you get into the cylinder if it all doesn’t blow the hell up. And if that atomized mix gets too cooled along the way, it will separate, or if it hits too many walls and slows down too much it will separate, leaving liquid fuel in the intake runners or the intake port on the head, in practice they are one runner/port, hence the “half heads” of the Ford 390, and big leap into the unknown for ford at the time but an idea that was built on solid science. It’s easier to hog out aluminum than iron, and also saves weight. So if your intake manifold takes up half the head, then it also saves more weight when you make it out of aluminum, and any porting done on your easily removed intake manifold gives you the double advantage of actually having ported most of the intake port on the “head”, because there is very, very little intake port on the actual head. But high ruse, dual plane, single plane, equal length, air gapped, all were useful ideas, and of course it’s not like the Buick had any kind of special secret to any of these things as far as I know. The next question is, if 455 cubes could give you 510 ft/lbs, then why didn’t the Cadillac 472 make proportionally more ft/lbs, like 530+ ft/lbs? Why indeed. If it was all down to the combination of compression ratio and bore and stroke, then why was Buick alone here? Was it that the others simply cared about advertising HP numbers? I doubt it. They lied about those all the time, so if you wanted to claim the biggest number, just lie. Those of us with experience know what makes power where, and torque gets you the hole shot, HP is your follow through from maybe 600’ on. And we all know the ET vs trap speed reflects this every time, unless there were traction issues at the line. But if one guy had a lower ET and the other had a higher trap speed, yet they crossed neck and neck, we know the ET winner had more torque or less weight, and the other guy had more HP. Less weight will help with the low end, but start two cars at 70mph, a roll race as the youngsters call it, and weight matters much less, but not really because of the speed itself, they are still starting their race even, as if from a starting line, but they are already up into their “working” rpm ranges. And since HP is a function of torque at a certain RPM, then 510 ft/lbs might lose to 450ft/lbs if the torque monster falls on its face at 5,000rpms, unless maybe it has like a 2.6:1 rear end, maybe, but the issue is the depth of workable rpm range, which is why these low torque Ferraris and such can still win 1/4 mile drags, but lose 1/8 mile every time. Excuse me, breadth of useable RPM range is key to a real race. Even lots of gears, with a super low first gear and 8 gears, with a sweet rpm range in each gear, only helps if the shifts are so quick that they are almost not measurable. A 1/100 second shift still adds up to 6/100, halfway to a tenth of a second, which in the drag world is very often the difference, but how many transmissions shift that quickly? None. The fastest I found was the McLaren 675 LT, at 40ms, or 0.040 seconds. For reference against a “regular” automatic, the modern Challenger/Charger ZF 8HP does it in 160ms in track mode. A Lambo Huracan Performante does it in 290ms.
@455buick6 No need to wait, I know the story. A guy in a Stage 1 beat a couple Hemis. Big deal. Lot of factors at play. Driver skills, tune, traction, etc, etc. I've seen plenty of Hemis beat 455 Stage 1 Buicks. In Pittsburgh, in 1978, there were two well-respected street cars, a 70 Stage 1 and a 68 Hemi Roadrunner. They were both stock with the RR the faster of the two.
Nick,I don't think you could have treated that big ol Buick any better than that it's probably the best that engine has ever popped it was a Joy to watch two Men go back to the old school 🔥
I went through this with a cammed out 440. ran lean, headers were glowing. intake gasket was horrible, redid the intake gasket, still didn't idle, but ran better. it ended up being the ignition that caused the headers to Glow, the intake was leaking vacuum originally, and now it idles at 900, and the headers don't glow.
Monday videos should be rated for the number of Nick’s Garage mugs of coffee required to watch the entire video. This was 3☕️☕️☕️! Great video. Have a great week everyone
Good morning, Nick and crew!!!! Joel from Pittsburgh: thank God the Covid journey is just about over!!! This is a fantastic video, shows what PERSISTENCE AND DETERMINATION will accomplish. This is the 1st time I’ve seen Nick and Manny work so closely together: talk about a dynamic duo!!! And George, your production work really highlights everything!!!! Kudos to you all, and a fantastic week as well!!!!!
Another one for my library Nick. I love the show. It's a great way to forget all the bs going on. Your show brings back so many memories of old friends and great times. Thanks guys.
well said---in my 70s -takes me back -50 yrs--all the street and strip racing was just normal life back then.--we grew up in a great era-stii have my 68 camaro
everytime I watch your channel I always hit👍🙂 I've owned Many vehicules fords prod, mopars, gms, American motors, Renault , VW, had more than 75 cars but never a Buick 😡
I saw lots of N/A jet boats back in the 70's using the BB 455 Olds and Buick - mostly for the torque. Boat guys always wanted the low rpm torque. The next most popular was, of course, the 454 BBC. Some 440's. No Hemis that I can remember. Pontiacs were few and far between, and no one had yet realized the potential of the 429 / 460 Ford, as the HP 429 versions and parts were even harder to find than the Pontiac. Back then there was only OEM cast iron heads, and few factory high performance parts available to the average hot-rodder on a budget - nothing like what is available in affordable high flow aluminum heads on the aftermarket today.
I have a lobster boat that had a brand new 455. Stage one 1970 engine that thing would go out by 15 foot Boston whalers with 33 hp engines its a 35 foot boat still have it and it has 400 hp detroit diesel now it goes good now but the snap of that buick would take you off your feet if you didn't get. Ahold of something lol
@@michaeltibbetts8155 It speaks volumes that the Buick 455 had more low end acceleration in a big heavy hull than a huge diesel. Usually it would be the other way round. I didn't say it in my original comment, but nearly all the BBC boats I saw as a kid were running 8-71 superchargers. They also were the fastest in top speed, but the naturally aspirated 455's had about the same acceleration from standing starts heading out of the launch and dock area. Only a few of the others had blowers - I really only distinctly remember one of the Olds 455's having an 8-71. I also remember it sitting backwards (likewise about half of the BBC's) in the boat, with the front end at the back of the boat angled up much higher than the other end. I don't recall if any had nitrous, and turbos were non-existent back then. Most non-supercharged boats had twin 4 barrels on tall tunnel rams. Also remember the big jets of what I now know to be cooling water shooting out the exhausts or from the transom area (besides the rooster tails from the jet drives).
Back in the "good ol days" when you installed the metal intake gasket you slathered both sides with permatex aviation liquid gasket. Like brown tar, they would always leak if no sealant was applied.
Hey Nick and Krew, really enjoyed watching the work and troubleshooting performed ...Nick you came up with a good plan and got the problem solve ... Love the show as always....Waiting to see the Pontiac run ....ol 1970 GTO RAM AIR 400 Tin Indian Fan here ...
I just stumbled across this video. I subscribed. I can tell Nick puts himself into the build. He wants as much performance as can be had based on what he has to work with… there is an awful lot of pride that went into this customer’s bullet.
Several years ago I had a similar intake manifold issue. Ford 460, .030" over, high-torque cam, rebuilt head, and 9:1 c.r. Excessive oil consumption (1 quart/300 miles) right off the bat. Good idle and power (250 hp rear wheels F-250 with Dana 70 and T-19 transmission @4,000 rpm). I had used the 1 piece steel intake manifold gasket with valley pan. Twice. Changed from Edelbrock to OEM iron manifold with same issue. Tried Fel-Pro no change. Then went to 3-piece Victor Reintz and the engine is running like a champ. At least 2 rebuilds on engine so I should have shaved the intake manifold. BTW, during rebuild I went with Autotec pistons who made a set of pistons just for this engine so that I could remain at 9:1 c.r. and that I could run on cheap pump regular; it was great working with my engine builder and Autotec. The engine is capable of 550-600 hp at 6,000 rpm but right now it is in a 4x4 truck with cabover camper and it may never remain in the truck; it was not that more expensive building a racing block for longevity. My point is that some intake manifold gaskets are more forgiving than others and it looks like Ford used the Victor gaskets from the factory. I loved the memories on points (73 years old) and using points in a Sunbeam Alpine 1725 4-cyl with a CDI ignition and turning over 7,000 rpm. BTW, burned points usually the result of removing the ballast resistor for a hotter spark but when the engine is not running and the ignition is left on then the points will burn up.
Three cups of coffee on this beauty and I'm buzzing. I had no idea that the 455 was different in all three divisions of GM. I would think the Oldsmobile would be top notch with their racing history. Thanks once again for a great video!
If your V8 is suffering from low compression taking it to Nick's Garage would be my suggestion With the gaskets from Velpro Nick and Manny know the 455's vacuum leak should go Nick is replacing a leaky oil pump gasket So the oil pump will do as you ask it I like a Buick the Riviera is slick and the Skylark too is legitimate I dig the style of the Grand National too back in the 80's a Turbo 6 was the best they could do Having worked for Buick Nick has fixed a few Don't let a rough idle make you suicidal Send it to Nick's Garage they'll try n test it through a full heat cycle Is it a real stage one? Only way to find out is a dyno run Nick's Garage every Monday is always fun Ain't no superstition It's a science with the points and ignition be sure to like and subscribe to Nick's Garage to follow their mission!
I had a 78 Buick skyhawk with a 231 V6 a 4 speed. It had a rough idle from day I bought it new. I tried a lot of different things to fix it and nothing worked. As a last resort I rebuilt the carburetor. The floats were off by an 1/8". After resetting them it fixed the problem . I pulled a lot of hair out before I got there. That car was a little jackrabbit . A lot of fun to drive. You got the dwell right. On a GM distributor of that type the dwell is 29-31 . That was what it was on my 70 Camaro . That motor sounds great!!
I always put a little permatex or Teflon paste on the intake bolts keep oil from migrating and usually replace the timing covers if they have the oil pump built in even if they don't most of the time on those old motors! If it sucked an intake gasket stick your finger in the pcv grommet in the valve cover and if it tries to suck your finger in you know you got a vacuum leak internal
Manny the manual choke 😊 lol! It goes with his name naturally. Boy that's an odd place for the distributor!🤔 But you can't beat the stump pulling torque of those 455's!!! I've always loved the GS's from Buick! Much like Nick,a class act indeed! Thanks again guys.
I had made a CYLINDER COMPRESSION TEST and had 160 PSI. Recalculated the COMPRESSION RATIO and it turned out to be 9.2 with these slightly dished pistons. WE ARE NOT DONE YET. STAY TUNED FOR MORE.
Most 455 Buicks favor 30-32 degrees of total timing...What are valve sizes on the heads? Stage 1 heads are 2.125"I and 1.75" E as compared to non stage 1 455 which are 2.000"I and 1.625"E. Stage 1 1970 455 actually had 10.5:1 Compression, non Stage 1 1970 455 had 10.0:1 Compression. The Reed cam installed is a very mild grind for a 464 c.i. Buick. This cam is all done making power at 4500-4700 rpm..The actual lift of this cam is only .487" I and .506" E using the stock 1.55 ratio Buick rocker arms. The cam card lift figures were using a 1.60 rocker arm ratio. There are many other cam grinds available that would produce substantial power improvements over this Reed cam. The low compression (9.2:1) of this build is definitely decreasing potential torque and hp.
@midnitesquirldog1 Exactly backwards! I personally have been stranded by electronic ignition three times, including once in the wrecker I was driving, and as a wrecker driver I've towed more than I can remember. Points on the other hand, won't leave you dead. After years of faithful service they will eventually cause a miss or a stumble, but you can still go home or to a repair shop. I have never towed a vehicle with points that died in use. Give me points, every time! And vintage cars that came with points should NEVER be downgraded to electronic crap.
I know you want flat top pistons with 0 Deck. Do they make Cometic MLS thinner headgaskets for that engine?
@@thefinalroman ... I had just placed an order for .027 cometic.
@@billdedrick1914 Yes, we have the Stage 1 heads. Looking to bring it to low 10's CR.
Nick is a professional on any engine he listens to them and knows exactly what is wrong
Good man knows a second set of eyes can be a confirmation. Just like putting the tools down and taking two steps back to rethink, it's like hitting a reset button.
Manny used to be in lots of videos but this is the first time I have heard him speak. Smart guy
In 1974, my dad being a Buick loyalist buying brand new Buicks every 2/3 years, got me a '70 GS STAGE 1,4spd. 3.42:1 posi(a/c). I didn't know what I had other than a 4yr old car. But, the 1st summer I had many guys who actually had pre 70's muscle cars tell me how nice a car I had. All I did was put radials, & a fiberglass fan. Octane booster & on to school. I wish I knew these 2 fellas when I had my car. These guys are gr8. Very informative video
What a great Dad and spectacular car too! Boy you were lucky to have such a wonderful loving father who also had great taste in cars!!!
I'm 55 years old now when I was 15 years old I bought my first car it was a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado brand new paint brand new vinyl top all new tires mint interior but ran like a pile of trash 455 Oldsmobile engine I took it to my best friend's dad God Rest his soul $70 later cap rotor plugs and plug wires a new coil and a new set of points and a couple hours of my best friend's dad's time I had a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado that would rip the front tires literally off the rims sorry to say I no longer own that car I wish I did I truly miss it but someday there will come a day where people like Nick are no longer here and nobody will know how to do this kind of old school technology if I'm not wrong the books Nick is looking at is called Chilton's books that you don't see anymore my best friend's dad had shelves on them keep up the great work Nick and I'll keep watching the videos
I love the glowing headers 😊
I currently own a 65 Olds 442 with a modified 400 engine. Factory specs on an olds 400 is 360 HP and 510 ft-lbs stock. The engine was re-engineered by Chief Engines out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. They build engines for the off shore power boats, so they are a top tier engine builder. The engine was reconfigured out to 442 cubic inches, the compression was dropped from 10.25 stock down to 9.6 to 1. The crankshaft was lightened and converted to internal balance to reduce engine harmonics. A custom lunati cam with 4 degrees of advance and additional lift over stock was used. Advancing the cam 4 degrees increases cylinder pressure creating additional HP. You lose some top end this way but the intake maxes out at 5200 RPM, so works quite nicely. Extensive work was done to the heads. The result was 469HP at 5200 RPM, and torque was increased out to 529 ft-lbs. So basically 100 HP was added to the motor. This just goes to show there is a lot of potential in the old V8 engines that can be brought out with proper engineering. I'm sure this Buick could be improved to.
I respect a man who appreciates a good cup of coffee...and the sound of a well tuned engine.
like watching u old school builders..so easy to relate too.
My first car was an Electra 225 made in September of 1969. It had the '69 body and what I think was one of the earliest 455 engines made. (All the books said it wasn't offered until 1970.) It was confusing for the guy at the parts store, because I had to get chassis parts for 1969 but engine parts for 1970. Watching this brought back so many wonderful memories for me. I advanced the timing and that Land Yacht would put down a stripe. BTW, I believe the Chilton's book we had in the early 80's showed 360 HP for single exhaust and 370 for dual.
I believe that 69 had a 430ci
I like the way you both explained the problem and what each one of you were looking for to remedy the situation. You're viewers can learn much from your channel. This is how I learned from racers who had major knowledge and a house full of trophies.
I worked at a Buick dealership from 1978 until 1984 doing line work, and my dad worked for Buick Motor Division for 25 years as an executive, after being a mechanic for 10 years at a Chevrolet dealership. With all of that being said my twin brother bought a beautiful white 1972 Gran Sport Stage One and I pulled his original engine out, rebuilt it after, and reinstalled my dad's 1970 Stage One temporarily, until I got my brothers original 72 rebuilt, and removed the 70, and reinstalled the original 72 model that came in the Gran Sport originally. They both ran like they were intended.
Later on I installed dad's 1970 Stage One in a 1975 Buick special, and a Stage two camshaft, with a rear axle ratio of 5.00 to 1 which was rediciculous, but certainly made for one rediciculous fast car, with the exception, and that was the traction problem, but boy was it fun to drive. I wish that I still had that car today, except I would have put a 3.90 gear or one a little less crazy than the 5.00!
Thise were the good old days! I miss those days for sure!
I could happily spend all day watching Nick work on an engine and listening to his advice. Such a treasure trove of knowledge and wisdom
Hi Nick, in 1975 a gentleman I knew gave me a 1968 Buick Electra 225 with a blown engine. I picked up a 430 engine out of a junkyard. Put the engine in, started it up and #4 rod was knocking! What a pain to drop the oil pan! I took #4 cap down, and it looked just fine, no scars. I checked the the bearing and it was STD. I. He led the new bearing with plastic gauge and it proved to be with speciations. I buttoned everything up and that engine ran trouble free for years!
The new bearing proved to be within specifications
The engine had an STD? Sounds like it really got around!
It's amazing to watch two masters at work
Huge Buick skylark owner and fan
I REALLY ENJOYED THIS EPISODE. BUICK 455 FOR EVER
I worked for Buick in 1970 as a dealer mechanic. 1970 Stage 1 engine was 10.5 : 1 comp ratio. 370 Hp 'listed' but probably more like 425 actual. Carburetor was also different on the Stage one. Nice work Nick, glad to see your diligence making it right. Keep up the good work on the channel. Hat's off to Manny also, good to have a knowledgeable friend like him to help.
His knowledge IMO is limited to mopar I’m NOLONGER a fan
The ratings of all of this are jokingly skewed. When the standard valve 455 was put in a Riviera, Wildcat or Electra, it's rated at 370. The SAME 455 engine in a GS 455 was rated at 350. Chevy and Pontiac did the same thing. The bigger valved and very slightly bigger cammed Stage 1 was rated at 360. All just a rating game. The Stage 1 was rated at 10.5 to 1 compression only because the slightly larger valves took up a tiny bit more space in the combustion chambers. All 1970 455 pistons were cast and were the same. Another example of silly "ratings" ... the 360 hp LS5 Chevelle's 454 was rated at 390 hp when installed in the Monte Carlo.
@@LR-my2di there were actually 3 different buick 455 codes,SF code was 370 hp.,I dont remember the others right off hand but they were 350 and 360 hp.,I checked into that years ago but went 425 buick nailhead instead for my project so never remembered the other codes for the 455's
@@steveesman9469 Yes, Steve. I can remember that there was SF, SS and SR. The SS was the under-rated Stage 1 with the slightly "hotter" cam and bigger valves; etc. These other 455 engines did have their own codes but were identically built and thus were all the same regardless of the codes which denoted the car into which they were installed. That includes the standard GS 455 rated at 350 hp. That same engine was used in an Electra, Riv. or Wildcat but was rated at 370 hp. Just a ratings game.
Didn’t you hear Nick say he worked for 3 yrs in 1970 at a Buick dealership as a mechanic rebuilding these engines 😳
This is exactly why I watch Nicks videos they're so educational no one would be embarrassed to have that motor in their vehicle job well done!!
Perfectly said!
Heh. Had 300 hp in my Shelby Dodge. Light car. It was Fun! For those that doubt it.... T2 bottom block, G head, Super 60.
when detectives nick and manny are on the job, the case will get solved. what a great team.
I can't believe I tried to do this on one of these engines in my driveway!!! I freakin love you guys!
Absolutely nothing wrong with a buick 455. You are the master in building engines and my favorite channel!
Except Ford's.
@@cammontreuil7509 Forked Over Rebuilt Dodge......
@@martyzielinski1442 you want to list how many things are cheap and wrong with chevy ?
There's plenty.
@Speedy rapacki was any of them running in Nascar ? What about top fuel ?
Dodge and Ford dominated in the 60's.
Quick tip on buick 455 oil pump gears when packed wth vasoline will stay in place while installing gasket and cover
Worked for me , great show!
If anyone could sort this engine out it is you, Nick. Glad you stayed with it.
I watched a lot of your videos Nick and I just ran across this one that I must’ve missed when it originally aired. I just did a 401 Buick for a customer, I begged him to go with the 455 and leave his original 401 one from his 68 GS In the garage for possible replacement later but he wanted to keep the numbers matching engine in there, I went through a lot of gyrations with this engine but we ended up making 400 hp. TH performance and take a much larger Cam you guys had. Keep up the good work!
We are running out of guys like you nick.
When I was a teen, my mom had a big Electra 225 with a 455 under the hood. It would easily spin the wheels on that behemoth.
I remember going with a good friend of mine in 1970 to Canton, TX to pick up the new Buick GS Stage I that he had ordered. It was bare bones except for the Stage I engine. Three speed on the floor, no radio - he just wanted to race it. It was truly a torque monster. Back in the day, I never saw a car off of the showroom floor that was as quick as this one. He put a four speed in it, some headers, and carried slicks to the track, and turned 11.90 quarter miles (if memory serves me after 50+ years) -- until he blew it up. He dropped a stock 455 in it and sold it. Good times!
My first car was a 1970 Buick GS 455 and I was NEVER outrun on the street back in the early 80's and there was still a lot of musclecars on the road back then.
I hated those Buicks. My 69 Eliminator could not out run them.
Must not have been many fast cars in your area at the time...
@@davelowets any excuse will do. Maybe your neighborhood had a lot of Ramchargers and Swiss-cheese Pontiacs and a couple T-Bolts on the next block?
My 383 GTS dart had no problem with 455 buicks but i will say my car was probally lighter
@@onesecureone A lot of Buicks had 455s. All other things being equal in factory options, a 1970 GS455 Stage 1 should be a little lighter than a 1970 Chevelle SS LS6
Omg I LOVE these old Buicks back in the day I owned a 70 Electra 225 and a 72 Riviera with the tear drop back window they both had the 455 and yes they were torque monsters I LOVE them old Buicks
A few basic steps when changing points on a distributor is to always clean the point cam lobs and then grease them with the appropriate lube. I never see this done on many of these channels all though it may be done off camera. I heard reports that newer replacement points have been having problems with the point cam lobe lock wearing prematurely. This may be part of the problem, no lubrication. Also, always check the timing after setting the dwell / point gap. Dwell affects timing. On a points system the timing changes as the points wear (changes dwell). That is only one of the many reasons cars all went to electronic ignition when in 1975 unleaded gas and catalytic converters became the standard. Dwell angle degree is the the amount the points are closed and is the most accurate and easiest way to set point gap instead of using a feeler gauge. I always use a dwell meter to set points on any make or model vehicle. Spin the engine (using a remote starter switch or someone in the car) and read the meter while setting the points. GM with the distributor cap window is by far the easiest and a blessing when they came out especially that Chevrolet always put there distributors in the back of the engine. Just my two cents on point systems. On my own 1969 Ford 351W car I added Pertronix Electronic Ignition in 2001 and haven't changed the timing since!
YEAH...I BOUGHT A TUBE OF THAT GM POINT LUBE...YUP...MY 55 235 DAD BOUGHT NEW...HE PUT A DUAL POINT DIST PLATE IN IT FROM A 53 BUICK...BOLTS IN...HE EVEN PUT EX VALVE ROTATORS IN THE HEAD...BUT THAT CRAZY ENGINE WOULD STILL BURN AN EX VALVE AROUND 32 to 35,000 miles...crazy...
You don’t lube the lobes you stack some on the following edge of the rub block on the points. The block won’t spin the grease off and as the block wears it adds grease to the contact point automatically.
I used to use Standards Blue Streak line or Napas points exclusively. They come with cam lube.
Well I agreed with you up until you said putting distributor in back was good idea. That's one of the stupidest things Chevy did.
@@cammontreuil7509 Putting a window in the cap was a blessing since the distributors were hard to reach in the back. I agree on the location being not a good idea.
@@paulkocek6576 dang. Someone agrees. My first car in 1975 was a 65 283 Impala. Setting those points hurt my knees every time.
I'm a 67 year young gear head I was raised in a 55 Buick roadmaster conversable I love Buicks I had a 62 lasabor wildcat with the 401 in it and I was very surprised how quick it was and a good looking car also I had buddies that had 69 GS and 70 GS cars very quick cars so I'm a Buick lover I'm waiting for the new GS to hit the market the Buick 455 was a great motor also Pontiacs were no slouches eather I've had them all mopars, plymouths ,Buicks Pontiacs,Chevys ,fords,Oldsmobiles,Cadillacs, murcurys, amcs, gmc,volvos,bmws, Mercedes, jaguars, I love them all for what they are peace bro
Awesome big block from Buick 455 Stage 1. Big 👍
I like how you keep a shot cuz nice and clean floors clean everything is clean that's where the shops should look when you're working on something surgical room
I wish I had RUclips in the 80's when I ditched my points for electronic ignition. Thank you Nick. I learn something every time I watch your videos. You're the best!
Sometimes you want a classic that is really a classic I'm building a 67 C-10 with a BBC nothing will be electronic. The idea behind it is back in the 1980's when I was in my late teens what would I do with it if I wanted to make a hotrod out of it didn't have the money back then to do it. Something about the smell of a rich running carburetor not one electronic part on the thing. Today I'm not street racing anymore too much to lose if I get caught I want to hear a big cam and smell that gas smell at a small car show.
Nick I love these engines! My buddy had a convertible Buick 4spd 455 stage 1 . It would run heads up with Hemi's and big block Chevys.
Nick you are a Canadian icon!
Nick , your a perfectionist.
Every car you work on , is treated like you actually own it , your fantastic . There is also a stage 2 Buick g.s.x. , rated at 540 horsepower, at 510 in torque, it runs a 10. 7 in the quarter mile at 123 m.p. h. Stock.
They were called the hemi killers.
The stage 2 heads were aftermarket..
Good morning to all car lovers! Great video and the editing is silky smooth. That Buick is a torque monster!
Good morning, Bruno.
My dad had the same engine in a Buick LeSabre. Seing you bust out the Chilton's brought back some great memories love what you do Nick ❤️
Hi Nick and Manny I'm 62 And Had a 70 GS Gold with black vinyl. You guys are really awesome and old school beautiful job. 👍🏽🇺🇸🇺🇸
With respect to the story time comment on the 71 Hemi Cuda race against the 70 Buick 455 Stage I, I was there and witnessed the event. If I remember correctly the agreement between the racing parties was stock appearing cars with just slicks and stock appearing they were. The owner of the Hemi Cuda had made a remark that he had changed to a different cam the night before and the Buick was allowed to be running an inverted air cleaner lid. Nick was right , about the Hemi Cuda being trailered in. I believe the Buick GSX drove there. The Buick was the underdog with its 750 cfm quadrajet against the Hemi's 2x4 carbs and cam timing. Both cars had cast iron factory heads, manifolds etc. We also know the Hemi on the dyno liked cast iron better than aluminum. I would say the race was fair under the circumstances and agreements made. It's too bad the Hemi guys decided not to continue.
I love both makes and have owned and raced both. Buick motors that are modded are so under estimated.
My son just started a job in an engine shop in London Ontario. Tearing down, machining and rebuilding engines. He is a red seal mechanic but wanted to specialize in engines. Race. everyday and diesel engines. I told him to watch your channel so he can learn from your experience
Buick is bad ass. Way better than the credit they get.
Yes sir I've owned about three or four of these cars Riviera's and and Buick GSS underestimated
My dad took one of these out of a 72 Riviera boattail. He dropped it into 51 Studabaker truck. These had a factory fiberglass front fenders and hoods. The motor was rebuilt by Butler Racing Engines here in Tennessee. It was dyno'ed at 850hp N//A. The truck was a purpose built pro touring car. It is a beautiful build. Coors Silver and candy red H.O.C. paint. BBS 3 piece gold anodized wheels with graphite lip. Brass plated grill and trim. bagged. Its an incredible looking truck man. Screams too.
good to see buddies in the shop working together
my cousin had a 1973 Rivera with a 455 it ran awesome. love your channel nick old school your the man , god bless
riviera correct spelling lmao , lol spelled it wrong, i was a little kid when he had that car 12 years old never forge
t how it ran really strong motor nice car to. split window in the back
Nick & Manny look like two teenagers having fun at shop class. Great job boys.
That 455 will turn 6,000k all day long!!! 4,600 is piddly. You guys reminded me of a 425cid 1965 Olds 98 two door hardtop I had! Man,I remember putting down a 1968 Chevelle 396 big block 4 speed. My trans was an early version of the 400turbo,catch 2nd gear scratch shifting itself!!! VERY Light rear end,I used sand bags for traction!! This baby "DiD" outrun the Rock County and Winnebago County Sheriffs cars. Rock County had newer Oldsmobiles with police interceptor engines, hah hah hah!! My brother and I rebuilt the 425 using Sterling Speed and Engineering out of Rockford for the heads! It was STOCK,but a go fast. Keep up the good work Nick. Thanks. GOD bless all. Pastor Jeff 🙏
You guys make my day. Love it when friends work together on something you both enjoy. Makes for a great day at work.
I really like it when manny is there you guys seem like brother's who aren't related I can tell you trust his opinion
In 1981 my first car was a 71 gs 455 convertible. I had the engine rebuilt right away and that car was a tire melting runner.
Just finished watching video, loved it. Nick and Manny, the way the talk that ate tuned into each other and the project they are working on. The connection is unreal, you can tell they live what they do and want to give their costumer the best product. 👌
With over 25o dyno pulls for superstock nhra, let me tell you, A/f ratio is everything, timing is secondary to a point depending on adjusted altitude. If it ain't ready to run on the dyno, it ain't ready. Still love your you tube!
Thanks Nick for featuring one of my favorite engines👍
Nice way to show your prowess nick in everything engine related
Thanks for watching, Darren.
I really enjoy Many being on camera… great chemistry with You Nick!
Thank you.
Seems like an Edelbrock performer manifold would make a difference on the old Buick and be very street-able. back in the day my 440 ran OK with the stock intake and headers. Once I installed the performer intake, the beast came alive!! lots of top end RPMs and power
Yes - but that eliminates any Pure Stock or even F.A.S.T. racing so the best solution is to Extrudehone. And of course port-match. Use thin steel head gaskets. And on-top too - a heat spacer - and everything opened-up and matched.
Closer to "Pure Stock" would be the old B4B manifold, which Edelbrock is making again. That was the manifold for the Stage 2 engine.
RPM no s, ever
The Edelbrock manifold is so much better and lighter too..
@@karaDee2363 Yes it is but … it disqualifies the car for the Pure Stock, and F.A.S.T. ( factory appearance stock tires ) racing classes it was born-to-run in. The ExtudeHone of intake - exhaust - and heads is much of why you see “Pure Stock” cars running 2 seconds and 10 mph faster than they did new. And we rarely ran street gears above 3.90 or 4.10. Although I ran 4.56 with a 289 K-Code Mustang I
Who knew Canadians could be this cool???? Respect!
I was working back East as a Millwright apprentice in 1982. One of the journeymen Millwrights built tractors for the tractor pulls. He had a 1972 Buick Gran Sport Stage 1 that had been on blocks in one of his garages for 9 years. 455 motor, 4-barrel, 4 speed on the floor. He had a bunch of Kenne Bell magazines with articles for building the engine, but he had not gotten around to it. The car was Seamist green pale color in the interior/exterior. He wanted to sell it and offered it to me because he did not want his kid to get it when he turned 16 the next year. He was afraid his son would kill himself in it. He even offered to paint it a different color as part of the deal. I had just bought a 1000 Kawasaki LTD off the showroom floor and was making payments, so I stupidly passed. He was asking $1500 including the paint job!! One of my life's greatest regrets...
Brings back memory's of my 1973 Buick Century , the one mod I added was a MSD 6A ignition box , never had a miss fire ever after that , a little water in the fuel , not much will cause some big headaches .
I love these episodes. The testing , fixing the little issues here and there and seeing what these old motors can't put out. 👍👍👍🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲
That is the best "red" ever. The king of all "reds".
the big difference between a hemi and stage1 is not only 20 pound of torque its where you make it a 426 hemi make 490 lbs @ 4000 rpm the 455 makes 510 lbs at 2800 rpm
Is it really that low of RPM? That’s pretty incredible, and would be a monster on the street. I’ve known they made 510ft/lbs for 40 years but figured it was around 3500+RPMs. All of our American V8s only have a few crucial differences, and some aren’t exactly magical. Things like compression ratio, bore vs stroke, conn rod length, are all relatively straightforward. But from the carb to the piston is where the real voodoo was. And exhaust manifolds were also a huge variable, but Hemis really had an advantage as far as flow into a cylinder. But even that isn’t the whole picture. I’m not sure when the engineers realized this, but swirl or tumbling were extremely helpful in keeping the mixture homogenous. It doesn’t matter how much air/fuel mixture you get into the cylinder if it all doesn’t blow the hell up. And if that atomized mix gets too cooled along the way, it will separate, or if it hits too many walls and slows down too much it will separate, leaving liquid fuel in the intake runners or the intake port on the head, in practice they are one runner/port, hence the “half heads” of the Ford 390, and big leap into the unknown for ford at the time but an idea that was built on solid science. It’s easier to hog out aluminum than iron, and also saves weight. So if your intake manifold takes up half the head, then it also saves more weight when you make it out of aluminum, and any porting done on your easily removed intake manifold gives you the double advantage of actually having ported most of the intake port on the “head”, because there is very, very little intake port on the actual head. But high ruse, dual plane, single plane, equal length, air gapped, all were useful ideas, and of course it’s not like the Buick had any kind of special secret to any of these things as far as I know. The next question is, if 455 cubes could give you 510 ft/lbs, then why didn’t the Cadillac 472 make proportionally more ft/lbs, like 530+ ft/lbs? Why indeed. If it was all down to the combination of compression ratio and bore and stroke, then why was Buick alone here? Was it that the others simply cared about advertising HP numbers? I doubt it. They lied about those all the time, so if you wanted to claim the biggest number, just lie. Those of us with experience know what makes power where, and torque gets you the hole shot, HP is your follow through from maybe 600’ on. And we all know the ET vs trap speed reflects this every time, unless there were traction issues at the line. But if one guy had a lower ET and the other had a higher trap speed, yet they crossed neck and neck, we know the ET winner had more torque or less weight, and the other guy had more HP. Less weight will help with the low end, but start two cars at 70mph, a roll race as the youngsters call it, and weight matters much less, but not really because of the speed itself, they are still starting their race even, as if from a starting line, but they are already up into their “working” rpm ranges. And since HP is a function of torque at a certain RPM, then 510 ft/lbs might lose to 450ft/lbs if the torque monster falls on its face at 5,000rpms, unless maybe it has like a 2.6:1 rear end, maybe, but the issue is the depth of workable rpm range, which is why these low torque Ferraris and such can still win 1/4 mile drags, but lose 1/8 mile every time. Excuse me, breadth of useable RPM range is key to a real race. Even lots of gears, with a super low first gear and 8 gears, with a sweet rpm range in each gear, only helps if the shifts are so quick that they are almost not measurable. A 1/100 second shift still adds up to 6/100, halfway to a tenth of a second, which in the drag world is very often the difference, but how many transmissions shift that quickly? None. The fastest I found was the McLaren 675 LT, at 40ms, or 0.040 seconds. For reference against a “regular” automatic, the modern Challenger/Charger ZF 8HP does it in 160ms in track mode. A Lambo Huracan Performante does it in 290ms.
Big deal. Stage 1's were fat and happy. The hemi heads were far superior to anything Buick produced. The hemi is a much better engine.
@@greasyhitchball yes on the race track but not on the street
@@greasyhitchball How about looking up the term hemi killer engine and see just what pops up, we'll wait 😏
@455buick6 No need to wait, I know the story. A guy in a Stage 1 beat a couple Hemis. Big deal. Lot of factors at play. Driver skills, tune, traction, etc, etc. I've seen plenty of Hemis beat 455 Stage 1 Buicks. In Pittsburgh, in 1978, there were two well-respected street cars,
a 70 Stage 1 and a 68 Hemi Roadrunner. They were both stock with the RR the faster of the two.
Very impressed how clean and orderly it is in that room. It’s like a surgical room.
Better wipe your feet before you come in. 😉
One of the BEST DYNO ROOM and setups I have seen ....GOOD STUFF NICK !!!!! BIG WAVE AND SMILE TO ALL !!!!!
Nick,I don't think you could have treated that big ol Buick any better than that it's probably the best that engine has ever popped it was a Joy to watch two Men go back to the old school 🔥
My dad had a 1970 Buick Electra with that big engine. That was one running piece of plunder. He lived 30 more years and passed on at 95.
great video--all us old gearheads in our 70s love this ---keep em coming-
Manny just radiates positivity and supportiveness. He's a good role model.
I went through this with a cammed out 440. ran lean, headers were glowing. intake gasket was horrible, redid the intake gasket, still didn't idle, but ran better. it ended up being the ignition that caused the headers to Glow, the intake was leaking vacuum originally, and now it idles at 900, and the headers don't glow.
That's why I don't like old school stuff a ECU will tell you exactly where your problem is.
Would be nice for my Chevy 350tbi small block but stuck with ob 1
Monday videos should be rated for the number of Nick’s Garage mugs of coffee required to watch the entire video. This was 3☕️☕️☕️! Great video. Have a great week everyone
My first car was a '72 Buick Centurion. She also had the 455. Sure brings back some memories. Thanks for the video.
Good morning, Nick and crew!!!! Joel from Pittsburgh: thank God the Covid journey is just about over!!! This is a fantastic video, shows what PERSISTENCE AND DETERMINATION will accomplish. This is the 1st time I’ve seen Nick and Manny work so closely together: talk about a dynamic duo!!! And George, your production work really highlights everything!!!! Kudos to you all, and a fantastic week as well!!!!!
Like two surgeons tending to a patient ! I love this channel, Happy New Year Nick's Garage !!
Another one for my library Nick. I love the show. It's a great way to forget all the bs going on. Your show brings back so many memories of old friends and great times. Thanks guys.
well said---in my 70s -takes me back -50 yrs--all the street and strip racing was just normal life back then.--we grew up in a great era-stii have my 68 camaro
Still running points. Respect.
need to check oil pump gear clearance for the thicker gasket will give more space.
rule of thumb .003 inch max clearance, reason why was a thin gasket
everytime I watch your channel I always hit👍🙂 I've owned Many vehicules fords prod, mopars, gms, American motors, Renault , VW, had more than 75 cars but never a Buick 😡
I love when Nick says. He we go..
Old school... dwell effects the timing.. timing doesn't effect the dwell.. Good video.
I saw lots of N/A jet boats back in the 70's using the BB 455 Olds and Buick - mostly for the torque. Boat guys always wanted the low rpm torque. The next most popular was, of course, the 454 BBC. Some 440's. No Hemis that I can remember. Pontiacs were few and far between, and no one had yet realized the potential of the 429 / 460 Ford, as the HP 429 versions and parts were even harder to find than the Pontiac. Back then there was only OEM cast iron heads, and few factory high performance parts available to the average hot-rodder on a budget - nothing like what is available in affordable high flow aluminum heads on the aftermarket today.
My dream boat will have a pair of buick 455's
I have a lobster boat that had a brand new 455. Stage one 1970 engine that thing would go out by 15 foot Boston whalers with 33 hp engines its a 35 foot boat still have it and it has 400 hp detroit diesel now it goes good now but the snap of that buick would take you off your feet if you didn't get. Ahold of something lol
@@michaeltibbetts8155 It speaks volumes that the Buick 455 had more low end acceleration in a big heavy hull than a huge diesel. Usually it would be the other way round. I didn't say it in my original comment, but nearly all the BBC boats I saw as a kid were running 8-71 superchargers. They also were the fastest in top speed, but the naturally aspirated 455's had about the same acceleration from standing starts heading out of the launch and dock area. Only a few of the others had blowers - I really only distinctly remember one of the Olds 455's having an 8-71. I also remember it sitting backwards (likewise about half of the BBC's) in the boat, with the front end at the back of the boat angled up much higher than the other end. I don't recall if any had nitrous, and turbos were non-existent back then. Most non-supercharged boats had twin 4 barrels on tall tunnel rams. Also remember the big jets of what I now know to be cooling water shooting out the exhausts or from the transom area (besides the rooster tails from the jet drives).
I'm loving the high tech beer create that you and Manni stand on. Great video and production you guys. Regards from the UK.
Back in the "good ol days" when you installed the metal intake gasket you slathered both sides with permatex aviation liquid gasket. Like brown tar, they would always leak if no sealant was applied.
Hey Nick and Krew, really enjoyed watching the work and troubleshooting performed ...Nick you came up with a good plan and got the problem solve ... Love the show as always....Waiting to see the Pontiac run ....ol 1970 GTO RAM AIR 400 Tin Indian Fan here ...
I just stumbled across this video. I subscribed. I can tell Nick puts himself into the build. He wants as much performance as can be had based on what he has to work with… there is an awful lot of pride that went into this customer’s bullet.
We’re glad you found us. 👍
I had a friend who had a new 1970 Hemi Super Bee with a Torqueflite. He said the only cars that gave him trouble were the Buick GSX.
Or better put ... the 455 Stage 1. I agree!
1970 OLDS 442 W30 HAS TAKEN DOWN A FEW HEMIS IN IT'S DAY .
He never raced my Chevelle.
@@SpideySenses-gb9gi
💦 dream pal.
Several years ago I had a similar intake manifold issue. Ford 460, .030" over, high-torque cam, rebuilt head, and 9:1 c.r. Excessive oil consumption (1 quart/300 miles) right off the bat. Good idle and power (250 hp rear wheels F-250 with Dana 70 and T-19 transmission @4,000 rpm). I had used the 1 piece steel intake manifold gasket with valley pan. Twice. Changed from Edelbrock to OEM iron manifold with same issue. Tried Fel-Pro no change. Then went to 3-piece Victor Reintz and the engine is running like a champ. At least 2 rebuilds on engine so I should have shaved the intake manifold. BTW, during rebuild I went with Autotec pistons who made a set of pistons just for this engine so that I could remain at 9:1 c.r. and that I could run on cheap pump regular; it was great working with my engine builder and Autotec. The engine is capable of 550-600 hp at 6,000 rpm but right now it is in a 4x4 truck with cabover camper and it may never remain in the truck; it was not that more expensive building a racing block for longevity. My point is that some intake manifold gaskets are more forgiving than others and it looks like Ford used the Victor gaskets from the factory. I loved the memories on points (73 years old) and using points in a Sunbeam Alpine 1725 4-cyl with a CDI ignition and turning over 7,000 rpm. BTW, burned points usually the result of removing the ballast resistor for a hotter spark but when the engine is not running and the ignition is left on then the points will burn up.
Too much information.
Three cups of coffee on this beauty and I'm buzzing. I had no idea that the 455 was different in all three divisions of GM. I would think the Oldsmobile would be top notch with their racing history. Thanks once again for a great video!
nope lol
Thanks for this edition, I enjoyed watching the pro team at work🚗💪
Awesome stories, I could listen to these guys all day.
Thanks for listening
If your V8 is suffering from low compression taking it to Nick's Garage would be my suggestion With the gaskets from Velpro Nick and Manny know the 455's vacuum leak should go Nick is replacing a leaky oil pump gasket So the oil pump will do as you ask it I like a Buick the Riviera is slick and the Skylark too is legitimate I dig the style of the Grand National too back in the 80's a Turbo 6 was the best they could do Having worked for Buick Nick has fixed a few Don't let a rough idle make you suicidal Send it to Nick's Garage they'll try n test it through a full heat cycle Is it a real stage one? Only way to find out is a dyno run Nick's Garage every Monday is always fun Ain't no superstition It's a science with the points and ignition be sure to like and subscribe to Nick's Garage to follow their mission!
No external "test" will confirm it being a real Stage 1 ... or not.
Attention to detail is great to watch. That’s the difference between an engine that just starts, or runs for years.
Excellent video Nick and Manny, always enjoy the insight and great to see a GS. powerplant on the channel.
I had a 78 Buick skyhawk with a 231 V6 a 4 speed.
It had a rough idle from day I bought it new. I tried a lot of different things to fix it and nothing worked. As a last resort I rebuilt the carburetor. The floats were off by an 1/8".
After resetting them it fixed the problem . I pulled a lot of hair out before I got there. That car was a little jackrabbit . A lot of fun to drive. You got the dwell right. On a GM distributor of that type the dwell is
29-31 . That was what it was on my 70 Camaro .
That motor sounds great!!
Its great to see that not everything goes right first time, just like my own engine building!
I missed that race... I lived in Plattsburgh... darn... now I know who was racing!!!
You and Manny are great,lovin' this episode!
Great show. Nick reminds me of a lot of navy people I met in halifax .
Keep the show going and godspeed.
I always put a little permatex or Teflon paste on the intake bolts keep oil from migrating and usually replace the timing covers if they have the oil pump built in even if they don't most of the time on those old motors! If it sucked an intake gasket stick your finger in the pcv grommet in the valve cover and if it tries to suck your finger in you know you got a vacuum leak internal
Manny the manual choke 😊 lol! It goes with his name naturally.
Boy that's an odd place for the distributor!🤔
But you can't beat the stump pulling torque of those 455's!!!
I've always loved the GS's from Buick! Much like Nick,a class act indeed!
Thanks again guys.