Sometimes You Just Get Lucky

[Bib_Overalls]

Saturday I hooked up with some rodding friends for breakfast.  As we talked the subject got around to motors and alternatives to the small block Chevy.  I observed that the 215 CI Olds and Buicks V8s from the ealy 60s had promise and that I would like to fool around with one.  One of my cronies advised a friend of his might have one and passed me a name and phone number.  Saturday evening I called.  Yes, he had one and he wanted $150 for it.  Since I was that far along I said yes and agreed to pick it up this coming Tuesday.  Yesterday he told me he had it up from the shed and could I come and get it.  So I did.  

Told me the motor came out of a 61 Olds that he had bought from an estate in Tennessee.  The car was pretty much shot and all he wanted from it was some sheet metal and trim.  That was five years ago and before that the car had been in a shed for at least 20 years.  Doing the math it must have been put up after 15 years of service.  About 150,000 miles I reconed.  I was not expecting much.

Last night I put it on an engine stand and drained the oil.  I looked like it had just been changed.  I pulled the valve covers and all they had was a thin film of carbon inside.  The rockers were clean.  The heads had a little crud in the corners.  However, a little rubbing with a rag produced shinny metal.  I also pulled the plugs and they were dry and looked brand new.  I went to bed feeling optomistic.

Early this afternoon I dropped the pan.  No sludge and no metal particles.  Then I pulled the valley cover.  Again, everything was brite and shiny.  Pulled the heads.  The pistons had a little hardened carbon on them but you could flake it away with your fingernail.  The combustion chambers were a little sooty but otherwise quite clean.

Took it all to the machine shop a couple of hours ago.  The bores showed about .002 wear.  What ridge there was wiped away with solvent on a Scotch Brite pad.  The rocker shafts are less than .0005 out of round.  We did not check the rod or main bearings but there is nothing to indicate any problems there.  

Even the cam chain was tight.

So the plan is to clean it all up, lap the valves, swap in a peppy cam and new lifters, button it up and set it aside.  

One thing I have discovered since buying in is that parts for these guys are high.  Figuring I would need just about everything I planned to swap in a Buick 300 crank.  Gives you an additional 41 CI for a small premium over a completely stock rebuild.  But, considering how lucky I have been going in I think 215 CI will be adequate in whatever I wind up building.  A track or lakes style "T" for example.

[phat46]

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 Great luck indeed! I saw one of those in a low slung T bucket type  ride last year. The owner had Limefire type exhaust with no baffles, just some slots cut into the header caps. It sounded really nice, and not loud at all.