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248 straight eight head rebuild


Guest buickkuhn

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Guest buickkuhn

I am going to be redoing my 1941 buick 248ci head , new valves ,guides ,springs, milling and valve grind job . If I am going threw this is there better parts to use besides stock replacement ? This is my main question

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Guest buickkuhn

Thank you for the info I will start the searching . I have found Kanter along with Cars inc. new jersey and Bobs automobilia too . I am just looking for what other people have done and used . Along with some trade secrets "maybe" ?

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Guest buickkuhn
When I did my 248, I also bought a fuel pump repair kit and had my water pump rebuilt at Terrill Machine.. Tom

I did recieve a email back from them , can I ask ball park cost to have the head done there ? I am going to be exchanging rods out with them and getting the bearings too .

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I didn`t send my head to Terrill, I`ve used the same local machinist(Durant,OK.) for 30+yr. My `41 248 super(dual carb.) engine expenses: Head magna fluxed, hardened seats, valve grind and surfaced(I supplied new valves), block vatted and bored, crankshaft turned was $620. was done last year. Rods(exchange), rod bearings, and main bearings from Terrill $580. Cam and lifters sent to Egge $325+ shipping to and from. Then all the other stuff, pistons, rings, freeze plugs, timing chain, gasket set, cam bearings, plugs, plug wires, points/condenser, rotor and cap, vac. advance, clutch plate, throw-out bearing, pilot bearing, carb. kits, oil filter, fuel pump kit, water pump rebuild(Terrill), paint, sandblasting all sheet metal, intake/exhaust manifolds, had the exhaust manifolds ceramic coated. And there`s probably a few more thing I haven`t mentioned. I didn`t half step on anything. My total was just under $4500 and I did all my own assembly/labor. Tom

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Guest buickkuhn

Thank you for the list breakdown , There have been a lot of stuff I have done in the past like solid roller cam sbc engines and 565 bbc race car engines . I have only had one older standard motor rebuild under my belt and that is my 1965 ford fairlane 200ci 6 cylinder . That cost me $500 to have that head done , rest of the parts $600 - even that one I was trying to go on the cheap side .

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Guest buickkuhn
Rebuild the thermostat housing, or change it out for a 1948-49 thermostat housing that does not have the by-pass valve.

This is a question I had when I installed a 160 degree thermostat with weep hole and the rebuilt water pump also installed a new copper cotter key on the by-pass assembly last winter . The car ran since last year with no thermostat and just the by-pass assembly had ok heat just was cooling off in the block by the time the coolant would leave the block - then opposite when in traffic got above 180 degrees and stay there till could cruise to cool it off . With the thermostat installed the motor builds heat within 16 degrees from front to back of engine and maintains it too . I was curious to just remove by-pass and keep thermostat --- please clarify your experience with this by-pass unit .Thank you

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I've always been told that any car runs cooler with a thermostat, because it is said that the water flow is too fast without one. I run a 150 degree thermostat and my cars run 180 or better regardless. I think it was the 1942 Owners Manual where I read that Buick engineers had designed the car to run at 180 degrees for better performance. The thermostat housing argument has been up and down in BCA newsletters back into the 1970s. I found it curious that Buick engineers removed the thermostat housing valve in 1948 which kind of tells me they decided it wasn't that good of an idea to begin with. The 1948-49 thermostat housing fits all the Buicks at least back to 1937 if not back to 1934. The 1948 thermostat house has a specific size hole for coolant to pass through. I don't know if removing the spring loaded valve results in the same size hole or not...never measured them. All that said, I rebuilt the original type and am running that one in all three of my 39 Buicks and doing okay. The only problem is that since advent of ethanol my cars will vapor lock without an electric fuel pump just driving down the road if the outside temperature gets up around 90 degrees (comnab in central Florida). Wrapping the fuel lines in foam tubing like is used on home hot water heaters has helped that a lot but not totally cured it. I think the big problem is that the steel fuel line runs tightly between the thermostat housing and the cylinder head. Ethanol is the worst thing that has ever happened to old cars. We have one station here who refuses to sell it and sells regular for $4.499 a gallon (last week) and I put that in, along with some Crestar blue when I'm going to store my cars for awhile.

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Guest buickkuhn

That is the same result I had . I am saying it is good because the block has more consistant heat and cools that same way . If I would have figured this out 12 years ago I would have only replaced one exhaust manifold on my car instead of 4 sets over the years . The tip about the fuel line is a good one ,I am going to run 5/16" aluminum line from the tank to fuel injected rubber to the pump (at this time I can install a 6 volt electric if I want ) . Maybe I will look into a fuel cool can for the fuel line (used on drag race cars ) it may also be a easy way to cool the fuel down . https://www.google.com/search?q=moroso+cool+can&biw=1024&bih=705&tbm=isch&imgil=MqCi504c0aAO-M%253A%253BxJssLU3rSYbt2M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.jegs.com%25252Fi%25252FMoroso%25252F710%25252F65125%25252F10002%25252F-1&source=iu&pf=m&fir=MqCi504c0aAO-M%253A%252CxJssLU3rSYbt2M%252C_&usg=__etDefBrR9usw-_kUCMlPWN3c6ig%3D&ved=0CDAQyjc&ei=LbpQVPrTC8OuyAT254CoDg#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=MqCi504c0aAO-M%253A%3BxJssLU3rSYbt2M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.jegs.com%252Fimages%252Fmini_100%252F700%252F720%252F720-1350.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.jegs.com%252Fi%252FMoroso%252F710%252F65125%252F10002%252F-1%3B100%3B81

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