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62 Buick Special V8 Rod Bearings Knock


Russelld58

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Wondering if I can get advice about rod bearings. I'm hearing a slight knock on start up. Ran some Sea Foam and the noise got a but louder. Switched to 50 wt and STP and that seems to have stopped some of the noise. I hear some knocking, but its intermittent. Is it just a matter of time? Best to replace the bearings now? Any advice on a vendor for rod bearings? Thanks.

Russell

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Good morning , Russell. 50 wt. oil will not provide adequate lubrication in an engine designed to run significantly lighter oil. STP , a VI (viscosity index) improver makes matters worse. You may now have something like 75W/55 (?) which may be ok for momentary diagnosis , but detrimental to your engine. Don't take any trips thinking you have some margin of protection. Works temporarily , only. - Carl

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Straight 50 yes but not commonly available. 20W-50 not so bad since never thicker than cold 20.

 

Remember back in my SCCA days being told by a GM engineer that if I lost oil pressure, STP might save the engine for about 2 seconds.

 

Also modern engines I use 10W30 (usu Mobil 1) only since passages are much smaller than back in the day. Think I still have a quart of Hardley-Davidson 60wt Pre-Lux.

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Yes , indeed ! But look at how I screwed up my estimated new STPed multi-grade concoction above. Should read 55W/75 , and that is obviously a guess , and would depend on how much STP was administered. Good luck , Russell , let us know what you find. - Carl

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14 hours ago, padgett said:

That is the 215 cid Aluminum V8 ?

 

With 50 wt and STP a cold engine should be off scale. I suspect you have a major rebuild in your future.

The pump has a pressure relief valve and unless it's stuck it will bleed off pressure.

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19 hours ago, Russelld58 said:

Wondering if I can get advice about rod bearings. I'm hearing a slight knock on start up. Ran some Sea Foam and the noise got a but louder. Switched to 50 wt and STP and that seems to have stopped some of the noise. I hear some knocking, but its intermittent. Is it just a matter of time? Best to replace the bearings now? Any advice on a vendor for rod bearings? Thanks.

Russell

Why don't you get the engine and oil temp up to operating temp and see what your pressures are. For that engine about 10 PSI at idle and a 2,000rpm between 30 and 45PSI. If you think it's a rod bearing or a wrist pin pull a plug wire on each cylinder with the engine running one at a time. If the knock goes away on a certain cylinder you know you have found the culprit. Lifter and valve train noise especially on a overhead valve or OHC is a different noise and lighter metallic in sound. A experienced ear knows the difference. 

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"The pump has a pressure relief valve and unless it's stuck it will bleed off pressure. "

Yes but the orifice is not that big and thick cold oil should overwhelm it. Also I suspect a factory oil pressure gauge from 1962 would be 0-60. Guess I should have asked if a factory dash guage but often saw my small block in the '63 vette go off scale with a 50 psi relief and Valvoline 40wt racing oil. Why we always idled until warmed up before a race. The green sheet warned not to exceed 80 psi & the rule of thumb was 10 psi for every 1000 rpm.

 

oilpressure.jpg

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Thanks for the help, gents. 

 

I'll be changing the rod bearings. Any thoughts on changing the oil pump while I'm at it? If so, where might I find one? Is that a part that has been remanufactured? Junk yards are far and few between here in Honolulu.

 

Thanks.

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Might look for parts for a 3.5 Rover/Morgan Plus 8/TR8 Triumph. Buick sold it to Holden who sold it to British Leyland where it was very popular even into this century. Might even find parts in Australia, Brabham used for a while.

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D&D Fabrications in Michigan is the go-to vendor for parts and expertise on the 215 motors.  The front cover and oil pump are common with early 1960s cast iron Buick V8s and are readily available.  As noted, early Rover 215 parts are also common.  The later Rover motors were redesigned to use a crank-driven oil pump and those parts are different.  You'll find LOTS of info at Britishv8.com

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Thanks, fellas. Any suggestions on a vendor for the bearings? I saw a Falcon set for $185, but that includes main bearings. which I won't change. Also, Joe, do you happen to know the bearing size? Are they the small .10?

 

thanks again.

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15 minutes ago, Russelld58 said:

Thanks, fellas. Any suggestions on a vendor for the bearings? I saw a Falcon set for $185, but that includes main bearings. which I won't change. Also, Joe, do you happen to know the bearing size? Are they the small .10?

 

thanks again.

 

Sealed Power makes main and rod bearings for the 215.  You can pretty much get them anywhere.  Summit Racing sells the mains for about $50 a set and the rod bearings for about $40 a set.  Clevite sells them also.  Standard and oversize versions are offered.  The 215 uses 2.300" mains and 2.000" rod throws.

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  • 2 months later...

Thanks for all the advice. We got in there and found that the rod bearings were ok. Replaced them anyway. Main bearings were showing copper, so we replaced those, too. Turns out the knock was coming from the torque converter. Bolt holes were stripped so we drilled new ones and its now solid. No knock.

 

But another issue--seems my master cylinder may be going. Are master cylinders for the 62 pretty easy to come by? I've seen some pretty wild variations on price online. Suggestions? 

Thanks. 

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