1970 wagoneer

[Jonnyworld]

Buick 350 th400. Owner died in 1982 And its been parked in a field since then. My father bought it today. Pretty solid over all. 96,xxx what are the odds the engine will turn over after a transmission fluid bath in the cylinders.



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[66stepside]

Nice find- Welcome!


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[letank]

amazing... a good way is to prime the oil pump manually? not familiar with the 350... on the 360 you carefully index your distributor so it can be reinstalled at the same firing position.
We remove the distributor and insert the priming tool to circulate the oil in the oil galleys... turn the priming tool to circulate the oil... but, yes but, you may need to dismantle the oil pump and pack it with petroleum jelly so the gears can aspirate the oil... after a minute or 2 of priming try to rotate the crank 90 degrees to open the other oil passages on the crank... repeat another 90 and another...

to be sure that the oil pressure is building up, you may need to use a mechanical pressure gauge...

Good luck

http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=123852

[tedlovesjeeps71]

Wow! And I thought the 10 years mine sat in a field was a long time. nice find. Go patiently and it'll run again. Don't be too disappointed if you need to do valve seals (and every other seal/gasket/and hose). Part of the fun.


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[Red-dog]

Those wrap around tail lights are soooooo cool.

[Jonnyworld]

amazing... a good way is to prime the oil pump manually? not familiar with the 350... on the 360 you carefully index your distributor so it can be reinstalled at the same firing position.
We remove the distributor and insert the priming tool to circulate the oil in the oil galleys... turn the priming tool to circulate the oil... but, yes but, you may need to dismantle the oil pump and pack it with petroleum jelly so the gears can aspirate the oil... after a minute or 2 of priming try to rotate the crank 90 degrees to open the other oil passages on the crank... repeat another 90 and another...

to be sure that the oil pressure is building up, you may need to use a mechanical pressure gauge...

Good luck

http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=123852

Great tips. Thanks.

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[Jonnyworld]

Does anyone know what transfer case was behind the th400 and buick 350 also. Since it is a gm engine would it be easier to put a chevy 350 in than other models. Would it just bolt up?

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[tedlovesjeeps71]

Does anyone know what transfer case was behind the th400 and buick 350 also. Since it is a gm engine would it be easier to put a chevy 350 in than other models. Would it just bolt up?

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T-case should be a Dana 20. The texas pattern on it makes it more expensive to swap to different trannys then say a Dana 300.
And while the Buick motor is a GM product, the bell housing is different than a chevy/GMC. It's what is called a BOP pattern on the motor side. Fits Buick ( duh, lol) Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Cadillac. The t-case end is a bit different. Anything can be done but you have a complete package. Nothing wrong with those parts a rebuild wouldn't help.


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[Jonnyworld]

Thanks good info. Sounds like the best plan is to keep it original.

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[tedlovesjeeps71]

Thanks good info. Sounds like the best plan is to keep it original.

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It's so complete it would seem a shame not to. I've tried to keep the mods to my 91 as things that can be reversed. All parts that come off, even the broken ones, go into storage. While it takes some effort (and cost), there is something inherently cool about original. Yours has good bones, not really any issues with the drivetrain which would keep it from being enjoyable for a long time. Just need some love to get back to its former glory.


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[babywag]

transmission is a "nailhead" pattern th400 bellhousing
mated to the engine with cast iron adapter plate

Unique animal, to do chevy engine swap = not drop in and go

You should be able to prime oil via distributor hole after pulling distributor.
Always a good idea vs. cranking or trying to fire a dry engine.

[ghcoe]

96,xxx what are the odds the engine will turn over after a transmission fluid bath in the cylinders.

I have had good luck in breathing life back into old motors. I just got a Opel 1.9 started that had sat for 27 years with the valve cover, intake/exhaust manifold and spark plugs removed. The person was in a middle of a performance cam change and lost interest in 1990! Runs great. Another Opel I have driven for 6 years now had sat for 16 years. The Jeep I own now had sat for 15 years before I purchased it.

My recipe is pull spark plugs and pump a bit of Dextron ATF into the cylinders and let it sit for a week or so. Drain old oil and put a couple of quarts of oil in, just enough to be able to pump through the engine with a drill. Hand rotate the crank shaft a couple of times before using starter. Drain oil and fill with Rotella 15-40 (my preference) and one quart of Dextron ATF (super cleaner) and STP oil treatment (extra ZDDP). Run for about 100-300 miles and change oil. You can still do the ATF at this time too and I usually add STP at every oil change. Then again at 500 miles and 1000. I never worry if the motor runs rough or ticks some. You have to run the motor a good 1000-1500 miles sometimes before you start to see improvements. Keep the oil clean and put on the miles. Rings, lifters and valves may be sticky and it will take a while for the ATF to work them free. The Opel I am driving now took nearly 1500 miles to go from 14 mpg to 21 mpg. I have put 60,000 on it since I got it going 6 year ago and it is till running strong.

Good luck.

[ghcoe]

I guess I should mention the transmission too. When I got my Jeep running after sitting for 16 years the transmission worked fine. After a few months of driving we were heading home from a friends house. The transmission began to slip real bad and within a mile or two it would not move at all. My friend pulled me back to his house. The next day I called around to price a new trans. One of the shops told me to pull the pan and bring it in to him without wiping it out. So I pulled the pan and took it to him. He looked at it and told me there was a lot of clutch dust in the pan and that would be normal for a transmission that sat for a long time, but saw no other issues. He then told me to change the filter and run her. That was 16 years ago and it is still running great. I even use to pull a 6000lbs travel trailer with it for years. Now where is some wood to knock on?

[Jonnyworld]

Always so much great information on this site. I now have a plan of attack.

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[swampedge]

Post some engine pics. Original unmolested 350 engine bay pics are hard to find.


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[Jonnyworld]

Post some engine pics. Original unmolested 350 engine bay pics are hard to find.


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It was unmolested by human hands but there was a raccoon living under the hood but I'll get some pictures once we get the debris out

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[swampedge]

Post some engine pics. Original unmolested 350 engine bay pics are hard to find.


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It was unmolested by human hands but there was a raccoon living under the hood but I'll get some pictures once we get the debris out

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Any pics yet?


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[Jonnyworld]

Sorry no pics yet. It is 30 min away at my fathers house. So I havent had a chance yet.

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[Jonnyworld]

Sorry no pics yet. It is 30 min away at my fathers house. So I havent had a chance yet.

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My Father sent me a few quick pics. Most of the nest removed.

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[Tatsadasayago]

When you get the chance to take them, a few photos of your front and rear door panels for my collection would be greatly appreciated.
Nice find!