What do you drive?

[DeanMk]

Here's mine, wife hates it and calls it a relic. Served me well for 19 years so far.
View attachment 321342

Picture is not the best but shows true dual exhaust on a straight 6, cast iron headers.
View attachment 321343

Dude, Righteous!
I love those early Chevy II's!...and you don't see many wagons.
I like how you kept the straight six engine, too.
Those cast iron headers....Fenton's?
...and don't worry about the look....just tell the wife it gives it that rustic old world charm...just like her "collectibles".


Dean
P.S. - Re: "marine cylinder head". I've heard that when GM went to the integral intake manifold design, they changed the porting of that head to help make it a little more efficient. The new port design was based on the marine version already in existence....now all you need is the marine cam to go with that head. -b

 

[Captain O]

No it isn't.
The 231 V6 was a BUICK product and was unique to that brand.
It started life as a 225 in the early 60's and was bored out twice; once to create the 231 and again to create the 252.
The 231 was also known as a 3.8L V6 and is the displacement that likely encompasses the majority of the total production of that block.
The 252 was also known as the 4.2L V6.
As a family they are collectively known as "The Buick V6".
The 225 was also used by Jeep in the 60's and was marketed as the "Dauntless V6".
There was a 3.8L V6 used by Chevy in the 90's (might still exist), but that is a different engine.
The V6 that is based on the Chevy 350 V8 was known as the 4.3L V6.
It existed from the mid 80's until just a few years ago.
If you ever hear of, or run across, one, there was also an Oldsmobile 4.3L V6.
Like the Chevy, that engine was also 350 V8 based, but it was based on the Oldsmobile 350, which is a different engine from the SBC (at one time, 4 of the 7 brands under GM made a 350 cu.in. V8 and all were unique to their own brands. Those brands were Buick, Chevy, Oldsmobile and Pointiac).
The Olds V6, like the particular V8 it came from, was a diesel engine (not to say that all Olds 350's were diesel engines. Obviously it was a gas engine that had a diesel variation for a short time).
It was used, with some success, mostly in the FWD Cutlass Ciera (personal experience: while the 350 diesel was much maligned, mostly for lack of power, I don't recall hearing anything bad about the V6 version. Owners considered it a smooth runner, not all that noisy, possessing of excellent fuel economy and made plenty of power. While the death of the Olds V8 diesel was met with a sigh of relief, many were actually surprised by V6 ending production as well, as Olds was reporting good sales numbers and the general attitude of the public, towards it, was favourable).
Off the top of my head, and to the best of my knowledge, none of these engines are no longer being produced.


Dean

The Olds Diesel was made from a 350 GM gasoline engine that had been converted to run on diesel fuel. These weren't strong enough to handle the high-compression generated by the diesel alteration/permutation. Because of this, they tended to blow head gaskets and tear up crankshafts and bearings early in their service lives. This was due to the short-sighted engineers at GM. Had they given the engine that they had with the 6.2 liter diesel engine, it would have sold longer and would have been a "success story". As it was built, the Olds/Chevrolet 350 diesel engine was an abysmal failure.

 

[mjbskwim]

No it isn't.
The 231 V6 was a BUICK product and was unique to that brand.
It started life as a 225 in the early 60's and was bored out twice; once to create the 231 and again to create the 252.
The 231 was also known as a 3.8L V6 and is the displacement that likely encompasses the majority of the total production of that block.
The 252 was also known as the 4.2L V6.
As a family they are collectively known as "The Buick V6".
The 225 was also used by Jeep in the 60's and was marketed as the "Dauntless V6".
There was a 3.8L V6 used by Chevy in the 90's (might still exist), but that is a different engine.
The V6 that is based on the Chevy 350 V8 was known as the 4.3L V6.
It existed from the mid 80's until just a few years ago.
If you ever hear of, or run across, one, there was also an Oldsmobile 4.3L V6.
Like the Chevy, that engine was also 350 V8 based, but it was based on the Oldsmobile 350, which is a different engine from the SBC (at one time, 4 of the 7 brands under GM made a 350 cu.in. V8 and all were unique to their own brands. Those brands were Buick, Chevy, Oldsmobile and Pointiac).
The Olds V6, like the particular V8 it came from, was a diesel engine (not to say that all Olds 350's were diesel engines. Obviously it was a gas engine that had a diesel variation for a short time).
It was used, with some success, mostly in the FWD Cutlass Ciera (personal experience: while the 350 diesel was much maligned, mostly for lack of power, I don't recall hearing anything bad about the V6 version. Owners considered it a smooth runner, not all that noisy, possessing of excellent fuel economy and made plenty of power. While the death of the Olds V8 diesel was met with a sigh of relief, many were actually surprised by V6 ending production as well, as Olds was reporting good sales numbers and the general attitude of the public, towards it, was favourable).
Off the top of my head, and to the best of my knowledge, none of these engines are no longer being produced.


Dean

It is 2/3 of a 350 though

 

[mjbskwim]

The Olds Diesel was made from a 350 GM gasoline engine that had been converted to run on diesel fuel. These weren't strong enough to handle the high-compression generated by the diesel alteration/permutation. Because of this, they tended to blow head gaskets and tear up crankshafts and bearings early in their service lives. This was due to the short-sighted engineers at GM. Had they given the engine that they had with the 6.2 liter diesel engine, it would have sold longer and would have been a "success story". As it was built, the Olds/Chevrolet 350 diesel engine was an abysmal failure.

The thin walls between the cylinders didn't help much either

 

[Captain O]

The thin walls between the cylinders didn't help much either

Yep, it overstressed the cylinder walls as well. I never heard of a cylinder wall failure, but since they weren't anywhere near as thick as those in most other diesel engines of the period, this doesn't come as much of a surprise.

 

[Captain O]

It is 2/3 of a 350 though

What I meant to say was the 4.3 liter is 3/4 of a 327/328 cu. in. V8

 

[mjbskwim]

OK enough tec talk someone post a pic. I'm inept

 

[Captain O]

OK enough tec talk someone post a pic. I'm inept

What you have to understand is that a Diesel engine requires a minimum of 16:1 compression ratio to combust the fuel effectively. Most Diesel engines run 23:1 and much higher to generate the heat from air pressurization to ignite the injected fuel efficiently.

Turbocharging or Supercharging helps this, but unless the engine's structural strength is up to the task, premature wear is inevitable. Diesel engines require extreme structural integrity and tight tolerances so that the higher energy contained by the fuel can be extracted from the Diesel oil's complex hydrocarbon structure. It contains more energy than gasoline, thus having an Cetane rating rather than an Octane rating. (A higher-energy hydrocarbon rating).

 

[mjbskwim]

What you have to understand is that a Diesel engine requires a minimum of 16:1 compression ratio to combust the fuel effectively. Most Diesel engines run 23:1 and much higher to generate the heat from air pressurization to ignite the injected fuel efficiently.

Turbocharging or Supercharging helps this, but unless the engine's structural strength is up to the task, premature wear is inevitable. Diesel engines require extreme structural integrity and tight tolerances so that the higher energy contained by the fuel can be extracted from the Diesel oil's complex hydrocarbon structure. It contains more energy than gasoline, thus having an Cetane rating rather than an Octane rating. (A higher-energy hydrocarbon rating).

Oh fugg......

 

[ditchtiger]

Dude, Righteous!
I love those early Chevy II's!...and you don't see many wagons.
I like how you kept the straight six engine, too.
Those cast iron headers....Fenton's?
...and don't worry about the look....just tell the wife it gives it that rustic old world charm...just like her "collectibles".


Dean
P.S. - Re: "marine cylinder head". I've heard that when GM went to the integral intake manifold design, they changed the porting of that head to help make it a little more efficient. The new port design was based on the marine version already in existence....now all you need is the marine cam to go with that head. -b

marine cam
send me some info on that please. have not not heard of that one

 

[ditchtiger]

I like how you kept the straight six engine, too.
Those cast iron headers....Fenton's?

Took some time to refind them
Store - Langdon's Stovebolt

 

[ditchtiger]

...and don't worry about the look....just tell the wife it gives it that rustic old world charm...just like her "collectibles".

Had a fellow give me great description of the body. It's not faded, that's patina.

 

[DeanMk]

marine cam
send me some info on that please. have not not heard of that one

Probably not available through GM anymore (although feel free to call your local dealership and see if the parts desk can help...you never know...), however it is still available through MELLINGS... <broken link removed> .
Single pattern, .403" valve lift, 192 degrees duration @ .050".
Not a "powerhouse" by any stretch of the imagination, but a little something extra under your foot when you hit the go pedal.
Power-wise, it should probably act similarly to an HMV-248 Crane cam.
If used judiciously, should require a little less throttle to get you around, which would show up as increased fuel mileage.
If you want, you could also search out a local cam grinder and ask them. If nothing else, they educate you better on a suitable cam for your engine, than anyone else.


Dean
P.S. Thanks for the info on the exhaust manifolds.

 

[mjbskwim]

So is this the car discussion thread now?

 

[Grimm]

This one has the fewest tires and best paint. 09 half ton 5.7 dodge. Wife has a 2016 Nissan rogue which is black.. Guess who washes it.

 

[cooper]

A reliable POS....
BUT IF YOUR INTO GUNS

 

[DeanMk]

So is this the car discussion thread now?

...well, he did ask...

 

[Pandaz3]

It is 2/3 of a 350 though

But what is 2/3 of a 8 cylinder?

 

[drewp]

me and the wifes dog hauler and grocery getter.
She will be getting a small lift kit/leveling kit for christmas

 

[308]

me and the wifes dog hauler and grocery getter.
She will be getting a small lift kit/leveling kit for christmas
View attachment 326905 View attachment 326906

I did the ReadyLift leveling kit on out 2013 Tacoma. It's 2.5" front and a 1" block on the rear.

The problem I have experienced is the lift changes to alignment to the point that once the camber and toe are put back to spec, there is not enough adjustment to get caster back to spec. What happens is the truck does a lot on tramlining on groved pavement...very irritating on our Oregon roads. On smooth flat road...no problem. Groved/worn roads it wants to pull one side or the other.

I'll probably end up looking for an alternative which would allow caster to be adjusted further, but haven't decided yet.

<broken link removed>