You mean the Buick 3800 series right?The GM 3.9l V6 engines have the same front cover as the 3.5 V8 with the uprated oil pump as standard fit. Cover is a straight bolt on to the V8 engine.
Then you should be good for oil pressure and volume.
if you're worried about oil pressure, first look at the age of the engine. if satisfied with wear and tear due to normal use, contact mark at aluminum v8 dot com. he has an early v8 pressure upgrade kit as well as remote filter relocation and oil cooler kits.I'm under the impression that the 3.5 oil pump is barely adequate. I'm preparing for some desert camping and i'm looking into fitting an oil cooler. I know later classics came equipped from factory with a cooler, but I am concerned about pressure. What do you think?
I'm not sure what you call them over the pond, but in SA they were in a limited edition Opel Commodore V6.You mean the Buick 3800 series right?
Many T-type guys have actually installed Rover Suffix B front covers because they supposedly provide more reliable pressure.
The Buick "Fireball" V6 fired like the 215 V8, and hence always felt it wasn't running right. After 1967, the Chevy 250 took over on all their cars, and tooling was sold to Kasier-Jeep who used them in the CJ-5 until 1971.I'm not sure what you call them over the pond, but in SA they were in a limited edition Opel Commodore V6.
Basically the same castings as the V8 but with 2 cylinders lopped off the back and iron versus ally block, cam in the valley, not the heads.
I think you guys referred to it as the odd or even fire engines?...
Ok I found some of the info I was looking for.... and more.
This is the link with more info & pic of before and after of the oil pump. http://www.gomog.com/allmorgan/oilpumpbase.html
I also recalled people with way more knowledge than me saying it is a bad idea because the original face is anodized and the resurfaced face is now just soft aluminum.
"The surface of your oil pump front cover does indeed look rather scored. When new, the entire cover is anodised so as to maximise the useable life. Once the anodising has been worn through, as it the case of the visible scoring present on your cover, further use has ended.
As you expected, it is a pointless exercise in sanding the mating face of the cover to as to eliminate the score marks. The entire face is then free of the hard anodising, and if used in this state, soft aluminium debris will quickly fill the engine as the spinning oil pump gears eat into the cover.
The only viable solution is to purchase another cover." Not so viable anymore. Found a few new ones for sale for around 300 pounds! Full thread is found here.
Which made me wonder & search more. Came across a thrust plate kit by Melling for the Buick 215. I wonder if this would actually work?!?
Would love to have a 4.6 in her.advance auto parts kit #P201 plus K201 is what D&D fabrications sold me about 15 yrs ago, a plate, gaskets, piston, 3 different springs, gears and longer bolts.
that and a complete overhaul gave me an initial whooping 80 psi upon start up on cold days using 10w40 oil.
as it warmed it would maintain 60psi.
on extremely hot days with a/c, on idle in gear in city traffic the engine would maintain 40 psi, well beyond the minimum of 5 psi and maximum of 20 listed in the rave.
I used to abuse said engine, eventually it was replaced by a full serpentine 4.6.
on that note, if you were to find a complete 3.9 or 4.2 with serpentine drive and you were so inclined, you could retrofit the serpentine drive components to the 3.5 starting with the front cover with the crank driven oil pump.
furthermore, all your rotating ancillaries can be retrofitted from your 3.5 to any rover v8 motor up to the later bosh blocks.
an old classic with a 4.6 is a joy to drive, light weight with gobs of power...
