cheapest place for short block for RRC 3.5
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
I have a friend who just pulled his so that he may replace it with a 3.9. I don't think he'd let it go for free. But I'd bet for a little money he'd let it go. If you were in Denver he would probably let it go for a couple of rounds of beer at the local bar. However it does have 200K on it and would probably require a rebuild. Let me know if your interested.
Joined
·
6,536 Posts
I've got a 4.2 with heads you could have (not free though).
Joined
·
6,536 Posts
tradin,
everything is the same between the 3.5, the 3.9 and the 4.2. The engines that are different are the 4.0 and the 4.6. However, those two engines are the same as far as ancilliaries go.
So, to answer your question, yes, the 4.2 will work with all of your 3.5 stuff *except* you might want to re-chip your 3.5 ECU or get a 3.9 or 4.2 ECU.
Condition? 60K ago it was balanced, blueprinted and rebuilt with new everything. Crank was ground, cam was replaced with stock 4.2 LR cam. New everything, heads were skimmed, lightly ported, valley cleaned up (not quite polished...).
No waterpump. It was cannibalized.
The dizzy has been modified to fit the Crane FireBall optical trigger ignition system (for better or for worse) and is not installed. I can throw that in if you are interested.
No EFI (it was bought by DieLucas!), but your intake manifold, plenum, etc...will bolt right on.
No exhaust manifolds (sold already).
No alternator (but I can get one that was rebuilt for 95amps).
PM if I should go on.....
It was a strong runner until I started parting out the truck. Debating on weather I should keep it as a spare for my fleet, or if I should just sell it and use the cash-o-la to finance other more immidiate needs.
everything is the same between the 3.5, the 3.9 and the 4.2. The engines that are different are the 4.0 and the 4.6. However, those two engines are the same as far as ancilliaries go.
So, to answer your question, yes, the 4.2 will work with all of your 3.5 stuff *except* you might want to re-chip your 3.5 ECU or get a 3.9 or 4.2 ECU.
Condition? 60K ago it was balanced, blueprinted and rebuilt with new everything. Crank was ground, cam was replaced with stock 4.2 LR cam. New everything, heads were skimmed, lightly ported, valley cleaned up (not quite polished...).
No waterpump. It was cannibalized.
The dizzy has been modified to fit the Crane FireBall optical trigger ignition system (for better or for worse) and is not installed. I can throw that in if you are interested.
No EFI (it was bought by DieLucas!), but your intake manifold, plenum, etc...will bolt right on.
No exhaust manifolds (sold already).
No alternator (but I can get one that was rebuilt for 95amps).
PM if I should go on.....
It was a strong runner until I started parting out the truck. Debating on weather I should keep it as a spare for my fleet, or if I should just sell it and use the cash-o-la to finance other more immidiate needs.
Joined
·
6,536 Posts
Well....that's one way to light a fire under someone's butt! Hehe:flipoff2:
No need to rechip when going from the 3.5 to a 4.0 or 4.2...
Just get a different fuel preassure regulator.
Also, don't waste you money on another 3.5...a 4.0 can be had for a similar price.
I would also suggest the following as long as the engine is out
Crane cam
Crane lifters
roller timing chain and metal timing gears
Dave
'88 Ranige with a 4.0 guts
Just get a different fuel preassure regulator.
Also, don't waste you money on another 3.5...a 4.0 can be had for a similar price.
I would also suggest the following as long as the engine is out
Crane cam
Crane lifters
roller timing chain and metal timing gears
Dave
'88 Ranige with a 4.0 guts
First off, I think Mike might have it backward as there is very little difference between a B suffix 3.9 and a 4.0. Everything should be interchangeable except the main caps. The suffix A engines were more similar to the 3.5 than the 4.0. The suffix B engines were manufactured after June 15, 1995 and incorporate the ten bolt head style, versus the 14 bolt heads. Also, the water pumps are different between the two suffixes (suffices?). Mike, remember our discussions on water pumps? Yours from the 4.2 was completely different from those from my B suffix 3.9.
Supposedly, replacement shortblocks can be had from of all places, the dealer for $1200.
Complete engines are available from boneyards with widely varying prices. If you can hear it run, don't be too frightened. If it isn't running (fewer and fewer boneyards are running engines these days), be careful as to what the "Warranty" covers. FWIW, I haven't rebuilt an engine since 1982 due to cost, however, I would have a hard time counting the boneyard engines and other parts I have installed in the past 20 years. The last engine I rebuilt was a 1953 331 Hemi and the machine shop bill (in 1982 dollars) was $1200 alone. The parts bill exceeded $2000.
Paul
Supposedly, replacement shortblocks can be had from of all places, the dealer for $1200.
Complete engines are available from boneyards with widely varying prices. If you can hear it run, don't be too frightened. If it isn't running (fewer and fewer boneyards are running engines these days), be careful as to what the "Warranty" covers. FWIW, I haven't rebuilt an engine since 1982 due to cost, however, I would have a hard time counting the boneyard engines and other parts I have installed in the past 20 years. The last engine I rebuilt was a 1953 331 Hemi and the machine shop bill (in 1982 dollars) was $1200 alone. The parts bill exceeded $2000.
Paul
I have a 3.5 long block, just coming out of rebuild @ the machine shop.tradin1 said:
it has a 3.9L cam, 3.9 heads, .030 over bore, two intake manifolds
( one is stromberg, the other a holley 650 ), exhast manifolds and all ancileraries, new roller timing chain and goodies.
Right now its still a short block with the heads on, but none of the other ancileraries bolted on.
I sold the rig it came out of.
leme know if your interested, its about as beefed a 3.5 as you can get ( IMHO ) without going way overboard!
Waterpumps are not the differences between the blocks. Waterpump differences are due to the configuration of the timing covers.PTSchram said:
The 3.9's used in the serpentine-belt Disco's, for example, used a completely different waterpump than in the v-belt RRC 3.9's. In fact, the front cover on the RRC V-belt 3.9's are a throwback from the grey-market 3.5's from the late-70's, and possibly earlier.
I'd assume the suffix B you refer to are the later Disco 3.9's which had the later front cover using the serpentine belt system which is why the pumps were different.
The 3.9 and 4.2 short-blocks are basically identicle save for the displacement. Main journal diameters are the same as is the length of the crankshaft nose and camshaft nose. The 4.0's used a larger main journal diameter (same as the Buick 300 FYI), cross-bolted mains...but the differences are directly outside of the block: longer crankshaft nose from what I remember, and most importantly, a shorter camshaft nose.
Because the 4.0 was introduced with the distributerless GEMS engine management system, there was no need to drive a distributor off of the camshaft. The oil-pump is also powered differently on the 4.0 than on the 3.9/4.2.
BTW, the 4.0 and Disco 3.9's (serpentine belt) use the same waterpump, but the timing covers are different due to the longer crankshaft nose, and the lack of a distributor + provisions on the crankshaft to drive such.
This is not a huge problem. The 3.5/3.9 timing cover will fit the 4.0, you'll have to use some spacers on the pully bolt and washer to affix the crankshaft pullies, and you will have to replace the 4.0 camshaft with one from a 3.9 (or any Buick 215 aftermarket cam) so you can get the distributer (and oil-pump) drive back.
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
Join the discussion
