225 V6 Rebuild - Parts Source?

I have a 225 freshly machined and ready to build. It was bored .040 over, and I am having trouble finding a source for pistons other than TA Performance which has them but they are almost four hundred bucks a set.

Has been a long time since I built an engine, and the machine shop charges were enough of a "sticker shock", but a set of pistons shouldn't cost that much.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

You can buy seal power pistons from rock auto for about half that.

1970 JEEP CJ5 3.7L 225cid V6 Piston | RockAuto

 

Buick 225 V6 1964-1971 Master Engine Kit from Northern Auto Parts

You need a rod heater to heater to install pistons and wrist pins. You also should have a jig and they seize in place fast. If you use a press you WILL wreck a piston.

 

I was looking at that kit from Northern Auto Parts. Seems to be the best deal out there. Whole kit is less than a set of pistons from TAP, and it is all brand names I have used in the past so probably good.

My engine is at the machine shop and they will install the pistons to the rods, but real good advice that may help others avoid a mistake.

 

My machine shop used that same kit and I had them install the pistons/rods as well for those reasons. This was also my first engine rebuild so I was happy to let them...

 

I made that mistake. I wrecked a couple pistons. Im sure it could be done in a home shop if you had some experience or maybe a YouTube video at least.

One thing about this kit....And its really important....
When I installed all the main bearings my crank was bound up. Would not turn no matter what. I had my crank polished and the machinist measured and told me to order std bearings. So, I did... Or thought I did.

It turns out that even though the bearings were stamped STD.. They were undersized. Not all, and not all the same undersize either. I spent a lot of hours trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. I was told in one way or another that I was incompetent or didn't know know how to read a caliper or read period..

So, I ordered another set of main bearings in STD size and guess what? The crank turned and when I used plastiguage, they had the correct tolerances.

 

Quality just isn't what it used to be, even with brand names that used to be reliable. Good heads up on that.

 

I would think about a high volume oil kit. With the timing cover off, now is the time to install it.
Might also think about an RV cam. Most engine kits will allow you to "swap out" a stock grind for a bigger stick for a marginal price.
And, of course, an HEI upgrade.

 

While I have no experience with this, others have posted here that a high volume oil pump is not worth it unless you are reaming your oil passages. Apparently it can also cause premature failure of your distributor gear.

Like I said, I have no experience with that and I am not an expert, just some others experience they have posted on here.

The HEI upgrade was good for me, but does require a good bit of grinding on the intake. 1975 Buick Skylark distributor 1975 BUICK SKYLARK 3.8L 231cid V6 Distributor | RockAuto is what I used. The DUI one has a longer body that supposedly negates the grinding on the intake, but you pay for it. Buick DUI Distributors – Performance Distributors

 

Have you read through this thread? Tarry shows how to make a some improvements to a 225 during a rebuild.

Blueprint 225

 

I will read it. I have built many engines over the years mostly Chevy and Ford small blocks, a couple of Jeep L134s, and one Isuzu 4cyl, but never a Buick V6. Always helpful to read or watch through a build by someone more experienced.

Haven't quite decided to commit to this build as after I took that engine to the machine shop I scored a low mileage 3.8L out of a cherry 1985 Regal with only 14K miles. This 225 block will sit on the shelf until I see how that engine runs, but since I already have the machine shop work done I may build this one later for another Jeep, there are some in the barn waiting.

 

You don't need to ream anything. Also it doesn't cause premature failure of anything.
The high volume pump simply moves more oil at a specific pressure, While this means nothing at speed, at idle and when lugging, the pressure stays up, keeping the bearings happy. So an engine running 40PSI has a better chance of maintaining that pressure at idle and low speed lugging, while never going over 40PSI at higher RPM's, so there is never higher stress on the distributor gears.

 

I used Egge pistons in mine... They work fine.

John

 

You mentioned that the engine has been bored .040", but you don't have pistons yet. A good machine shop hones the bored cylinder to "fit" each individual piston. When you get pistons, be sure they individually fit each piston to each cylinder.
By the way, you can use Buick 231 pistons in a 225 block, as long as your having it bored anyway. One combination ends up around .050" oversize. I've used "std" 231 pistons in a 225 block that was out-of-spec, but didn't need .030" to clean up the bores.
I've picked up Sealed Power 231 piston sets of 6 on RockAuto closeout for about $45 delivered.
-Donny

 

Cheaper to buy a set of 8 than 6 of them my machinist told me. I think a 350 uses the same ones.

 

Well, .040 over is .040 over. A good machine shop knows how to measure this, and I know how to check and adjust ring gap.

I think you are probably right about 231 pistons at .050 over, but I am thinking pistons for the old 340 Buick V8 might be right for .040 over. Doesn't matter, as I will order .040 over pistons when I order a rebuild kit.

IF I decide to build this engine. I have a good 3.8L I scored after I took this one to the machine shop. If that 3.8L is as good as I expect I may want to re-home this 225, provided I can find someone interested.

 

Not sure about this, but I think the 231 even fire has lower HP than the 225.

 

Northern Auto Parts is where I buy most engine parts. Try rock auto. IMO best not to piece together a rebuild kit. It always seems to cost more that way.

Sure .040" is .040" but piston manufacturers and quality control all differ from one another so you should go ahead and mike all the pistons and compare them to each cylinder to ensure proper clearance. Most people I know bore and hone the cylinders after measuring the pistons.

 

This! I would never just bore a cylinder to .030 (or any given oversize) and expect a generic piston to fit. I always bore .004"-.006" smaller than the "oversize", then hone each cylinder to fit each piston. I use 2, sometimes 3 different grit stones in the hone, and select the final grit depending on the ring material (eg iron, chrome, moly). Maybe I just do this the old-school way!
-Donny

 

Nah that sounds right to me because that's how I do it. I usually leave .003-.004" so I don't have to hone so much though.