Have you rebuilt a 225?

Im debating on rebuilding my 225 but i cant seem to find a complete kit, or pistons for that matter. Anyone know where i can get oversize performance pistons? Looking for 9:1 cast or forged is fine. I tried napa and they only have cast 8.4:1 for 32.00 a piece. thanks for any help.

 

Check out the ECJ5 Tech section. There are a few parts suppliers listed there that might help you. Here's one that I've looked at although not for pistons. The have alot of performance stuff for buick engines.

http://www.kennebell.net/

 

Auto zone is the only place that carries a complete kit for the 225, I just finished my motor about 4 weeks ago, have not fired it up. The kit comes with pistons, rings, cam, timing set, all bearings, gaskets and oil pump rebuild kit (not a hi-volume kit but stock kit), lifters, plasti gage for checking and assembly lube. The kit is pretty complete, I substituted my oil pump kit for a hi volume kit at outozone for another $30 roughly and a set of roller timing gears. The kit was I think $384 including tax. The parts are all top name brands and not el cheapo crap. The kit is ordered with the pistons and bearings oversized or undersized depending on your need.

 

I built mine in '99. Badger pistons and clevite bearings. All pretty standard stuff except the pistons which were .060 over. The Cam I got from a Carquest and it was just a stock grind. Not too hard to find the parts for. I had to get two rods for it as well due to the old ones being hammered out of round too much to turn out. I finally found what I needed at PAW. The guy I spoke with was real nice and said he had found a box of oddfire 225 parts in the back. Pay attention to casting numbers however if you have to mix and match parts as some are different. A good machinist should be able to steer you in the right direction as well.

 

I rebuilt mine w/ AutoZone's master kit part number BMK22501 or something like that. $356 in '02. Go somewhere else for the clutch, tho.

 

Thanks guys. Ill check with autozone tommorow.

 

Wait...try this link. They have everything for a 225. Good stuff, free catalog, not a "brush bar" outfit. They even sell 225 rocker shafts.

http://www.kanter.com/

 

Maxx the problem with Kanter is that there kit price is more than twice the Autozone price and offers no better parts, believe me I checked every parts warehouse in the country before rebuilding mine and as much as I hate to say it Autozone had the only kit that was affordable. I rebuilt mine myself and by the time I had the machine work done and bought some aftermarket parts (hi-vol oil pump kit and roller timing set) I had about $1250 total in my engine, that included the engine kit, the above specialty parts, sealers and paint along with magnafluxed heads, hardened exhaust valve seats, valve stem seals all new valve springs and valves, a 3 angle valve job and I ported and polished my heads, had the block bored and had the intake, heads and block tanked and new freeze plugs installed.
Here is a picture: