not sure how many folks requested this build when they were asking for content suggestions a while back....but THANK YOU! always admired these engines. thanks to Hagerty for rolling with the punches this past year and charging forward with this build. can't wait to get this sucker buttoned up and fired up!
I've lived in Alaska since '82. Winter of '83/'84 I had made a new friend and went over to his place which was a house and three large barns. Part of an old retired farm. The family that owned the farm rented out the house and the tenants were charged with keeping prying eyes out of those three large barns. So naturally the two of us snooped through every square inch of 'em. There were so many neat old things in there. My favorite was a giant, smooth fendered Packard with a straight eight engine. The car was covered in tarps and the interior in bed sheets. It was pristine inside and out. I have no doubt it would have started up and drove. I loved that car. ..... That was it ... that was when I got bitten by the gearhead bug. This build ... this engine ... it's so strange how important it feels to me.
I keep imagining the mental work that goes into designing and machining an engine like this and even outdated it must be very complex an extraordinary engineering work done by the automotive industry.
Seal games , those are fun. Speedy sleeves , moving a seal out/in more to a better surface , cutting the spring for more tension, all of em are a good time 😀
Don't have much of a mechanical mind. But I loved watching my Dad and uncles work on cars growing up, and watching your Rebuilds series always makes me remember the memories. Thanks for sharing
wow .... I confess that the assembly of this engine has particularly attracted me ... I am amazed at the unique mechanics. greetings from Neuquén Argentina 😎👍
Interesting : 12 point nuts on main caps, with sealer in a tube running 8.00 to 10.00 bucks, good use of resources . Neat trick on timing cover seal too 😃👍😷
Thanks for the encouragement about getting out in my shop and getting my work done I did I put an engine and a transmission in my 81 Volkswagen rabbit pick up
I can't wait till it's done, been watching since the beginning the waiting is crazy but like any project we anyways take time and care to make sure it's done right, love the channel keep up the awesome work
To do it right with the balancer you need to lay a bead over the groove and turn it down to tolerance, that "speedy sleeve" will wear right back into the groove.
Hey Hagerty: Can you update us with a recipe for "Davin's Famous Homemade Raspberry Jam" in the next episode? I see him using it a lot here, and it looks delicious. Thanks in advance.
The casting technology improvements for V8 engines killed the straight 8. The shorter hoods along with more passenger and trunk capacity rendered the low rpm straight 8 engines obsolete..
I love the attention to detail you used on this engine, and all the others I have seen you do. However ( and maybe I missed it) I never hear you talking about balancing any engine.
Was wondering about the crank geometry, Wish you would spend some time talking about that and how it affects the primary and secondary balances, rotationally induced harmonics, and the relative degree position of the pistons and their movement, and ignition timing. This crank appears to be a cross or cruciform crank as opposed to a flat crank and should deliver a power stroke (actually 2 power strokes) every 90 degrees of rotation without the need of a counter balance shaft. Please correct or add more if I'm wrong or left something out Also, there's the sound, I'm guessing it will have a nice purring burble at idle as opposed to a throaty roar.
Do not recall what year or size this block is, so arbitrarily selecting 1950, by the "book" from the factory the 248 was 115 @3600 brake HP; 30.6 rated HP & 212 ft lbs @ 2000 RPM. The 268 was 124 @3600 HP; 32.5 HP & 220@ 2000 respectively. The 320 was 152 @ 3600; 37.8 & 280 @ 2200 again respectively. Not ready for Bonneville, for sure, but good enough to get these nearly 4000lbs monsters moving down the road!
@@stashaszezlenko9601 Thanks for that information, Stasha. (You meant 263, not 268, and either your finger or your keyboard messed up on you. I also have fingers and a keyboard with independent streaks.) I have a 1940 248 and a 1952 263 that could stand rebuilds, but all the problems Davin encountered are deterrents, and he's got the financial resources of Hagerty's behind him. The horsepower and torque numbers aren't all that impressive when seen alongside those of the 250 and 292 Chevy inline sixes. But the straight 8s sure are smooth. Speaking of Bonnneville, have you seen the Straight 8 Buick being run there?
@@stephenandloriyoung5716 263? Oooops, happy fingers, yeah, happy fingers. There was a '40 2 door Sedanette on e-bay about a month ago that I put a half-hearted bid on, did not win it, so yes, would love to have a straight 8 in the garage to tinker with. I believe I saw the video you are referring to, very impressive. (Still had the clock in the dash!) Also out there somewhere are videos of supercharged Packard straight 8's running Bonneville. Way faster than you would suspect, especially from a flathead. Smoothest running engines ever, stand a coin edgewise on a running straight 8 and it will not fall over if it is tuned right. Chevy straight 6's had compression ratios in the 8's, Buick was like 6.9:1, probably accounts for the higher HP/torque ratings. Hagerty carries my insurance on my 944, so in my own little way, I am paying for this Buick build! Like Davin sez: get out in the garage & get to work!
@@stashaszezlenko9601 My first straight 8 was a 268.4 flathead in my 53 Pontiac. It had a burnt valve and still ran very smoothly, and I drove it that way (not realizing) for three years. Went to the top of Whiteface Mountain in NH with a load of teens in it. Who knew?
finally!! someone who doesn't go spastic with sealastic, what's the red paint on the inside of the timing cover for ?? Nice build, should last many miles!
Don't know what the plans are for the engine but it would be awesome to build a t- bucket style hot rod around it. It would for sure show off all that old iron.👍👍
You should check out Jonathan W s channel, he's built several hot rods around oddball engines including a '54 Ford Y block,a '41 Cadillac flathead V8, and a Buick straight eight like this one
Although I realize those are cork gaskets, and a coat of silicone doesn’t typically ‘squish’ out the gasket... To prevent gasket ‘squish’, I found that, never use silicone when using a neoprene gasket.
Let it tack up and skin over for a good 10 mins , so when you touch it ,it doesn't stick on your finger but is still a little gooshy. Technical term, there. 😀
One of my pet hates in the trade is when people use silicone on every gasket surface.. it's got a gasket for a reason. A blob where there's a join with a timing cover or rear main plate is all cool but coating everything sucks. When you inevitably have to replace that part or that gasket and have to scrape a ton of silicone off you'll be swearing.
@@greasemonkeychris4128 Agreed! Mechanics & wannabes have been programmed to just lay a good bead on both sides of every gasket they see. Of course you have the guys that have to put 3 coats off copper sealer on both side of the head-gasket. Only making the sealant companies rich!
Hey Davin: That's such a pretty engine. Will be a shame to hide it in a engine compartment on some big old Buick !! I would ask for one favor and offer one suggestion on behalf of your audience. Whenever I would have a engine machined for a rebuild (not terribly often. Usually years between.) I would always ask the machinist "what sealers are you currently using and what assembly lube are you using"?? And, buy each, of course. Can you please provide that info in your next written intro?? Just to ensure you don't accidentally "nick" a crank journal when you are installing your piston/rod assemblies, It's always a good idea to put a couple of small pieces of rubber hose over the rod cap bolts at the bottom of the rods. Couldn't tell if you did that precautionary step but it would be good advice for your audience. ;o) 👍👍✌️😉
8 1/2 mins to assemble a complete short block ? Brother you can work for me anytime WOW ! Me thinks you missed a few details here . Most times it take's me a full 2 eight hour days to assemble one ( but I check every clearance and end gap on everything, just the way I am) Also I go over every toque setting ( value ) twice, a trick I watched Smokey Yunick do in the old best dame garage in town in Daytona ) To bad you speed ed the assemble up as young folks need to learn all the details we take for granted ! . Also did you check end play of the thrust bearing on the main bearing ?