Oiling System
Whether V-6 or V-8, Buicks are plagued by a restrictive oiling system. The oil pump is located in the front cover and the oil has to go through a bunch of twists and turns to get there. Just priming the pump for initial fire-up is a nightmare. The TA blocks have a revised oil-feed hole that eliminates two 90-degree turns. Duttweiler uses an external oil feed/supply system that bypasses the internal feed passages entirely. Either way, Buick oiling problems are now just urban legends.
On stock blocks, oil is sucked out of the pan through hole A1 into front cover hole A2, where it's forced to make a 90-degree turn through an internal transfer slot (dotted line). It then makes another 90-degree turn toward the oil-pump cavity, flowing into a passage coinciding with hole B2, which is present (but not used) on all stock covers. TA's block moves the suction hole (B1) higher to line up with B2 so the oil gets a direct shot to the pump cavity, eliminating two 90-degree turns. In both cases, oil is pumped out of the cover through C1 and back into the block through hole C2.
Rotating Assembly
The rotating assembly is designed for ultimate strength rather then extreme lightness--this engine makes its power through boost, not rpm. Capable of supporting over 1,500 hp, the beefy assembly uses a 3.625-inch-stroke billet Crower crank, heavy-duty Clevite main and rod bearings, CP pistons, Diamond pins, Crower billet rods, and a Total Seal file-fit ring-set with a 1⁄16-inch plasma-moly top ring, a 1⁄16-inch ductile-iron second, and a 3⁄16-inch standard-tension oil ring. Top and second compression ring gaps are a large (for the 3.940-inch bore-size) 0.030-inch, necessary because turbo engines generate lots of heat, and aluminum blocks grow when hot.
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