Buick engine

[Vncommylove]

Hey guys no doubt this has already been asked but how do I tell if my Buick is an l27 or a ln3? The engine number is stamped vh1360179 so just curious as to what it’s originally out of cheers

 

[HarryHoudini]

If no one can help do an extensive Google,i've seen extensive Info. on the Holden Buick motor,may even be on this Forum.

 

[Immortality]

I think it might be stamped/cast on the side of the block.

LN3's were only used on the early VN's. Later VN's through to VR got the L27. A quick look at the intake manifold should give you the answer, if the thermostat is at the back of the motor it'll be a LN3, if it's at the front it'll be a L27.

Lots of info here

Buick V6 engine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Sandst4rm]

I think it might be stamped/cast on the side of the block.

LN3's were only used on the early VN's. Later VN's through to VR got the L27. A quick look at the intake manifold should give you the answer, if the thermostat is at the back of the motor it'll be a LN3, if it's at the front it'll be a L27.

Lots of info here

http://[URL]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_V6_engine

[/URL]

I thought this right up until mine turned out to be a S1 long motor with S2 intake slapped on.

I believe a number higher than vh12 (some other number afterwards) is series 2 so if yours is 13xxxx it should be series 2

 

[Immortality]

I definitely had a series 1/LN3 motor. There are many more differences but the 2 listed above are the most obvious visually.

I wouldn't be surprised though if the LN3 did carry over, Holden would have used all the LN3 long blocks before fitting the L27 units, the exact change over was probably not exactly when Holden went to the series 2 VN's. This has been fairly common right through the Commodore production run and can be a real pain. It caught me out on our VX, I ordered a part for the rear diff mount later style as it is a VX only to find it had the earlier style fitted.

 

[HarryHoudini]

I definitely had a series 1/LN3 motor. There are many more differences but the 2 listed above are the most obvious visually.

Yes,Holden engineers changed multiple things from the original Buick,both external and internal.
IIRC crank and rear seal were modified as well.

 

[Immortality]

I'd say GM/Holden changed them, Holden then added the intake manifold to suit the Commodore.

Yes the crank and seal (same crank for both auto and manual), new balancer (press fit) and CAS, heads cam and valve train, PCV. It's a shame Holden never made the effort to use the banana's style intake manifold (the US L27 had) and put the TB at the front of the motor.

Most people really hated on the s1 motors but they weren't that bad IMHO. For starters the cooling system was self bleeding, something you now see on all the later model engines.

I've never seen it but I did hear the s1 motors had issues with breaking cam shafts.