77 Regal, V6 odd fire, need help!

77Regal

Newbie
I recently got myself a nice looking black on black 1977 Buick Regal.
It is a 3.0 V6 odd firing engine at 56,000 miles.
The car drives nice and smooth, but when it sits idle under a load, it knocks and rattles.
I gave the car a full on tune up and oil change, plus I used engine and fuel treatments to clean out the carb and fuel system and free up sticky cylinders. Here it is two weeks after the tune up and she's still knocking rough at red lights and stop signs.
I think I should just get a crate engine to install. I cant afford to pay $3250 to switch over to a fully ready turn key even firing engine, so I think i'll just have to get a basic odd firing crate motor, which is just over $1000.
Anyone know a good reliable place I can get a 1977 fit V6 odd firing engine?
Also, the exterior needs some restoration.
Can anyone help me find a website or catalog that I can get 77 Regal rear quarter window trim, bumpers, bumper fill, weather and door seals??

Any help is greatly appreciated,
Thank you,
-Jeramie
 
should be a 3.8

i woulda thought, but then he's saying he can get an odd-fire cheaper? considering that the odd fire Buick v6 hasn't been made since 77 this sounds really bizarre to me.
 
should be a 3.8

i woulda thought, but then he's saying he can get an odd-fire cheaper? considering that the odd fire Buick v6 hasn't been made since 77 this sounds really bizarre to me.

yes, since the even fire one is more plentiful, I have one of these out of a '79 cutlass that I can't even give away!!
 
I don't think that the factory still offers any RWD 3.8 engines that are new, odd or even fire. All currently available 3.8's are FWD only. They are not interchangeable. I am sure that some remanufacturers are still offering them or can supply them on an as needed basis. I am guessing that is where the 1000 dollar price tag is coming from for the odd fire. If I were you I would get a professional diagnosis of what is really going on. I suspect, obviously, that it's an oil pressure problem. You didn't mention a glowing idiot light at idle or a low gauge reading, but noise at idle in a Buick is pretty common and just about everybody on this site is familiar with it. But if the car has been sitting there is a slight chance that it could be carbon build up making noise. If it is oil pressure related and you want to keep the car original and the mileage you quote is accurate. I would run a compression check and if its good, I'd pull the engine, put it on a stand, flip it over, pull the crank out, have it ground and put it back in with a new set of bearings. Actually if I were you I Would pay a professional shop to do this. These engines were notoriously hard on timing chains. So I'm sure it would need one. Clean up, inspect, and fix any problems with the oil pump and you should be good to go. A visual inspection of the cam, lifters, and front cam bearing goes without saying, and again any repairs done while you are in there. Back in the late 80's, early 90's, we were doing 1 or 2 Buick v-6's a week just like I described. Times were good then! Fuel injection and a revised oil pump design pretty much solved all the problems. My '94 Park Ave has 265,000 miles on her and still going strong. Not a rattle anywhere and 30 lbs at idle. Put the engine back in and keep driving! You might get a sharp carburetor guy to make sure the carb is working right. This is the cause of a lot of problems with these engines. Good luck!
 
Back
Top