I owned a 1970 Cutlass SX from '71 to' 74. Equipped with a 455 high compression engine, it was one of my favorite cars - comfortable and quick, a great car.
I put a hotter cam in a 1974 Olds Rocket 350!! Had a buddy of mine "tweak" the carb (slightly larger metering rods on the Rochester), then had the machine shop port and polish the exhaust side of the heads (matched for the Hooker headers I was running) and had them install hardened valves and seats in the heads as well for unleaded gas!! I put in a double roller timing chain for strength and installed a 1/8" thick washer into the oil pump relief spring (to boost the oil pressure to something realistic, because Oldsmobiles are FAMOUS for low oil pressure) and last but not least I installed lifters that had a slightly higher profile in them as well!! The results to all my work was a motor that got near 400 horsepower, that would literally twist the leaf springs in the 1974 Oldsmobile Omega I owned (that I stuffed it in)!! I put in ladder bars a month after I installed the motor in the car!! The damn thing would do burn outs at 55 miles per hour, by kicking it back into second, and off the line it would literally lift the nose in the air!! Truth is I could have easily broken that 400HP limit had I had the money to buy the adjustable valve train kit (Kenne Bell used to make) and had I changed the pistons for flat tops!! The stock pistons in them have a pretty deep dish and only have about 9.5 to 1 compression ratio, and the Kenne Bell adjustable valve train kit meant I could have tinkered with the valves a bit more, BUT in 1983 the kit cost $3500 and it was out of my price range with a part time job working at a department store!! The only other things I could have done to the car was to install a shift kit which I regret now NOT doing!! BUT the car was fast as hell to start with! The Omega after all is the Oldsmobiles' "sister" to the Chevy Nova and they don't weigh a whole lot to start with!! But all this in mind I miss the hell out of that car, which my second wife FORCED ME TO SELL, then 10 years later we got a divorce.....should have done like my first wife (who I was with when I bought the car) and kept the car and got rid of her!!
After the 1970 Cutlass SX, I had a '73 Delta 88 Convertible. It too had a 455, 4bbl engine, albeit low compression, it still ran strong. Another outstanding Oldsmobile.
When I was a teenager, I had a 1978 Cutlass with the dog 260 engine in it. I replaced that engine with a 350 from a 1968 Cutlass. Car was a screamer & fun to drive. I eventually wrecked the car but I saved that engine. It’s been sitting in my dad’s garage for over 20 years.
Just got my hands on a beautiful 67" Cutlass with a rebuilt 68" rebuilt 350. It's a 3 speed and its like driving a boat. I absolutly love this car and I'm looking forward to evenings in the garage with it this summer. Thanks for making this video I've learned a lot today. 👍
Was hoping to hear more about the hi compression 330 that makes 310hp at the crank factory with 10:1 compression! Also the only olds small block with steel forged crank. Its like the forgotten step child of the olds engines. I have 65 cutty drop top with one in it, a few bolt ons switched to true dual exhaust. This winter I'm pulling the #2 heads, porting them, doing bigger valves and upgrading to adjustable roller rockers plus a bigger cam. 110 lobe, 223/236 @ .050, .510/.523. After that I'll get it dyno'd and post a vid to show people what these things can do!
Did the 330 really have all that I had one in my 67 cutlass w a powerglide it didnt last long but th'at was all me and being young and w ell You know but anyway it ran. Good when I got it but it was no real power house the 350 rocket I replaced it with and I was able to get the turbo. 350 in and. The shifter linkage so you could pull it down into first was way more peppy and I dont just mean cuz of the extra gear either like I said before young and .... I Wksh I was smart enough to keep it
I have a set of heads from a 64' 330. Been waiting to use them on a rebuild of a 350 or 403 to get better compression. 330's were beast of motors, coming with factory 4-volt main and steel crank, unfortunately I don't have the block or crank they came with.
The '64 330 (1st production year) that went into the new 442 model had 310hp and the '65 version that went into the Cutlass as well as some full size cars had 315hp and 360ft pounds of torque ex factory. They also had forged cranks and conrods but sadly cast pistons.Horsepower went up a little each year until they stopped making them in 1968.
We're coming up on 30 years since carb'd engines lost their mojo to the passage of time and technology improvements, but each of the examples still on the road today defy that fact every time they turn over and refuse to die. They're pieces of the past, and I think they deserve a little respect and care for the accomplishment. Thanks for the info and history lesson!
I know it’s old but,first I’ve seen of it. THANK YOU for pointing out that “Rocket” was only a marketing technique. Owned a ‘69 442 with a transplanted 455 for several years and used to get that question about the “rocket” engines quite often. Along with the almost unnerving question of, “ Is that a real FOUR-FORTY-TWO?”
Whats up Tyler. You make some amazing videos. I rebuilt my 1979 olds carburetor from watching your video. Saved 220 bucks. Appreciate it. I have a 1979 olds 350 bored out 30 over with an edelbrock performance plus cam and performer intake. Having trouble finding a better set of heads; the 3A heads are garbage. Once I find a better set of heads and a nice rear end, it will get nice gains. It won't beat mustangs or camaros but it will be fun to drive. Later oldsmobile 350 blocks are hard to beef up. The 1970 350 rated at 320 horses is probably only pushing out 260 horses net; power was measured in gross horses in 1970.
Great discussion. I've been an Olds guy for 30+ years. You can get great torque out of these motors and you can easily double power output from stock if you're willing to spend the dough and have some skills. The last one I built, a 350, came from a rusted out 72 wagon. It's been in two cars and is waiting for number three patiently in my garage. A word of advice: if you uncork it so it can really breath, pay some attention to the bottom end. When they're stock, you'll run them out of oil above 6000 RPM and they *will* let go.
One may argue there is no Oldsmobile Big block and Small black. The designs are essentially the same except for the deck height. The W31 used #5 or #6 heads with the bigger valves installed. It seems the 5, 6, and 7 castings have the better flow characteristics and can be machined to fit big block valves. Up to 2.07" intake and 1.71" exhaust, as I have done to my #6 heads. The earlier blocks are stronger because they are not windowed and supposedly they have a higher nickle content. The machinist I used did say metal was much stronger than a comparable Chevy small block. he complained about it eating stones during the bore and honing process. Contrary to what many believe, the Oldsmobile 350 like to rev. They have a favorable over square bore and stroke. They will make torque early and and continue to make torque through out most of the rev range. It can be a very nice usable power-band. Properly modified it makes a great street/strip engine in a light car. Cons: I could have built two 383 Chevy small blocks for the price of one 355 Olds engine. There just aren't a whole lot of choices for internal parts. The factory nodular iron crank is strong but the Rods aren't. 403 Rods are a little better but they ad reciprocating weight. The heads must be set up for and adjustable valve train and not many available rocker arms will work for more 0.480 lift (I recommend Harland Sharp #5016). On the other hand the 455 is a great way to get a lot of cubic inches with out all the weight as it is much lighter than a Chevy 454.
Nice breakdown! Thanks for that. I have a 70 cutlass with a 350 in it and have been tinkering with it and have already unlocked some noticeable power with basic bolt ons. Next big step is to do a minor rebuild with a mild cam and upgraded valve train
Been driving the same 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass 4 door sedan since 1995. Best car I have ever had. It's two years older than me. I hope I die before it does.
thanks for the info Tyler, I'm a Mopar guy but also a fan of BOP V-8s, , Rockets, nailheads, etc, old Caddys(pre Northstar),some Chevs, small block Fords even, Cheers from Calgary, Alberta, in Canada
My experience with v-8 Olds engines. I have never blown one up, I have owned numerous 260-307-350-403-400-455, maybe 30 total olds v-8s. My very first choice for MPG and power is the 400, it was in a '68 Vista Cruiser and later I put it in a '70 Cutlass averaged 15MPG and amazing power at any RPM. even better than all the 455s including the '71 factory boat engine that I put in a '72 GMC pickup. Olds made two versions of the 400CI engine, first was '65-'67 and later '68-'69
He said a 1997 Olds. After 1988 all GM vehicles were fuel injected. The Cadillac Seville with an Olds 350 was fuel injected even in the late 70's. If it is carbureted then yes it will be a mechanical fuel pump. In 1997 there weren't any carbureted Olds engines.
love my olds! 307 y. had it for years. developed a coolant leak at intake flange. read up a little, fixed leak and port matched and cut the atomizer under the carb about 50 percent and polished it, then set 26 btdc. and got good gains in throttle and rpms. it is a 307 y but it acts like a chevy 350 with all the reliability. also opened up the breather and put in a low temp thermostat. only thing is it doesnt like to sit in traffic, it burps a little coolant.
What year was that ? In the mid 70's, GM got caught using 307 and 350 Chevy engines in place of the 350 Olds rocket engine due to a shortage of Olds engine blocks. All hell broke loose over that one. There were recalls, engine swaps and in a lot of cases whole cars were returned. Then to top all that, they found out they were doing the same thing at Buick and Pontiac They were sued for fraud and false advertising ! The class action lawsuits cost GM a fortune !
You are so right! My 81 Cutlass with the 260 has been a daily driver since new. Its a beater, and the body and interior are not pretty, but the damn thing still gets me to work every day lol. 344,000 miles now. Ive had lots of external repairs but internally still stock. Even outlasted the 350 transmission.
Cutty? Man, that name really burns my ass too. I'd rather hear the word "gutless" than cutty. As if the Olds engine being called the Rocket isn't cool enough, they also go and paint it gold ! Been an Olds junkie since 1979. I've had a 86 442 since 1987, put a 68 Olds 350 in it back in 1988. .030 forged flat tops, #6 heads, Crane hyd flat tappet cam with 230/234 deg dur @.050, Perf RPM intake , Holley 650 DP, HEI, mechanical fuel pump/ 18" mechanical flex fan, 10" TCI converter and the only good thing that came from the factory, the 8.5" 10 bolt 3.73. Didnt do a standard rebuilt (rings/bearings/rod bolts/oil pump/ timing chain) until 2008. Still runs like a raped ape. With slicks/ open headers, 12.60s at 106. At only 3500 pounds, it's about as quick as a 68-72 moderately built 455 442. Love those 350 Olds engines.
I only had two engines a 307 and a smog era 350 from the rocket corporation, both were not prime performance prepared engines but both I miss them dearly for they always run when I needed them. My best friend has a fun 394 hi comp that is unrestored and takes lead-sub to run. That lives up to the rocket name.
Love your video, I have been Oldsmobile life long I watched the video all through and I was impressed by how much you actually know! That said I am able to tell you a little about what I know, rocket mfg ran casting for olds until 1977 and then olds took over casting and replace the 455 with a huge bore small block (4.351") and windows in the main Webb (why?!) Sadly not enough bore space for 360 deg. Cool so th Siamese bore and windows in the main webb would be the killer
That engine has roller cam which does NOT have to be broken in. Just douse it well with fresh oil, slide it in and button it up. DON'T use assembly lube because the lifters won't The heads you want off the earlier 307 are number 5A. They HAVE to come from a 307 because the valves on 350/403 heads might hit the cylinder sides. You in a good position to do this stuff, hope you decide to.
Those were the most innovated V8 engine GM ever made, they innovated nearly all the electronic senses used on today's GM engines were first tested on Oldsmobile engines in the late 70,s and it was the most durable V8 engine GM ever made.
I have a 350 out of a 72 delta 88 that was cannibalized except for the engine, it was all that was left. I pulled out the dipstick and it was clean so I traded a wrecked s10 for it. that was 17 years ago and I still have the engine. I put it in an Olds I had before we even knew if it ran. 1st crank it started right up and after getting the timing right I've never had to do anything but routine stuff. they are bulletproof as I've drove this car like I stole it! sadly the car itself isn't doing so well, time and rust has taken its toll and it's time to take it out and put it in a better car. I will keep my engine until I die!
I love them. They are another unsung powerhouse. They weren’t particularly high Rpm, but they made massive amounts of low end torque. Oldsmobile’s motto was, “Horsepower sells cars while Torque wins races.” A good engine to build is the Olds 5.7 they are race tough, durable, and easily converted to run gas by changing cylinder heads. They have thick walls that allow for boring them out, and accept big engine crankshafts. the only downside is that ALL olds V8’s have oiling problems. Research will provide the answer to fix that. Then, if you build correctly, they live forever compared to Stock SmallBlock Chevy’s factory blocks made of cheaper cast iron.
Do you happen to know what all I would need to swap from a FWD 307 to a RWD 307 so I can use it in a FWD 1982 Buick Riviera? I bought a convertible and it did not come with an engine. There are a lot of RWD 307 cars but i'm haviing trouble finding a RWD 307 car to use as a doner.I've heard that the exhaust manifolds and oil pan. Thanks in advance.
Had a 79 ninety eight with a 403 - what a great engine. Had a 80 delta 88 with a 307 -beautiful. But the craziest was a 69 two door delta 88 with a 455 two barrel. That thing never lost a race in the year I owned in high school back in 77. I could lay a strip of rubber almost as long as I wanted and it was stock. Dual-pitch stator I guess?
Still learning my way around my 83 oldsmobile regency 98... can someone tell me where the oil dipstick is located? Thought I found it but its the transmission fluid.
68 cutlass 350 set timing gears . Oldsmobile Book says crank at 12 and cam at 6 (dot to dot ) or others say crank at 12 and cam at 12 . When I took it apart tdc was 12 and 12 . Is this correct.
Dad had a 63 Starfire with a 330 ultra compression four barrel four speed. I love that car I've had a 71 Cutlass 350 car and a 87 Cutlass that was swapped for a 350. I loved all of them!!
Do you have a video that might touch on the aftermarket upgrades that are worth investing in for an '83 307? I'm considering replacing the intake and carb with the Edelbrock Performer intake and 600cfm carb (piping out through a relatively free flow dual exhaust), as well as swapping out the cam with their Performer cam kit. I know that if I really want the power to count I'll have to swap the rear differential for a 3.73:1, but just in terms of the engine upgrade specifically, I can't find any numbers (HP-wise) for this upgrade. I'd like to know if there's a way to get these Rocket 307's up from 140 HP to near 400, without adding turbo or superchargers. Any advice is appreciated. I'm getting an 83 Delta 88 Brougham coupe tomorrow and would like to start beefing her up and restoring her.
307s really aren't worth building, except mabye other than putting a cam in them. The 350 Rocket and 403 both have far more performance potential than the 307, which has a sub 4" bore and small valves like a 305 which is why they don't have much potential. Also, the Olds small blocks generally need to run a deep sump oil pan if you want to run them hard, at high RPMs they will suck all of the oil out of the pan. You can find a 350 Rocket or 403 on craigslist for between $300-700 typically, which shares all mounts, accessories, wiring, and hoses with the 307. A 350 or 403 will always make significantly more power than a 307 with the same modifications, while it isn't that much more expensive and most parts are interchangeable.
I built up a Oldsmobile 307 V8, I used a early 80s block with the better flowing 5A cylinder heads, a mild comp cams camshaft, aluminum high rise intake manifold, long tube headers, holley 750 cfm carburetor, stock crank, rods, pistons, stock bore. That engine was very reliable.
@Rodney Hopper I looked all over for a 350 chevy, but I couldn't find one at any of the salvage yards. That 307 olds was the V8 I could find at the time
I've been running the same 260 in my cutlass for over 15 years now. Got it low mileage but lost a rod bearing at elevated rpm 6 months later. Engine was rebuild by an older guy and have not had it apart since. Must have over 200k hard miles on it now and has probably been over heated 10-15 times for one reason or another. It is a strong engine for cruising. Gets 22mpg highway with a 2bbl and 2.48 gear. I've also got a Trans am 6.6 and 1970 E head 455. Just running this 260 forever i guess.
Had several cutlasses in the 80S they offered cams and 4brl intakes and headers aftermarket that helped but the aframes had multiple motor mount holes so a 350 chevy with a chevy 350 or 400 turbo trans would drop in in a weekend. sadly most of the 260' s got junked.
My dad got a 455 Olds out of a Toranado and put it in his 80' Trans Am, He said it used to shred tires at 110km/h in third. 15 years ago he ripped it out and built it up to a level that i'm unsure of(It has the big heads and some other things from what I can remember), clearly the stock trans wasnt going to hold so he got a muncie 4 speed and had an adapter built so it would bolt up. Sad to say that life got in the way and the engine sits in my shop on a stand, it has never even been flashed. I told him that one day we will build something out of it(the car is pretty rotten afters sitting bare frame on lawn for 15 years).
I agree with this statement.. The 400 i had in my 69 w-30 was indestructible. Only thing you could do to these monsters was spin a bearing. 12.8 was the best i ran in the 1/4 and that with only mild head work done to the D heads.
Shaun Thompson you may not see this comment....a bit late I’m afraid.....I’ve been looking for actual et’s on the ‘68 / ‘69 W-30’s for YEARS ! I’ve owned two 442’s ‘68 and ‘69....LOVED both cars !...fantastic engines, great performers and reliable too. I never had a chance to quarter mile either of them, but in street bashing they were a blast. The ‘68 had a 3.91posi rear-end....launched like a bat out of hell ! I had a compression check done on the ‘68 after 180,000 miles - still tight and holding it’s compression. Call me crazy, but I would take the long-stroke 400 over a 455. I’ve driven a 1970 W-30 - honestly couldn’t feel much difference in engine response. The long-stroke 400 has gotten a lot of bad press - unfairly judging by my own experience.
I've swapped many 350 or 455 engine in 79 and on Olds Diesel V8's. Made happy own of former diesel powered GM cars. The gas engine loved the diesel transmission gearing and shift points.
Got myself a 1978 Oldsmobile Delta 88 with the original 350 V8 in it (right after they stopped calling it the "Rocket 350"), was one-owner and has only 112K miles. Runs good and I've tuned it up (timing was off, PCV valve wasn't doing its job and spark plugs were fouled), but I still need to rebuild the Rochester 4BBL Quadrajet carburetor on it since sometimes it doesn't fire up right away, idles a bit too low and stumbles once in a while. Also does a weird thing where I'll hear a faint knocking sound coming from the motor but only when the engine is fully warmed up. Its been doing it for months and hasn't gotten any louder or worse. I just baby it hoping nothing goes awry. Previous owner told me he used 15w40 motor oil meant for diesel engines, even though this one's a regular gasoline engine. Could that be hurting the motor at all? I know the additives are ending up on a couple of the spark plugs as ash.
The diesel oil is fine.The PO was probably using the diesel oil because it still contains zinc, which most gasoline-engine oils removed. Zinc helps avoid excessive cam and lifter wear, so keep on using it. You might look on your cylinder heads and see if they have PMD cast into them. Pontiac cast some of the 350 cylinder heads around that timeframe.
Thanks for the advice, I'll keep on using that oil then. PO had mentioned the same thing about the cam and lifters as well but I wasn't completely sure. Great video! :)
I'm trying to get the most horsepower out of my engine, I bought a fuel ejection throttle body, and I'm getting a better spark ignition possibly DUI , ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS
I have 307 that is going to get a pan to carb gasket/ bearing kit, the cylinders are bored .030 over, the cylinder heads are 5A . Can any one recommend me a camshaft that will give this engine some power with a good lope sound? Wanting to operate in the 2300-3000RPM range.
Oldsmobile V8s have a non-adjustable valve train so when you change the heads you have to check your push rod length making sure that they are the proper length to get the correct valve train geometry. Otherwise you will have valve train issues. If the heads were milled you can either place shims under the rocker arm bridges or have custom length push rods made to get the valve train geometry correct.
So dumb question to the olds guys? Years ago I swapped a 350 from an 80' Delta, into a 81' Pontiac Lemans. I was under the impimpression that this block was no good? Had thought about a head, and cam swap. Is this block a turd?? Are the stock heads any good to massage, or would I be better off to get an older casting? Just looking to build a mild street motor that will spin some decent revs.
not sure that exhaust manifolds will mix match with bigger headed small block Olds motors. If memory serves me correctly, the 307 has smaller exhaust ports than the 350/403 heads, so they might fit the head, but they wont flow very well. Other than that, this is great info for anybody interested in the SBO/BBO engine swaps. thanks for making it!
I have a 1989 Chevy Caprice wagon has a factory Olds 307 in it with the TH2004R overdrive transmission in it. It has 262,775 miles on it still running great. Eventually I want to put a 350 in it. Now the 400 is a big block? I am pretty much going to build one fairly stock I do want a roller cam and lifters and the roller rocker arms maybe a high volume oil pump Not sure if I want a Holley 600 cfm carb or go with the Holley TBI set up on it. I am 46 past the drag racing stage. but would like low end torque and fairly good mpg like 15 mpg.
A 400 Oldsmobile is a big-block. They weren't produced after the 1960's and you probably would be hard pressed to even find one now. The most common version had a pretty small bore and nobody really fools with them. What you MIGHT be thinking of is a 403, which was the largest small-block Olds V8 made. It's externally the same size as the others(260-307-330-350) so it's a really nice drop-in upgrade. You can still find good-running engines pretty easily...slap in a new timing chain, oil pump, drop it in and go.
You can put in a roller cam in an Olds. Dick Miller racing and Mondello sell them but they are really really expensive. The 400 Big blocks came in two flavors so know what you are getting into. Parts do not interchange. All the Olds small blocks with the exception of the 330 interchange. (Different crank bolt pattern on the 330). The 307 also has different lifter angles and thus lifter/valve train differences keep it from the rest of the small block. The 350DX (diesel) is totally different. 350-403 have completely interchangeable parts including all internals and externals. 307 rotating parts can interchange with 350-403 but you'll need to mix and match in the heads depending on what you want to do. 330 has the forged crank that you want but I think the 350-403-307-260 heads won't work on it. Oddly enough you can bolt 455 & 400 heads on a 350-403. You need to machine the intake manifold due to the minor angle change to the face of the head to intake mating surface and bore out the holes for the head bolts to 1/2 inch. Olds 455 with 500HP is relatively easy but it's the torque you want. Mondello has a set up that is 493HP and 580LbFt of torque. They have a motor home set up that is 400HP but in the 600LbFt torque range. Regardless they are all set up to turn
Guy Faucher The early 442 400 blocks came with two different cranks also ,one was drilled for a pilot bearing the other wasn't The stick engines were hard to find in the seventies, imagine now. I had to drill a crank, then eventualy went to Pontiac for a bolt in.
Jesse Haddicks And a reliable engine gets you to work so you can keep making the car payments, and the weak engines get better gas mileage so you can buy the important things in life, like fried chicken and beer on a Friday night ( :
If the motor still had its original steel shim head gaskets when you pulled the original heads and replaced them with new fel pro's that threw off the valve train geometry because the factory head gaskets i think are around 0.015 in thickness and the fel pro's are 0.040 thick. plus if the heads were milled for resurfacing or to gain a little compression custom length push rods would be in order.
I have a question, I have a 62 Cadillac that I often wonder if an Olds or Buick or Pontiac engine would bolt in or what is different? They look similar in the vehicles.
That's a good question. I have a '63 Olds myself, and what I've learned is, things were nowhere near as interchangeable in those days. Sure, you can do anything with a torch and welder but for example: In 1962, Cadillac still used the 4-speed controlled-coupling Hydramatic trans. Olds and Pontiac used a different, 3-speed Hydramatic, and Buick still used the newest version of the old Dynaflow trans. The mounts between the 4 different engines may or may not be close, I don't know. My Olds uses a 3-point engine mounting....2 back by the trans and one up front under the crank pulley. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING will drop in there except another early Olds V8. You may check into a later 472/500 cadillac and it's TH400 trans. The '64 cadillac started using the TH400 and the engine mounts might be pretty easy to adapt.
WhoSaidTyler Thanks Tyler, I've recently been contemplating a swap for my caddy, which will include engine and transmission. The location of the exhaust manifolds and fuel pumps and motor mounts just appear to be the same but I didn't think that was possible. Thanks for your response, I enjoyed some of you videos. Thanks Again, BC
Always did love my olds 403 w/72 350 olds heads. Ran great when I had her running. Now she needs a little work to get her back up and running, been sitting since 09 or so. Ran in a 78 Firebird Formula L/E, yes, she had the tow package and yes, she does have the solid mains. What would it go for these days? That's the big question I have right now. Or who would want an old school engine like this? Trying to go to a LS3 style engine w/T56 trans. Doing an update on her.
where does one find a list of the Oldsmobile small block casting numbers at least web wise to determine exactly what a person would be looking at. i have a 84 cutlass with the 307 and want to move up to 350 or 403 . thanks.
442.com is a pretty good resource for that information. Also remember that Olds cylinder heads have a numeric or alphanumeric code on the lower left hand corner that indicates what engine it came on. If you run across someone selling a 455 as a 350, grab it! lol
I have a bit of a stupid question-- I understand the Olds small blocks are virtually identical, but I daily an '83 Electra with a 307, and I want to replace the beat-up old oil pan on it.. Would an oil pan from an Old 350 bolt up properly? The 307 pan seems to have been discontinued a few years back.
Hi! just asking to double check.. can i use 350 (Nr`s. 4 to 7) Heads on my 1964 330 Cui Block? i will get it honed from 330 to 350 cui. My original heads have "Shaft Rockers" and would like to get heads with "pedestal Rockers" i think 350 heads would be the once need for this rockers option... right?
I got the 394 high output with 10.25:1 compression ratio and I don’t know if I like the tranny in it, it’s been converted down so it can tow so. Factory is 330 hp and 440 torque. It’s in my 63 olds dynamic 88 Cotner and Bevington ambulance and I kinda want to allow more power out, any advice?
Hi Tyler is talking about the code on the Pad .... says the first digit is a 3 on the pad and means year 73 this is not correct.... It means 3 for Oldsmobile Division. The second number on the pad is the Year 0 for 70...1 for 71 and up.
I have a 70 delta 88 that has the 455 with "e" heads and im wanting to put it in my 88 suburban. Any help from you guys out there would be appreciated. My first speeding ticket was for 125 mph and I had LOTS of throttle left when he flew past me with the cherries on! What a motor!!!
Yo dude add the 455 c casting head's and the other thing is also the w30 4speed 328 duration Cam shaft with the 108 lobe separation and if you're gonna be able to make something else get a chance to get a 350 diesel block and look up the modifications that are available for that conversion kit
Tyler, i have a 1988 olds custom cruiser with 307 4 brl qjet, what can i do simply, to increase hp, on a gov budget. i have seen most of your qjet vids thinking a carb rebuild might do the trick, see i bought the car from my neighbors mom, it had 7800 original miles on it, i drove it a few times, my sis drives it mainly nowadays it currently is in storage with 8800 miles on it, and i would like to up the power easily, and the least expensive. can you help?
willing anyone's advice I'm buying a 1983 Buick Riviera 307 v8 I've heard you can swap for 350 heads how would I do this also not really looking for any massive hp or tq just somthing more then 140 hp maybe a bigger carb different intake somthing any ideas?
I have a Oldsmobile 403 in my Trans AM. I want to get a set of 350 heads, I read I would have to drill the heads for the water jacket or steam ports. What is the best heads to get for my 403, not sure I want to get too radical, but I do want to get more out of this engine. Can you tell me what modifications I would need to do, please
+Brian Kelly 68-71 heads are the best since they have smaller combustion chambers than the later stuff. A better cam is helpful, but keep in mind a 403 doesn't have the bottom end strength to take advantage of it's potential breathing ability like an early 350.
The steam port issue is for Chevy 400's, not Oldsmobile engines. If it were me wanting better heads on a 403 I would find some BBO heads. They will outflow any SBO head and they used them on the 400's, so why not on the 403? You will need to have the head bolt holes drilled out for ½" bolts no matter what you decide because all of the older heads used 7/16" bolts. If you decide on the BBO heads you'll need a performer RPM intake to match to the intake ports as they are taller than the SBO and a stock intake won't cover the tops of the ports and it won't run.
The best heads easily available for the 403 IMO are the Edelbrock performer RPM heads. IIRC, big block heads will not fit due to the location of the fuel pump. These heads need a healthy cam too, something around .500 lift and 230 duration, Comp Cams has some good choices. I went with 1.6 roller rockers on mine, with a performer RPM intake and about 10:1 compression. The car pulled like a freight train, probly made about 400hp/450+tq. That’s about the limit of the stock rods, crank, and block unless you go all custom and put a girdle on it etc....the 403 is capable of 600+hp but if that’s your goal you’re better off with a 455
I put 7a heads from a 72 350 on a 403 u just drill the head bolt holes larger... plus go from over 80cc chamber to 64cc chamber i think just off the top of my head... edel heads have 77cc chambers the reason ppl put 7a heads is to increase compression... the window block is fine for mild street builds u will most likely never split one...
The small-port 307 still has a lot of torque and that's what moves the car around. I think if you ever decided to upgrade the engine to a big-block Olds or even a Cadillac engine(they are similar) you would be pleasantly surprised.
Thank you. I have a 7A 307 MOTOR in a 1984 custom cruiser. Clearly not the original motor. I am having some fun correcting vaccum hose lines. Your video helped me identify my motor. We don't need more then 140 hp to go to the supermarket or the beach with our 3 children. The satin black paint used in our olds motors seperates it from the typical rocket but... It is a rocket. Thank you for sharing. Do you have a clean video display of where the vaccum hoses should be?
Have 1981 Oldsmobile 98 recency with a 350 clean car runs good getting 7 miles per gallon wondering if that's the norm if not wat can I do it runs smoothly at a loss
Chris little 7 mpg sounds pretty low to me... and I'm assuming you mean around town or city driving? Maybe the carb needs tuning, might be running real rich, though you might be able to smell the extra gas fumes in that case. Could also check/clean/replace your air filter, fuel filter, maybe even your spark plugs. These things would likely cause poor mileage but would still run smoothly I think. You could try a can of "seafoam" or some type of engine cleaner as well, after checking for the other issues.
My dad bought me a 1986 cutlass supreme and it has a 307 we are thinking about putting a small cam in it to increase HP is there any thing we should be aware of when putting a cam in
Nope, a small rv style cam will do good, don't get a "small base circle" cam though. Check lifter preload when adjusting to get at least 1/2 turn of rocker arm bolt after zero lash on pushrod.
Good Info..! Question, I have a 77-80 olds 350 with a few performance parts (intake, carb., headers.) I have 3A heads; are these heads worth keeping with these upgrades or should I go with different ones if any?
another olds 307. 288,000 on mine and going strong. Don't put in a pukin chevy that won't last 150,000 before burning oil, I love chevy but the fact is that olds engines last longer. PERIOD.
LOL I bet you didn't go anywhere fast with that 260. They were slowwww slow even in the downsized '78's. Did you remember that a '76 Cutlass could be had with a Borg-Warner (light duty) 5-speed with the 260? You couldn't get it with a 350 or 455 even though they were both detuned.
My father had a '85 Buick LeSabre Limited Edition with a Olds 307. Indestructible engine. He put nearly 500,000 miles on it before the car was wrecked in an accident.
The 78-82 260 intake is unique to that engine and cannot be swapped with the 307-up models. The 75-76 260 *would* accept an intake from a larger car, though. From what I know, the 75-76 260 heads can be used on a 78-82 260 which would allow the installation of a 4V intake---for whatever good that would do...
I know you mentioned it isn't a good idea to tune these things up, but what about a small improvement? I have a Caprice wagon with one, and someday I would like to get at least 170 hp out of it. But I don't want to compromise the reliability. At the end of the day I'm more concerned about reliability than I am power. It would just be nice to have a little more, mainly for the up hill driving and passing on single lane highways of which there is a lot of where I live. I have no desire to turn it into some sleeper or anything nuts.
WhoSaidTyler Alright, thanks for the clarification. But yeah, I have certainly noticed its... how should I put it... relaxed power output. Especially while hulling around 50 tons of station wagon. Glad to hear its a pretty bullet proof engine though.
Anyone got information on how to get custom colors for painting the block and heads all I can find in rattle cans is black white red etc and I want to come up with a copper color for a motor I’m rebuilding
Please get back to me on what you think and steer me in the right direction, I just bought a 1972 skylark, it has a 350 in it now but I'm really interested in the 455, is it possible to get over 500hp in the 350 and still be used as a daily driver?, if not what about the 455, they seem easier to get to that 500hp range, if you can tell me what engine you prefer and why, also what upgrades I should be looking at, please help me out lol! I know I'm asking questions that may have broad answers but I really need the help, my goal is to have a daily driver with some intimidating power, let me know your thoughts on this thanks
I assume that you want a Buick 455. They are less supported than even Olds by the aftermarket world, but I saw a Buick 455 that had some serious torque. I've always been a Olds lover but I have to give the Buick kudos. Olds or Buick should drop right in including the trans bolt up. Do not use and Olds 307 or 260 V8 very anemic. 350-403-455 are great engines. I know people are worried about the 403 but I have one with highly modified internals that turns 7100RPM and pins your eyeballs to the back of your head. Yes it has serious machine work and custom internals. The block is weakened by making holes in the webbing to lighten up the block to improve gas mileage. I have a girdle and special tool steel bearing caps and forged everything to offset that. Avoid Buick 350 because of aftermarket parts availability. Olds engines have enough aftermarket support. Buick less so but the B455 does have some. Good luck
Andre Ortiz Only a year late seeing this, but I'm thinking you wouldn't like a 500+ HP 350 as a daily driver. You'd likely have too much cam, too much stall, and not enough vacuum for power brakes to enjoy slow cruising and stop-and-go traffic. However, a milder Olds 350 could still put out well over 400 ft lbs, and that you would enjoy. :) The 455 would be even better or course, a relatively mild build should get you 450-500 HP and 475-550 ft lbs or so. That huge torque is much better for the street than a high HP build with the big cam issues.
Better late than never :) You hit the head on the nail on vacuum. My car makes insufficient vacuum so I have an electric pump for it. It is a blast to drive though. It's not a daily driver by any stretch of the imagination. It sees the road in summer only and then only once every other week on week ends. My neighbor had a 455 in a Delta 88 tuned mildly. I think it had a 490 lift and duration was 225-230. It was awesome. A real stump puller. It think the CR was 9.50:1. Gas mileage was only 15MPG at best. When the Quadrajet opened up it dipped to 8MPG. He had a lead foot.
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I owned a 1970 Cutlass SX from '71 to' 74. Equipped with a 455 high compression engine, it was one of my favorite cars - comfortable and quick, a great car.
I put a hotter cam in a 1974 Olds Rocket 350!! Had a buddy of mine "tweak" the carb (slightly larger metering rods on the Rochester), then had the machine shop port and polish the exhaust side of the heads (matched for the Hooker headers I was running) and had them install hardened valves and seats in the heads as well for unleaded gas!! I put in a double roller timing chain for strength and installed a 1/8" thick washer into the oil pump relief spring (to boost the oil pressure to something realistic, because Oldsmobiles are FAMOUS for low oil pressure) and last but not least I installed lifters that had a slightly higher profile in them as well!!
The results to all my work was a motor that got near 400 horsepower, that would literally twist the leaf springs in the 1974 Oldsmobile Omega I owned (that I stuffed it in)!! I put in ladder bars a month after I installed the motor in the car!! The damn thing would do burn outs at 55 miles per hour, by kicking it back into second, and off the line it would literally lift the nose in the air!! Truth is I could have easily broken that 400HP limit had I had the money to buy the adjustable valve train kit (Kenne Bell used to make) and had I changed the pistons for flat tops!! The stock pistons in them have a pretty deep dish and only have about 9.5 to 1 compression ratio, and the Kenne Bell adjustable valve train kit meant I could have tinkered with the valves a bit more, BUT in 1983 the kit cost $3500 and it was out of my price range with a part time job working at a department store!!
The only other things I could have done to the car was to install a shift kit which I regret now NOT doing!! BUT the car was fast as hell to start with! The Omega after all is the Oldsmobiles' "sister" to the Chevy Nova and they don't weigh a whole lot to start with!! But all this in mind I miss the hell out of that car, which my second wife FORCED ME TO SELL, then 10 years later we got a divorce.....should have done like my first wife (who I was with when I bought the car) and kept the car and got rid of her!!
After the 1970 Cutlass SX, I had a '73 Delta 88 Convertible. It too had a 455, 4bbl engine, albeit low compression, it still ran strong. Another outstanding Oldsmobile.
Got a 73 toronado 455 with 66k original miles. Runs perfect..love this engine
455 in a GMC, runs great
455 in a very original '72 Vista Cruiser....190k miles, only changed the timing set in 2010 at 175k. Really moves this big heavy car!
When I was a teenager, I had a 1978 Cutlass with the dog 260 engine in it.
I replaced that engine with a 350 from a 1968 Cutlass.
Car was a screamer & fun to drive.
I eventually wrecked the car but I saved that engine. It’s been sitting in my dad’s garage for over 20 years.
Just got my hands on a beautiful 67" Cutlass with a rebuilt 68" rebuilt 350. It's a 3 speed and its like driving a boat. I absolutly love this car and I'm looking forward to evenings in the garage with it this summer. Thanks for making this video I've learned a lot today. 👍
Olds are awesome cars.
Was hoping to hear more about the hi compression 330 that makes 310hp at the crank factory with 10:1 compression! Also the only olds small block with steel forged crank. Its like the forgotten step child of the olds engines. I have 65 cutty drop top with one in it, a few bolt ons switched to true dual exhaust. This winter I'm pulling the #2 heads, porting them, doing bigger valves and upgrading to adjustable roller rockers plus a bigger cam. 110 lobe, 223/236 @ .050, .510/.523. After that I'll get it dyno'd and post a vid to show people what these things can do!
Did the 330 really have all that I had one in my 67 cutlass w a powerglide it didnt last long but th'at was all me and being young and w ell
You know but anyway it ran. Good when I got it but it was no real power house the 350 rocket I replaced it with and I was able to get the turbo. 350 in and. The shifter linkage so you could pull it down into first was way more peppy and I dont just mean cuz of the extra gear either like I said before young and .... I Wksh I was smart enough to keep it
The 67 motor 330 if it is a high compression 4barrel carb ant two exhausts was 320 H.p.
I have a set of heads
from a 64' 330. Been waiting to use them on a rebuild of a 350 or 403 to get better compression. 330's were beast of motors, coming with factory 4-volt main and steel crank, unfortunately I don't have the block or crank they came with.
403 had a steel crank as far as I know.
The '64 330 (1st production year) that went into the new 442 model had 310hp and the '65 version that went into the Cutlass as well as some full size cars had 315hp and 360ft pounds of torque ex factory. They also had forged cranks and conrods but sadly cast pistons.Horsepower went up a little each year until they stopped making them in 1968.
We're coming up on 30 years since carb'd engines lost their mojo to the passage of time and technology improvements, but each of the examples still on the road today defy that fact every time they turn over and refuse to die. They're pieces of the past, and I think they deserve a little respect and care for the accomplishment. Thanks for the info and history lesson!
I know it’s old but,first I’ve seen of it. THANK YOU for pointing out that “Rocket” was only a marketing technique. Owned a ‘69 442 with a transplanted 455 for several years and used to get that question about the “rocket” engines quite often. Along with the almost unnerving question of, “ Is that a real FOUR-FORTY-TWO?”
The first "Rocket" V8 appeared in 1949 models and I think was made in various displacements until being phased out I think in the early 1960s
I have owned 88s, Cutlasses, 442s and now a 2001 Aurora 4.0. All great!
Whats up Tyler. You make some amazing videos. I rebuilt my 1979 olds carburetor from watching your video. Saved 220 bucks. Appreciate it. I have a 1979 olds 350 bored out 30 over with an edelbrock performance plus cam and performer intake. Having trouble finding a better set of heads; the 3A heads are garbage. Once I find a better set of heads and a nice rear end, it will get nice gains. It won't beat mustangs or camaros but it will be fun to drive. Later oldsmobile 350 blocks are hard to beef up. The 1970 350 rated at 320 horses is probably only pushing out 260 horses net; power was measured in gross horses in 1970.
Great discussion. I've been an Olds guy for 30+ years. You can get great torque out of these motors and you can easily double power output from stock if you're willing to spend the dough and have some skills. The last one I built, a 350, came from a rusted out 72 wagon. It's been in two cars and is waiting for number three patiently in my garage. A word of advice: if you uncork it so it can really breath, pay some attention to the bottom end. When they're stock, you'll run them out of oil above 6000 RPM and they *will* let go.
Unless you change the oil pan to (8qts) and go with a high volume high pressure oil pump
Thanks for the Oldsmobile video, I have an eliminator jet boat with the 455 Olds motor, 1973 model.
One may argue there is no Oldsmobile Big block and Small black. The designs are essentially the same except for the deck height.
The W31 used #5 or #6 heads with the bigger valves installed.
It seems the 5, 6, and 7 castings have the better flow characteristics and can be machined to fit big block valves.
Up to 2.07" intake and 1.71" exhaust, as I have done to my #6 heads.
The earlier blocks are stronger because they are not windowed and supposedly they have a higher nickle content. The machinist I used did say metal was much stronger than a comparable Chevy small block. he complained about it eating stones during the bore and honing process.
Contrary to what many believe, the Oldsmobile 350 like to rev. They have a favorable over square bore and stroke.
They will make torque early and and continue to make torque through out most of the rev range. It can be a very nice usable power-band.
Properly modified it makes a great street/strip engine in a light car.
Cons: I could have built two 383 Chevy small blocks for the price of one 355 Olds engine. There just aren't a whole lot of choices for internal parts. The factory nodular iron crank is strong but the Rods aren't. 403 Rods are a little better but they ad reciprocating weight. The heads must be set up for and adjustable valve train and not many available rocker arms will work for more 0.480 lift (I recommend Harland Sharp #5016).
On the other hand the 455 is a great way to get a lot of cubic inches with out all the weight as it is much lighter than a Chevy 454.
Nice breakdown! Thanks for that. I have a 70 cutlass with a 350 in it and have been tinkering with it and have already unlocked some noticeable power with basic bolt ons. Next big step is to do a minor rebuild with a mild cam and upgraded valve train
Been driving the same 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass 4 door sedan since 1995.
Best car I have ever had.
It's two years older than me.
I hope I die before it does.
thanks for the info Tyler, I'm a Mopar guy but also a fan of BOP V-8s, , Rockets, nailheads, etc, old Caddys(pre Northstar),some Chevs, small block Fords even, Cheers from Calgary, Alberta, in Canada
My experience with v-8 Olds engines. I have never blown one up, I have owned numerous 260-307-350-403-400-455, maybe 30 total olds v-8s. My very first choice for MPG and power is the 400, it was in a '68 Vista Cruiser and later I put it in a '70 Cutlass averaged 15MPG and amazing power at any RPM. even better than all the 455s including the '71 factory boat engine that I put in a '72 GMC pickup.
Olds made two versions of the 400CI engine, first was '65-'67 and later '68-'69
Edzel Ford where is the fuel pump located on a 307 5.0 located for a 1997 Oldsmobile?
front passenger side, and 1997 I didn't know they still made 307 V-8s in 1997, I thought it was 1987.
In the fuel tank
+David Collis | I think he was talking about a Olds 307 V-8, I thought all carbureted engines have mechanical fuel pumps (stock) from the factory.
He said a 1997 Olds. After 1988 all GM vehicles were fuel injected. The Cadillac Seville with an Olds 350 was fuel injected even in the late 70's. If it is carbureted then yes it will be a mechanical fuel pump. In 1997 there weren't any carbureted Olds engines.
love my olds! 307 y. had it for years. developed a coolant leak at intake flange. read up a little, fixed leak and port matched and cut the atomizer under the carb about 50 percent and polished it, then set 26 btdc. and got good gains in throttle and rpms. it is a 307 y but it acts like a chevy 350 with all the reliability. also opened up the breather and put in a low temp thermostat. only thing is it doesnt like to sit in traffic, it burps a little coolant.
Back the timing back 10 to 12 degrees. You are running way too much timing
What year was that ? In the mid 70's, GM got caught using 307 and 350 Chevy engines in place of the 350 Olds rocket engine due to a shortage of Olds engine blocks. All hell broke loose over that one. There were recalls, engine swaps and in a lot of cases whole cars were returned. Then to top all that, they found out they were doing the same thing at Buick and Pontiac They were sued for fraud and false advertising ! The class action lawsuits cost GM a fortune !
You are so right! My 81 Cutlass with the 260 has been a daily driver since new. Its a beater, and the body and interior are not pretty, but the damn thing still gets me to work every day lol. 344,000 miles now. Ive had lots of external repairs but internally still stock. Even outlasted the 350 transmission.
No discussion on Olds 425 engine? Or bolting in Big block in place of small block?
i love the 455 rocket engines had a 1969 cutlass 455 4 speed it was sweet
68 442 455
LOL I have a 69 Cutlass vert now with a 70 455 4speed
Cutty? Man, that name really burns my ass too. I'd rather hear the word "gutless" than cutty. As if the Olds engine being called the Rocket isn't cool enough, they also go and paint it gold ! Been an Olds junkie since 1979. I've had a 86 442 since 1987, put a 68 Olds 350 in it back in 1988. .030 forged flat tops, #6 heads, Crane hyd flat tappet cam with 230/234 deg dur @.050, Perf RPM intake , Holley 650 DP, HEI, mechanical fuel pump/ 18" mechanical flex fan, 10" TCI converter and the only good thing that came from the factory, the 8.5" 10 bolt 3.73. Didnt do a standard rebuilt (rings/bearings/rod bolts/oil pump/ timing chain) until 2008. Still runs like a raped ape. With slicks/ open headers, 12.60s at 106. At only 3500 pounds, it's about as quick as a 68-72 moderately built 455 442. Love those 350 Olds engines.
I just bought olds 403 for my 66 olds 88 2 door coupe. I love Oldsmobile moters
I only had two engines a 307 and a smog era 350 from the rocket corporation, both were not prime performance prepared engines but both I miss them dearly for they always run when I needed them. My best friend has a fun 394 hi comp that is unrestored and takes lead-sub to run. That lives up to the rocket name.
Love your video, I have been Oldsmobile life long I watched the video all through and I was impressed by how much you actually know! That said I am able to tell you a little about what I know, rocket mfg ran casting for olds until 1977 and then olds took over casting and replace the 455 with a huge bore small block (4.351") and windows in the main Webb (why?!) Sadly not enough bore space for 360 deg. Cool so th Siamese bore and windows in the main webb would be the killer
The Olds "Rocket" engine was the first massed produced overhead valve V8. In it's day it was the fastest production engine in America.
A
That engine has roller cam which does NOT have to be broken in. Just douse it well with fresh oil, slide it in and button it up. DON'T use assembly lube because the lifters won't
The heads you want off the earlier 307 are number 5A. They HAVE to come from a 307 because the valves on 350/403 heads might hit the cylinder sides.
You in a good position to do this stuff, hope you decide to.
Those were the most innovated V8 engine GM ever made, they innovated nearly all the electronic senses used on today's GM engines were first tested on Oldsmobile engines in the late 70,s and it was the most durable V8 engine GM ever made.
I have a 350 out of a 72 delta 88 that was cannibalized except for the engine, it was all that was left. I pulled out the dipstick and it was clean so I traded a wrecked s10 for it. that was 17 years ago and I still have the engine. I put it in an Olds I had before we even knew if it ran. 1st crank it started right up and after getting the timing right I've never had to do anything but routine stuff. they are bulletproof as I've drove this car like I stole it! sadly the car itself isn't doing so well, time and rust has taken its toll and it's time to take it out and put it in a better car. I will keep my engine until I die!
Awesome man, I'm glad to hear you've stuck it out.
I love them. They are another unsung powerhouse. They weren’t particularly high Rpm, but they made massive amounts of low end torque. Oldsmobile’s motto was, “Horsepower sells cars while Torque wins races.” A good engine to build is the Olds 5.7 they are race tough, durable, and easily converted to run gas by changing cylinder heads. They have thick walls that allow for boring them out, and accept big engine crankshafts. the only downside is that ALL olds V8’s have oiling problems. Research will provide the answer to fix that. Then, if you build correctly, they live forever compared to Stock SmallBlock Chevy’s factory blocks made of cheaper cast iron.
Do you happen to know what all I would need to swap from a FWD 307 to a RWD 307 so I can use it in a FWD 1982 Buick Riviera? I bought a convertible and it did not come with an engine. There are a lot of RWD 307 cars but i'm haviing trouble finding a RWD 307 car to use as a doner.I've heard that the exhaust manifolds and oil pan. Thanks in advance.
I also have a tapping sound in the engine on passenger side, the guy I bought it from said he thought it was a bad lifter, I hope it's not the crank
I've got an 81 Olds 98 4 dr Diesel. It's underpowered, but I get 18 mpg in town and 28 mpg on the hwy. great video.
Had a 79 ninety eight with a 403 - what a great engine. Had a 80 delta 88 with a 307 -beautiful. But the craziest was a 69 two door delta 88 with a 455 two barrel. That thing never lost a race in the year I owned in high school back in 77. I could lay a strip of rubber almost as long as I wanted and it was stock. Dual-pitch stator I guess?
Still learning my way around my 83 oldsmobile regency 98... can someone tell me where the oil dipstick is located? Thought I found it but its the transmission fluid.
Driver side of the engine about 3/4 way back.
68 cutlass 350 set timing gears . Oldsmobile Book says crank at 12 and cam at 6 (dot to dot ) or others say crank at 12 and cam at 12 . When I took it apart tdc was 12 and 12 . Is this correct.
Should show and compare the bottom ends of the 330 vs. the 307 (where the main bearing caps bolt on)
Very nicely done with lots of great info! Thank you for posting!
Dad had a 63 Starfire with a 330 ultra compression four barrel four speed. I love that car I've had a 71 Cutlass 350 car and a 87 Cutlass that was swapped for a 350. I loved all of them!!
330 came out in '64.
@@prairiegold6870 yeah but it was a 63 and a half
Do you have a video that might touch on the aftermarket upgrades that are worth investing in for an '83 307? I'm considering replacing the intake and carb with the Edelbrock Performer intake and 600cfm carb (piping out through a relatively free flow dual exhaust), as well as swapping out the cam with their Performer cam kit. I know that if I really want the power to count I'll have to swap the rear differential for a 3.73:1, but just in terms of the engine upgrade specifically, I can't find any numbers (HP-wise) for this upgrade. I'd like to know if there's a way to get these Rocket 307's up from 140 HP to near 400, without adding turbo or superchargers.
Any advice is appreciated. I'm getting an 83 Delta 88 Brougham coupe tomorrow and would like to start beefing her up and restoring her.
307s really aren't worth building, except mabye other than putting a cam in them. The 350 Rocket and 403 both have far more performance potential than the 307, which has a sub 4" bore and small valves like a 305 which is why they don't have much potential. Also, the Olds small blocks generally need to run a deep sump oil pan if you want to run them hard, at high RPMs they will suck all of the oil out of the pan.
You can find a 350 Rocket or 403 on craigslist for between $300-700 typically, which shares all mounts, accessories, wiring, and hoses with the 307. A 350 or 403 will always make significantly more power than a 307 with the same modifications, while it isn't that much more expensive and most parts are interchangeable.
I built up a Oldsmobile 307 V8, I used a early 80s block with the better flowing 5A cylinder heads, a mild comp cams camshaft, aluminum high rise intake manifold, long tube headers, holley 750 cfm carburetor, stock crank, rods, pistons, stock bore. That engine was very reliable.
How many horsey's do you think you were making, just out of curiosity?
You actually built up a three o seven block what a piece of shit
@Rodney Hopper I looked all over for a 350 chevy, but I couldn't find one at any of the salvage yards. That 307 olds was the V8 I could find at the time
I had a olds f85 cutlass convertible with a 330 cid with a Q jet carb on it. It was a helluva lotta fun and women loved it!
I've been running the same 260 in my cutlass for over 15 years now. Got it low mileage but lost a rod bearing at elevated rpm 6 months later. Engine was rebuild by an older guy and have not had it apart since. Must have over 200k hard miles on it now and has probably been over heated 10-15 times for one reason or another. It is a strong engine for cruising. Gets 22mpg highway with a 2bbl and 2.48 gear. I've also got a Trans am 6.6 and 1970 E head 455. Just running this 260 forever i guess.
You can't kill those things.
Had several cutlasses in the 80S they offered cams and 4brl intakes and headers aftermarket that helped but the aframes had multiple motor mount holes so a 350 chevy with a chevy 350 or 400 turbo trans would drop in in a weekend. sadly most of the 260' s got junked.
In 1970 I think if I remember correctly Olds added rotating valves on the Tornado engines.
My dad got a 455 Olds out of a Toranado and put it in his 80' Trans Am, He said it used to shred tires at 110km/h in third. 15 years ago he ripped it out and built it up to a level that i'm unsure of(It has the big heads and some other things from what I can remember), clearly the stock trans wasnt going to hold so he got a muncie 4 speed and had an adapter built so it would bolt up. Sad to say that life got in the way and the engine sits in my shop on a stand, it has never even been flashed. I told him that one day we will build something out of it(the car is pretty rotten afters sitting bare frame on lawn for 15 years).
I agree with this statement.. The 400 i had in my 69 w-30 was indestructible. Only thing you could do to these monsters was spin a bearing. 12.8 was the best i ran in the 1/4 and that with only mild head work done to the D heads.
Shaun Thompson you may not see this comment....a bit late I’m afraid.....I’ve been looking for actual et’s on the ‘68 / ‘69 W-30’s for YEARS ! I’ve owned two 442’s ‘68 and ‘69....LOVED both cars !...fantastic engines, great performers and reliable too. I never had a chance to quarter mile either of them, but in street bashing they were a blast. The ‘68 had a 3.91posi rear-end....launched like a bat out of hell ! I had a compression check done on the ‘68 after 180,000 miles - still tight and holding it’s compression. Call me crazy, but I would take the long-stroke 400 over a 455. I’ve driven a 1970 W-30 - honestly couldn’t feel much difference in engine response. The long-stroke 400 has gotten a lot of bad press - unfairly judging by my own experience.
I agree, I call mine cutlass or Black Betty cause I hear that ram jam song in my head when I get in it🤣
Nice info! I have a 1973 delta 88 with 33000 miles!
this video helped a lot thanks!! ive got an 81 307. I'm trying to make a 307hp 307ci
I've swapped many 350 or 455 engine in 79 and on Olds Diesel V8's. Made happy own of former diesel powered GM cars. The gas engine loved the diesel transmission gearing and shift points.
Got myself a 1978 Oldsmobile Delta 88 with the original 350 V8 in it (right after they stopped calling it the "Rocket 350"), was one-owner and has only 112K miles. Runs good and I've tuned it up (timing was off, PCV valve wasn't doing its job and spark plugs were fouled), but I still need to rebuild the Rochester 4BBL Quadrajet carburetor on it since sometimes it doesn't fire up right away, idles a bit too low and stumbles once in a while. Also does a weird thing where I'll hear a faint knocking sound coming from the motor but only when the engine is fully warmed up. Its been doing it for months and hasn't gotten any louder or worse. I just baby it hoping nothing goes awry. Previous owner told me he used 15w40 motor oil meant for diesel engines, even though this one's a regular gasoline engine. Could that be hurting the motor at all? I know the additives are ending up on a couple of the spark plugs as ash.
The diesel oil is fine.The PO was probably using the diesel oil because it still contains zinc, which most gasoline-engine oils removed. Zinc helps avoid excessive cam and lifter wear, so keep on using it. You might look on your cylinder heads and see if they have PMD cast into them. Pontiac cast some of the 350 cylinder heads around that timeframe.
Thanks for the advice, I'll keep on using that oil then. PO had mentioned the same thing about the cam and lifters as well but I wasn't completely sure. Great video! :)
I'm trying to get the most horsepower out of my engine, I bought a fuel ejection throttle body, and I'm getting a better spark ignition possibly DUI , ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS
I have 307 that is going to get a pan to carb gasket/ bearing kit, the cylinders are bored .030 over, the cylinder heads are 5A . Can any one recommend me a camshaft that will give this engine some power with a good lope sound? Wanting to operate in the 2300-3000RPM range.
What bigger heads can I put on my 403 Olds to make lots of power
any more tips from the old timers are greatly appreciated. thanks
Oldsmobile V8s have a non-adjustable valve train so when you change the heads you have to check your push rod length making sure that they are the proper length to get the correct valve train geometry. Otherwise you will have valve train issues. If the heads were milled you can either place shims under the rocker arm bridges or have custom length push rods made to get the valve train geometry correct.
So dumb question to the olds guys?
Years ago I swapped a 350 from an 80' Delta, into a 81' Pontiac Lemans. I was under the impimpression that this block was no good? Had thought about a head, and cam swap. Is this block a turd?? Are the stock heads any good to massage, or would I be better off to get an older casting?
Just looking to build a mild street motor that will spin some decent revs.
Matt T . It is 2017 just get an LS
not sure that exhaust manifolds will mix match with bigger headed small block Olds motors. If memory serves me correctly, the 307 has smaller exhaust ports than the 350/403 heads, so they might fit the head, but they wont flow very well. Other than that, this is great info for anybody interested in the SBO/BBO engine swaps. thanks for making it!
I have a 1989 Chevy Caprice wagon has a factory Olds 307 in it with the TH2004R overdrive transmission in it. It has 262,775 miles on it still running great. Eventually I want to put a 350 in it. Now the 400 is a big block? I am pretty much going to build one fairly stock I do want a roller cam and lifters and the roller rocker arms maybe a high volume oil pump Not sure if I want a Holley 600 cfm carb or go with the Holley TBI set up on it. I am 46 past the drag racing stage. but would like low end torque and fairly good mpg like 15 mpg.
A 400 Oldsmobile is a big-block. They weren't produced after the 1960's and you probably would be hard pressed to even find one now. The most common version had a pretty small bore and nobody really fools with them.
What you MIGHT be thinking of is a 403, which was the largest small-block Olds V8 made. It's externally the same size as the others(260-307-330-350) so it's a really nice drop-in upgrade. You can still find good-running engines pretty easily...slap in a new timing chain, oil pump, drop it in and go.
You can put in a roller cam in an Olds. Dick Miller racing and Mondello sell them but they are really really expensive. The 400 Big blocks came in two flavors so know what you are getting into. Parts do not interchange. All the Olds small blocks with the exception of the 330 interchange. (Different crank bolt pattern on the 330). The 307 also has different lifter angles and thus lifter/valve train differences keep it from the rest of the small block. The 350DX (diesel) is totally different. 350-403 have completely interchangeable parts including all internals and externals. 307 rotating parts can interchange with 350-403 but you'll need to mix and match in the heads depending on what you want to do. 330 has the forged crank that you want but I think the 350-403-307-260 heads won't work on it. Oddly enough you can bolt 455 & 400 heads on a 350-403. You need to machine the intake manifold due to the minor angle change to the face of the head to intake mating surface and bore out the holes for the head bolts to 1/2 inch. Olds 455 with 500HP is relatively easy but it's the torque you want. Mondello has a set up that is 493HP and 580LbFt of torque. They have a motor home set up that is 400HP but in the 600LbFt torque range. Regardless they are all set up to turn
Guy Faucher The early 442 400 blocks came with two different cranks also ,one was drilled for a pilot bearing the other wasn't The stick engines were hard to find in the seventies, imagine now. I had to drill a crank, then eventualy went to Pontiac for a bolt in.
Jesse Haddicks And a reliable engine gets you to work so you can keep making the car payments, and the weak engines get better gas mileage so you can buy the important things in life, like fried chicken and beer on a Friday night ( :
If the motor still had its original steel shim head gaskets when you pulled the original heads and replaced them with new fel pro's that threw off the valve train geometry because the factory head gaskets i think are around 0.015 in thickness and the fel pro's are 0.040 thick. plus if the heads were milled for resurfacing or to gain a little compression custom length push rods would be in order.
I have a question, I have a 62 Cadillac that I often wonder if an Olds or Buick or Pontiac engine would bolt in or what is different? They look similar in the vehicles.
That's a good question. I have a '63 Olds myself, and what I've learned is, things were nowhere near as interchangeable in those days. Sure, you can do anything with a torch and welder but for example:
In 1962, Cadillac still used the 4-speed controlled-coupling Hydramatic trans. Olds and Pontiac used a different, 3-speed Hydramatic, and Buick still used the newest version of the old Dynaflow trans.
The mounts between the 4 different engines may or may not be close, I don't know. My Olds uses a 3-point engine mounting....2 back by the trans and one up front under the crank pulley. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING will drop in there except another early Olds V8.
You may check into a later 472/500 cadillac and it's TH400 trans. The '64 cadillac started using the TH400 and the engine mounts might be pretty easy to adapt.
WhoSaidTyler Thanks Tyler, I've recently been contemplating a swap for my caddy, which will include engine and transmission. The location of the exhaust manifolds and fuel pumps and motor mounts just appear to be the same but I didn't think that was possible. Thanks for your response, I enjoyed some of you videos. Thanks Again, BC
I believe the 330 engine had tube mounted rockers, and the heads had bosses for mounting the rocker tubes.
Thanks for the info :-)
Always did love my olds 403 w/72 350 olds heads. Ran great when I had her running. Now she needs a little work to get her back up and running, been sitting since 09 or so. Ran in a 78 Firebird Formula L/E, yes, she had the tow package and yes, she does have the solid mains. What would it go for these days? That's the big question I have right now. Or who would want an old school engine like this? Trying to go to a LS3 style engine w/T56 trans. Doing an update on her.
where does one find a list of the Oldsmobile small block casting numbers at least web wise to determine exactly what a person would be looking at. i have a 84 cutlass with the 307 and want to move up to 350 or 403 . thanks.
442.com is a pretty good resource for that information. Also remember that Olds cylinder heads have a numeric or alphanumeric code on the lower left hand corner that indicates what engine it came on. If you run across someone selling a 455 as a 350, grab it! lol
I have an Olds 350 from 76. Does that year have hardened valve seats? Do you know the comp ratio and is it worth rebuilding?
I have a bit of a stupid question-- I understand the Olds small blocks are virtually identical, but I daily an '83 Electra with a 307, and I want to replace the beat-up old oil pan on it.. Would an oil pan from an Old 350 bolt up properly? The 307 pan seems to have been discontinued a few years back.
It should work fine.
how would I go about finding the bolt size for the negative battery cable to 403 block .mettuc or standard
what size olds block accepts 3A heads on it im trying too identify motor block hope you can help thanks
Hi! just asking to double check.. can i use 350 (Nr`s. 4 to 7) Heads on my 1964 330 Cui Block? i will get it honed from 330 to 350 cui. My original heads have "Shaft Rockers" and would like to get heads with "pedestal Rockers" i think 350 heads would be the once need for this rockers option... right?
Any good idea what company makes a good rebuilt kit for a 350 rocket early 73 build engine..
What do you mean almost everything fits and the #4 is a good head off a 330 c.i. high compression.
I got the 394 high output with 10.25:1 compression ratio and I don’t know if I like the tranny in it, it’s been converted down so it can tow so. Factory is 330 hp and 440 torque. It’s in my 63 olds dynamic 88 Cotner and Bevington ambulance and I kinda want to allow more power out, any advice?
Hi Tyler is talking about the code on the Pad .... says the first digit is a 3 on the pad and means year 73 this is not correct.... It means 3 for Oldsmobile Division. The second number on the pad is the Year 0 for 70...1 for 71 and up.
I have a 70 delta 88 that has the 455 with "e" heads and im wanting to put it in my 88 suburban. Any help from you guys out there would be appreciated. My first speeding ticket was for 125 mph and I had LOTS of throttle left when he flew past me with the cherries on! What a motor!!!
bull fucking shit
Yo dude add the 455 c casting head's and the other thing is also the w30 4speed 328 duration Cam shaft with the 108 lobe separation and if you're gonna be able to make something else get a chance to get a 350 diesel block and look up the modifications that are available for that conversion kit
I would like to here more about the big blocks, 400, 425, 455 olds. I am building a 69 455 for 68 cutlass s.
Tyler, i have a 1988 olds custom cruiser with 307 4 brl qjet, what can i do simply, to increase hp, on a gov budget.
i have seen most of your qjet vids thinking a carb rebuild might do the trick, see i bought the car from my neighbors mom,
it had 7800 original miles on it, i drove it a few times, my sis drives it mainly nowadays it currently is in storage with 8800 miles on it, and i would like to up the power easily, and the least expensive. can you help?
willing anyone's advice I'm buying a 1983 Buick Riviera 307 v8 I've heard you can swap for 350 heads how would I do this also not really looking for any massive hp or tq just somthing more then 140 hp maybe a bigger carb different intake somthing any ideas?
I have a Oldsmobile 403 in my Trans AM. I want to get a set of 350 heads, I read I would have to drill the heads for the water jacket or steam ports. What is the best heads to get for my 403, not sure I want to get too radical, but I do want to get more out of this engine. Can you tell me what modifications I would need to do, please
+Brian Kelly 68-71 heads are the best since they have smaller combustion chambers than the later stuff. A better cam is helpful, but keep in mind a 403 doesn't have the bottom end strength to take advantage of it's potential breathing ability like an early 350.
The steam port issue is for Chevy 400's, not Oldsmobile engines. If it were me wanting better heads on a 403 I would find some BBO heads. They will outflow any SBO head and they used them on the 400's, so why not on the 403?
You will need to have the head bolt holes drilled out for ½" bolts no matter what you decide because all of the older heads used 7/16" bolts. If you decide on the BBO heads you'll need a performer RPM intake to match to the intake ports as they are taller than the SBO and a stock intake won't cover the tops of the ports and it won't run.
The best heads easily available for the 403 IMO are the Edelbrock performer RPM heads. IIRC, big block heads will not fit due to the location of the fuel pump. These heads need a healthy cam too, something around .500 lift and 230 duration, Comp Cams has some good choices. I went with 1.6 roller rockers on mine, with a performer RPM intake and about 10:1 compression. The car pulled like a freight train, probly made about 400hp/450+tq. That’s about the limit of the stock rods, crank, and block unless you go all custom and put a girdle on it etc....the 403 is capable of 600+hp but if that’s your goal you’re better off with a 455
I put 7a heads from a 72 350 on a 403 u just drill the head bolt holes larger... plus go from over 80cc chamber to 64cc chamber i think just off the top of my head... edel heads have 77cc chambers the reason ppl put 7a heads is to increase compression... the window block is fine for mild street builds u will most likely never split one...
Will I have to make any changes? Swapping a olds 350 from a fwd eldorado to a 1985 cutlass. What will I need to change?
The small-port 307 still has a lot of torque and that's what moves the car around. I think if you ever decided to upgrade the engine to a big-block Olds or even a Cadillac engine(they are similar) you would be pleasantly surprised.
awesome video, very informative, please don't disable to comments...at the least just make the comments on approval only, thanks!
I have a 350 Olds engine, #554964 3A. with same 3A on the heads. can you tell me anything about this engine and what the heads are
Thank you. I have a 7A 307 MOTOR in a 1984 custom cruiser. Clearly not the original motor. I am having some fun correcting vaccum hose lines. Your video helped me identify my motor. We don't need more then 140 hp to go to the supermarket or the beach with our 3 children. The satin black paint used in our olds motors seperates it from the typical rocket but... It is a rocket. Thank you for sharing. Do you have a clean video display of where the vaccum hoses should be?
Have 1981 Oldsmobile 98 recency with a 350 clean car runs good getting 7 miles per gallon wondering if that's the norm if not wat can I do it runs smoothly at a loss
Chris little 7 mpg sounds pretty low to me... and I'm assuming you mean around town or city driving? Maybe the carb needs tuning, might be running real rich, though you might be able to smell the extra gas fumes in that case. Could also check/clean/replace your air filter, fuel filter, maybe even your spark plugs. These things would likely cause poor mileage but would still run smoothly I think. You could try a can of "seafoam" or some type of engine cleaner as well, after checking for the other issues.
remember POBC. Pontiac, olds, buick, cadilac. almost everything is interchangable
My dad bought me a 1986 cutlass supreme and it has a 307 we are thinking about putting a small cam in it to increase HP is there any thing we should be aware of when putting a cam in
Nope, a small rv style cam will do good, don't get a "small base circle" cam though. Check lifter preload when adjusting to get at least 1/2 turn of rocker arm bolt after zero lash on pushrod.
How much torque does the 307 produce
Thanks for the great info, its appreciated. I'm doing a 307 to 350 swap soon, and I probably will be bugging you, if you dont mind.
Good Info..! Question, I have a 77-80 olds 350 with a few performance parts (intake, carb., headers.) I have 3A heads; are these heads worth keeping with these upgrades or should I go with different ones if any?
If you have an 85 Buick lesabre with an olds 307, whats the motor to drop in?
another olds 307. 288,000 on mine and going strong. Don't put in a pukin chevy that won't last 150,000 before burning oil, I love chevy but the fact is that olds engines last longer. PERIOD.
I had a 76 Cutlass with a 260 about 27 years ago. Now I've got a 71 Cutlass with a 455. What a difference lol
LOL I bet you didn't go anywhere fast with that 260. They were slowwww slow even in the downsized '78's. Did you remember that a '76 Cutlass could be had with a Borg-Warner (light duty) 5-speed with the 260? You couldn't get it with a 350 or 455 even though they were both detuned.
1964 olds 330, does a guy have to drop oil pan in order to do a cam swap? thanks
No
My father had a '85 Buick LeSabre Limited Edition with a Olds 307. Indestructible engine. He put nearly 500,000 miles on it before the car was wrecked in an accident.
Most if not all of the big block Cadillac engines (472ci & 500ci) were Pontiac PMD castings I believe
+Thevinylking69 You sure about that? Pontiac DID cast some late 70's Oldsmobile heads.
Yeah those Pontiac casted heads for Oldsmobile were crap they had a lot of cracking and warping issues
The 78-82 260 intake is unique to that engine and cannot be swapped with the 307-up models. The 75-76 260 *would* accept an intake from a larger car, though.
From what I know, the 75-76 260 heads can be used on a 78-82 260 which would allow the installation of a 4V intake---for whatever good that would do...
Use it for a boat anchor
I know you mentioned it isn't a good idea to tune these things up, but what about a small improvement? I have a Caprice wagon with one, and someday I would like to get at least 170 hp out of it. But I don't want to compromise the reliability. At the end of the day I'm more concerned about reliability than I am power. It would just be nice to have a little more, mainly for the up hill driving and passing on single lane highways of which there is a lot of where I live. I have no desire to turn it into some sleeper or anything nuts.
It's not that it's a bad idea to try to improve them, just as long as you keep your expectations realistic.
WhoSaidTyler Alright, thanks for the clarification.
But yeah, I have certainly noticed its... how should I put it... relaxed power output. Especially while hulling around 50 tons of station wagon.
Glad to hear its a pretty bullet proof engine though.
Anyone got information on how to get custom colors for painting the block and heads all I can find in rattle cans is black white red etc and I want to come up with a copper color for a motor I’m rebuilding
Great information thanks
Please get back to me on what you think and steer me in the right direction, I just bought a 1972 skylark, it has a 350 in it now but I'm really interested in the 455, is it possible to get over 500hp in the 350 and still be used as a daily driver?, if not what about the 455, they seem easier to get to that 500hp range, if you can tell me what engine you prefer and why, also what upgrades I should be looking at, please help me out lol! I know I'm asking questions that may have broad answers but I really need the help, my goal is to have a daily driver with some intimidating power, let me know your thoughts on this thanks
I assume that you want a Buick 455. They are less supported than even Olds by the aftermarket world, but I saw a Buick 455 that had some serious torque. I've always been a Olds lover but I have to give the Buick kudos. Olds or Buick should drop right in including the trans bolt up. Do not use and Olds 307 or 260 V8 very anemic. 350-403-455 are great engines. I know people are worried about the 403 but I have one with highly modified internals that turns 7100RPM and pins your eyeballs to the back of your head. Yes it has serious machine work and custom internals. The block is weakened by making holes in the webbing to lighten up the block to improve gas mileage. I have a girdle and special tool steel bearing caps and forged everything to offset that. Avoid Buick 350 because of aftermarket parts availability. Olds engines have enough aftermarket support. Buick less so but the B455 does have some. Good luck
Andre Ortiz Only a year late seeing this, but I'm thinking you wouldn't like a 500+ HP 350 as a daily driver. You'd likely have too much cam, too much stall, and not enough vacuum for power brakes to enjoy slow cruising and stop-and-go traffic. However, a milder Olds 350 could still put out well over 400 ft lbs, and that you would enjoy. :)
The 455 would be even better or course, a relatively mild build should get you 450-500 HP and 475-550 ft lbs or so. That huge torque is much better for the street than a high HP build with the big cam issues.
Better late than never :) You hit the head on the nail on vacuum. My car makes insufficient vacuum so I have an electric pump for it. It is a blast to drive though. It's not a daily driver by any stretch of the imagination. It sees the road in summer only and then only once every other week on week ends. My neighbor had a 455 in a Delta 88 tuned mildly. I think it had a 490 lift and duration was 225-230. It was awesome. A real stump puller. It think the CR was 9.50:1. Gas mileage was only 15MPG at best. When the Quadrajet opened up it dipped to 8MPG. He had a lead foot.