We had several of these in the family back in the day. Everyone, except my Dad, dumped them as fast as possible. Believe it not, ours wasn't retired until the early 2000s when it blew up in our 98 for the 3rd time in ~200,000 miles (also a transmission, countless brake booster issues, etc). It was, hands down, the slowest thing I've ever driven... and I daily drove a 2.5 S10 with 3.08 gears for several years. It would straight up run away from that Olds while exceeding its fuel economy.
I have a soft spot for these, as poorly received as they are, I love them! My family had a used car dealership for 35yrs. Dad chose a new daily once or twice a year and him and I love diesels. So we had many diesels as our family car. Mostly GM diesels from suburbans to caddys. We had a soft spot for the Oldsmobiles with the 5.7 diesels and never had problems with any of them, completely honest. Nothing was more comfortable than the big Olds & Caddys. I miss those days, diesel VW rabbits, Mercedes, GM diesels, even a Lincoln with the BMW diesel. Would love to have a clean Olds Delta 88, Regency, etc, these days.
A family around the corner and down the block had a light brown metallic Diesel Olds 4-door. Bought it new, had to be '80, or '81? Everyone knew when Donna was headed to the store. I was 6 or 7, and thought it sounded like a bag of hammers. But I never saw it broken, I guess I could say that for it.
its not a 350 gas block . has the same design bore and stroke but heavier casting and olds big block crankshaft mains if they just worked on it just a little bit more would have been a success
These respond well to a mild boost. Like a small 4-cyl turbo. Put the turbo way at the back of the car and the long pipe going back to the engine acts as an intercooler. Keep it tuned so the exhaust temps stay low. Get a temp reading while running naturally aspirated and use that as a reference to tune the fuel once the turbo is on.
I worked at the dealer when those things first came out. I don't remember bottom end problems, , but you always had them in for head gaskets, and whatever was the revision to stop the head gaskets from leaking, that really never fixed the issue anyway
A buddy of mine found a mint condition 79 delta 88 a few years back that only had 50,000 miles on it and from what we could tell(car came from an estate sale so no story with it) it was on its at least 2nd possibility 3rd Diesel engine. At some point it was dealer "updated" to "1981 spec" there was a little yellow gm sticker that said 1981 with an rpo code stuck over the original emissions decal on the fan shroud over the 1979. And the engine in it was a later DX block and was in nice shape but it wouldn't stay running it would start and stall even though fuel was going to the injectors. So after we found out that parts are non existent he decided to just swap with a gas olds 350. It was an easy swap and the car drove really nice and was insanely quiet with the stock diesel exhaust.
My buddy bought an impala with one of these for 100 dollars because it in fact did not run. We spent a weekend and swapped a 305 he got for 50 dollars into it. The old diesel had cracked head and who knows what else. It was sent to the scrap heap.
2000 Chevy 3500 6.5 diesel uses a cheap generic 2 wire lift pump that p-clamps to the frame rail if you wanted something factory-ish. Also in the 80s my dad helped family friend gas 350 swap a monte carlo. I believe they used a Chevy 350 and transmission.
Not really that low compared early 80's european diesels. The late model Mercedes OM617 made 87hp. And the BMW M21 made 85hp N/A and 115hp turbocharged, and it was introduced around the time Olds diesel stopped production.
Cool you're back where you been?
In my basement
I can't wait to see this installed into the Yugo!
We had several of these in the family back in the day. Everyone, except my Dad, dumped them as fast as possible. Believe it not, ours wasn't retired until the early 2000s when it blew up in our 98 for the 3rd time in ~200,000 miles (also a transmission, countless brake booster issues, etc).
It was, hands down, the slowest thing I've ever driven... and I daily drove a 2.5 S10 with 3.08 gears for several years. It would straight up run away from that Olds while exceeding its fuel economy.
I’m Truly Sorry For Your S10 Experience.
What fuel economy did they both get? Was the S10 a manual or automatic?
I have a soft spot for these, as poorly received as they are, I love them! My family had a used car dealership for 35yrs. Dad chose a new daily once or twice a year and him and I love diesels. So we had many diesels as our family car. Mostly GM diesels from suburbans to caddys. We had a soft spot for the Oldsmobiles with the 5.7 diesels and never had problems with any of them, completely honest. Nothing was more comfortable than the big Olds & Caddys. I miss those days, diesel VW rabbits, Mercedes, GM diesels, even a Lincoln with the BMW diesel. Would love to have a clean Olds Delta 88, Regency, etc, these days.
A family around the corner and down the block had a light brown metallic Diesel Olds 4-door. Bought it new, had to be '80, or '81? Everyone knew when Donna was headed to the store. I was 6 or 7, and thought it sounded like a bag of hammers. But I never saw it broken, I guess I could say that for it.
Brown must've been the color to have back then, as all the Olds 88 diesels I ever encountered were brown. What else is brown? Hmm.. 😂
Lock your garage door cause Kevin from Junkyard Digs might pop in to yoink it from under your nose!
its not a 350 gas block . has the same design bore and stroke but heavier casting and olds big block crankshaft mains if they just worked on it just a little bit more would have been a success
I think I’m going to start listening to you before bed like ASMR. Also, next time intro shirtless, thanks.
Also, me in next video, back corner, chain smoking cigs and sipping Hamms, not saying one word.
My dad had a 81 old cutlass with one of those that pooped the bed and he put a 301 Pontiac in it.
Welcome back to the land of the living. 😄 Glad to see you posting.
Looks like a clean example
These respond well to a mild boost. Like a small 4-cyl turbo. Put the turbo way at the back of the car and the long pipe going back to the engine acts as an intercooler. Keep it tuned so the exhaust temps stay low. Get a temp reading while running naturally aspirated and use that as a reference to tune the fuel once the turbo is on.
YOURE ALIVE!
Glad to see you back with the next project! If you put 350 chevy diesel in your title, you'd get way more views.
Welcome back !
I worked at a Chev/Buick dealer when those replacement diesels went in WD40 was the GM recomended starting fluid .
I worked at the dealer when those things first came out. I don't remember bottom end problems, , but you always had them in for head gaskets, and whatever was the revision to stop the head gaskets from leaking, that really never fixed the issue anyway
Needs a can of cosby sauce!
Five to ten years??? You're such a tease😉
Looks like a perfect candidate for an ebay turbo😂
Indeed.
A buddy of mine found a mint condition 79 delta 88 a few years back that only had 50,000 miles on it and from what we could tell(car came from an estate sale so no story with it) it was on its at least 2nd possibility 3rd Diesel engine. At some point it was dealer "updated" to "1981 spec" there was a little yellow gm sticker that said 1981 with an rpo code stuck over the original emissions decal on the fan shroud over the 1979. And the engine in it was a later DX block and was in nice shape but it wouldn't stay running it would start and stall even though fuel was going to the injectors. So after we found out that parts are non existent he decided to just swap with a gas olds 350. It was an easy swap and the car drove really nice and was insanely quiet with the stock diesel exhaust.
My buddy bought an impala with one of these for 100 dollars because it in fact did not run. We spent a weekend and swapped a 305 he got for 50 dollars into it. The old diesel had cracked head and who knows what else. It was sent to the scrap heap.
Brother, when you wanna a project, you really want a project. I lived through that crap.
Iv seen alot of these with high miles and running great! Each one had well over 0.2 miles it!
It’s almost like the exhaust was begging to be turbocharged one day. lol 😂
Digging the Penn Central shirt BTW
That's cool you got that thing running
The first signs of trouble,was the heater stopped blowing hot air
2000 Chevy 3500 6.5 diesel uses a cheap generic 2 wire lift pump that p-clamps to the frame rail if you wanted something factory-ish. Also in the 80s my dad helped family friend gas 350 swap a monte carlo. I believe they used a Chevy 350 and transmission.
Yep. That looks like a great solution for emissions concerns. lol Ah, the 70's and 80's.
Fuel economy , not emissions. Diesels didn't have emissions testing at that time.
You can make a hell of a stroker gas engine out of that.
Hopefully the car you’ve chosen was as equally disappointing to consumers.
I had a 350 olds Delta 88 the gas engines timing was backwards like that too
Been a while have a great 25
ARP Headstuds highly recommended
let´s not forget it´s brothers,the V6 and the V8 260 diesel
That would make a badass gas engine with the right shit. Killer block.
The later 350 diesels were a lot better. Do head gaskets and studs... like a Ford 6.0 😄
8:50 how DARE you rob us of preciously rare content! Give it all to usss we are hungry blurgargllurggl lol
i had said motor in one of my olds and it lasted 250k miles it like to eat starters it was in a 1980 olds 98
Worst , you already had a Chevette . {balancer auto eject feature}
It was somewhat useable at the end of it´s run
31:00 "Premium" engine 😂
the olds diesel, right?
Dude, harden the frig up, fuel injection Rocks
I had a 1980 grand prix with the 350 diesel in high school, and i loved my car until it slung a rod threw a 307 in it and drove it for several years
Why not use them in a Delta 88 not the Delta 98 or Chevy C10 1500. In non very heavy car's & truck's
Turbo Subaru style crossover pipe exhaust. Hint, hint.
I taught you guys quit lol 😂
They made a chevette diesel’s
DX Block 😂 less power then the D Block
god speed sir
what car i need to know before gta vi comes out
Make more vids !!!!!
350 Diesel my guess
I was right not really surprised either.
It´s output is laughably low compared to European diesel engines
Not really that low compared early 80's european diesels.
The late model Mercedes OM617 made 87hp.
And the BMW M21 made 85hp N/A and 115hp turbocharged, and it was introduced around the time Olds diesel stopped production.
This guy!!!!!
Junkyard digs has a t-shirt about these. Lok
Let's gooooooo