Ok guys I tried to find some info on this combo with not much luck. Has anybody stuffed a early Olds in a 34? I was trying to decide to either go early flathead or 303 Olds on my build and was leaning towards the 303. Problem is I don't want to hack the hell out of my original firewall. I don't mind indenting a place for the dizzy but that's about about as far as I want to go. Any help most appreciated.
I'm betting you'd have to cut the firewall for the Olds. I was hoping to replace the SBC in my 32 with a 303, but once I did some measuring, the Olds was something like 2" longer than the SBC, so I didn't do it. I know you can just squeak a SBC into a 34 without cutting the firewall, but adding 2" to that probably makes it a no go.
I have a 324 in my '33 coupe. I'll pull the hood and snap some pics if you like. It's got a 35-36 pick up firewall grafted in.
Olds fits in 32 with stock firewall, with stock fan spacer removed and a stock 32 4 cylinder radiator which has the correct hose locations. Olds motors run very cool The only slight mod was at very lowest deadcenter of firewall where the toe kick is.,,a slight trim for bell, right on that stepped area where the wood floor sets into. I have seen 32 firewalls cut hard for 350 SBC, because they wanted the fat HEI and did not get a 60s shorter waterpump....and went with a fatter streetrod radiator I never tried to do a 33/34 but I am sure some are here, and they will reply...and now I just saw Pete replied . and I know there are more
In 1961 I put a '52 303 Olds in my '33 Ford coupe. I don't remember having to cut the firewall at all(but that was ~55yrs, ago!). I used a Hildebrant starter change over to move the starter to the passenger side (for steering box clearance) with a '39 top shift 3 speed trans. and a torque tube rear end. The stock fan cleared the radiator OK and the stock exhaust manifolds (2 left side ones) worked with a little "notching" of the top frame rail on the drivers side. It all worked OK to the best of my recollection. Post some pic's when it's in. It will fit!
I really wanted to run this setup. I have a 1953 303 with a edmunds 2x2 intake, 1937 Lasalle transmission converted to Ford torque tube rear and a 40 banjo rear
That's cool looking, but would it run any better than the '54-style four barrel? I just sold a four-barrel setup I had sitting around for almost 30 years. Is a 324, 371, or 394 any bigger on the outside than the early Olds?
Honestly I don't care if a four barrel would run better. Which I think would be minimal. It's got nothing to the appearance of that.
I have the same on mine, above pics. This is the later, slightly taller version of Edmunds. There was a shorter one with open web runners I made my own kits for these Rochester AA carbs, they have an accelerator diaphragm, rather than a cup plunger, and also a power piston diaphragm. The kits were too pricey They run sweet. Not hooking up the chokes, as it starts good if primed, and idles nice even on cold start They have a small fuel bowl hanging inside the top cover. Then a weird gear drive accel pump linkage in there, that needs to be timed right ...but it's easy
303 - 324 basically the same engine bored out. 371 - 394 complete redesign. Slightly larger but not a huge difference.
The key is that you used a stock 4 cyl rad. They are quite a bit thinner than a Walker. The Ford rad might even fit farther forward into the shell (never checked but seem to remember hearing that). Finding a good useable Ford rad these days is tough....plus something I wouldn't want to gamble with setting up motor mounts and everything just to find it doesn't cool (you might have got lucky).
If you use the converted LaSalle trans, the torque tube & drive shaft will need to be shortened. Plus modifying the trans mount. If you don't the radiator will need a hole in it to clear the water pump.
Yeah I haven't mocked it all up yet. The trans will have a 34 trans mount on it so I won't have to do any changes to the crossmember. It has a 40 on it now so I should just have to change the length of the torque tube if it's too long. I have a nice original radiator already
From what I recall, the Lasalle/closed drive mod will definitely move the Olds forward a bit, if you use the stock Ford trans mount location. Set your old Ford trans next to it and you should be able to know exactly how much more. It probably will cause a problem, even if it's only an inch or so. When you measure the Ford trans to compare, you must add 1/2 to 5/8" to the Ford bell, to know where the back flange bell pattern would be on the Olds motor. That is because a Ford trans on an Olds, used a plate adapter, and that would be where Blackrat's motor would have been located. Then measure the LaS with the 50 Olds bell, to compare "real lengths" of transmissions Back to what Blackrat said on his old swap with two driver side manifolds, if you are using those. His starter crossover bell, required the stock Olds oil filter canister to be remote located. If you used a mini starter instead, then the canister can stay, but then that "drivers side" manifold would hit the canister, when using it on the passenger side. I think it would fit if you used the spin-on oil filter kit, instead of the big cannister.
My 34 has a 324 Olds in it. You don't mention whether you're going highboy of fendered, but we slid the front crossmember ahead 1.5" to gain some extra room for the Olds.
Man lots of good info here. Doesn't seem like a ton of mods to do but more work than a flatty for sure. It would be easier to do the flatty but I just want something different. Almost every roadster I see is running a flatty. Don't get me wrong I think they're cool as hell but I don't want to be cookie cutter
I going highboy for now with a hood. I might go fendered later. Did you have to cut your firewall at all?
This swap has been done a thousand times over the years. If you're not up to making these changes, try a new hobby.
Oh I'm up to it. I don't mind doing the mods just as long as I can fit it in without butchering my firewall and can still run a hood
Some more Olds/Edmunds info trivia: I mentioned the 2 different Edmunds 303 2x2 intakes... The early lower one was designed to be used on the early 303's that had a much shorter distributor cap. The "rear" Edmunds AA aircleaner clears the short cap just fine, but if you used the taller cap distributor for later 303/324, with the shorter intake, you must use tight 90 degree plug wire boots on the tall cap. You cannot fit the early short distributor cap on the later distributor, as it just won't fit. O'Brien's Truckers makes those Edmunds aircleaners for those Rochester AA carbs; the ones that have the filters facing to the driver side.
You're right. I do. But the frame is the exact same as the passenger car. So if he was going highboy, the crossmember push is an easy way to gain some engine space.
Yeah I did that on my 31 truck to squeeze my Hemi in. But I can't do that to this one if I run a hood
F&J's right about the oil filter. Back in the day you used a small aluminum plate(usually came with the starter change over lower bell housing) that had in and out fittings for a remotely located filter; BTW, my coupe was full fendered with a full hood with sides that closed nicely over the Olds.
Another key to avoiding any cutting on those beautiful firewalls is to mount the engine as low as possible. If using the old Hurst mounts, avoid the U-shaped spacers that mount the engine 1 1/2" higher for pan clearance over the cross-member. (Slight "massaging" of the pan may be necessary.) As for cooling, a lot of guys ran this combo w/o fan. The stock, thick rad. core would keep the Olds cool on the highway; but all bets are off in city traffic!
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