Hi , I have recently bought a 59 olds rocket engine that has been taken completely apart by the previous owner . It needs a rebuilt so since I am at this point what do I need to look out for with this engines ? weak points ? Also I want to give it some extra power while I am at it ! What would you guys advise me to do ? thanks !
Is it a 371 or a 394? If it's a 371, tripower intakes are pretty available thanks to the prevalance of J2s on eBay and elsewhere. 4bbl manifolds are even more common, hell, I gave one away last year...
And here's a thread with tons of tech info, though more about earlier motors. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47584
thank you for the info ! Will a J-2 intake fit on the 371 engines with valve covers that are hold down with 5 bolts instead of 2 like on the J-2 engines ?
It fits my '58 88 that originally came with a 2bbl with no issues. Just the same, Vintage Speed sells finned valve covers and valley pans for all of em. Make sure you tell em you have a 371 if it's a '59 though, they are different and I think they're basing their '59-'64 catalog # on 394s - make sure you check. I'm planning on running the finned valve covers and valley pan and being the only Olds-powered Olds at the local shows AND also being the only Olds without 'Oldsmobile Rocket' on the valve covers amidst a bunch of cars around here with chevy small-blocks and fake Olds valve-covers. Talk about lame...
The only weak point is really the high cost of building it, whether its a 371 or 394 it'll be nice n torkey down low and very dependable if done right. I would suggest a few modern improvements starting with pertronix ignition (which fits under stock distributor cap) and upgrade the fuel pump for unleaded gas. You can find lots of good stuff on Ebay including the kit for the fuel pump and there is a seller named vintakes who has a lot of great parts for it. I bought an Isky cam from him and an Offy tripower manifold. Both were excellent parts and good deals too. The Offy manifold alone made very significant improvements in throttle response as well as acceleration, initially I was running only the center carb while building the ends and it way outperformed my stock 4bbl, when I put the ends on you wouldn't believe it! P.S. If you go tripower don't use accelerator pumps in the end carbs, I did initially and the transition was too rich and funky.
Where'd you find this? I've searched and searched and the best I could do fuel-pumpwise was Kanter who wants WAY TOO MUCH MONEY for a 'rebuilt' one. I really don't wanna go electric when my mech goes, it wouldn't look correct for the era I'm building the car to...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Fuel...ryZ34198QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Its best to call them and explain exactly what you have. (888) 399 7278 Do it before that old diaphragm strands you! Also a neat trick my Uncle taught me if you have a dual action vacuum/fuel pump you can reverse the vacuum lines to get you home, I know this because mine tried to strand me but Uncle Gene's trick saved the day!
Thank you for more good info ! I want to run a dual point Malory or a magneto (alto a pextronics does sound good as well) , and currently I have my eyes on a 2x4 intake , I am planning to run 4x2 with an adapter plate ! ( just like they used to do in the 50's ) What do I change internally ? I want my engine to have much torque high rpm power is not that important to me . So I figure I need to raise my compression , how do I do this ? high compression cylinders , what compression rate ? and where can I get them from ? Do I also need to have my heads done ? ported or relieved ? Different cam ? what specs ? any thing I forgot ? thank you !!!
If it's a '59 371, it's already at 9.75:1 compression. Why would you want to raise it? You're in Europe, right? Do you wanna have to buy even more expensive gas? You probably need to read some books on engine-building theory with the questions you're asking. You're talking about trying to eek more power out of a motor that already has the potential for well over 400lb/ft with just the right intake and exhaust setup. As for your specifics - you can't get new cylinders, it's not a motorcycle, if you wanted to raise compression (again think about what you're giving up), you'd mill the head or block or get different pistons. You can get pistons, but again, you'd be raising the compression beyond what'll be useable on pump gas and I don't even know if they make pistons for the motor with higher compression. As for cams, asking for specs is ridiculous without every last detail of your motor, what it's gonna run in, how it's gonna be driven, etc. I'd highly recommend buying a book on building motors before you forge aheah and waste a bunch of money...
Good info Redneck, I would like to add that as far as a street driven motor, all the port work you should need would be a general cleaning up with a carbide burr, especially in the bowl, under the valve, and don't get carried away removing metal, and don't hit the valve seats with the burr, that would force the machinist to sink the valve further. Also; a mild cam is usually a good all-round choice, a lot of folks overcam, a mild combination is going to be easier to live with.
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