What to do with my junk engine

As some of you know, I have the 371 from my 58 olds and it wont turn. it is complete except for a carb. Also has the hydramatic transmission. What can I do with this? Part out the block and heads & intake and my distributor?

 

Clean and paint it up real nice. Make some block off plates for the carb, etc. out of aluminum or stainless (polish them of course). Make a short stand for it, maybe add a little chrome. Thick tempered gl*** on top....voila.....end table!

Here's a pic I have saved of one. I have a few spare, junk, engines around here I intend on doing that too. A cool way to display a vintage speed equipment collection, I think.

 

How about a mail box holder - with the box as a scoop?

 

Just to toss this out there, just b/c it won't turn, it doesn't mean it isn't rebuildable

 

Poke some holes in it from really far away. Thats what me and a buddy did to a 350 block last summer.

Thats my buddy in the pic.

 

Maybe E-bay is an option.

 

i did the same to a 350 with my old mosin nagant, makes pretty holes all the way through.

 

I parted out a Y block, a 56 265 and a 51 216. I bet I sold over 500 dollars worth of parts from those 3. the blocks were all frozen or cracked junk. people are looking for that old stuff, and not too many people part out motors.

I'd part it out, then shoot whatever is left with the big cannon.

 

I know it can be rebuilt, but I am looking at 3,000-4,000 bucks when i can get a running engine/****** combo for under 600 that will do just as good.

 

soak the cylinders for 3 days, warm it up with a propane torch to loosen up the oil rings a little. mark everything for re***embly. yank the crank, then have someone hold the bottom of the piston rod. tap the top of the piston with a rag and a piece of wood. do the easy ones first. then soak the hard ones more and add more heat(but not oxy acet) just get em out. then soak all the pistons in a jar and get all the rings out. clean and hone the block, get a rebuild kit...... start puttin it back together!

works like a charm.

 

Mine have been soaking for over 6 days with no change in level of MMO. It hasnt soaked through at all. I have 3 kids so I can not put 3500-4000 into getting an engine rebuilt whatsoever. I need something for under 1g that can just be put in and go (plus the fabrications for mounts and driveshaft.

 

So what are you planning to put in it?
I think the best advice was to part it out and sell off the parts. You would be surprised. As mentioned these motors are few and far between nowadays. Leave that shooting and blowing it up **** for the SBC guys, they made a billion of those.

Also the rebuild that was mentioned would not run you $4k. He is just talking about the most basic and simple of ring and bearing jobs which would cost about the same as your engine swap adn would keep the orig engine which is a cool and unique motor in it.
Good luck

 

The cheapest rebuild kit i have run into is 800 dollars. Plus machine work on the engine. Nobody around here does anything for a decent price. Even with me getting the parts everyone has told me at least 2000 in labor.


I was thinking of either a 350 buick or a 400 pontiac.

 

dude what???

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/57-5...Q_trksidZp3286Q2em20Q2el1116QQitemZ8040400167

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1958...m14QQhashZitem270268153461QQitemZ270268153461

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CAST...trksidZp3286Q2em20Q2el1116QQitemZ350073108077

i think thats like 250 in parts. and whats this about a machine shop???? just get yerself a manual and start readin! =) good luck man!

 

I was under the ***umption I would need new pistons and everything. Also the intake/exhaust valves are rusted in the heads.

 

I'd suggest a 350 R out of an Olds rather than the Buick or Pontiac engines just to keep it all Olds. You can probably find a good running mid/late 70's Olds sedan within the price range you are talking. Drive it home, tune it up and then do the swap. I'd stay away from the 81 and up computer controled ones though.
I ran a 350 R out of a 72 Olds with a turbo 350 behind it for close to 100K in my 51 Merc coupe and it probably had close to 100k on it when I got it. Reliable with decent gas milage and the ability to cruise the freeways at 80 all day long and that was with a two barrel.
You have to understand that some of the guys on here are so caught up in using the older engines that they forget that not everyone lives on a budget that allows for paying the price that it takes to put some of these engines back together right. If that engine is frozen that bad it will most likely have to be bored plus all the other machine work that it will take. These engines were expensive to work on 30 years ago when you could find the parts somewhat easily and not have to go to the collector car engine part purveyors.
Make sure that the parts that come off it are in rebuildable shape (no cracks) and either offer them up in the cl***ifieds here or stick them on ebay as someone is probably hunting for most every piece and bracket. As one or more of the guys said, they should bring a decent price and that should help with the swap.

 

hit em with the wire brush and then soak the whole head for a few days. then heat up the valve with the propane torch get it nice and hot. flip it over and tap on the end very lightly with a ball peen hammer.(MAKE SURE YOU ARE HITTING IT DEAD STRAIGHT, NOT SIDEWAYS AT ALL) take off the springs and see if they fall out if not try taping on them a little more but gently! if they move a little but dont fall out soak it more and then heat up the head, and take an ice cube and hold it on the valve. then try tapping.

its a very long *** process sometimes but with a little patience it can be done. and when you get everything all out and clean you can get some valve grinding compound and re seat the valves.(make sure you put them back were you got them)

after you get everything apart you can use some steel wool and some WD 40 to get the heeby jeebys off.

but if there screwed-
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Olds...trksidZp3286Q2em20Q2el1116QQitemZ200084650672

also i found more stuff on speedway.
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/GmSearchResults.aspx?q=371&Search***leDescr=True

 

take pics and put it in the for sale section of the HAMB. It's an Olds, someone close should want it.

 

53TucknRoll Try Kanter auto .com out of Boonton New Jersy they have rebuld kits for cheap for most American built motors. Good luck

 

Did a 371 and a 394 recently for a couple buddies. Both motors were locked up tighter than a crabs ***. Long and slow careful process to remove everything that is stuck but virtually everything was rebuildable and should be in your case as well. Used a combo of parts from EGGE and Kanter. Not that expensive even with one motor needing new pistons.
Worth it in my opinion to overhaul.

 

I highly question the competence of some of the people on here that think that this engine can be rebuilt cheap, for the price of some Marvel Mystery Oil and a $200 gasket set. Give me a ****in break. The cylinders are totally rusted. God knows what else is going on with that motor. The heads look ****ed too. This will need to be bored, and probably have the crank cut. Not to mention having a valve job. Now add the cost of new .030 over pistons, cam, lifters, oil pump, timing chain....this **** adds up quick if you're trying to build a reliable engine and not a time bomb cobbled together out of junk parts. The reality is that it'll cost probably cost around $1700 in parts and machining to build it right yourself. Tack on a lot more if a shop needs to rebuild it. And there's no promise the trans is good.

This guy obviously wants to just drive his car and enjoy it, and is on a budget. Stuff a SBC in it and tell all the naysayers to **** off. Have fun

 

AMEN! Find some junk 80s-mobile, pimp the drivetrain and go. I bought a rusted to death 71 Chevy pickup from 57Joe after my 324(s) went on my 55 Olds. Best $500 I ever spent. Threw a timing chain and gasket set on it, new owner is still driving it.

 

If you decided to sell the car in the future wouldn't it be worth more with the Olds motor in it? That should offset the cost of the rebuild making it a better value in the end. I have owned nothing but Chevys for the past 20+ years of driving and I would p*** on buying a car that had a SBC in place of a 371 Olds, I would wonder what other "improvements" were made.
Just thinking out loud.

Marty McF.

 

I had the same decision to make on my Studebaker.

Option 1) I could rebuild the stock 224 cu in Stude V8. With over 100K on it, I expected pistons, bearings, machine work, etc. Quote for parts and machine work was over $1500, and I'd still have to build it. After that I'd have the full 150 hp, hooked to the original truck style(granny low) 4-speed. The motor alone weighed 200 lbs more than a SBC, and I have no idea how much that pig-iron 4-speed weighed. Nothing Hot Rod here.
Option 2) a friend gave me a 283 chevy with a duntov cam. But the motor had been sitting outside for a long time and had some rust in the cylinders. Required a .125" bore, pistons, lots of head work, plus all the usual replacement parts. It was also missing the distributor and carb, Quote for machine work and basic parts came in at $1200, and again I'd have to put it together. I already had an old 4-speed Hydro with B&M adapter kit for the chevy, but couldn't find anybody in SoCal to check if it was any good.
Option 3) Buy a Chevy 350 from a Lay's potato chip truck (running with 50K original miles)(4-bolt block, steel crank) complete with HEI and Q-jet for $300. Buy TH-350 from another guy for $100, bolt together and mount. Less weight, more HP and parts available anywhere.

Why not? I wanted the truck to drive, and be reliable as I crossed the country. If people don't like my choice, they can go build theirs they're own way.

 

I don't plan on selling it. I do this for fun and the joy of knowing "Hey, I built my car". Not "Hey i have 3 projects and need to sell this one to fund this one while I part out this one".

 

I don't care what motor you put in in, like stated above. I just think there is a market for a used engine. Might as well get a few bucks for it instead of s****ing it.

 

just give me the damn engien , i have uses for it, ill rebuild it for under $300 because i'm not hampered by the blinding thought that you can only get things with money.

 

From personal experience, I've been unable to find a 350 Chev that I've thought was worth the money for less than $750 (I'm looking for OT car). Yes, as many have said, you can get a rusted, semi junk engine for $400 with 150k on it that "was running when pulled" or "just needs a tune up". You can drive it 20,k miles then pay another grand to rebuild it. And these prices are in Houston, not California.

Just got semi-burned on a 350 Olds that was "running when pulled" and was locked up tight, 3 cylinders rusted. Semi-burned cause it was only $100 for complete 350 and TH350 trans hooked to it.

 

Can you afford the replacement engine without selling off the stock unit?

IMO you are not nuts in your ideas for us everyday guys. I'm ***uming you have no idea of the condition of your Hydro either and rebuilds for them are major money also.

I'd go your route but if I could afford to, I'd put the 371 in the back of the garage and re-do it as you had the funds and the time. Maybe in 10 years it will still be sitting there, I don't know.

Everyone has 350's and they are a bit run of hte mill but there are tons of people who are going to "get around to rebuilding it one day also".

Get it on the road and then work on making it better. You can always get $$$ back out of a 350 or something once you get the 371 back in shape.

 

Don´t throw it away or blow it up. I´m sure it worth something to someone. I had a 61 283 that was rusted stuck. I soaked it for 1/2 a year and finally it broke loose so I could turn it about a 1/4 revolution. That was enough to remove piston after piston,although I had to punch out the last one using a BFH. The crank, cam and bearings were like new, Heads needed a valve job and I had it bored 030 over using pop up pistons. Maybe I´ll use camel humps on it.
Try to save this engine, or give it to someone who ´s gonna try.
Just my 0.02$ worth
Chris