Cadillac 331 reliability

I have a 55 Cadillac mild custom daily driver that I'm restoring.
Reliability is really important so I'm thinking of putting in a SBC. But I like the idea of keeping my original Cad motor.

I know there's a ****-ton of threads on SBC reliability.

But my question is for 331 pros. What if i had the original 331 restored by a top shop, then i buy a spare water pump, fuel pump, starter and alternator in the trunk incase of failure.

If i'm doing long rod runs and heavy daily driving, is this approach about as reliable as a SBC?

 

if you bought both a 55 chevy and a 55 caddy new in 1955, which car would break down on a cross country trip first?

 

'Top Shop'? I'd have an engine shop do it. (unless you want it upholstered)

Seriously, I have a friend with a heavy '48 Caddy that he pulls a 17 foot camp trailer with. All his wares inside, he is a Vendor for hot rod articles.
350/350 Chev w/Turbo hydramatic, it has never failed him and he drives it between L.A. and Kansas City...he says it gets a little 'short-winded' in Denver. (5,000 ft. high!)
I get short-winded in Denver.

I have pleaded with him to transplant a Caddy in there...even a 500! He says as long as that Chevy is under the hood he doesn't even know it. (except when checking water, oil, and A.T. fluid...)

He has a strong argument.

 

Thanks A****er Mike. I know that an SBC will not let me down.
But I want to hear from some guys who are very experienced with 331s.
Is there a common break point with 331s?
If i have a spare water pump, fuel pump, alternator and starter in the trunk should that cover most common break-downs?

 

I don't think early Caddy owners felt the need to carry spare engine parts in case they broke down. Who would of bought a big money car that they were afraid would breakdown faster than a lower cost car both made by GM

 

Nothing wrong with a properly built early caddy....reliability is only as good as your builder......we have extensive experience with race as well as vintage powerplants.....and we test and tune every engine that comes out of our shop.

And yes Ive built early Caddys.....

 

I can't believe this question. But then I have to remember, lots of you guys don't remember when a Cadillac was a Cadillac and a Chev was a Chev. You only go back to the days when a Cad was a Chev with fancy trim ( Cimarron anyone?)

Examine the Cadillac engine piece by piece and compare it to the Chev. It is like comparing a Rolex to a Timex or should I say, Casio or Swatch.

Everything being equal, like comparing a 55 Cad to a 55 Chev, and there is no contest. Now if you want to compare a worn out 55 Cad to a brand new Chev crate motor the Chev might have a slight advantage. But if you have a rebuilt Cad and a Chev crate motor I would put my money on the Cad. I am not joking or jesting. I have seen more than one Chev crate motor right from the Chev dealer, that blew sky high before it was a year old.

 

Thanks RustyO'Toole. Yup that's what I'm comparing: the reliability of a quality restoration on a 331 (with some major replacement parts in the trunk) versus a brand new GM crate motor.

 

If you've ever had an early Caddy apart you'll quickly see that they are built extremely well and overly sturdy. I had a 57' 365" in a Hotrod and it was dead reliable. I wouldn't dream of changing one out for a sbc but that's just me.

 

You shouldn't need any replacement parts in the trunk, even on a coast to coast trip. If the water pump or starter is iffy replace it before you start out.

The only thing I would replace on the engine is an alternator in place of the generator. There is nothing wrong with a generator but the bushings need oil at every oil change and if they don't get it, the generator can fail. Alternators have roller bearings and are maintenance free.

Other than that I can't think of anything. Just make sure you get a quality rebuilt starter, water pump etc from a reliable spe******t, not parts store junk. You will be cruising past the broken down Chev powered cars with O'Reilly starters, alternators and water pumps that fail several times a year.

 

A man in our car club has a 50 Cad with the original engine and it has never been apart. It has just over 100000 miles and still runs smooth and starts easy. Rear seall leeks a little.

 

If cost is not a factor, then he'll yes keep a Cadillac in it.
But parts are not easy to source when on a trip ,so yes I care spares like you mentioned, cause even the best prep and rebuild, **** still happens.

I have 390s and keep oil pumps,water pumps and alt in trunk on longer hauls.

 

keep the caddy. I've been driving mine with a rebuilt 390 for 10 years with NO problems. keeping the hard to finds in the trunk isn't a bad idea just in case. but you should have no problems IMO. I'm a big fan of the petronix upgrade too FYI.

 

Like Goatroper said I think it's all in the hands of the builder

 

I think alot of Caddies got Chevy transplants because of the cost involved with transmission rebuilds. Quite common for a Caddy Hydro to go out and could cost you $2000-3000, for that amount of coin many opt to replace with the cheaper SBC and TH400 combo.

Just something to think about, If the trans is solid and no sign of problems then stick with the Cad!

 

Have you looked at the factory numbers on a factory 55 Cad?

1955 Cadillac 331
HP TQ
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td nowrap="nowrap" align="center">250 @ 4600</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center">345 @ 2800</td></tr></tbody></table>
Eldorodo
HP TQ
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td nowrap="nowrap" align="center">270 @ 4800</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center">345 @ 3200</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td nowrap="nowrap" align="center">
</td><td nowrap="nowrap" align="center">
</td></tr></tbody></table><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td nowrap="nowrap" align="center">
</td><td nowrap="nowrap" align="center">
</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

that's the type of feedback i'm looking for

 

drive the **** out of my 49' 331 in a 34' 3window

<a href="http://s389.photobucket.com/user/Jweems/media/donemotor1.jpg.html" target="_blank"></a>

 

The only real advantage is IF something goes out on a road trip. Lets say the water pump takes a dump randomly, the Chevy, you just get a new one, the Caddy, you find a hotel room while your new water pump is being shipped to you

 

How often do you have a water pump go out? Seriously, I can't even remember the last time one failed on me. But then, I don't drive a Chev.

 

In 1972 I bought a '50 60 Special ($125) with 100,000 on it. Had 2 or 3 broken pistons in it, which old timers told me didn't seem to hurt anything. It got a '53 intake & Rochester with 1 big steelpack for exhaust, which took gas mileage from 14 with the dual Carter to 21 at 60 MPH. I drove it for years waiting for the piston noise to get worse, but it didn't ... it would light the RR tire when "power braked."

 

the caddys were a fine engine, that was one of the selling points, you could be sure of strong power, reasonable gas mileage, and dependability, It was the big block powerhouse of its day. They were highly desirable to Rodders when they came out. The reality of today is you should carry some things that you may need because old parts arent stocked. Some parts may interchange therefore a good idea to find out whats interchangable and carry what iisnt. I was looking for a set of points the other day for my 39 Buick Century, and found that the early corvette V8 dual points had the same parts no. they were exactly the same and in stock at the local NAPA store. I bought a set and put it in the trunk, with my xtra fuel pump,water pump, fan belt, etc. just like my Dad did when we left Chicago to move to Ca. [in 39 straight 8 Pontiac1944']. I also have a 'Desert Cooler' water bag.

 

Pulling the Caddy motor and installing a SBC in a Caddy is wrong for several reasons.

The Caddy motor was designed to be very reliable.
A SBC looks stupid in a Caddy.
God will punish you with bad carma for the rest of your life because he drives a Caddy.

 

That's only for going to Religious services: when he's(she's?) seriously in a hurry it's a "Road-Race Lincoln" prepped by Bill Strope!! LOL

 

all very valid points

 

They are sure some nice engines!

 

thanks fellas.
I live in New York.
Is there a engine shop in this area that's considered one of the top engine shops for cl***ic motors? I'm looking for one of the best.
Thanks.

 

The caddy would have forged steel crank and rods which you would pay a fortune for for a chebby, not to mention pressed in rocker ball studs vs a rocker shaft with excellent lubrication.

The only drawbacks to a caddy in a car that's to be driven in my mind is weight and the problem of mounting an ac compressor on it.

 

Sorry fellows God is a Mopar man. It states definitely in the Bible, that God drove Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden in a Fury.

 

All things being equal the Caddy will run just fine compared the SBC, especially if the Cad gets a full overhaul by a qualified and experienced engine builder. I second the good idea of keeping some spare parts in the trunk, just for the "in case" and you know you won't be able to find it over the counter.

The one thing that will not be equal is how much the Caddy will cost you to rebuild. I like the comparison of the Cadillac engine to a Rolex, because they will cost the same or more as a Rolex to have rebuilt. I wouldn't be shocked to see you spend $8,000.00 or more on a full overhaul done the right way by a pro, inclusive of parts and machining. If you can handle the cost, then go for it.