Hot Rods Olds engine ID

hey guys. Looking at these motors for my coupe. They are a little drive away so this is all I have to go by until I get down there. Guys says 2 are 394 and other one is 370? Mostly interested in the ULTRA HIGH COMPRESSION motor. I know this is mostly marketing but kinda cool and I won't have to pull it from the car. They'll definately need olds rocket valve covers.

Thanks

 

the really dirty one is in a 67-72 ford pickup...what else did you want to know?

 

Ok, well that clears that one up. I'm thinking the first one is a 394, can anyone confirm that?

 

without seeing the numbers? not likely to get full confirmation. My guess is it's probably a 394. It looks like one of the later engines, and only the 394 was built from 61-64. The 371 was last made in 1960.

Neat seeing an Olds engine in a Ford truck!

 

Yea. Crazy what people did back then. I bought a 50 Chevy pickup one time with a 300 ford 6 in it.

Gonna try to get numbers and better pics by the weekend.

 

The first and third pictures are the same engine,
Need the stamped numbers off the head to identify.
If I were to take a wild guess I'd say the ultra high compression 394 is a '62 and the dusty 371 is a '60

 

Wow good eye. He said they were three different engines but maybe he attached the wrong pic. And thanks for the replys. That gives me something to research until I get there.

 

and the ultra high compression means just that. you will have to use Hi-Test gas. (premium)

 

Yea in my research I found them to have 10.25:1 so 91 will be the minimum for sure. Probably need an additive too. Would be a really cool engine for my coupe I think.

 

I run 93 octane in my Olds engines with 10.25:1 and 10.50:1 all the time with no additives and I have no problems. However on some road trips when 87,89,or 91 is all that is available I do have to add an octane booster to keep pinging at bay. Joe

 

Thanks for the info joe. Now. What's a good transmission to run behind these. Does anyone make a T-5 adapter.

My idea now is
394 olds, t5, 50 olds rear end and this guy has finned Buick brakes. To me. A very cool 60's drag strip combo. Except the t5 of course.

 

The crankshaft will need to be drilled and pilot bearing pressed in, aftermarket flywheels and bellhousing adapters are both available from a few suppliers.

 

A 50 Olds rear end housing is not strong enough for 94 power.

 

Good to know. Thanks. I'll see what else he has in later model.

 

Can the drilling be done while in the block. This is a running motor I really don't want to pull apart. I have seen the kit from transmissionadapters.com. Looks to be the way to go for either manual or auto.

 

I have had cranks drilled for pilot bearings/bushings mine have always been out of the block. Joe

 

You wouldn't be able to see it from the pictures, but there are numbers on the drivers side head surface (visible with the head still on but not the dirt). Those numbers will give you a size and year of the engine. The head casting numbers are on the center exhaust port. Translation from a bunch of numbers to actual info can be found in this thread... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...-end-all-other-posts-lasalle-related.149650/ The valve covers don't bolt in the center so that would be newer style (newer as a relative term '59ish?).

 

Cool. Thanks for the info and link rocket man.

 

The '59 up engine numbers are stamped in the head at center exhaust port.
The block size is shown as a cast number at the top of the block extension at rear of block, number ending with dash four is a 371 and dash four and one eighth is a 394.

 

371 olds was from 57-60. However the 59 and 60 blocks are different than the early models. 394 engines are from 59-64.

 

Really? I thought they were the rear end of choice before the Ford 9 inch. I saw a lot in drag cars when I raced back in the '60's.

 

1950? or the later ones?

 

I was surprised too. I had a 64 chevelle drag car that I was told had a 50 olds rear. It was a big beefy chunk whatever it was.

 

The upside down lid on the air cleaner is worth an extra 10 hp!
I'm sure some you older guys will remember the great ****ing sound that made. Lol

 

What you saw where 57-8 Olds rear ends.

 

The one out of the car looks to be a 394 and the one in the truck looks to be a 59 or 60 394 or a 371 if it has a 2 bbl.

 

If I'm remembering the Fab Craft book on 57 - 64 Pontiac / Olds rear ends, right, Tubman is correct. The earlier axels were a strong rear end, and quite popular. The 57 - 64 Pontiac / Olds rear ends were a scaled up version of the 56 and older ones. After 1957 the later Pontiac / Olds axels were the ones of choice, but the earlier axels remained in wide use on drag strips.

 

The ones that I am familiar with are the '57 Olds rears. Seems like that was what everyone wanted when I was a kid. I haven't done it yet but I have been told (over a period of about 50 years give or take) by more then one Chevy racer that the olds chuck and axles could me shoved into the Chevy housing with a little work. Like I said I have not done it yet but I am only one olds chuck away. LOL

 

I've got that hi comp 394 in my coup. Stuck a 700r4 behind it to a Ford 9" with 3:52. Great combo. The thing is a torque monster.