57 j2 heads have the number 16 on them. My heads have the number 14 on them. Anyone know what head this is? Thanks, Fred
Well, the dimples were on the solid lifter "export" version. No, I don't know why it is called export I think a post said that stuff was dealer installed/over the counter parts, but I am not sure. Most J2's were not dimpled. another thing I read on hamb was that the chrome dimpled covers came from either Isky or maybe Crane, after they had bought all the leftover painted dimpled covers from GM surplus...then they chromed them for resale.
I'm certainly no expert but I did have a 57 Olds Super 88 and bought a J-2 set up to put on it. It was my understanding that the J-2 setup was just the intake, carbs and aircleaner. I bought the J-2 setup less the aircleaner because the vendor knew that they were valuable even back then. The vendor was an Olds guy and wanted to sell the engine and J-2 as a unit. I'm sure if there was anything special about the 371 under it he would have said so. He knew his Olds stuff. AFAIK there is nothing special about the J-2 engine besides the intake and carbs. I was told that the J-2 was available as a dealer installed option available for any 57 Olds out on the lot. My uncle had one in about 1959. He or the PO had ****canned the aircleaner for the 3 chrome louvered aircleaners that we see all the time on 3 deuces today. It was a black 4dr sedan. Since then the J-2 has had a special place in my heart. I have never heard or read any factory literature about a special J-2 engine with any other performance parts not on other 57 371 engines. The J-2 was not that hot of an engine especially when compared to the Chevy fuely engine or the 270 dual quad 283 which had special cams and heads. The end carbs were vacuum operated on the J-2. I had my 57 Olds in the late 70s. I never got the J-2 installed and sold it with the car.
Anybody know for sure the difference between the #14 and #16 371 head. Why would they use the #14 head on a old race car? Thanks, Fred
dunno, I have a few of each, when I roll them over (just eye balling them) the valves, port flange shapes and sizes and chambers all look the same.. must be something less obvious, or nothing at all. there is one minor difference, at least one of the 16s has a stamped serial number at the center exhaust port
Somewhere along the line, a lot of people got it in their heads that J-2s came with solid lifter cams and adjustable rocker arms. The ***embly line J-2 package consisted of the 3X2 setup and either thinner head gaskets or some additional milling (or maybe just some advertising ********) at the factory to raise the c.r. about half a ratio. The solid cams, lifters, adjustable rocker arms, and bumpy valve covers were all over the parts counter pieces for the benefit of NASCAR and drag racers. Buick had the same "export" parts listed in their parts books for nailheads in the late '50s.
=================================================== I too also believed the LATE 1957 2nd design 371 J-2 oldsmobile setup was a cam , solid lifters along with adjustable rocker arms and a slightly higher compression ratio, complete with the 3 2 barrel carbs. In the gasket application books from victor ..Mc-Cord...fitzgerald around 1960 era showed that there was a change in the head gasket i believe and also the oil pan dipstick location was changed. Unfortunately i no longer own those books. I had a 1957 olds 371 j-2 2nd design engine with the triples, that was bored out 1/8" and had a 1/4" stroke , displacing 422 cubes i figure. It was backed up by a 1955 olds hydramatic 4 speed auto , first gear was 3.98--1, just like a bull low. This was in my 1935 chevrolet coupe from 1964 to 1996 . It had 1959--1960... 394 olds heads on it and the intake ports and vavles were substancially larger than 371 heads & intake ports. Valves were about the size of big block chev as were the ports. After stroking the crank 1/4" and putting 1964 olds 10.5--1 pistons on the full floating wrist pins we discovered that the area below the pin bosses was hitting the counter weights, so a friend who was a tool and die maker correctly machined the pistons to clear. In order too use the 1959-60 394 heads with the 371 intake i had to weld , using cast iron rod all along the bottom edge of the intake around the ports extending the ports area slightly more than 1/2" ??? to match the gasket. I used a rotary bit in a drill to remove the welding lumps and smooth them down. I then took the intake to a machine shop to have it straightened and resurfaced. I must have done a good job because it never leaked . I miss that motor, because it would run with the best of them and pin you back in the seat with its torque. When i sold the motor around 2001 & i gave the new owner a big bag full of all kinds of 1957-58 and 1959-60 type headgaskets a lot of them .50 think and the steel embossed ones for high compression Not sure if he still has all those gaskets but you can give him a try at.....PAUL DUNBAR..5 WOODLAND RD..ST. THOMAS ONTARIO CANADA N5P-1P3 TELEPHONE.....631- 2898 area code unknown. he was going to put the motor in a 1932 bantam roadster altered retro display car? mike mike
I had a 57 Olds J2 back in 1968. As I remember it the oil pan had what looked like an oil filter body (but thicker metal) welded to the p***enger side of the pan which gave it an extra quart of capacity. As far as I know the engine was stock. Has anyone else seen the extra capacity J2 oil pan? Or was it something a previous owner did? it looked like it was a factory job.
There is a pic on hamb cl***ifieds of that can. As I recall, a recent thread said all the 57 motors had that, not just the J2? At least that's what I thought they said. I've pulled a motor out of a non J2 57 but that was over 45 yrs ago, so I don't recall seeing it.
my J2 motor also had the oil filter looking extra capacity add-on on the pan. Like i said in my first post, i believe they changed the oil pan gasket half way thru the year 1957.........calling one the 1st design and the other 2nd design in the various gasket application books. I think the books stated up tooooo engine # for 1st design . I think they moved the dipstick from one side of the motor to the other.??? I googled 1957 -58 oldsmobile 371 J2 and various posts said stock 371 was 277 hp and the J2 was 300 hp, another said it was upped to 10-1 compression , with thinner head gasket for 312 hp & 415 ft pd torque. All this 23 hp increase was due to 3x2 carbs and low restriction air cleaner. mike
According to a poster named coldwar and also Dan Wirth on a oldsmobile website, the cam and other things was part of the W-1 EXPORT KIT, was the kit of parts available over the counter from oldsmobile ( in 1957--58 ) to primarily racers interested in further improvements to cars intended for that purpose. The kit consisted of ISKY E-4 solid lifter camshaft, lifters, valve springs, pushrods, adjustable rocker arms, bumped rocker covers, stainless steel shim head gaskets to further raise compression ratio. Came in a long wooden crate. mike
Hi guys, Loking at a '57 Olds 371 engine, but it has a set of heads with the #12on them. I thought J-2 371 heads were #16 or #14 for the non J-2. Anybody know what Olds heads had the #12 on them and what they are for.?? Thanks
I have a set of these J2 #14 heads on a shelf if anyone needs measurements off them or needs them for anything. Check out olds j2 in the minneapolis craigslist....Tim
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