I was talking to an old timer about hot rods, and I asked him if he had any parts leftover. He tells me that he had a 3 deuce intake for an Olds J-2 engine, and he showed it to me. Its complete with carbs and factory aircleaner. He said he would only sell it to me if I would actually use it. He said that he had it sold previously to a guy that wanted to put it on his 4-4-2, but it didn't fit. I know the J-2 engines were a '57-'58 option. My question is are there any other olds engines this intake will fit?
A 371 in a light car is nothing to sneeze at. With all three carbs open, it still has low RPM level, but the mid range has to be felt to understand. Maybe a shade over five grand was top on the one I had.
It won't bolt onto a 324 or 303 unless you mill the gasket flanges. It was done back then and still done today. I have one that was milled when it was new, and a "few" of the stock setups. Ross Racing does it and posted how much to mill off, a couple years ago. Those are my favorite intake/carb setup. Heavy but so what... ..the Olds torque and HP will never feel the weight . Me, I'd never strip the J2 carbs off, for a sbc, or even a 348 trip manifold. Sacriledge... and the 348 carbs look different as far as gas line inlets, so the Chevy purists will hate you
The manifold will indeed fit all the esrly Olds engines. In 1967 while nin high school, I built a 50 Ford 2 door, installed a 53 Olds engine and hydro trans. I got the J-2 manifold from my auto mechanics teacher, and it bolted right on the 53 engine with no modifications. If you have an Olds engine, this would be a nice touch for it
In the FWIW category: The 1957 J-2 carbs are different than the 1958's (look at the throttle return springs on the end carbs). Both fit the same manifold. Both year J-2 carbs have front fuel inlets, just like the 1958 Chevrolet. Chevrolet went to the side inlet in 1959. There were three different air cleaners used on the J-2: (1) 1957 (early) oil bath deltawing (2) 1957 (late) paper element round (3) 1958 paper element round (different from the late 1957) Jon.
Believe when I tell you ..... The manifold was modified...... There is a deck height difference between the 303/324...and the 371....in unmodified form it is impossible to put the bolts in Also your intake ports on the 303 where a 1/4 smaller than the ports in the 371 manifold..... So the manifold was either cut or the holes butchered to bolt it on,and the manifold was to big for the heads Not picking on you ...... It's just a fact of life Tony
....and I forgot; the valley cover on a 55 or older Olds motor needs to be smashed in for clearance, or best bet is to use a 56, or newer valley cover. I just happened to have a 56 cover when I put my modded J2 on a 53, and was suprised that the 56 cover already has the divots pressed into it, so the 57/58 intake won't hit. As I recall, if you lay the J2 onto a pre 56 motor & valley cover, the valley cover would hold the intake up about 1/2" too much.
This manifold came off a 371 engine, and I did not do any modifications to the manifold at all. It was a bolt on deal.
You may not have... but somebody did. A 57-58 manifold from a 371 needs .125 off of each flange in order to bolt it to the shorter deck 303/324 blocks. You can't even get the bolts in.... If I need to show you I'd be glad to Tony
Tony from Ross Racing is Correct. The only engines this manifold will fit correctly without modification are the 57-58 Oldsmobile 371 cu. in.
I really don't know who is right on this one, but I do know this for sure. The 371 that the intake came from was in my teachers 47 Ford Coupe. He pulled it off the car in the auto shop, and swappwd the manifold with the 4 Barrel manifold from the 53 engine that I was building in the Auto Mechanics cl***. Neither one of us did anything to either manifold. It was a bolt on deal.
if you can get it at a decent price, stash it in the garage until you have the motor to put it on, or somebody else makes an offer you cant turn down.
Oldsman; I bought my modified J2 intake from an old time drag racer. He bought a bare new intake from his local Olds dealer when these were almost new models, and he also bought the carbs. He told me that he took the manifold to a friends shop that had a Bridgeport and milled it down. So, what i am saying is that these guys had info from magazines or books, to tell about these mods back when J2's were new. So I'd bet many of these were done back then. Maybe a stock over the counter GM manifold was cheaper than an aftermarket one? or maybe the the aftermarket 324 tripower manifold that used the new 4 bolt carb flanges were not made yet? ( the first aftermarket ones had 3 bolt carb patterns) By the way; when I was buying a lot of the guys old stash of parts, he told me right away that the manifold would not fit a 371, in case I did not notice it was cut. And, I had no idea it was cut, because it looks totally stock, unless you place it next to an uncut one.
This still doesn't change the fact that it came of a 371 engine and went directly onto a 53 303 engine. I would like that explained to me
well, what I was hinting at, is that maybe the teacher did not have a 371. My 40 coupe sure looks like it has a 371, but it's a 303 with a cut intake. But the milled intake still won't drop onto a 303 unless you do something about the valley cover. Pic 2 shows a 56 grooved valley that will work (in the foreground), and in the back is the 53 valley with a raised center strip. That milled J2 will not come even close to landing on the gasket flanges with the 53 type cover.
explain what? that what one believes to be true and what is true are often very far from the same thing? it's human nature
I thought I did explain it.......twice I work on... and build a wide variety of the 49-64 Oldsmobile's......and I do know what fits..... Tony
'just picked up another complete '56 324 Saturday off craigslist standard bore, little or no ridge core inventory now reads 17 early Olds engines including the 3 in the cars- mostly 303s and 324s with a few each 371s and 394s I believe I could use a couple more
Paul you have a long way to go before you catch me....hah!! Last wk I had a kid organize my storage building..... He pulled the heads and pans off of 14 more that were in the middle of the floor, just so we could stand the short blocks on end..... Tony
Well...at least he does have a sensible reason to have that many motors...what about the rest of us Since you guys are out picking (and s****ping the rest).. and following along here on this Olds thread; Vtwhead recently solved the mystery on what driveshaft yoke Oldsmobile used for their new 1950 standard trans, and I saw it with my own eyes; He tried a 1950 Olds driveshaft that was just removed from a 303 hydramatic station wagon, onto a 50 Stick mainshaft, and it is a perfect match. I don't know how many years, earlier or later, that the Olds hydro used that smaller hydro spline, but it's good info just the same. Perhaps even the earlier 6 Hydro yoke might be the same? Walt could probably do pics, if that info could be put in the 50 Stick tech section in the archives.
Smile some more Paul....snagged another Just had a guy drop off a complete 53 headed core engine today..carb to pan with all pulleys and a std flywheel and a ford adaptor....Its like stacking cord wood.....I need a bigger building Could I be a hoarder? Tony
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