anyone running a 64 330 Olds engine? what can be done to improve? modify? any pictures? what are your experiences with these?
Good basis for a build, great internals.....forged crank and rods., for either a performance or a longevity build. With some good head work, can be strong runner. Downside is the costs for parts, finding someone who is familiar with them......they can't be built like a SBC......they require Olds knowledge. Good luck
Keep the bottom end, trash the heads. '64 had shaft style rockers that you can't do much with. Put some 7a heads on it with an intake and go.
stock the 330 had different HP rateings in '65 250 HP and 315 HP, i think '66 also had the 310 HP, 320 with the toro cam. When i was a kid i had a 315 horse that ran hard!! what trans do you have behind it? if it's an auto it should have a switch pitch.
My cousin had a 64 Gutl*** sedan with a 330, 3 speed manual. I challenged him to a race against my 55 olds super 88 with a 324, 4 speed hydro. He kicked my *** bad!
Good choice! Not sure about '64 but the '66-67 had an optional 3 speed that was a ford trans. It was called the heavy duty trans, and it had sicronized 1st. An early top loader 4 speed bolts to the bell/change out the clutch disk and piolet bushing. If its a GM trans a muncie slides right in! If you go with a auto. trans I want the fly wheel
A good mechanic won't have a problem with them or an offy or a ???? Does not take any special knowlege to screw any internal combustion engine together. They all have the same basic requirements,set the lower end up, get fuel and air into the combustion chamber, fire it and get the spent fuel out. They are not magic they are just an engine. Getting back to it the engine can be made to race or cruise it will do either and do either well. Not a lot out there in the line of making it look fast but you can make it fast enough with what is available. They are good engines.
Thanks... its just something Ive been pondering for the HJ Project I have,.. there is a engine avail..
A friend of mine in high school forty years ago had a '65 F-85 with a 330 and three-on-the-tree. It was quick, good-running little car
I'm building a 330 for my circle track car right now. The EARLY 64's had the shaft mounted rockers. Not a deal breaker in itself but parts are scarce for the top end. Most likely yours is a stud mounted deal. To convert to an adjustable valve train (not needed for the street IMHO) I'm using Comp guide plates, 5/16 X 3/8 Comp studs and Comp roller tipped rockers. The stud pads were milled to compensate for the thickness of the guide plate. Smith Bros. custom length pushrods. I enlarged the pushrod holes to 9/16" to clear the pushrods. A few things should be addressed... the center exhaust ports are siamesed and they crossover between those cylinders. You can block this off by melting an old piston and pouring it thru the head's heat riser p***age then finish it off with a die grinder... gives you maybe 12-15HP if you think you need it. The selection of pistons is limited. I bought early 400 cast pistons on ebay for $160.00. Gives you 340 ci with an overbore of about 60+ thousandths. I also bought NOS bearings and rings on-line for low $$$. The crank's are forged and very stout... the only forged crank ever used in an SBO. Good for 7K plus on the strip. The oiling system is poor in that the oil returns p***ages in the head are small and poorly placed. I enlarged the return holes to about 7/16 IIRC and m***aged the heads to encourage better drain back. I also m***aged the rear main cap and enlarged the oil p***age there, too. A stock Melling or Milodon pump will keep the oil flowing. My heads are #4's from a '67... highest factory compression offered and they flow good, too. #5's and #6's are good, too. Those three are the best for performance use. The best rods are from a 403. I have a Power Products Chineseum damper, a double roller timing chain and an Edelbrock Perfromer intake. The RPM intake is better but mine was a $50.00 buy. The best dual plane intake is a vintage Edelbrock O4LB IMHO. The original head gaskets were steel shims and only one performance shop makes 'em now. To compensate for a typical MLS modern head gasket you'll need to mill the heads and/or deck the block to compensate for their .040 thickness. I milled my heads .025... haven't done the block yet. The Olds is a 6 degree engine so piston to valve clearance is seldom an issue unless you go nuts with the milling. There are plenty of Olds related sites but most are frequented by many of the same guys. I post on www.cl***icoldsmobile.com a bit. Beware as many of these guys are Oldsmobile **** Retentive...
Also, from the Tech archives. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5009&highlight=oldsmobile
Mom's bought new, 65 Oldsmobile Jet Star 88 had a 2 barrel 330 CID engine and a ST300 trans. It could smoke the tires for 300 feet easily, course they were only 7.75 X 14's. Butch/56sedandelivery
Ive got a 330 olds in my collection of engines. its a 65 engine, two BBL carb had a two speed automatic behind it originally. I ran that engine in a 77 GMC Pk. We hooked it to a multi pattern turbo 350 trans. It was a ok mill for the truck. Used much less fuel than the 350 that was in the PK. Guy came by looking for a good used 350 chev engine. Yes I will sell you the one in my truck. Sold the gas hogg 350 and swapped in the olds engine. The olds pretty much bolted in. Used diesel engine mounts. The exhaust needed some fab work.
"Oldsmobile’s New 330 Cu In. V-8 Engine" 1964 SAE paper 640264 http://papers.sae.org/640264/ You may be able to preview the first 5 or 6 pages of the SAE paper. Crank was made as a Non twist forging (to reduce cost !!) and rolled main fillets.
Seems to me, I remember seeing a decal on top of the air filter that said, "High Compression or Ultra-High Compression". Course that was the 4 barrel engines. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
The Jalopy Journal
