Olds 350? Just worth 4 cents a lb at the yard or...

...worth putting under the hood? I dig the opinions on here, so figured Id ask. If anyone remembers I put a thread up about about 351C motors. The response was overwhelming, so I kept the engine in my 51 Merc 2 dr. Well, doing metalwork on that car and probably soon after completion we will part ways, so Im planning for my next project, which happens to be...you guessed it...a 51 Merc 2 dr. I guess Im set in my ways.

The car needs everything, and I aquired a 77 Olds 98 to use the ch***is and floors, but seems everyone who has done em wouldnt even do it again due to track width issues and other bs. Now, unfortunately except to Merc guys the car is worth s**** weight, so seeing as I cant sell it should I take the drivetrain out of it? Or isnt it worth it? The positive side was it was a great running 350/350(?) The 98 is a 118" wb (give or take 1/2") so I could use everything (motor trans, rear) and even driveshaft most likely. It would also give me a power steering pump/alt, ac compressor etc.

Im not lookin to race the thing, just want something w/ 2.7x or so gears that can cruise the highway with A. decent mileage and B. inexpensive/plentiful over the counter parts availabilty. Oh, and C. keep project cost down. Seeing as I own the thing already, the complete drivetrain down to the lugnuts would be free, Id just have to make some mounts.

What are your experiences? Any major changes that will keep me from getting a water pump at an out of state show? Any aftermarket support for these (ie finned stuff, dress up...) Thanx fellas!

 

my .2 cents

From experience, I was going and did the exact same thing you did, I had a donor 78 Olds 88 I was going to use the ch***is from, but decided not worth the work to do the swap so I kept the engine, used it in my 53 Olds, not too many hop up parts for it from what I remember, only upgrades I did were an edelbrock cam and carb, not too many dress up parts either, but I tell you that engine is a workhorse, if you have a solid running olds engine, you are good. With the little I did, it gave the engine a bit more umph, its great on the low to mid torque and power. The 350 trans, from what I have read, is also a bit more stout than your average 350 chevy trans, now don’t quote me on that, but my landyacht of an olds has no problems taking off, of course the BOP trans only fits BOP, I kept the original 53 rear end, but I would say if you want to keep costs down, and have a reliable engine, keep the olds.

 

They aren't bad little engines...I owned a 350 powered Cutl*** that did pretty well. Mileage wasn't bad when I kept my foot out of it. So far as dress-up, they basically are similar to an Olds 455 (lower deck height), so most pieces will interchange, except intakes, pushrods, some internal things, and some of the bracketry. There used to be Edelbrock and the Holley & M/T finned valve covers for them also...don't think those are currently available, swap meet only, but Offy still has 'em.

 

I used to replace galled rocker arm mounts on those things at least 2 or 3 a week. They are good engines, just a problem with oil crystallizing from the exhaust crossovers in the head, sludges up the center rockers.

Man, I havent done one of those in years! Thanks for making me feel old, dammit

 

Hhmm, interesting, so what would you suggest as preventive maintenance to avoid that oil problem 1950ChevySuburban?

 

A recent thread....

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=241233&highlight=350+olds

 

You already know my opinion Chris, haha I would pull it eithier way you can always sell it off. everyone wants a 350.. as far as the Merc whats wrong with that pretty little red 302 of yours..

 

Thank Fat Hack
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5009

 

if you find some older heads, there's no crossover. i posted plenty of info in that other thread fidgeter mentioned.

some guys i know have melted an old aluminum piston into the crossover then ported to match and have run for years in high hp applications with no problems.

 

Mondello, the Olds guru, has what I consider a very nice looking valve cover. Roller rockers are also available. The engine blocks have excellent wear resistance and will run much longer between rebuilds than their cousin Chebbies. Matter of fact, in many cases, the engine (properly maintained) will outlast the rest of the car. Replace the timing chain set at the 100K to 150K mile range just to be safe. Rebuild a BOP 2004-R automatic for even better fuel economy with no sacrifice in getup-and-go (compared to a TH-350). A minimum safe bet is to re-gasket and seal the engine as well as replace all the core (frost) plugs, then paint the engine and dress it up before installing it into your new project.

 

mondello ****s, lynn...the son in law...has really ****ed the company. quality is ****, customer service is nonexistant, prices are outrageous. talk to the guys from the other thread.

 

Hey here is a dumb question, looks like the starter is on the wrong side! Wonder if that will screw with me? I know its an issue w/ the earlier Rocket motors and they need to be switched to the p***enger side. Just a thought?

 

what's it matter what side the starter's on? works fine on my 461

 

When I took apart a '79 Buick Electra with a 350 Buick, it had a short tail TH400 in it. I'd bet your 98 does too, it's more or less the same car except for the actual engine, the nose, tail, and dash. I'd doublecheck the VIN engine code too, it's always possible it could be a 403 - so far as I know they look the same.

We've run a couple of the Olds 350s in cars, run the cars into the ground and the motors were still going - not the most fuel efficient of the V8s, but reliable and reasonably powerful.

 

They might not be the killer performance engine but for a good reliable cruiser engine that will eat up miles on the boulivard wiithout a lot of H***les.
I ran one for a lot of miles in my 51 Merc and it had who know how many miles on it when I put it in It was pretty well trouble free.
I had a 69 Cutl*** with a 310 hp 350 and 4 speed (special ordered from Nam) that was pretty quick but not as quick as muy buddies W 31.
In the past 39 years I have had a bunch of these engines in various rigs and had pretty good luck with all of them.
As others have said there isn't a lot of aftermarket stuff available but they don't need a lot if you don't intend to race one.

 

Ya know, I have no idea! Just might be? I had two of em, but the way I was told was that the other car had a 403, this had a 350...but Ive yet to run the numbers. It sounds like for free this will be a more than decent way to go.

 

The one that I had in the 51 was a free one. I got it because it had a knock. that ended up being a loose torque converter. That was the engine that took me on a round trip to Central Texas and back through Bonneville for speed week in 1988.

 

Here's how I used one of those Oldsmobiles:

 

Hmm, Smothers Bros did pretty well in the Stocker cl***es, as did my pops when he set an NHRA record in 70, James Garner ran em at the Baja 1000, Hot Rod Magazine ran one successfully at Bonneville etc..........shall I go on? Dr Olds had it figured out.

 

we put a 70 in my dads 72 lemans convt, we put a factory 4 brl c.i. intake and qjet with dual exhaust, that thing moved pretty damn good, would beat our friends chevele all day long with a sbc, aluminum intake, headers i think he even put a small cam in it. they make good torque. one big difference, i see you probably have real low compresion, im not too keen on the olds stuff but maybe you can swap on an earlier set of heads with smaller chambers too boost the cr. we later put on a set of headers, the car would go high 14s smoking the **** out of the peg leg rear. it was basically a real low mile bone stock olds, even still had points, just a set of headers and duals. that car was no lieghtweight either. no doubt in my mind with a posi, some 3.73s, sticky tires and maybe a small cam that car would have gone 13s. pretty good for what it was. you can get 2x4 intakes for them, my bud has one. lots of speed parts out there for them, the only wierd thing i remember was the exhaust manifolds, they had a built in crossover y pipe deal, i think that was why we later went with headers. i forget.

 

I also used to melt lead in the crossovers. Sorted that mess right out!

 

Thanx for the info guys, sounds like what I want to use. I have a semi nasty SBC sitting here on a stand w/ 0 miles, but with us paying like $3 at the pump for regular, that isnt something I want to use in a driver. Something with decent torque to move this thing through traffic with a 2.something rear is what I want!

 

i usually scream SBC.. but ide throw that olds in it there good motors. dont tell anyone i said that!

 

Ima go tell that guy Peter Griffin. He bet me $50 to take off all my clothes off. :belch:

 

I currently have a 330 and a 455 running. My 350 is in the engine stand getting a rebuild after over 10 trouble free years on the road. I have nothing but good to say about Olds engines.

 

If it's a 403 it will hav a large "403" cast on the side of the block below the cylinder head. I think it's on the driver's side. I had a 403 in an 87 Monte Carlo that I bought off of a friend's garage floor. Did virtually nothing to it (rebuilt quadrajet, plug wire and cap/rotor) and it would smoke the tires (with 2.41:1 rear end gears). If you are interested in Olds there's a great FAQ site, I think it's on 442.com or something, I'll have to check it out. If the asholes who stole my Monte didn't smoke the 403 I'm putting it in 57 Chev. Talk about torque! I've never run any other Olds engines but I've seen them fly past me often enough.

 

Just bought a third last week for $100 with a TH350 on it. Gonna dump them in a Camaro I bought recently. I've got two others in Cutl*** supremes... I like em. On a side note, if you have the original exhaust manifolds, they're gold.

 

I have a buddy who drives a 51 merc on a late 70's olds ch***is with all the olds driveline, his is the 403 and with only a mild cam that thing really moves! ****loads of torque and no trouble after 10 years in a daily driven car.

 

Wow old thread! Thanx guys, I still have this sitting in the donor car, when we move (Sept) and I have more space Im going to either use the entire frame/floor and drivetrain or at least complete drivetrain in my Merc. Seems like the way to go with the Olds motor!

 

Wow, just 4 cents, were getting 14.87 a hundred in Delaware.