Featured Technical "will it run" '63 Olds 394

I posted some of this to the what are you working on thread but thought maybe it should have it's own thread so...

I have a few search words I cruise the local ads with
this engine came up a little over a week ago.
so I made the twenty minute drive out to take a look.
it was sitting on a pallet outside under a tarp but it was complete and I could turn it over by hand with the fan.
the price was dirt cheap so I figured it was worth taking a chance,
if nothing else it had parts potential, like the number 23 heads, the ones you want for the 394.

so I brought it home and hung it up to dry over night

 

the next day I set it on the floor and took a closer look
and ordered a carburetor kit

 

day three the carburetor gets a rebuild
before picture for visual record of how the linkage was arranged

 

pulled the distributor and cleaned it up and spun it on the machine to check all functions, all good.
scrounged my parts pile for ignition tune up stuff,
found points, condenser, rotor, cap, plugs and plug wires, some new and some good used.

 

and it fired right up
ran it for about a minute or two
just long enough to see it was worth further examination

 

Having experience working on those specific engines I really have no doubt it'll run. I've seen 394s that shouldn't be able to start up drive across town into my shop lol. So count me as a vote if confidence in your Engine. Saw one that was stuck fry a starter trying to start it. Guy that had it went and got another starter and it rattled to life lol

 

I have been wanting to build another run stand,
so this seemed like a good time to do that.
again, back to the misc parts and materials stash
and put together a basic stand,
this one is for now anyway '63-'64 Olds specific,
to mount the '49-'62 Olds engines will require an alternate front support,
not a big deal.
I hooked up water temperature and oil pressure gauges,
found an NOS fuel pump in my stash I'd forgotten about! that was a happy find
mounted the engine and ran it

 

That was fun!

 

I could see and hear something was not all right.
it sounded like one cylinder was not hitting.
did a compression test and yep, number 3 was dead.. like zero dead.
the rest were good, a bit of a wide range between highest and lowest but good.
the guy I bought the engine from said it had been outside under a tarp for "a few years"
I figured number three intake must have been open and water had found it's way in.
best case a hone and re-ring, worst case serious pitting to the cylinder wall trashing the block

 

today I pulled the head to see what the damage was..
number three cylinder shows carbon near the top from ring failure
I used acetone and a grey scotch brite to gently clean the carbon
which revealed some vertical scoring, not severe but not good either.

 

and that is where I'm at right now.

 

I have gaskets to put it all back together
which I am tempted to do
but I have no doubt the rings have been compromised and would fail again quickly.
I believe if this is to go back together and live for any length of time it will need at least a hone and ring job.

 

If you foresee a use for it , I'd do it right , everything back to better than stock , that's smooth , torquey reliable engine .

 

I agree but right now it's just an interesting distraction.. distraction number 2 at that..

I should be focusing on distraction number 1
the '60 371 in the corner..

 

Is that a model A radiator on the run stand?

 

yes it is, non pressure, in fact I don't even have a cap for it right now, it's my only spare radiator that doesn't leak!

 

I hear a ton of people talk about running them back when that’s all they had access to with no trouble. Hear less people admit to doing it now

 

Neat engine I like it
Dan

 

Very cool engine, but glad it wasn’t me because I would have brought it home too and I don’t have any room! 0 psi on cylinder 3 is a little dramatic… Did you check the valves on that cylinder? The only time I ever had nothing on a cylinder was a bogus exhaust valve… The seat was completely missing!

 

I couldn't leave it alone.
'pulled number three piston,
both compression rings were in pieces.

updates forthcoming
may not be for a few days though

 

My first personal engine I dove into was a 394 in my '64 Olds 88. The car itself was in amazing shape. But... it needed a valve job first.

I was 18 and low on bucks. A local shop did the heads over and it needed a few things, the total came to $57. With gaskets and oil change supplies, the grand total came to $90.

It ran quite well after it went back together. I found some chrome valve covers for it and some other parts from a friend who was junking a '63 Olds.

 

I had a few cars before getting my first Olds, a 1962 98 holiday sedan.
It must have been in about 1980.
I've had lots of cars since but that one car made an impression on me, the power, style, ride and feel. so much power, room and light it really was a pleasure to drive.

 

Those ribbed valve covers are pretty. Not garish or wierd. My $0.02

 

I thought my '64 88 was smooth until I took my dad's car pooling buddy's '62 Catalina in for service one day.

Like driving a cloud, ultra quiet and 2x more power than my car and low miles.

 

That looks like a great find. The correct way would be to give it a quick hone and re-ring, and touch up the valve seats while heads are off. That should be good for long time, I wouldn't bother with bottom end as the oil pressure looks fine. Just clean out the pan and what sludge inside the engine you can. But the low budget short term fix could be just new rings on #3, and slap it back together. It's pretty amazing how durable the old engines can be, and how long a quick fix can work and keep going.

I like the run stand, seems to work just fine!

 

they are the stock covers

 

damn , now I feel bad junking the 394 I had in the garage from 61 Olds 2 dr post I owned.. cool car... never had seen a lower buck Olds , body painted reveal moldings around the side glass.. front and rear was stainless. Russian guy came and bought it.. a few years later it was at the Portland swap running and driving for sale.. Was fun listening to the guy tell me about it ( lol) .. his whole tune changed after I showed him the picture I had when it was on the trailer coming back from Graham/Kapowsin . ..

 

I'm really trying to make this an inexpensive exercise.
like as close to zero cash outlay as possible.
I have other better things to spend my money on,
like the Delta blower drive setup I've been pursuing..

not counting parts I already had on hand I'm at just over two hundred bucks,
that's initial cost of the engine plus carb kit, gaskets and misc little shit.
that was until I ordered an NOS set of piston rings off ebay, hey only $33.00 shipped to my door.
they arrived today, I don't know what they fit but it sure isn't a 394.
damn..

I could order a set from one of the local parts stores and have them this afternoon
but that would definitely blow my budget.
I may get creative and do the unheard of..

the thought that keeps coming to mind is when I was an engineer's assistant on a small ship almost fifty years ago,
one of the mains sucked a valve crossing the gulf of Alaska.
we tore down the engine while motoring in circles in twenty foot swells,
raided the spare parts locker and patched it back together just enough to get to port.
then tore it all down again and put it back together right.

not the same but in some situations you make due with what you got.

stay tuned

 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog....5l+394cid+v8,1346879,engine,piston+ring,5640
Paul looks like Rockauto has some for less than 40 bucks Maybe hone all the cylinders and install all new rings, probably run for quite awhile.
Dan

 

thanks Dan,
I've taken your advice and placed an order.