opinions on block wanted

[Beagle]

okay, I get the crossover now... I was thinking Y pipe. That is ugly. Yes, headers.... or why does that scream Holset HX35 to me?

[Mater]

i have a set of big block C heads that will be going on or the edelbrock heads if i can find some cheap. i have the RPM intake that is already ported for BB heads.

[68scott385]

What heads do you have?

[Mater]

i love olds engines here is the 68 W31 ram rod block i am rebuilding slowly oh so slowly



only reason for the slow build is the car it was destined for was stolen about 10 years ago how long the block has been sitting

[68scott385]

Death of a 307 While I did pull the 3ow7 out I have not taken it apart to see the internal damage. Here are a few pictures of the oil & filter that came out/off of it. The left motor mount had separated its rubber & metal halves and if not for the built-in safety feature would have been much more noticeable with the engine in the car. I had wondered about the engine's lateral movement but not worried about it yet. The 455 has new ones on it anyway. The oil pan bolt is laying where I found it when the motor mount was removed. A couple bolts to either side of it were loose too, no wonder there is oil caked everywhere.

[68scott385]

Okay Beags, this is for you specifically as you made the comment (whether it survived the erasures or not) about difficulty envisioning the crossover as I described it. This is the left exhaust manifold & down pipe configuration for a typical Oldsmobile motor.



This is the right exhaust manifold with the crossover pipe mocked up for instructional purposes only with the main exhaust outlet visible too. I can rotate these pictures if being upside down throws a wrench in the comprehensive gearing.

[68scott385]

My thumbs are black but that's grease stains from working on the wagon. When it comes to gardening what is the opposite color of green? Orange?

I've got some pictures somewhere that need to be posted. We (myself, Beagle & others) talked about the Olds crossover exhaust piping and the reasoning for headers on the 455. Guess I'll have to do some search & post to day.

[Beagle]

I almost got sick the first time I saw that - Driving through Arkansas in the early 90's to see a yard with little kid in dirty diaper covered in filth, 350 chevy block in the yard with flowers growing out it, Camaro on three wheels and a cinder block.

It's kind of funny until you see it for real.

Black thumb?

[68scott385]

SO, now that the direction of the project has been determined and the "new" motor is in the car, what does one do with an Oldsmobile 3ow7 block? Is there a purpose that his could serve beyond being a heavy doorstop or a garden weedpot (not growing weed or pot for you Washington/Colorado folks). I can see it now, some Spicoli out there, "DUuuuude, that's sooooo kuallll, you're growing weed out of an old useless engine block. Uh, huh, knarely, mayon." I called it a weedpot because neither my wife nor I have green thumbs, they're quite the opposite of green when it comes to growing vegetation.

[68scott385]

That's about what I have. My 455 came from a '74 Delta 88, or so I was told. It had a points dizzy in it and it looked like it had been there forever. I heard it run before buying it. It's ready to drop in when I get the time. I didn't rebuild it, just gave it a thorough checkup and gonna drop it in to see how I like it.

[Deaf Bob]

Wish you were closer.. Got a 455 olds out of a one shot wonder granny car.. Guy made the first hit count.. Bent his pinion into the ground, engine ran when I chopped the car up.. Been sitting under. Hood in the bed of a pickup since then.. 5 years or so..

[68scott385]

I posted a picture of the temp gauge the last time I drove the car. It was upwards of 240* when I shut it off and she climbed to 250*+. I let her cool down to 220* and she fired right up. I also posted a picture of the oil in the filter. It's shiny like glitter. Hopefully the 455 will last long enough to get the Grand National transmission swapped in. If the 455 has a short life I'll throw a 355 together to keep it on the road until I can build the 455 the right way.

[Deaf Bob]

You will like the torque!

The Buick my kid is burning out on had a 500 caddy that was 100% stock except for the 950 carb.. At 50 mph, hit 2nd gear while flooring it made it lift and go.. Almost felt like it would wheelie
But the motor in h pic is a 455 with cam, aluminum heads, intake same carb and headers...
Buick motor is faster, but I think the caddy was quicker.. You felt the nearly 50 ci more.. As well as the torque..
Sooo figure you had the doggy 307. (some guys swear by the 307/350 olds in derby cars.. Run without water long time!) the 455 will put a smile on your face.. Up to 4,000-4500 rpms
Good tune, exhaust and carb will wake it up..

[68scott385]

I think the 455 is ready to drop in now. I'm starting to wonder whether or not it was a good idea to stay with the Olds family in this car. I'm on a learning curve and things don't just fall into place.

I think I'm going to start a thread in the project section and show progress from the beginning. This thread was mainly me trying not to be overly anxious to find a suitable, larger Olds motor.

[Rocketman]

Headers are nice, but they do create a lot of additional underhood heat. A good set of stock 442 Z/W manifolds will also work pretty well