Oldsmobile Aftermarket Parts
Compared to Chevy engines, Olds parts are few and far between. Although this is an issue, many people have been able to obtain their performance goals without a problem thanks largely to the somewhat better design of the olds engines in general. One goal of this site, is to list all of the aftermarket parts available for oldsmobile engines so that people can easily find parts which will meet their needs. I will slowly be compiling this list, so please be patient. I do not want to provide a supplier for these parts, however I would be happy to help anyone find parts via e-mail. Additional after market parts can make your Oldsmobile into more of a Muscle Car!
Oldsmobile Intakes:
Small Block (307/330/350/403)
Edelbrock:
Edelbrock Aluminum Performer RPM P/N 7111(natural) 71111(polished) - square/spread bore
Edelbrock Aluminum Performer P/N 3711 (natural) 37111 (polished) - square/spread bore
Edelbrock Aluminum Victor P/N 2812 (natural) - square bore
Offenhauser: (NOTE: WILL NOT WORK WITH HEI DISTRIBUTOR)
Offenhauser Aluminum Quadrajet high rise P/N 5823 - spread bore
Offenhauser Aluminum Dual quad high rise P/N 5706 - Square bore (1800-8200 RPM)
Offenhauser Aluminum 4500 high rise P/N 5962 - Dominator
Offenhauser Aluminum Dual Quad low rise P/N 5587 - Square bore
Offenhauser Aluminum High rise P/N 5822 - Square bore (1800-8200 RPM)
Offenhauser Aluminum Dual Port P/N 6028DP - Square bore
Big Block (400, 425, 455)
To be continued...
Thursday, June 11, 2009
My current Olds
I thought I would post a few photos of my car. Here are pictures of the current car and the condition when I bought it. I replaced both quarter panels, put new fenders on the car, lower door skins, fixed all holes in pillars and generally did a lot of body and frame work. If you want to know any specifics about my car, or would like to see other pictures let me know.
Basic engine descriptions
Everyone is interested in performance, and this is the main reason that I started this site. Many people are looking to make more power from their Olds engine, however few know exactly how to achieve this. I will start by listing the basic information about the most common engines. Look for posts on each specific engine later for more detail. While there are other engine sizes, these are the most common. I will go into the other engine sizes (303, 324, 371, 394 ect.) at a later time.
Small Blocks
307
Bore: 3.80"
Stroke: 3.385"
Cylinders: 8
Production years: approx 1980-1990
This engine is generally considered a daily driver engine only. Though they can be built for respectable performance, the extra effort and cost is generally not worth it. These engines came in both roller and non roller cam form, and in two distinct horsepower ranges. The "Y" vin engines ranged from 140-150 horsepower depending on year, and the "9" vin engines which produced 180 horsepower. Vin 9 engines were generally installed in the Hurst, 442, and large car models, while the normal vin Y engines were offered in pretty much everything. From a performance standpoint, these engines do not stand out. The engine has windowed mains, which makes the bottom end of the engine weak, and limits the upper RPM range.
330
Bore: 3.938"
Stroke: 3.385"
Cylinders: 8
Production years: 1964-1967
The Olds 330 came in many different forms and is a decent starting point for performance builds. Various compression ratios, cam and intake differences give this engine a wide range of standard horsepower outputs. The highlight of these engines is the "N" crankshaft which is generally considered the best small block crank for performance builds.
350
Bore: 4.057"
Stroke: 3.385"
Cylinders: 8
Production years: 1968-approx 1980
The Olds 350 is a common engine to be used for performance builds. The solid mains (pre 1977) allow this engine to rev to high RPM when properly balanced. The performance of this engine ranged from 160-320 hp depending on year. While aftermarket support is not as good as the 455, there are many off the shelf parts available for this engine at a reasonable price. For full out performance a diesel version was also produced from 1977-1985 which has thicker cylinder bores. The only downfall of the diesel version is the not common .921" lifter bores which can limit cam choices if not taken into account.
403
Bore: 4.351"
Stroke: 3.385"
Cylinders: 8
Production years: 1977-approx 1980
The 403 is generally considered a good engine to build for performance. While the windowed mains prevent high RPM speeds, the large bore makes tremendous low end torque and power, and provisions can be made to keep the engine together. These engines were also installed in some Pontiac applications. Overall they are a strong engine if built correctly.
Big Blocks
400
Bore: 4.000/3.870
Stroke: 3.980/4.250
Cylinders: 8
Production years: 1965-1969
This engine came in two distinct forms, the early (1965-1967) and late (1968-1969) forms. The difference came from the wish to use the same crank in the late 400 as the 455 engine. While this may have been a good idea from a financial stand point, the late 400 engine is highly limited by its large stroke and small bore. The Early engine is best know by its ability to rev freely and build power at higher RPM's. If one were to build a performance 400 olds, the early 400 would be the way to go. Otherwise stick with the 425 or the 455 engine. Similar to the 425, the 400 also came with both lifter sizes (.921 and .842) and a both cam bank angles (39 and 45 degrees).
425
Bore: 4.126"
Stroke: 3.975"
Cylinders: 8
Production years: 1965-1967
The 425 is an odd engine because it was offered in many different forms. I will go into this further in the 425 specific article, however there are a few variations to look out for with this engine. The lifter bores came in both .921" and .842" and this engine came in both 39 and 45 degree bank angles. Different combinations were used on different vehicles. This engine is also unique because of the "N"crankshaft. This is an excellent starting point for performance because it will rev more freely than a 455, however it can cost more to build.
455
Bore: 4.126"
Stroke: 4.250"
Cylinders: 8
Production years: 1968-1976
The 455 is the most common olds engine to build for performance. Many combinations have been proven to build huge torque and power, however there are some inherent problems which need to be taken into account. Oiling is an issue on these engines and needs to be taken into account. This engine has the best aftermarket support of any olds engines. The factory numbers range greatly depending on application and year, however a quality engine can probably be built for the least amount of money using this block.
Small Blocks
307
Bore: 3.80"
Stroke: 3.385"
Cylinders: 8
Production years: approx 1980-1990
This engine is generally considered a daily driver engine only. Though they can be built for respectable performance, the extra effort and cost is generally not worth it. These engines came in both roller and non roller cam form, and in two distinct horsepower ranges. The "Y" vin engines ranged from 140-150 horsepower depending on year, and the "9" vin engines which produced 180 horsepower. Vin 9 engines were generally installed in the Hurst, 442, and large car models, while the normal vin Y engines were offered in pretty much everything. From a performance standpoint, these engines do not stand out. The engine has windowed mains, which makes the bottom end of the engine weak, and limits the upper RPM range.
330
Bore: 3.938"
Stroke: 3.385"
Cylinders: 8
Production years: 1964-1967
The Olds 330 came in many different forms and is a decent starting point for performance builds. Various compression ratios, cam and intake differences give this engine a wide range of standard horsepower outputs. The highlight of these engines is the "N" crankshaft which is generally considered the best small block crank for performance builds.
350
Bore: 4.057"
Stroke: 3.385"
Cylinders: 8
Production years: 1968-approx 1980
The Olds 350 is a common engine to be used for performance builds. The solid mains (pre 1977) allow this engine to rev to high RPM when properly balanced. The performance of this engine ranged from 160-320 hp depending on year. While aftermarket support is not as good as the 455, there are many off the shelf parts available for this engine at a reasonable price. For full out performance a diesel version was also produced from 1977-1985 which has thicker cylinder bores. The only downfall of the diesel version is the not common .921" lifter bores which can limit cam choices if not taken into account.
403
Bore: 4.351"
Stroke: 3.385"
Cylinders: 8
Production years: 1977-approx 1980
The 403 is generally considered a good engine to build for performance. While the windowed mains prevent high RPM speeds, the large bore makes tremendous low end torque and power, and provisions can be made to keep the engine together. These engines were also installed in some Pontiac applications. Overall they are a strong engine if built correctly.
Big Blocks
400
Bore: 4.000/3.870
Stroke: 3.980/4.250
Cylinders: 8
Production years: 1965-1969
This engine came in two distinct forms, the early (1965-1967) and late (1968-1969) forms. The difference came from the wish to use the same crank in the late 400 as the 455 engine. While this may have been a good idea from a financial stand point, the late 400 engine is highly limited by its large stroke and small bore. The Early engine is best know by its ability to rev freely and build power at higher RPM's. If one were to build a performance 400 olds, the early 400 would be the way to go. Otherwise stick with the 425 or the 455 engine. Similar to the 425, the 400 also came with both lifter sizes (.921 and .842) and a both cam bank angles (39 and 45 degrees).
425
Bore: 4.126"
Stroke: 3.975"
Cylinders: 8
Production years: 1965-1967
The 425 is an odd engine because it was offered in many different forms. I will go into this further in the 425 specific article, however there are a few variations to look out for with this engine. The lifter bores came in both .921" and .842" and this engine came in both 39 and 45 degree bank angles. Different combinations were used on different vehicles. This engine is also unique because of the "N"crankshaft. This is an excellent starting point for performance because it will rev more freely than a 455, however it can cost more to build.
455
Bore: 4.126"
Stroke: 4.250"
Cylinders: 8
Production years: 1968-1976
The 455 is the most common olds engine to build for performance. Many combinations have been proven to build huge torque and power, however there are some inherent problems which need to be taken into account. Oiling is an issue on these engines and needs to be taken into account. This engine has the best aftermarket support of any olds engines. The factory numbers range greatly depending on application and year, however a quality engine can probably be built for the least amount of money using this block.
General information
Hello,
This site is dedicated to providing information on Oldsmobiles. I have been an olds fan for a long time now, and have yet to find a site which combines accurate information on many different models and engines. While forums are a useful tool, searching for specific details can be tedious. Forums are also open to thread jacking and personal opinions. This site will hopefully provide a location where details can be presented and easily searched for future use. Over the next few months I will be writing up everything that I know about these cars. If there is anything specific you would like presented early, please send me an e-mail, and I will try to provide the information you request.
Thank you,
Joe
This site is dedicated to providing information on Oldsmobiles. I have been an olds fan for a long time now, and have yet to find a site which combines accurate information on many different models and engines. While forums are a useful tool, searching for specific details can be tedious. Forums are also open to thread jacking and personal opinions. This site will hopefully provide a location where details can be presented and easily searched for future use. Over the next few months I will be writing up everything that I know about these cars. If there is anything specific you would like presented early, please send me an e-mail, and I will try to provide the information you request.
Thank you,
Joe
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