Olds 350

[Ole Blue 68]

Thanks Dan, I'm still trying to secure reasonable shipping for it. If I can do that, I'll be in touch.

[Longhorn Man]

I don't know about the olds having more displacement.... maybe a different bore/stroke....
I know the Pontiac 350 has a smaller bore and a longer stroke, so by design alone it had a tendency to make more torque than a chevy 350.
Somewhere burried in years of magizines, I have an issue that has a shoot out of the other 350's... car craft about 3 or 4 years ago. I'll have to dig it out one day.

[Ole Blue 68]

Check that, my bad. You're right Longhorn, it was bore and stroke not displacement.

[davidh]

I remember that car craft article too. I think it said the OLDS motor was really the only nonchevy 350 worth building. They said with the Poncho you might as well get a 400 and the buick they suggested a 455.

[67-72chevyman]

I had a 79 buick with a buick 350 with a four barrel, it was the sickest vehicle I ever had, worse then the 429, it would barely pull itself up a hill, then it set in the driveway a few years with 2 flat front tires it was so sick when it wouldn't budge untill I aired up the 2 front tires. My buddy had a 77 chevy 4wd 305 with a 2 barrel he weighed atleast 2000 more pounds then that car and it ran the same.

[davidh]

you have to remember the mid to late 70's were the dark years of performance. Tear out all the smog crap, the ten thousand extra vacum lines and those motors don't run bad. We had a 77 Buick regal(fastback) it looked ugly with the swept back roof but car ran fine.

[67-72chevyman]

I know but the bad part is my mom has a 79 trans-am with a 301 in it and all the crap is still on it and it runs rings around it, I dont know what the deal was with that car,my grandma bought it off my aunt in 87, the car didn't really run for crap then I was just a little kid then. My grandpa said
"we did everything to that car and it still won't run right." We had a 76 monte with a 400 in it, all they did was take the catilatic converter off of it and it ran good, it was the best car our family ever had, thats why I'm goin back chevy.

[davidh]

That 1976 olds 350 we put in my brothers 79cutlass was great. It got so hot once it quit running, never hurt it ran like a champ 8 more years til he sold it. Didn't smoke, use oil or nothing. the car is sitting now because of a bad alternator. I think I can score it for $200. If I don't find a decent 65-72 olds to drop it in I'll put it in a GMC or something.
For a stocker it was great. I've seen many of chevy 350's with those crappy 624 casting heads crack if you said the word "HOT". I've got at least 3 long block cores with those heads on them and they all have water in the oil. Motor builders in Tulsa wouldn't take 624's as cores even, they're that bad.

[67-72chevyman]

What years were the 624s made? my buddy had a 406, a well built one, and he would get drunk and hold it wide open in park, there was this one time he was doing this, and the motor was so hot the exhaust was cherry red, and it didn't hurt the motor one bit, so he says he passed out on the accelerater. Come to think of it I know a guy who had a 69 olds 350 in a 76 cutless, and it ran pretty good.

[davidh]

624 heads were made in the 70's to 80's. I think there's a 350 and 305 version maybe. They suck. I'll never have a set rebuilt. you can check www.mortec.com for exact years they were made.

[davidh]

says 1975-86. Not for sure. They also say 881 heads are 2.02s but I have some that are smaller than 1.94's91.72's) that came from a van motor so they aren't always correct.

[69TowRig]

I read through this and didn't see the mention of bellhousing differences. I thought that those old Olds motors had the BOP style bellhousing bolt pattern? He'd be in the market for another transmission as well then.

[Longhorn Man]

it was mentioned

[Zeke]

If I am not mistaken the olds 350 has larger crank journals than the Chevy, supposedly makes the bottom end lots stronger.

[crazy longhorn]

Originally Posted by Zeke

If I am not mistaken the olds 350 has larger crank journals than the Chevy, supposedly makes the bottom end lots stronger.

The Olds does have larger crank journals than the Chev, & this does make the crank very stiff. Where Olds gives up some strenght in the bottom, is with the thinner block castings. I dont think its as big an issue with the sb Olds mills, but the 455 has a 4 1/4" long arm & requires a set of main studs & girdle to keep the bottom of the block from flexing when they start builing some serious power & running more rpms. L

[Ole Blue 68]

You know, I was thinking about this more and it hit me, a lot of SBC bolt-ons (intake for example) probably aren't going to fit either will they?

[davidh]

No, you can use the same carb likely and I think the distributors are the same but I might be wrong.
I've thought about running an olds before this thread now its got me thinking it again, a stock olds, performer intake and duals probably wouldn't be too bad.
I used to hear a 455 olds uses less gas than a 454. Dont know how true that is.

[Ole Blue 68]

I checked out Edelbrock's site and they actually sell intakes specifically for the Olds so I'm not even sure my SBC Performer would fit.

[Longhorn Man]

All you'll be able to use is the carb, and the cap/rotor/plug wires.... that is about it.

[Ole Blue 68]

Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna do it. Can't find a decent shipping price plus I'd spend even more $ on parts.