Found a 77 Delta 88 Donor - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

East End K5 · 03-08-2005, 10:07 AM

AND...it's mine for the taking for FREE! Engine in great shape! How would an olds 403 be for my rig? Mulling it over. I think it may be too big!

jhwkns · 03-08-2005, 12:51 PM

Free is cool, but it's a 185hp smogged-up, siamesed cylinder boat anchor. IMO not really worth the trouble. They were a corp. engine Pontiac trans ams in the late 70's as well. It might have some value to someone else.

shortymac83 · 03-08-2005, 12:59 PM

BOAT anchor? yeah, right. There were three that were entered in the Engine Master's Challenge this year, and none of them made less than 600 HP. Build it right, it'll run rings around the competition.

jhwkns · 03-08-2005, 01:27 PM

I don't doubt the 600 h.p. but I can guarantee they were expensive ponys. I'm not an olds hater by any means, but the 403 is about the last sbo that I'd get excited about. I actually own one. I got it last summer with plans on maybe putting it in my boat. I just didn't think it would be a very good choice for the motor swap that East End K5 mentioned. A 455 would be a whole different story.

shortymac83 · 03-08-2005, 03:17 PM

the way to go with the later windowed blocks is to use a girdle for the main supports. The engines themselves can support quite a bit of power because of their really big bores, and they can rev pretty high because of their (relatively) short stroke. The only two things to watch out for is the windowed mains and a poor oiling system that is inherent in all olds motors where you can suck the pan dry over 6,000 RPM if you don't increase the size of the drainback holes. With a stock short block though, you could support 350 hp without a problem, and 400 hp is a stone's throw away. The thing with olds motors that you have to remember is that they were built for torque, meaning that you should build them for a lot of low end power, and not a lot of high revving HP. For instance, my weak-suck tiny 307 makes peak torque at 1600 RPM with a peak of 245 lb-ft. the full 150 hp shows up around 2500 rpm. So they're not screamers by any means, but they're enough to get you down the road in a hurry. I'd be willing to bet that for $3,000, you could easily get 400 hp out of it. go to www.fcrperformance.com, and give them a call. Tell them shorty reccomended you and tell them what you want out of this motor, they'll help you set it up at a low cost.

03-08-2005, 10:07 AM	#1
East End K5 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 293	Found a 77 Delta 88 Donor AND...it's mine for the taking for FREE! Engine in great shape! How would an olds 403 be for my rig? Mulling it over. I think it may be too big! __________________ I feel sorry for people who don't drink....because when they wake up in the morning, that's the best they're gonna feel all day long!---Frank Sinatra RIP [B]1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer RIP 1986 GMC Sierra K3500 1TON, Long Box, V8350 RIP 1980 Chevy Silverado C30 Cab and Chassis, 454 TH400HD. RIP [B] 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe 2D [B]

03-08-2005, 12:51 PM	#2
jhwkns Registered Cruiser Join Date: May 2002 Location: Las Vegas NV Posts: 2,230	Free is cool, but it's a 185hp smogged-up, siamesed cylinder boat anchor. IMO not really worth the trouble. They were a corp. engine Pontiac trans ams in the late 70's as well. It might have some value to someone else. __________________ I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

03-08-2005, 12:59 PM	#3
shortymac83 hmm... Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Culver, Indiana Posts: 1,631	BOAT anchor? yeah, right. There were three that were entered in the Engine Master's Challenge this year, and none of them made less than 600 HP. Build it right, it'll run rings around the competition. __________________ 1983 Oldsmobile Delta 88 1967 Chevy C-10 stripper www.fcrperformance.com - wanna go...faster? talk to FCR.

03-08-2005, 01:27 PM	#4
jhwkns Registered Cruiser Join Date: May 2002 Location: Las Vegas NV Posts: 2,230	I don't doubt the 600 h.p. but I can guarantee they were expensive ponys. I'm not an olds hater by any means, but the 403 is about the last sbo that I'd get excited about. I actually own one. I got it last summer with plans on maybe putting it in my boat. I just didn't think it would be a very good choice for the motor swap that East End K5 mentioned. A 455 would be a whole different story. __________________ I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

03-08-2005, 03:17 PM	#5
shortymac83 hmm... Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Culver, Indiana Posts: 1,631	the way to go with the later windowed blocks is to use a girdle for the main supports. The engines themselves can support quite a bit of power because of their really big bores, and they can rev pretty high because of their (relatively) short stroke. The only two things to watch out for is the windowed mains and a poor oiling system that is inherent in all olds motors where you can suck the pan dry over 6,000 RPM if you don't increase the size of the drainback holes. With a stock short block though, you could support 350 hp without a problem, and 400 hp is a stone's throw away. The thing with olds motors that you have to remember is that they were built for torque, meaning that you should build them for a lot of low end power, and not a lot of high revving HP. For instance, my weak-suck tiny 307 makes peak torque at 1600 RPM with a peak of 245 lb-ft. the full 150 hp shows up around 2500 rpm. So they're not screamers by any means, but they're enough to get you down the road in a hurry. I'd be willing to bet that for $3,000, you could easily get 400 hp out of it. go to www.fcrperformance.com, and give them a call. Tell them shorty reccomended you and tell them what you want out of this motor, they'll help you set it up at a low cost. __________________ 1983 Oldsmobile Delta 88 1967 Chevy C-10 stripper www.fcrperformance.com - wanna go...faster? talk to FCR.



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