[2blu442]

Hello Buddiiee
Obviously everyone on this site is an Olds nut! I agree with your idea of finding out from others what to use in a rebuild. It is too easy to put in high compression pistons and a lumpy cam that sound neat, but don't function well. One problem I've heard of more with Olds 455 powered boats is if the engine is over revved it will suck the oil pan dry. What I've heard is in stock form you don't want to run the Olds 455 much over 5,000 rpm. But the 1970 365 hp 455 you mentioned has the torque peak something like 3,600 rpm so there's no need to run it that high. I really like the Olds motors and the stump pulling torque they make. Once you guys get the engine tore down and identify what caused the failure please get back to us and let us know what you found. I believe under the Announcement section at the top of the site page you'll find a note about a performance book being reprinted. I bought a copy and have found a lot of interesting information in it. You can also visit the site 442.com and go to the FAQ section for more details on Oldsmobile engines. If you have time you can also read through the posts on the Big Block section of this site. Good Luck, and don't hesitate to come back with more questions. John