1974 88 tech questions, this and that
October 1st, 2014, 06:00 PM
#1
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 347
1974 88 tech questions, this and that
1. On the 350 is that the oil sending unit right next to the temp sending unit?
2. Car has 68k on it, has to assume the trans has never been flushed. Should I flush it or just drop the pan and put in filter and top off?
3. I have decent white door panels but the plastic or what ever it is made of is scratched, scuffed, can that be fixed somehow?
4. What likely is the orig rim setup (link to a pic?) on this car that has no options other then a conv top?
5. How hard would it be to go HEI on this car? What car would I get one from?
6. How good of a motor is the 350 rocket? Appears to have been taken car of, no smoke, no rattles, quiet, smooth as can be.
7. Rear end is what? Posi, 12 bolt?
8. My engine is painted gold, is that the correct color?
9. No clutch fan set up for cooling the car, why is that on such a big car?
2. Car has 68k on it, has to assume the trans has never been flushed. Should I flush it or just drop the pan and put in filter and top off?
3. I have decent white door panels but the plastic or what ever it is made of is scratched, scuffed, can that be fixed somehow?
4. What likely is the orig rim setup (link to a pic?) on this car that has no options other then a conv top?
5. How hard would it be to go HEI on this car? What car would I get one from?
6. How good of a motor is the 350 rocket? Appears to have been taken car of, no smoke, no rattles, quiet, smooth as can be.
7. Rear end is what? Posi, 12 bolt?
8. My engine is painted gold, is that the correct color?
9. No clutch fan set up for cooling the car, why is that on such a big car?
Last edited by 1yesfan; October 1st, 2014 at 06:34 PM.
October 2nd, 2014, 03:20 AM
#2
Lansing built
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Grand Ledge, MI
Posts: 3,227
1. On the 350 is that the oil sending unit right next to the temp sending unit?
2. Car has 68k on it, has to assume the trans has never been flushed. Should I flush it or just drop the pan and put in filter and top off?
3. I have decent white door panels but the plastic or what ever it is made of is scratched, scuffed, can that be fixed somehow?
4. What likely is the orig rim setup (link to a pic?) on this car that has no options other then a conv top?
5. How hard would it be to go HEI on this car? What car would I get one from?
6. How good of a motor is the 350 rocket? Appears to have been taken car of, no smoke, no rattles, quiet, smooth as can be.
7. Rear end is what? Posi, 12 bolt?
8. My engine is painted gold, is that the correct color?
9. No clutch fan set up for cooling the car, why is that on such a big car?
2. Car has 68k on it, has to assume the trans has never been flushed. Should I flush it or just drop the pan and put in filter and top off?
3. I have decent white door panels but the plastic or what ever it is made of is scratched, scuffed, can that be fixed somehow?
4. What likely is the orig rim setup (link to a pic?) on this car that has no options other then a conv top?
5. How hard would it be to go HEI on this car? What car would I get one from?
6. How good of a motor is the 350 rocket? Appears to have been taken car of, no smoke, no rattles, quiet, smooth as can be.
7. Rear end is what? Posi, 12 bolt?
8. My engine is painted gold, is that the correct color?
9. No clutch fan set up for cooling the car, why is that on such a big car?
#2 IMO drop every fluid, change filters, change all belts and do a brake inspection. I do this with all used cars just so I know where I stand.
#3 Good question! I am not sure if Fusick has those repoped?
#4http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Oldsmobile/1974_Oldsmobile/album/1974%20Oldsmobile-34.html
#5 IIRC that the next year HEI was standard, you could snag one from another 350 but the air cleaner from a 75 "88" would help (clearence) or convert to a petronix kit.
#6 This may answer #5 also. If doing well, don't mess with it. Except for setting the dwell on it once in great while.
#7 With this critter being a bare stripper, I doubt it.
#8 Yes
#9 Non air and the obvious H.D. cooling.
Pat
October 2nd, 2014, 06:10 AM
#3
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 347
the little hose from the WP to the top of the intake, 2 inch hose is even painted gold as there is also a little gold left on the PS pump unit also.
Is the weep hole on the WP on the top or on the bottom?
Is the weep hole on the WP on the top or on the bottom?
October 2nd, 2014, 08:05 AM
#4
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: southeastern Michigan
Posts: 14,168
I did not take the system from another car. I just bought a conversion kit and a new coil, and I replaced the spark plugs with some that are for HEI systems.
I bought this kit, and it would work in your car, too.
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...2486_488238_0_
I bought this coil. It would also work on your car.
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...3720_956269_0_
This way you keep the stock distributor, so there's no concern about clearances or is there enough room under the hood for it all.
I took the distributor right out of the car, which it made it quite easy to do the conversion. Highly recommended.
How good is the Olds 350? My God, man, you might as well ask how good is motherhood and apple pie! The Olds 350 is one of the best engines ever to grace the surface of the earth. It was installed in millions of cars between 1968 and about 1980 or whenever it finally left production. Take good care of it, and it will take good care of you!
"Posi" is short for positraction, and it is a Chevrolet term for a non-slip differential. Oldsmobile people positively cringe when they hear the back end of their car referred to as a "posi." Oldsmobile's term for this was the much-more-cumbersome-but-we-love-it-anyway "Anti-Spin Differential." It was an option, so you would have to check your car to see if it has it.
One quick place to look is the inside of the trunk lid. If yours still has its original jack instruction stickers and so forth, it would have this as well if the car has anti-spin. Note the "Anti-Spin" terminology. This sticker is on the inside of the lid to the storage compartment on my '73 Custom Cruiser.
But if it's not there, it doesn't prove anything as the sticker could have fallen off after all these years or been removed in a repaint. This is where the '74 Olds Chassis Service Manual comes in real handy as it will have information on how to identify which differential you have by the code numbers on it.
October 2nd, 2014, 08:14 AM
#5
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Poteau, Ok
Posts: 40,553
1. On the 350 is that the oil sending unit right next to the temp sending unit?
It's the forward sensor by the water pump on the left facing the engine.
2. Car has 68k on it, has to assume the trans has never been flushed. Should I flush it or just drop the pan and put in filter and top off?
I'm not a fan of flushing if the fluid is a pretty red color. I would just drop the pan, inspect for a large amount of debris, if it's minimal just replace the filter and top it off.
3. I have decent white door panels but the plastic or what ever it is made of is scratched, scuffed, can that be fixed somehow?
Post some pictures so we can see what they look like
4. What likely is the orig rim setup (link to a pic?) on this car that has no options other then a conv top?
There were a couple of rim offerings back then.
5. How hard would it be to go HEI on this car? What car would I get one from?
An Hei is a very common swap, however don't look for any performance increases. There are also points replacement kits that allow you to use the stock distributor.
6. How good of a motor is the 350 rocket? Appears to have been taken car of, no smoke, no rattles, quiet, smooth as can be.
The 350 engine is a work horse, you might find out if the timing set has been replaced.
7. Rear end is what? Posi, 12 bolt?
No telling/
8. My engine is painted gold, is that the correct color?
Not seeing what shade of gold it is hard to tell if it's the original color. Olds 350 engines were painted gold.
9. No clutch fan set up for cooling the car, why is that on such a big car?
Non A/C equipped cars were setup like yours.
It's the forward sensor by the water pump on the left facing the engine.
2. Car has 68k on it, has to assume the trans has never been flushed. Should I flush it or just drop the pan and put in filter and top off?
I'm not a fan of flushing if the fluid is a pretty red color. I would just drop the pan, inspect for a large amount of debris, if it's minimal just replace the filter and top it off.
3. I have decent white door panels but the plastic or what ever it is made of is scratched, scuffed, can that be fixed somehow?
Post some pictures so we can see what they look like
4. What likely is the orig rim setup (link to a pic?) on this car that has no options other then a conv top?
There were a couple of rim offerings back then.
5. How hard would it be to go HEI on this car? What car would I get one from?
An Hei is a very common swap, however don't look for any performance increases. There are also points replacement kits that allow you to use the stock distributor.
6. How good of a motor is the 350 rocket? Appears to have been taken car of, no smoke, no rattles, quiet, smooth as can be.
The 350 engine is a work horse, you might find out if the timing set has been replaced.
7. Rear end is what? Posi, 12 bolt?
No telling/
8. My engine is painted gold, is that the correct color?
Not seeing what shade of gold it is hard to tell if it's the original color. Olds 350 engines were painted gold.
9. No clutch fan set up for cooling the car, why is that on such a big car?
Non A/C equipped cars were setup like yours.
October 2nd, 2014, 09:50 AM
#11
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: southeastern Michigan
Posts: 14,168
Easy is a relative term in the world of water pumps. I've replaced two on Oldsmobile engines in my day, the most recent last winter on my wagon's 455. You have to, of course, remove the fan and all, but the hard part is getting at all the %@#% bolts, which come in about five different sizes, and some require that your arm bend in ways that were never intended. 
PB Blaster is your friend. After liberal use of this and the invention of some new cuss words, loosening the power steering pump to push it out of the way, and crawling under the car to get at a couple of them, I finally got it out. Installation of the new one was nothing by comparison, and I've had no problems since. I got a new one at Autozone.
I was so proud of myself afterwards, and because digital camera film is so cheap these days, I took a picture of it. Isn't it pretty?
PB Blaster is your friend. After liberal use of this and the invention of some new cuss words, loosening the power steering pump to push it out of the way, and crawling under the car to get at a couple of them, I finally got it out. Installation of the new one was nothing by comparison, and I've had no problems since. I got a new one at Autozone.
I was so proud of myself afterwards, and because digital camera film is so cheap these days, I took a picture of it. Isn't it pretty?
October 2nd, 2014, 10:18 AM
#12
CH3NO2 LEARN IT BURN IT
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Land of Taxes
Posts: 4,844
When 1970cs said all fluids this should include power steering, brake and rear-end differential muffler-bearing fluids too. Before bleeding the brake fluid(with a $70 pressure bleeder, highly recommended, Jegs or Summit .com) change all 3 soft brake hoses with high quality USA made soft lines. Use "line wrenches" on on the brake line nuts or you could round them off. PB Blaster for penetrating fluid.
Before you replace or rebuild the water pump flush the hell out of the cooling system. This includes removing the heater core hoses and running your garden hose through it to flush out the mud. Not too much pressure just enough to loosen the mud. Same for the engine. Run it until the water is clear. Drain all tap water and bring the system back up with the premixed 50/50. Or use distilled water with straight coolant of course cut in half to a 50/50 mix. Dont use tap water. Change all cooling system hoses and the T-Stat with a Stant Heavy Duty T-Stat, not a $5 "chineasium will fit". Hang on to the small bypass hose from the top of the pump to the stat housing. You may find any replacements are not as heavy duty as that original. If its in good shape consider reusing it. I can not find a thick bypass hose anymore. The current thin hoses are junk and expand and contract new like a worn out hose would. A hose removal tool is a good investment too.
Before you replace or rebuild the water pump flush the hell out of the cooling system. This includes removing the heater core hoses and running your garden hose through it to flush out the mud. Not too much pressure just enough to loosen the mud. Same for the engine. Run it until the water is clear. Drain all tap water and bring the system back up with the premixed 50/50. Or use distilled water with straight coolant of course cut in half to a 50/50 mix. Dont use tap water. Change all cooling system hoses and the T-Stat with a Stant Heavy Duty T-Stat, not a $5 "chineasium will fit". Hang on to the small bypass hose from the top of the pump to the stat housing. You may find any replacements are not as heavy duty as that original. If its in good shape consider reusing it. I can not find a thick bypass hose anymore. The current thin hoses are junk and expand and contract new like a worn out hose would. A hose removal tool is a good investment too.
October 3rd, 2014, 01:28 PM
#16
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: southeastern Michigan
Posts: 14,168
If the water pump requires a gasket, the replacement will come with one. I needed one when I replaced the pump on my wagon, and it came with the pump. I also, of course, used gasket sealant as directed.
I'm not sure what you mean by a "plate." Comes off of where?
I'm not sure what you mean by a "plate." Comes off of where?
October 3rd, 2014, 01:56 PM
#19
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 347
OK, thanks.
So now if I go and spray all the bolts for a time, ganna be a week or so before I even get all the parts in, on the WP the bolt breaker type of stuff that will actually penetrate a bolt that is not even moved at all and even has gold paint over it? Seems to me i would have to get that initial break of the bolt then spray it to get them to come out without snapping which I am afraid of with a car so old and they having not been out in like never perhaps.
So now if I go and spray all the bolts for a time, ganna be a week or so before I even get all the parts in, on the WP the bolt breaker type of stuff that will actually penetrate a bolt that is not even moved at all and even has gold paint over it? Seems to me i would have to get that initial break of the bolt then spray it to get them to come out without snapping which I am afraid of with a car so old and they having not been out in like never perhaps.
October 3rd, 2014, 02:39 PM
#20
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: southeastern Michigan
Posts: 14,168
That's the thing about bolts that have been in a long time. You never know how easy it will be to get them out. You prepare for the worst, and, with any luck, they'll turn easily.
As I recall, on changing my water pump, it wasn't so much getting the bolts loose as it was simply getting the socket them over it and getting good leverage. The top ones are easy to get at, the lower ones more difficult. But people have undoubtedly replaced waterpumps on Oldsmobile 350's at least a billion times since the first 350 was made in 1968. I'm sure yours will be no different.
As I recall, on changing my water pump, it wasn't so much getting the bolts loose as it was simply getting the socket them over it and getting good leverage. The top ones are easy to get at, the lower ones more difficult. But people have undoubtedly replaced waterpumps on Oldsmobile 350's at least a billion times since the first 350 was made in 1968. I'm sure yours will be no different.
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