Does the VIN indicate anything about a carb?
#1
Does the VIN indicate anything about a carb?
#2
There is nothing in the VIN that would indicate this. The third character in the VIN of a '69 Oldsmobile, if an odd number, means the car has an L-6 engine. If it's an even number, the car has a V-8. That's it as far as what the VIN will tell you about the engine.
Do you have a Delta 88, Delta 88 Custom, or Delta 88 Royale? The standard engine in the base Delta 88 was the 350 V-8, 2-bbl carb, 9 to 1 compression ratio, 250 hp, regular fuel.
The base engine in the Custom and Royale was a 455 V-8, 2-bbl carb, 9 to 1 compression ratio, 310 hp, regular fuel. This engine was an option in the base Delta 88.
Optional on all three 88's were a high-compression (10.25 to 1) 455, 4-bbl carb, premium fuel, single exhaust, 365 hp or the same configuration but with dual exhaust putting out 390 hp.
If your car has a 350, then you know immediately that it had no more than a 2-bbl carb originally as that was the only way a 350 could be had from the factory for a Delta 88. Four-barrel versions of the 350 were available that year in the Vista Cruiser and Cutlass lines, but not in the Delta 88.
If your car has a 455, it could be the low (2-bbl) or high (4-bbl) carb version. What does it say on the car's gas cap? Cars requiring premium fuel often had that written on the gas cap. Below is a photo of the gas cap on my '67 Delta 88, which requires premium fuel. It's a bit worn, but you can read it. Assuming your car's gas cap is original, if it says this, then you know it originally had a high compression engine and therefore a 4-bbl carb. If it does not say this, then the car has/had the low-compression 455 and 2-bbl carb.
It may actually also say on the air cleaner if the air cleaner is original and has its original decals on it. Words like "ultra-high compression" or "premium fuel required" would indicate that the car had a 4-bbl carb.
Do you have a Delta 88, Delta 88 Custom, or Delta 88 Royale? The standard engine in the base Delta 88 was the 350 V-8, 2-bbl carb, 9 to 1 compression ratio, 250 hp, regular fuel.
The base engine in the Custom and Royale was a 455 V-8, 2-bbl carb, 9 to 1 compression ratio, 310 hp, regular fuel. This engine was an option in the base Delta 88.
Optional on all three 88's were a high-compression (10.25 to 1) 455, 4-bbl carb, premium fuel, single exhaust, 365 hp or the same configuration but with dual exhaust putting out 390 hp.
If your car has a 350, then you know immediately that it had no more than a 2-bbl carb originally as that was the only way a 350 could be had from the factory for a Delta 88. Four-barrel versions of the 350 were available that year in the Vista Cruiser and Cutlass lines, but not in the Delta 88.
If your car has a 455, it could be the low (2-bbl) or high (4-bbl) carb version. What does it say on the car's gas cap? Cars requiring premium fuel often had that written on the gas cap. Below is a photo of the gas cap on my '67 Delta 88, which requires premium fuel. It's a bit worn, but you can read it. Assuming your car's gas cap is original, if it says this, then you know it originally had a high compression engine and therefore a 4-bbl carb. If it does not say this, then the car has/had the low-compression 455 and 2-bbl carb.
It may actually also say on the air cleaner if the air cleaner is original and has its original decals on it. Words like "ultra-high compression" or "premium fuel required" would indicate that the car had a 4-bbl carb.
#4
Wow, great info jaunty. The gas cap does not have anything on it to indicate using a higher octane. I did look at the original air cleaner top and it says oldsmobile rocket 455. I know that we did have to use higher octane due to when we turned off the car, it would continue to knock and carry on...I don't recall the name for that. What I have on it now, is a rebuilt/reman 4 barrel quadrajet that I got from someone on this site several years ago. The intake I put on was an aftermarket eddelbrock. It sits too high. I had someone on here offer to sell me an original intake manifold and air cleaner, but that was a long time ago and I don't remember who it was.
#5
First, this is called "dieseling" in honor of the fact that the combustion is occurring with heat and compression only, without spark (as the ignition is off), which is the way a diesel engine works. Second, this doesn't necessarily mean anything as dieseling can occur for other reasons. But it could indicate that your engine requires premium.
#6
It just means your combustion chambers are full of carbon.
And the high compression engine should have come with an orange air cleaner, while the low compression engine came with a black air cleaner.
The air cleaners for the 2bbl and 4bbl are completely different and are not interchangeable.
- Eric
#7
So Jaunty, with what you have said and what I have not seen, I have a base Delta 88 with the optional 455 2 barrel. There is nothing that says custom or royale...so with the information you provided, someone who is an olds aficionado would likely know that the 4 barrel was not stock on my particular vehicle, correct? And according to what Eric said, mine is a low compression.
Last edited by Gaz Hog; June 6th, 2015 at 04:29 AM.
#8
LOTS of base Deltas were ordered with 4bbls, so that's not really an issue.
We can speculate indefinitely, but if you want to know for sure what your compression is, look through the spark plug holes at the notches at the front edges of the piston crowns with a bore scope - HC is a V-notch, Low compression is a U-notch, as illustrated in the chassis Service Manual.
- Eric
We can speculate indefinitely, but if you want to know for sure what your compression is, look through the spark plug holes at the notches at the front edges of the piston crowns with a bore scope - HC is a V-notch, Low compression is a U-notch, as illustrated in the chassis Service Manual.
- Eric
#9
LOTS of base Deltas were ordered with 4bbls, so that's not really an issue.
We can speculate indefinitely, but if you want to know for sure what your compression is, look through the spark plug holes at the notches at the front edges of the piston crowns with a bore scope - HC is a V-notch, Low compression is a U-notch, as illustrated in the chassis Service Manual.
We can speculate indefinitely, but if you want to know for sure what your compression is, look through the spark plug holes at the notches at the front edges of the piston crowns with a bore scope - HC is a V-notch, Low compression is a U-notch, as illustrated in the chassis Service Manual.
Last edited by Gaz Hog; June 6th, 2015 at 07:09 AM.
#10
Look around and see whether anyone you know has one of those scopes - many of them are less than $100 now.
- Eric
#12
With the number of people who pull off the original manifolds to install aftermarket units, it shouldn't be hard to find one.
They're not worth much, as they're extremely heavy and therefore impossible to ship for a sane price - most people will give them away if you'll come get them.
The air cleaners can be a bit tougher, as, if I recall, they were also used on some 455 Cutlii.
- Eric
They're not worth much, as they're extremely heavy and therefore impossible to ship for a sane price - most people will give them away if you'll come get them.
The air cleaners can be a bit tougher, as, if I recall, they were also used on some 455 Cutlii.
- Eric
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
costpenn
General Questions
69
August 29th, 2018 11:42 AM
Rocket331
Non-Olds Engines
0
June 29th, 2013 01:52 PM
terryp
General Discussion
5
January 8th, 2012 01:22 PM
oldsowner1977
Eighty-Eight
0
August 17th, 2006 03:59 PM