371 cu. in. - some schooling needed

[Nailhead 88]

I went to a friends house to look at his 57 Super 88 Convertible & hear it run. He is rebuilding a 58 motor and i can buy the old 57 - 371, it has some blow by and uses a little oil. It sounds ok.

I would be buying a running long block, he mentioned a 58 oil pan with the filter sticking out the right side, i could have. I couldn't quite visualize that.

When i crawled under my 50 Olds coupe finally, i found out that was the same thing i had. The filter on the right of the pan was larger then i thought it would be. I put a pry bar on the flywheel and it turned with easy, it might run!

My question, are 58's the only years that use this filter in the pan? or are there other years. Does it work well, or is it a problem? Thanks for any info

[59-59-59]

I am unfamiliar with the 303 you are talking about, but what i think you are talking about is a oil resevoir on the side of the oil pan. I have the same resevior on a '62 394 i put in a '57. This is NOT the oil filter! I found it weird that the 371 I pulled from my '57 has it, as well as the '62 394 , but not any '59 or '60 394 that I have. Your oil filter canister should have a 5/8 bolt to loosen on the right side of the block

[88 coupe]

Originally Posted by Nailhead 88

........ are 58's the only years that use this filter in the pan? ........

Doesn't sound like any Olds pan I've seen.

Oil pans did not change from '49 through '56, and V8 used the same oil filters from '49 through '59.

Originally Posted by Nailhead 88

........ it might run! ........

Try it.

Norm

[Nailhead 88]

59-59-59, It's not a 303 motor for sure. I thought i narrowed it down, to a 57 or 58.

You say some 371 & 394's have this oil reserve. The motor i have, has a square bore 4 barrel manifold and the valve covers are like my friends 57's smooth except where the bolts go. His 57 has a regular type pan, the rebuild has the oil reserve. Do you change them like a filter or clean them or leave them alone?

Norm, it's different all right, the pan has this filter looking thing about the size of a Ford F1 filter
I'll see if i can fire up the Olds

[59-59-59]

Originally Posted by Nailhead 88

Do you change them like a filter or clean them or leave them alone?

You cannot change them since they are WELDED on the side of the oil pan. For anybody that is confused in what we are talking about, picture a stock oil pan. On the passenger side, there is a resevoir. The best way I can describe it is this - it looks like a 24 oz. Heineken keg can on the side of the pan that is welded on

[59-59-59]

Originally Posted by Nailhead 88

.

When i crawled under my 50 Olds coupe

That was the 303 I was referring to, not your friends '57 or '58

[88 coupe]

Originally Posted by 59-59-59

........ looks like a 24 oz. Heineken keg can on the side of the pan that is welded on

Thanks for the clarification.

Originally Posted by 59-59-59

That was the 303 I was referring to ........

Same here.

Norm.

[Nailhead 88]

Originally Posted by 59-59-59

You cannot change them since they are WELDED on the side of the oil pan. For anybody that is confused in what we are talking about, picture a stock oil pan. On the passenger side, there is a resevoir. The best way I can describe it is this - it looks like a 24 oz. Heineken keg can on the side of the pan that is welded on

I like that a Heinenken keg. I didn't look real close at mine, welded on thanks for that info.

My friends going with a regular pan for the clean look and less clutter. It's a sharpe Red 57 ragtop with 3 - 2's, he built it from many pieces and fab a lot of parts

My 50 Olds came with a 371 in it, a project in the works with the rear of the motor hanging off a chain, auto flywheel is attached.

I don't have a trans for it yet. I got it from Fla, he thought it was a 57 or 58 motor but wasn't sure. I didn't know what motor was in it for sure till this reservoir question came up, this clears up a lot of questions i had

[Nailhead 88]

Thanks for all your input, I have a early 57 Olds 371 motor sitting in my 50 Olds coupe

It has a single notch timing mark ( 1st 15,000 1957 motor's), not the 3 notches ( found that info in the Motor's Manual)

a oil reservoir (canister) on the the right side of the pan ( the Tumor) Thanks 59-59- 59

a 371 square bore intake manifold Thanks J - ( Chicago) for the info That was the final answer i needed to solve it

now to see if it will fire up