Hi all sorry for so many post but this is driving me nuts. My58 Olds was the one with the dip stick trouble and I fixed it but now the oil pan gasket is wrong. I bought a felpro # OS 6412C but the ends are different as they have a raised area and will not seat proper. I just checked on Rock Auto and the 394 gasket looks correct looking at there diagram. Can a 394 pan be on my 371 motor or is the motor a 394 ??? Thanks so much guys

 

There should be a number stamped on the top of the driver side head , near the center exhaust ports.
Please post the number .

 

Are your valve covers held on by two fasteners on the top of of the cover or held on by 5-6 on the out side rim. There are two 371's the early 57-58 have only two bolts later 371 are multiple bolts on the rim of the cover. the later 371's are really a smaller version of the 394. You might have the later non original version..... Tedd

 

Tedd 2 bolt holes in the center of valve covers. The # are BO63971 then lower below bolt is the # 16 large #.
Also a # stamped on the block on the pan mounting flange 6984. I am now wondering if felpro just combined there Part # for the pan gasket with the early 324 motors?
Again thank all of you for your help

 

Just looked at Fusick parts and the gasket set part # 6412A has 2 sets of end gaskets and the one looks right ?

 

That does indeed identify it as a 1958 Olds engine .

 

Can 371 heads from 1958 be fitted to a 394 block?

 

Ozzie I also wondering same thing. Hoe some one will know this, will post later when the oil pan gasket set from Fusick comes in.

 

Pan Gasket set from Fusick is here and great service by the way. And yes 2 sets of rubber end gaskets.Call the gasket maker BestGasket.com and he explained that the 371 has 2 versons of the oil pan so 2 sets they include. Not sure about this info but makes sense.

 

The 1957 and 1958 371 is different than the 1959 and 1960 371 - that's why there's 2 versions of this gasket

 

As told to me 40 years ago by a racer who used Oldsmobile's exclusively, all first generation heads will physically bolt on to any block but that doesn't mean they can be made to run. I've never tried this but according to him oil passages are different head gaskets and valve train differences arise and many other problems plague the quest for major hot rod power by bolting on better newer heads on smaller displacement engines..... Tedd

 

Olds parts book shows the following for group 1.429 Gasket Set, Oil Pan

1949-1957 8 cyl. (Up to engine number A143820 & between engine number A146388 thru A146764).........................part number 557560

1957 & 1958 All* (After engine number A143819 exc. engine numbers A146388 thru A146764).........................part number 570795

*Note - The 1957 2nd type gasket set must be used on 1949 thru 1956 models which have had original production type oil pan replaced with part number 572448.



I'm not sure if this clarifies anything or not, but that's what was there. For whatever it may be worth.