I have a 59 Olds Dynamic 88 with 371 engine. Looking at the engine the valve covers are held on by two bolts at the top of the valve cover. This to me looks like this engine could be a 57 or 58 371 and not a 59 371. I had a 60 Olds 371 with valve covers held on by bolts around the perimeter flange, like a SBC. This is why the questions.

I would like to check into this and need the engine code and where it is located at. Also in 59 the engines used either the cartridge oil filter or the spin on. Could Olds have just been using up their 58 leftover heads with the newer 371 block, along with the cartridge filters?

 

What I can find is this:

location: Boss on the top of the center exhaust port on the drivers side

1957 Engine codes A-001001 and up 371
1958 Engine codes B-001001 and up 371
1959 Engine codes C-001001 and up 371
1960 Engnie codes CE-001001 export, C-001001 240HP, CH-001001 260HP 371

Hope this helps

 

thanks, I will look at it tonight after fixing starter wire.