73aussie455

Hi All
Trying to work out which camshaft would be in my 455, without pulling the timing cover off.

#xxx117 is supposedly for the auto whereas #xxx691 is installed with a 4bbl
My engine is original factory 4bbl Quadrajet with a T400 auto behind

The duration and lift is considerably different between the 2.
Does anyone know which cam would have been installed in engines with these 2 options?

(figures below from tech. pages)

1973 400117 44 258/272 .435/.435 455 AT, Marine, 455 LC
409691 61 286/287 .474/.472 455 4BC, L77, Marine

Thanks for any comments, Dave.

MDchanic

You've got the 400117 cam, which was the "workhorse" 455 cam used in most "average" 455s from '68 to '75, as listed below for your car:

73 455 Eng. T.H. 400

The 409691 was a higher-performance cam, used in 4-speed A-bodies, and later in W-30 and H/O cars.

- Eric

72 w29 all green

X2 on the 400117 cam. That's what originally came in my '72. FYI, duration at .050 lift for this cam is 194 intake / 207 exhaust ... certainly not the most performance-oriented stick BUT will get that large '73 "techtonic plate" moving from a standstill pretty well.

73aussie455

you made me laugh...

and thanks for the info eric.

72 w29 all green

Success!

Interesting color on that car. Might that be code 60 Mayan Gold?

joepenoso

Anybody know what the .050 specs were on the other cam#409691??
thanks
joepenoso

73aussie455

Code 60 it is indeed. Thanks for putting a name to the colour.

I actually have the original books and paperwork, warranty card etc, dealer delivery papers as well as the build sheet I found under the carpet.

Does someone know how to read the option codes off the build sheet? I would be very interested to find out.

MDchanic

I've asked questions like that before, and never gotten an answer.

I'd be interested in knowing, too.



The build sheet doesn't list options, it lists parts - parts that had to be pulled from bins or racks and bolted onto the car.

So, if you can imagine, there were a number of different crates of carburetors, or racks of sway bars or springs, or boxes of pulleys, as the car passed those stations, and each was labeled with a code that was easy to read quickly, like QB or AA.
As the car went by, the guys looked at their copies of the build sheets, and pulled and installed the parts that were called for.

Some part codes are specified in the Chassis Service Manual or the Assembly Manual, and some are not. Some are stamped into the parts themselves (such as the pulleys, and the carburetors, if original).

I don't know of a database of codes, but there may be one.
The best source of information is probably the Assembly Manual, but unless you're trying to assemble a basket case car from scratch to be a faithful restoration, knowing all the codes is probably not necessary.

- Eric

73aussie455

Thanks for the info eric, are you just obsessed with oldsmobiles or were / are you involved with Olds at some time, ie; dealer, mechanic, engineer etc?

Maybe its not the build sheet i have, a ticket like piece of paper with headings (style, trim, paint etc.) and numbers printed in corresponding boxes.

I'll post some pics of the paraphernalia i have in the glovebox in another thread, it's interesting to me and perhaps some others too.

MDchanic

Ha. No. I've turned a wrench for a buck now and then, but never made a living at it.

I just like cars and have picked up a bit of information over many years working on them.
I've had a bunch of Olds over the years, and I like them, but I've had other cars, too, and liked those.
Mostly, this board has a high concentration of nice people asking reasonable questions that are within my area of knowledge - I'm not good at all with racing questions or with non-GM American cars. Also, I pick up helpful info about my own car now and then.



Sounds like a broadcast card. The build sheet is an 8½x11 sheet of paper.

- Eric