My first engine rebuild... Looking for some advice.. Here's what I got going:
1968 Cutlass with original 350. Bought a $500, 455 out of a wrecking yard in Tucson. They claimed it ran, when it was pulled. Took a chance.

Would like to rebuild & install for my own knowledge / skill / pride.

Goal: A daily driver with some good pick up. 400 horses would be great but there is that money factor too.

Plan: Tear her down, keep the block, crank and rods. Have all magna fluxed. After that, it gets a little fuzzy. Looking for some advice in these areas:

I have "J heads" which get some mixed reviews... Rebuild or ???

Advice on pistons, mild cam, lifters, pushrods etc....??

Later I will look into manifold / carb ideas. I would like a whole "plan" in place before I start buying though.

I almost have her torn apart (see pix). I know there is alot of good knowledge out there... Lookin' for a little help.

Thx, Bob

 

Welcome to CO there are lots of Olds engine builders here that should chime in. I have built several motors but have yet to build an Olds motor so I will just sit back and watch this one so I don't lead you down the wrong path.

 

you need to measure some things first. if you know the mileage that will help but you really dont know what you have till ya get some numbers a factory manual would be a great help! a budget also helps these guy's steer you in the right direction goodluck i hope she's a good one!

 

Some more info before folks can truely chime in with suggestions.

Biggest one is- What is your budget, and what is your desired plan of involvement in the build.

Do you want to drop it off and get it back and bolt it in the car, do you want the shop to assemble the shortblock, you do the heads & top end... Or do you want to do it all yourself after machining.

You say you want a driver quality motor with about 400hp- That really should not be hard to attain with basic stuff- the factory was doing that with stock parts in 1970.

Your budget will basically tell us how easy it will be for you to reach that goal.
Aluminum heads, fancy rockers, and a roller cam could put you at 400hp without breaking a sweat, but your visa may melt in your pocket....

If you are on a tight budget, craigslist and ebay are your friends, and you can find some great deals on new and used parts, but you will have to work for them.

anyway- Your first step, which you are already well on your way, is tearing it down and get it out to a machine shop for inspection.

Try and get some recomendations for machine shops, perferably somewhere that has done oldsmobile motors before.

Then once you know what work it NEEDS... then you can begin to really pick the componets to meet your budget and perform the way you want.

 

A little tip on dissassemby - put some thin rubber hose over the rod bolts after you number the caps and remove the nuts - saves nicking the crank, and could mean the difference between polishing and grinding!

 

Well... My budget is not totally clear... The good news is, I could wait 2+ years and build up some funds. Manifolds & pistons are GREAT Father's day presents! Right now I have around $3000 to play with. I know the machine shop will eat up alot of that...

I would love to use Ebay & Craigslist, but I need to formulate my shopping list first.

As far as my involvement.. I would LIKE TO do as much as possible. It seems best to have the shop check out the block, hone as needed, and fit the pistons for me... Polish / grind the crank.. (More??)

Then I would take over from there.

 

If you have the shop assemble the short block, including the pan, you'll at least have some kind of warrantee, and ony one place to point a finger, especially if you've not done one before!
Well worth it, for a novice, as one little mistake could be horrendous, not to mention costly, IMO!

 

One step at a time.Have the block checked-out.See what that needs done to it.More than likely,it will need bored,but go the minimal as possible,to keep the cylinder walls thicker,and leave room for any future reboring,if it would ever come to that.Once you know what piston size you need,then you can order pistons,and have your stock rods reconditoned,the crank done,and the rotating assembly balanced.At this point,you will have the pieces to make a shortblock,and you can have the machineshop assemble it.Finish that off with a good oil pump,and if your existing oil pan is good,reuse that.If you go with an aftermarket oil pan,make sure you get the corresponding oil pump pickup tube for the pump.
At this point,you would need to pick a camshaft,valvetrain parts,heads,and intake.Cross that bridge when it comes up.

 

Well, I finally got her totally apart. Got some pictures below. Here is my thinking... Again, I am looking for some good low end torque, 350+ horsepower. On a budget tho. Would LIKE to have my hands in the work as much as possible...
1. Into the shop goes block, rods and crank. Clean & evaluate all, Magnaflux block.
2. Likely bore out 30. New Keith black pistons / rings. All new bearings, plugs, etc...
3. After this, it starts gettin a bit fuzzy... Ideally, I would like to have a plan on paper for all parts. Cam & Heads is the big question. Found what I BELEIVE to be a good, organized and clean shop. Owner's advice is to port out the J heads (As opposed to them beautiful new Edelbrock performer heads),, New valves, springs guides etc, all parts & labor... 'new' heads are gonna set me back about $1000.. Also considering a simple cam for the low end torque.
4. Next, Consider this 1974 manifold with all the EGR junk and stock carb...
So, give me your 2 cents..
Thx for any input, Bob

 

First thing first, figure out how much its going to cost to properly rebuild and port those heads. Its not hard to spend the same or more money on 40 year old iron heads (especially J heads!) as it would to purchase aftermarket. The Edelbrocks are a 40-50 hp bolt on, probably more for J heads.

 

BTW, of course the shop recommends all out port job on those heads. More money for them! Time is money, it will defiantly take a lot of time to make J heads worth big power.

 

I still have those big valve G heads for sale. Those and a mild cam will get you to 350+hp no problem.

Just a suggestion.

 

Bob,
$1000 is a little bit steep on the heads, in my opinion.
Your goals are within easy reach, even with J heads.

For what you seem to want, cutlassefi's G heads (I think he's asking $650), or even Rambow's C heads with big valves would easily eclipse 350 HP, and even at the price you were quoted, be half the cost of the Edelbrock's when all was said and done.

Keep it simple, and don't waste your money. Keep in mind what compression you are aiming for, and what fuel you will need to feed it once you get it going.
So what shop are you using?
Keep us up on the progress.
Jim

 

I made that kind of power and more with stock unported J heads 16 years ago. I just had a regular valve job done on top of that due to money constraints.
If you are planning to bore the block make sure to have the pistons, rings, bearings, harmonica balancer that you plan to use as well as the flexplate/flywheel you plan to use when you go to the shop to start the machining. Having all of that will help the machinist set up the block, rods and crank properly if any of them need to be cut. The flexplate and balancer are for balancing purposes which is not needed, but recommended.

 

I think I have found a good, organized and clean local machine shop - Greulich's Engine Machining.. - Anybody have input? Came recommended from a local Olds club.
A decent tax return has encouraged me to buy some new Edelbrock heads! Now debating between 2 intake manifolds... Performer or Torker. Again, my goal is mostly low end torque, decent HP. Not racing this daily driver. Just cruising with the top down, but want her to move when the light goes green.
Always looking for some wisdom...
Thx, Bob

 

Bob, I noticed you're from the Valley, maybe check out Morrison's Auto Machine or Hempleman's (NAPA), both are in Glendale. While you're on the west side, visit Ed Smith at 5 Star Engines... he ran a speed shop for many years. The business now specializes in engine rebuilds. I've heard Gruelich's is recommended by the local club, but I'm more familiar with shops on the west side. Good luck with your build, I'll be watching. -Mike

 

Great point! If you really really wanna learn, and have the budget for it (Meaning you have enough money to pay for another rebuild if you mess it up lol) I would definitely try to do it yourself. But if you just need a sweet daily driver let them do it.

 

Performer.
I have to ask, picked a cam yet!

 

No experience with Gruelich, or Morrison, but have heard many good things about them.
I love Hemplemans, nothing but good people there, I usually use Pete Kelley's auto machine, myself.
Ed Smith only owns the property that 5 Star sits on (hell--he owns half downtown Glendale), but 5 Star is run by his son Chris, now. It used to be Ed Smith's speed shop.
Stay away from that place, IMO. Scribe ALL of your parts, if you do use them, to confirm ownership.
Most shops will use DJ's to grind the crankshaft, anyway.
Good luck.
Jim

 

Pete Kelly's place is on west Hatcher road in Sunnyslope. I haven't tried them personally, but have passed the place many times.