I'am rebuilding a 455 to go into a 1965 442 I'am restoring and would like to know if any one of you Olds Experts know if the ac and ps brackets will fit with these heads and stock valve covers or if I should just use the C heads I all ready have,I want to use all the original options on this car and have this engine look like the 400 that it came with?Thanks for your expertise.

 

The edelbrocks are definitely better for performance and flow, I believe they have all the stock mounting holes (correct me if i'm wrong). But, if you're going for a factory appearing engine, those will stick out like a sore thumb, the C heads are a good head to use, an will cost less even if you give em' a complete over haul (which i'm doing on my 98) . It's all a matter of preference i guess

 

Welcome to the site! Please post pictures of your car when you have time.

It all depends on what you want to accomplish. Do you have the correct engine block? The 1965 would have been a 400 cubic inch with a large letter "B" cast into it between the timing cover and intake manifold. If you do have the correct B block I'd consider finding a set of "A" heads for it. Unless you plan to race it the A heads will perform OK for you, and if you really want to you could do some flow work on them.

Now that I read back through your thread I see you've got a 455. If the original 400 is long gone than you can go with the 455 and C heads for the correct look. I agree with Stattiolds69 that the edelbrocks would move you away from the original appearance. OR....if the rest of your car is original and it is a real 442 you might consider looking for a 1965 400 motor. They didn't stamp the vin number in the blocks, so if you find a 1965 400 motor, especially with casting dates around when your car was built, it will be as close to original as you can get it. Just some thoughts to consider. John

 

An Edelbrock head,right from the box,will outflow any iron factory head,and most ported iron heads.By the time you have your C-heads all redone,and ready to go,you'll be close to the cost of Edelbrocks.
You shouldn't have any issues with bracketry.If anything,maybe some clearancing.I have a customer's 71 442 with AC,PS,etc.,and I have all the accessories on there.I had to do a small amount of grinding on the front alternator bracket,but it was very minor.Stock valve covers will fit.

 

Since we are talkin E-brocks, would someone know what spark plugs need to be used with these heads? The holes for plugs are way to deep and narrow to get any wrench or socket on a standard size plug.

thanks, Rob

 

Really?

 

From what I have seen,and what I have tried,yes.You can do everything possible to an iron head,and you can make more power than an out-of-the box Edelbrock,but not by much,and the cost it will take to acieve that is much more than a pair of Edelbrocks,or Rocket Racing,or whatever else is in the aftermarket.
If you are not doing a concours,numbers-matching resto,I would go with some type of aftermarket head.I would also buy them bare,and assemble them with what you need for your valvetrain.No extra parts laying around that way.

 

My sheet shows 14mm x 3/4" reach gasketed plugs. Champion RC-9YC to RC-14YC or equivalent. For typical street use, they recomend RC-12YC. The 12's are what I am running and seem fine.

 

I run Delco's and NGK's in the Edelbrocks.I have the boxes somewhere.I'll get the numbers.

 

On a related edelbrock theme, I just bought a set and noticed the exhaust ports are much smaller than the stock iron heads. I have not bought headers yet, but my stock exhaust manifolds also have a large rectangular port whereas the edelbrock exhaust ports are more square. Is it recommended to enlarge the exhaust ports to the rectangular shape?

 

Thanks for all the replys,I know the e brocks will not look stock but my main concern was if the ps and ac brackets will clear stock valve covers on these heads and if the brackets will bolt up.Thanks again.

 

No, they actually flow as good as or better than the larger rectangular ones.

 

All of the brackets with the exception of the AC bracket fit without modifications. There is a thread explaining that mod that was posted recently. I can't seem to find it will look later on.

 

As far as I know all the brackets will fit. However the biggest headache is the fuel pump, the way the Edelbrock heads are cast and machined there isn't room for a mechanical pump. Electric pumps are an option, a more expensive fix is to machine clearance into the head and then weld the holes shut. It is a real pisser that Edelbrock cheapened out in this way.

 

On the 455 you can use a mechanical fuel pump from NAPA if you file a 1/4" deep V shaped notch in the head and still not get close to the water jacket. If you install the same heads on the 350 block you cannot use the mechanical fuel pump unless you cut into the water jacket and then weld a patch.

I use a mechanical pump on my 455 in my 57 Olds

 

I am running a Carter mechanical fuel pump on mine. I did, however, have to file a little off the lower front of the head for it to fit. Not mutch.

 

I had no problems installing a mechanical fuel pump on mine. I believe it is a Carter pump. but no mods to fuel pump or any brackets except I did have to extend the top ear on nmy alternator bracket for my Edelbrock intake.

 

Can someone post a pic of a Carter mechanical fuel pump used in conjunction with edelbrock heads? What model number?
Thanks!!!

 

This is a classic example of why bigger is not always better, and also why airflow and aerodynamics are not intuitive. The stock Olds exhaust ports have a very tight short side radius that does not flow well. Simply filling the bottom of the port (which makes the port smaller) actually improves airflow. Raising the TOP of the port helps more, but E-brock constrained their heads to fit stock exhaust manifolds, so they were limited in what they could do to the tops of the ports.

 

I got my fuel pump from Jegs. I looked at all the pictures I have of my engine and I dont have any with a clear pic of the pump. My car is currently covered up and the garage door to it is snowed up so it will have to wait for a picture until we get some global warming but I know I had no modifying to fit mine.

 

Here's a pic of that pump. Only thing touching the head is the rubber diaphragm.

<a href="http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/l...0402111008.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...0402111008.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

I am getting ready to install a prototype fuel pump,that will clear ALL cylinder heads.

Here are some pictures of the Edelbrocks that i will be running.Does this increase your desire Joe?

rawedelbrocks1.jpg
rawedelbrocks2.jpg
rawedelbrocks3.jpg
rawedelbrocks5.jpg
rawedelbrocks.jpg
rawedelbrocks6.jpg

 

were's this trick fuel pump ? Does Bill know you have those pics? Are yours the moved push rod heads too like the one's he just tested
on hpo?

 

If your alternator is on the left hand side (right as looking at the engine from the front) it will not bolt on correctly without some modification. The holes are correct but there is a lip on the bracket that keeps it from sitting flush...

 

I got a stock mechanical fuel pump to fit. It's tight, but no modification was needed.

 

Firefrost,
Those pictures were originally posted by Bill.He purchased a few sets of raw castings from Edelbrock,then moved things where they should be & machined them.He does have another set of these on the shelf.These are NOT the ones with offset pushrods.The ones with offset pushrods are made from the store-bought castings.I had a chance to see those as well,a few weeks ago.Very nice.
The pump I have drops down,so it is nowhere near the head.It is a billet piece with AN fittings.This is the 1 of 2 mad eso far,and the other one has about 1,000 miles on it so far.If it all works out,it will then come to market,and so far,it is looking good.

 

nice do they say edelbrock on them like the box store one's ?

 

I don't think they do.Bill could tell you that.The raw ones will also require a set of custom rockers,like T&D's. These are going on my 517.

 

Do you think you will be able to run in the 10s then?

 

Not even considering 10's. It won't have a choice but to go into the 9's.This will be another daily-driven street engine,running on 93 pumpgas.I started this project in '05,and as time has gone on,it has only gotten better,with better parts & better options coming available.

 

9s are easy with a basically stock 455 in an 86 Cutlass and if you give a 600 shot of spray, 8s with the A/C on

 

I don't run any power adders.This is naturally aspirated,in a 3800lb car.All stock body panels,full bucket/console interior,full exhaust,stock style supsension,drag radial.This is not a gutted cobbled-up potato chip car.If you would ever see the car in-person,you would realize that the picture does it NO justice at all.

BTW,I like Primus.

 

Now thats funny right there!

 

That's an atom bomb with a short timer.

 

Naw.. I was referring to the kid in the other thread who wondered how much power he would have with the basically stock 455 when his dad had a similar setup and ran 9s back in the 80s and he was hoping for 10s. But all of the advice that was given just offended him.