I'm trying to better understand the difference between a.) the 350 Rocket in my 1969 F-85 and b.) the 330ci 4 bbl ultra high compression in my '66 Cutlass convertible.

Is one more powerful than the other? I was under the assumption that a 4 bbl carb adds horsepower to the 350, but my 330 came standard with the 4bbl carb. Where does the 330ci being "ultra high compression" fit in to the mix?

Which one has more HP? And are there any quick ways to add a few more horses to my 330 to make it a little more competitive in rush hour traffic?

Sorry for my ignorance - I'm still learning...

Thx,

Doug

 

I don't know about the high and low compression and type of carburetor because my reference doesn't say. But it does say that the standard engine in the '66 Cutlass was a 320 hp, 330 cubic inch V8. A less powerful (310 hp, Option L73) version was optional. The F-85 (non-Cutlass) could have been had with a version of the 330 with even less power, 250 hp, which was the standard "Jetfire Rocket."

Other optional engines were 350 (Option 442 L78) and 360 (Option 442 L69) hp versions of the 400 cubic inch engine. There was also an Option 442 W30 for the 400, but my book doesn't give the horsepower rating on that one.


For the '69 models, the base V-8 engine in the Cutlass and F-85 lines was a 250 hp version of the 350. My book calls it the "standard rocket." There were 310 (Option L74) and 325 (Option W31) hp versions available also.

For the '69 442, the base engine was a 325 hp version of the 400, with 350 (Option W32) and 360 (Option W30) hp versions available.

 

I have a 65 Cutlass with the same engine you have. was planning on swapping to a 455. Figured I would beef up the drive-train first so swapped the 2 speed trans for a turbo 400 and pulled the rear and installed a 12 bolt 390 gear. I was so happy with the results I'm keeping the 330 till it doesn't run.
my point is you just need a little more gear and it'll really wake up.

 

The 20 extra cubic inches came from bore, a good thing. Also the larger bore unshrouds the valves better. Heads are siimilar 66 to 69. All the factory cams were mild, and a cam change will help the bigger engine more just because it has more potential. Factory HP ratings were quite variable and influenced by insurance rates, GM corporate politics, etc.

 

From 1965 to 1967, Olds also offered a low-compression, regular fuel version of the 330 four-barrel as a no-cost option in Cutlass and Cutlass Supreme models. This number had the same 9 to 1 CR as the 2-barrel 330 but a horsepower rating of 305 in 1965 and 310 for 1966-67. This engine was also offered as an extra-cost option on other A-body cars including F-85s and Vista Cruisers.

 

Good info, but this thread is from 2011 so I hope the OP has already gotten his answer.