I am rebuilding a 68 350. It came with a 2 bbl intake so I am replacing it with Edelbrock 7111 as per advice from this forum. It states that there is not room for an HEI distributor. Do I stick with the stock distributor points and coil since I am rebuilding it to only mild streetable? If I were going all out and trying to lower ETs I would look at dual points or MSD systems, but stock is probably fine enough for what I will do with it. I had horrible results trying to upgrade with Petronix before and threw it all away to return to a hotter coil and points. If anyone has any suggestions that can be done within a LIMITED budget, I would appreciate it. Maybe I should be asking advice on doubling my income so I can afford all of the upgrades everyone suggest. My Dad used to say "going 1st class only costs a little more!" Points are not that awful to adjust a few times a year, there is even a little door and with a dwell meter and the little allen wrench springy tool, it is simple. Still I would enjoy not having to do it if it doesn't. quadruple the cost! Should I rebuild it, buy a reconditioned one or replace it with something else?

 

Well the GM HEI distributor fit with no issues on my engine, so I don't know where that information originated.

With that said, you won't see any performance difference between a well set up points distributor and a HEI distributor. Or at least I didn't when I swapped mine back in the 80s - the car ran just exactly the same before and after the swap. Since you are on a budget and aren't looking for max performance, just stick with the points distributor and use good quality parts (points, cap, rotor, wires, coil).

Back then, I used the NAPA / Echlin 23 ounce street points (they were made by Accel) along with Echlin cap and rotor (the better brands have brass terminals whereas the cheaper ones have aluminum or some other silver metal). My engine would turn 5800 RPM with no points bounce.

 

While a regular Performer would have been a better RPM range choice, the directions state it will accept an HEI. See below:
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/47...rock-7111.html

 

On my '69 Cutlass, I sent my stock distributor to Bob Soucy owner of Performance Automotive ignition in TN. He belongs to an Olds club and did a super job on mine. Had him adjust the Pertronix I sent with it. Since installing it I have not had to do anything to it once the timing was set. I think he charged 50-75 for the complete rebuild.
239-671-3974.
Hope he can help you.

 

I have been told by several here that the Performer RPM is what I would want with the large valves and cam, and a tuned q jet w/ electric choke. I still have not bought anything, so I would love to hear what you think. I simply want it to breathe well and go when I hit the go pedal, but I am not building a High RPM or torque engine, just using Olds factory parts.

 

Thanks that is good info! I will make contact and see what he prescribes and send it down. I recall the vacuum advance curve is a critical part of the HO cars. Timing and carburetion too.

 

I am sort of a purist, unless there is a clear performance or runability reason, I stick with Dr. Olds. I would bolt on a cast iron intake if I had one. I saw where the You Tube Olds 350 did not show a significant HP difference Edelbrock vs stock cast iron intake. I'd prefer to rework the original distributor, especially if as you say there isn't any performance advantage. Points were not so hard to deal with...and I remember my HEI acting up when overheated or the coil stop working just for the Hell of it. Thanks for the info!

 

What cam are you intending to use?

 

W30 Automatic

 

So a factory 308º cam in a 350 engine? If so, then the Performer RPM is better suited to your application than the regular Performer 350.

If you keep the points distributor, I suggest you get the best quality points possible, preferably with the heavier 32 ounce springs. You're gonna be turning enough RPM with that cam in a small block that points bounce may be an issue.

 

WHICH "W-30 automatic"?

The 1966-67 308/308?
The 1968-69 328/328?
The 1970 285/287?
The 1971-72 286/287?

 

1970

 

I would consider using your stock points distributor and installing a MDS ignition box, like a 6A. When you use the CD style ignition, the points basically become a low voltage switch and last forever!! The current is stored and released from the box. If you don't like the appearance you can easily hide the installation. With this approach you will retain your stock advance curve and have a very strong and reliable ignition. I replaced the points in my 72 Cutlass in 1998 and they still look like new because of the MSD Box. Just sharing for consideration.

Rick

 

 

I will definitely do that Rick. I had an MSD box on a TR-8 which had a version of the Buick/Olds Aluminum 215 V-8. It made it run cleaner and upped the horses enough to notice. The MPG went up about 5% and it idled better, enough that I could turn down the screw a little. Thank you!

 

Yes I think floating the valves as a rev limiter is not ideal.

 

There are modern cams you can get that would likely suit your purposes better that any of the factory W-30 grinds.

 

I'm all ears.

 

Send a PM to cutlassfi. He's sort of the go-to guy for cam recommendations around here and may be able to help sort out your ignition and carburetion too.

 

My 350 has a Erson custom from Cutlassefi, 214/214 .472/.472 on a 110 LSA. The Erson TQ20 is close, slightly more lift .478/.478 on a 111 LSA. That W30 cam, pretty sure it is the same as the 70 350 manual trans cam, is 215/217 .472/.472 on a 114 LSA. My idle is far from radical and should provide better bottom end than the 114 lsa factory cam. I am running the discontinued Mallory Breaker less distributor with the Mallory 6AL box.

 

We've had a few PM's and I will work with his recommendations since he is the recognized cam guru. I love the lope of a W30 though...fell in love with it when I heard a Hurst Olds in the showroom of Pete Findley Olds in Las Vegas in 1969. They literally had to open the all the doors because it rattled them a bunch. But I know that a 455 has a different character than a 350 and W-31 is a manual trans cam. The cam will be the last thing we do since all of the details add up. Thanks for the referral!

 

Those are good tips and thanks. I want the rumble but I don't need to race it ever. I cannot see my TH 350 allowing the engine to climb above 5500 rpm. The costs of getting huge HP is exponential, and there are limits for me. A stock 350 is probably good enough, but I wanted some performance and sound! So, big valves and a mild cam, Performer RPM intake, headers and 2.5" exhaust will have to do. I cannot afford a posi, or a built TH350 or 400 or 200r4. I can't afford a $300 ignition and a lot of little things that double the price of this project. I don't need 400 or 500 horses. Going down the middle is not a sacrifice when I don't race it, and won't show it to Chev owners who whine so much I am 66 and so this will be the last of many Olds projects, mostly restorations, and because this is essentially my version of a Hot Rod, there is no right or wrong, just my way. What is great is that this forum gives advice freely amd all to the betterment of OLDS. I appreciate the advice for sure!

 

HOw are you going to use the car? What are the cam specs?? Compression ratio , Carb set up Exhaust flow..


People keep trying to use race car parts thinking they are "Better"

Only at Wide Open Throttle

If you just want to tweak a bit OK

But all the components all need to work together.

You might improve low end, but not top end and vice versa....

Factory had it pretty much down..

Get a chassis service manual for your year car and look at the specs like cam, distributor , vacuum advance spes ,etc

for street you need the vacuum advance for better fuel economy and running cooler...

how many times have I heard, my car runs worse after I put the race car parts in..

Fred

 

It will be capable of being a daily driver I don't race it and I don't need 400 HP or 6000 RPM . I will very occasionally haul or pull a small trailer, so my plan was to make the engine breathe a little better with the W-31 valves, an Edelbrock intake, and headers. I will get a tuned Qjet for more air in and out and I plan to stay with the stock distributor with the advance curve tweaked. Since I have power brakes and an AT, the cam needs to not rob all the vacuum but I want it to respond. It will have stock pistons. I don't want racecar parts on it. I want it to run and sound nice, mostly when I behave myself, but when the devil makes me, I want it to go well. I don't want it to need AV gas . I'm with you, it makes it worse sometimes to raise the performance too far above stock...you have to beef up everything and they may become even less dependable without constant tinkering. I just want to use it until I can't anymore!

 

Is the exhaust system that's on there now the factory single system?

 

I'm swapping a Buick 3.8 out and the 350 in, but it is a single system now and will be duals from headers to the rear bumper

 

Really? Wow, how did that end up in there?

 

That's easy . He's got a 68 350 Olds engine '
And he's probably putting it into a "G" body car .
Ought to be a bomb !

 

BOP TH350 made going to a SBC more difficult and my history with Olds made me not want to at all. It was decided I would get a V8 and I found a 68 in storage...in great condition...#5 Heads soit starts. Every El Camino, V-6 or V-8 has either a Crate motor or an LS. I wanted something not an 80's cookiecutter mobile. They are all the same including wheels and buckets, a cowl hood...just hit me that I really want an Oldsmobile engine over every small block Chevy in the world! The final decision was simple, I could spend almost as much trying to get HP out of a 3.8 smogmobile or return to the rumble of an Olds Factory W hot rod engine. It will be my last project for sure!

 

YEP, not necessarily in that order. The day I traded my ragtop Tracker for it, I had in my mind that when the breathless V6 needed any work, it was coming out and bigger was going in. The parts were already there for an OLDS V8 but I did not want any version of the 80s V8s

 

Ah. For some reason, I thought we were talking about the whole car being a '68.

 

Glad you are going Olds V8. The Buick 350 is the easiest swap by far but are not as good stock as our Olds 350 due to the wearing of the aluminum front cover/oil pump set up and a restrictive oiling set up. Plus parts and motors are rarer, especially up here anyways.

 

 

There were a lot of reasons I chose Olds, but mostly because Olds was an important Mark in my family and I have a lot of familiarity with the workings. Since G Body's were cookiecutter, Olds put their V8s in them and so the fit was there. The dumb previous owner got rid of all the A/C components by simply chopping them out, so I knew the V8 fit was tight and now it will be simple. I got the firewall panel that was for G body's w/o air, and while I am swapping engines, I will also get the new panel in. I got the faster ratio steering so it gets swapped in when the engine is out too. I am working between the 68 engine and the 80 body for technology. I will upgrade only when necessary due to parts availability, or outrageous costs. I simply would not do this same swap to a 64 to 77 Chevelle El Camino that was all Chevy. Since GM chose to cobble it up with their mindless stupidity, a concours restoration is impossible. In my view, GM trucks should have been sporting Olds engines all along so I am just putting things right.

 

You'll never know the difference

 

I agree on all points. I stuck a 81 Olds 307 Y motor in my 78 1/2 ton. The truck was a dog with a sbc 350 and 2.76 gears. The 307 out powered it everywhere. The sbc 350 would hit 90 mph with the wind behind it. I buried the 100 mph speedo with just a glass pack and the lousy exhaust crossover set up with no cat.