Copper Nine Eight

Wondering... Wouldnt the procedure to rebuild a olds 350 be the same as rebuilding a chevy 350? Except for torque specs and stuff like that. But the actual steps, wouldnt they be the same?

oldcutlass

Yes, an engine is an engine.

Copper Nine Eight

thanks man! You always answer my questions!

oldcutlass

The biggest difference is the firing order at the dist. is ccw, fixed rocker arms, and intake manifold gasket material.

Copper Nine Eight

another question you may know. On my 85 delta 88, the carb is computer controlled. If i replace that carb with one that isnt, would my check engine light come on?

Copper Nine Eight

and what does ccw mean?

oldcutlass

CCW means counter clockwise. I know if you change the carb you need to also change the distributor. I don't know about the check engine light and the OD trans if you have one, my knowledge is more geared toward the pre computer controls.

Copper Nine Eight

ah! I see. Im doing some reading as we speak! Appreciate it man!

joe_padavano

Let me clarify a little. Yes, the process to rebuild a cast iron American V8 is pretty much the same no matter who built it. HOWEVER, be aware that there are some important details that differ from an Olds to a Chevy, and Chevy-centric machine shops tend to ***-U-ME every motor is a Chevy and is built like one. Things like setting the valve tip height is extremely important on an Olds, due to the non-adjustable valvetrain. Most shops don't know this and don't set the valves up correctly, as an example.

oddball

There are a few quirks. The Mondello shop has gone downhill since the man himself retired (and passed away), but the Tech Ref book is still very useful.

Some interesting things:
Oil galley plugs. Front ones are unique, front passenger has a hole. Rear driver has a hole.
There's an oil "slinger" that goes on the crank snout just inside the timing cover to keep splash off of the crank seal.
Don't forget the fuel pump eccentric, even if not using a mechanical fuel pump. And don't install the fuel pump upside down.
IMO Olds is especially picky about the intake sealing. It's a wide intake, especially compared to the Chevy.
As noted, the valvetrain can cause issues. The simple answer is to get an adjustable setup, even if it's just the cheap Comp kit. Note that the pushrods in the Comp kit are extremely weak and the locknuts are a pain.
Check the thrust clearance carefully.

joe_padavano

The width is irrelevant. The issue is that people don't bother to read the CSM and thus don't know the correct way to install the intake gasket. Never had a sealing problem on an Olds motor in over 40 years.

No, the simple answer is to get a shop that has a clue. If you have a near-stock cam profile (and that includes the 328/328 degree W-30 cam, by the way), the stock valvetrain works fine. Obviously if you are making a lot of engine mods, they by all means upgrade to a roller style valvetrain. If this is a stock-ish rebuild, there is no need to spend the money on an adjustable valvetrain just because the machine shop is incompetent.

gbledsoe3

Is the CSM (Chassis Service Manual) the same as the service manual I can get on the Wild About Cars (Automotive History Preservation Society) website?