I still own my 1971 Cutlass Conv that I bought in 1984, it was my 1st car. Unfortunately I stored the vehicle away with a blown head gasket. I discovered moisture damage, top & bottom, & i am looking to rebuild my 350 Rocket. Any advice on ways I can squeeze the most out of my 350, without breaking the bank. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time & have a happy & safe 4th of July.

 

look up CutlassEFI (Mark Remmel) on this board - he's a pretty notable Olds engine builder/parts vendor out of FL and provides much info on the site on exactly what you're inquiring about.

 

How do I contact CutlassEFI on this site?

 

I think reliability is as important as performance. Good machine work and quality parts. Check all engine bay wiring while the engine is out. Radiator should be as new. Carb restored. Performance is great, but being able to drive and enjoy your convertible is priceless.

 

Thank you for your advice. I’m actually re doing this more for my dad, & drivability is a big one. I’m gonna pull the drums up front & put disc in. Not looking to go nuts, mostly stock, just looking to squeeze some preformance out of my 350
bobby

 

Go to "Members" on the drop-down under the Community heading at the top of the page. There you can look him up alphabetically.

 

One thing that is critical is the piston selection, and Mark will make sure you get the right ones. The commonly available cast pistons are short on compression height and the engine will end up with less compression ratio than what you expect, but most forged pistons are the correct height so they don't have this issue. Also, do not use the "1971-1972 factory replacement" pistons as they have HUGE 24cc dishes in addition to being too short and will end up at less than 8:1 compression ratio.

 

You search for his username in the upper RH corner like you would do for anything you want to search for.

cutlassefi

 

I’m working on that . Thank you very much. I appreciate any info you have, so please don’t be shy
bobby

 

I’m greatly appreciated of your help. Any info you have I’m thankful for.
Bobby

 

In proper order , have checklist & someone assist & double check

Learned early on this pretty much guarantees success
Dont be in a rush
Specs & tolerances from engineers produced outsanding , dependable powerplants & still do
Its perfectly fine to be nit pickin **** retentive as you want to be with your self when assembling an engine
Know your limits & be reasonable...dont have to know / do everything
Their are things well worth payin someone to that does it all time
Have dedicated plan of action & matetials to get from where you are to where you will be & stick to it & dont stress out
Spent countless hours as a punk holdin flashlight & runnin for wrenches & all that is priceless...