www.wildaboutcars.com and look for the late-60s thru early-70s Olds chassis service manuals. Section 6 is engine and will give you a lot of tips and drawings showing how it all goes together. It will also have all the torque specification for bearing caps, head bolts etc.

Make sure you have a torque wrench ready to put the engine back together. For what you're doing a Harbor Freight torque wrench will do fine or you can pick up a beam type torque wrench at Sears fairly cheap too. Tools are a great investment for any teenage gearhead.

You need to know exactly what year engine you have too to get the correct gasket set. Look at left front of engine and you'll see a machined pad just below the head deck surface. Clean it off and you'll see a number like 39Mxxxxxx stamped in it. It's the VIN derivative of the car the engine was factory installed in. 3= Oldsmobile, the 2nd digit is the year of the engine (in this example 1969), the letter is the assembly plant, the last 6 are the sequential VIN of the car it was originally installed in.

76-later engines use different head gaskets that don't interchange with earlier engines and will cause coolant leaks.

 

Well I know it came out of a 70 cutlass supreme so I got that part narrowed down

 

I went out and examined the cylinder walls and so far cylinder 2468 do not need to be honed they are smotther than a baby's bottom haha

 

Ok my piston rings appear to be good and my walls do as well if I put a mild can in would I have to change anything there UK I'll need rods and springs does anyone have a mild can that they are willing to part with as well as rods

 

Tanks to paladin31 I now have a can and push rods secured so now I need can bearings? A timing chain lifters and I'm gonna say new valve springs am I missing something else

 

Haven't updated this in a while so since I've last posted I have received more parts and 2 manuals on the engine. I've started reading them and so far I have found changing the rods and main bearings are less intimidating then I thought. I'm still going to ask question when the time comes to change those so I can clarify any misunderstandings. OK so few questions
1. Can I change the main and rod bearings without having to take out the pistons
2. A little surface rust has appeared on the cylinder walls in little patches where there is no oil. Can I scuff it with some fine sandpaper or will I have to do what I don't want to do and take out the pistons and rings.
3. How cheap is it to have the crank machined if I see that it needs some machining
Thanks in advance guys

 

Ttt

 

I would spend this much on your set up and this is how I did it in the past. 1. have the block cleaned and magged that runs about 50 bucks2. Have it honed make sure the rust aint deep enough like pits. that runs about 120ish3. make sure your cyl. heads are good have them cleaned , lap the valves that runs about 100.4. get the crank polished that runs 50.Add for new rings , bearings, gaskets and you will probably be about 700 into the engine and that's just freshened up. I would just slap the **** together get it running and driving. 350's are a dime a dozen and plentiful. get it running and road safe then address the body . An engine will snow ball. Even on a budget. My cheapest engine I had was a no nothing freshened up 350 with 72 7A heads freshend up as well. performer intake edelbrock carb, headers, very mild ran 13's super reliable but still cost in the range of 2800 just for the engine set up if you include everything to make it run how I had it you are looking at close to 6k. Keep it simple ! Don't overthink it.

 

OK well the rust wasn't there when I got it and it rubbed off fairly easily and it was a running and driving engine so I may take my chances and do a really light scuff. When I get it running I'm gonna search for a cruiser motor and slapped it in while I do a performance build that's when ill have everything machined. Does that seem reasonable

 

Light scuff ? I would used a cruiser engine like you said.

 

On the rust in the cylinder use like 2000 grit paper

 

If it's just surface rust use a scotch brite pad. Then oil the cyl. Walls.

 

Sweet thanks copper

 

+1. I would rub the rusty area hard with a paper towel wet with a bit of oil first, for a few minutes, and then check the surface - that may be all you need to remove the rust.

If that's not good enough, then give it a quick wipe with fine ScotchBrite, as Copper said.

As you've described it, I think that you need to be careful with this engine, but you do not need to be obsessive about it.
Copper's recommendations about machine work are good if you are trying to build an engine that needs to perform, but not necessary for something to just throw together to drive for now, so long as it's all clean and in good shape.

Yes, absolutely.


As above.


I'm not sure if you'll be able to see whether it needs machining, though if there are flaws you can see, it definitely needs it.

Keep up the good work - Slow but steady, one step at a time.

- Eric

 

Thanks MD gonna be a load off my chest since its hard to get to work. I now should be able to post the is thing back together in a dew months cause all I need now is a complete gasket kit

 

Eric you bring a good point. I didn't jump at the suggestion to just toss it together since some people absolutely don't like me for that but I have had great success beating the snot out of a short block that never saw machining. But yes you could essentially toss it together with new bearings and rings. You can polish the journals at home and you can hone the cylinders yourself. I just threw the pirces there and the "right' advice but bill you will be amazed at how much abuse a properly tossed together engine will do.

 

Yeah. I figured someone had to say it.

For a broke 16 year old who just wants to get on the road, I wouldn't try to push him towards anything other than the most simple solutions out there.

Once he can drive around looking for parts, he can begin to build a proper engine.

Better he does it simply, carefully, and correctly, rather than expensively.
Remember, the Chassis Service Manual tells you how to replace all sorts of engine components without doing any fancy machining.

- Eric

 

Yea I could visit the fellow olds guys and talk about my experiences and learn first hand straight from the horses mouth

 

I cant belive I gave someone the proper advice for a budget wtf am I thinking. I have clearly been drinking the kool aid .

 

Haha maybe a fifth of koolaid but its good copper I'm going to need that in the future

 

My wife tells me I resemble the other end.

- Eric

 

Like Glenn, rocketraider, said, be sure on the year of the engine. Just because it came from a 70 cutlass, doesn't mean it's a 70...

 

Ik I checked and the few numbers I found marched a 70

 

check ALL the bearings
got bit by that last time.

 

I sure will an I can or cannot reuse the bearings if they are good

 

You can reuse them if they're good and if you haven't messed them up while checking them. Be very nice and gentle with them, and keep them and all of the other moving parts perfectly clean.

- Eric

 

OK thanks

 

Update it looks looking like a full rebuild guys I went out to try and remove some of the rust and evidently put a small gouge in my cylinder wall so if I have to tear it down to hone the walls I MAW do a rebuild so I guess the journey really begins as I enter a new world I'm gonna need guidance thanks in advance for any help

 

OK so I'm getting an engine stand but I need to know will a 750 lb stand work. I have an advance auto gift card but I'm reading that the 750 lb auto craft one would buckle under the weight of a small block Chevy 350. Need some opinions guys

 

If you have the funds get the 1000 lbs one if not the 750 will do fine, but it will want to tip with little effort so while torquing or braking bolts loose I would support it against a wall or bench.

Not sure in the price but harbor freight might be cheaper
I have a big block sitting on one of each and they don't fold but you sure can tell the difference in the stand when moving them around

 

I would get the 1250 but its 100 dollars I want to try and stretch out my money for other things I might need as well

 

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...lpro_5784689-p
Vs
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...pro_19782885-p

 

I need to know the difference between the above gasket kits

 

The more expensive one has a bunch of round gaskets, but I'm not sure what they're for.

- Eric

 

That was my guess exactly haha. And what about the main seals are they included in the set

 

I know you have a gift card but this isn't a bad stand spend the cash and save the card

http://m.harborfreight.com/1000-lb-e...and-69886.html

 

That's what I was thinking but I'm not sure I'm gonna have a job before long tension is tight from what im hearing between my bosses and idk if they are gonna split up or not I haven't even paid my car off yet and idk where I'll be able to get a job

 

If your referring to rear main you will want to use a rubber one not the rope seal u think on the 350 it's a jeep one ?
I know on big blocks it's a ford check on the macaroni thread he just did it

 

Ok thanks

 

Dang auto correct macadoo