I am rebuilding a 403 olds from a 79 trans am with my grandpa, it will be going into my 85 cutlass salon we would be greatful of any info/tips you can give us on the engine and rebuilding it. It has windowed main webs. Is this a problem? I need few parts, alum intake, carb, timing chain, valve covers, pullies and brackets so post and ill consider buying, the engine is out and apart right now and the bottom end looks really good, i might be buying a holley dominator intake
Thanks

 

The Perfromer RPM intake might be a better choice on a stock 403. Early 350 heads are a good option, flow better and boost compression to around 9 to 1. Factory is a miserable 7.8 to 1. This will allow a mild upgrade over the useless factory smog cam. Get the .028" Corteco head gaskets if you don't mill the heads. There whole gasket set is good. The Cloyes street roller timing chain is a high quality set. I have found chrome valve covers to be a pain to seal. Do not buy under drive pulleys for your 403, they can be hard to cool as is. Also put a new aluminum radiator in your Cutlass, the more cores the better. The single core auto parts store replacements are Ok for a stock engine.

 

X2.

 

The engine is .040 overbored, i have thought about the 350 heads but im not sure

 

Keep in mind the head bolt holes will need to be enlarged to fit the larger 403 head bolts, if you put 350 heads on it.

My step-brother had a '65 F-85. We got a 403, cleaned up the 330 heads for it, and put in a mild cam. We used the 330 intake with the old 4-jet carb (what they had before the Q-jet), and a junkyard HEI. With a non-posi 3.08 rear and 225/60-14 radials he was able to run 13.8's.

Another friend took the compression ratio closer to 10:1, used a CompCam 280, 3.42 posi, nice headers, all in a '78 Cutlass, and ran high 12's.

Lee