J-(Chicago)

Since the 3.8 was a buick motor, will an Olds small block bolt right into it's place? Buick--->Olds?

What about the opposite.... could you swap a 307 out of an 86 cutlass with a buick 350 from a 72 Skylark? Olds---->Buick?

I'm aware that the fuel pump and lines will prob. be on the wrong sides, but would there be any other issues?

Is a Buick block deeper? Resulting in a driveshaft lengthening or shortening? Or manifold/starter problems?
I have also heard that when building up and racing a buick motor it will always starve the driver's side of oil. Is this nonsense or crappy stock pumps or what?

Buick motors have finished 2nd place in the enginemasters competition for a couple years, even beat Dick Miller's build I think? They can't be all that bad right?

Olds64

Why would you want to put a Buick motor into an Olds?

joe_padavano

First, the only thing in common between the Buick and Olds motors is the bellhousing bolt pattern. The motor and frame mounts are different. The size ("deepness"???) of the block has no impact on the driveshaft length - it's the trans length and location that matters. Assuming the car in question had both Buick and Olds motors as options, the trans will be in the same location for either motor.

captjim

A 350 Buick is an easier swap than a 350 Olds if it has the 3.8 in it. I love Olds engines, but IMO, the 350 Buick is an overlooked little engine. Light, square bore/stroke, good torquey street engine, makes good torque at low RPMs.

J-(Chicago)

The reason I ask is because i have a buick 350/350 combo from a 72 skylark. I'm sick of tripping over the motor and nobody seems to want it
So I was thinking of dumping it in one of my 85 deltas. (I have 3 of them)
It only has 80000 on the combo, so I'm debating weather to build it up righteous, or just ditch it for some loot. It seems like it would be a nice motor. I can see that the distributor and water neck will be easier already but I don't want any major headaches. My 70 olds 350 is kinda blown up at the moment, and this would be an easier cheaper build for the winter.

I know a lot of stupid little things about cars but when it comes to make swaps, machine work, cranks, pistons etc etc
I am a dummy.

captjim

So, are you replacing an Olds 350 with the Buick 350 or a Buick 231 with a Buick 350?

J-(Chicago)

I would like to take an olds 307 out, and put in a buick 350.
I wanted to make one of them more fuel efficient and was thinking of putting a 3.8 in, but then I said screw it and went BIGGER I found this 72 skylark motor while looking for a 3.8

J-(Chicago)

This of course is in due time, probably over the winter. I want to have all my ducks in a row before I even eff with the motor. This month i put new tie rods in, new ball joints, new sway bar links, and re packed the rotors with new bearings. Next is some stainless brake lines I think. I want this thing to turn corners and stop nicely before I make it GO. New shocks and springs Next week, I picked them up today. I just had the driveshaft rebalanced, and re U-jointed this week as well.

Right now it has a 200Cmetric behind a 307.
The th350 has a short tail. around 4 inches if I am eyeballing it right. It looks exactly the same as the one in my 80 Olds. I have no idea if the metric trans and the th350 are the same length or what, but there should be some play involved I would think.

My main worry was the kickdown cable, but now that Joe P. clarified that almost everything is different, i am beginning to wonder if this is a bad idea.
I suppose patience and common sense will take over as usual and I'll be less worried later on down the road.
Is there a motor mount bracket kit for this like there is for dropping chevy crate motors in old ford coupes?

I have so many questions.... sigh... sorry guys.

J-(Chicago)

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I cut the frame mounts off of the Skylark chassis.

So It looks like I'm a be welding I'll need Double sunglasses for that.

captjim

If the car has a 307 in it, your best bet would be a 350 or 403 Olds engine, IMO. Either would be a direct bolt in, no fabbing of ANYTHING. A mild 403 making 350 ft/lbs in a small block would make it a fun car to drive.

Olds64

I agree. An Olds 350 or 403 would be ideal for that car. If you want to use your Buick 350 then you might check out the following website for help with the transmission conversion.

http://www.tvmadeez.com/

It might help you with your TV problem.

J-(Chicago)

That is a cool website, thanks olds64.

I have 2 olds 350s but I don't want to waste any of them on the beater delta I have in mind.

1 is a 73 smogger motor with #8s

and the other is a 70 or 71 with #6 heads I believe.
My buddy might use the 73 for his 73 cutlass restoration
and my 70/71 block has been bored once before, and had a piston crack last time it was romped on. I'm not sure if it's ruined or not, and I'm scared to take it apart.....

J-(Chicago)

A guy in town wanted to sell the 350 out of his 79 cutlass to me, but when I asked him price he said $350

Pssssssh. Windowed mains and 99000 miles on it.


I got this 72 Buick motor AND tranny for $150
complete & running, carb to pan with 80000 miles on it.
Plus my buddy has a 4 bbl intake and carb he is going to give me FREE for towing his ChUbByTaHoE home with my delta.

joe_padavano

In 1979, the only Cutlass with a factory-installed Olds 350 would have been a H/O. Either that's not an Olds 350, or it's not original. If the latter, it may not be a windowed 79 motor but an earlier one with different mileage.

J-(Chicago)

Yeah, He said it was from a car like mine that was totaled in a wreck. So I assumed it was from an 80 88 because I've never seen any delta 88s after 1980with a 350.

Thank you all for the responses. I am learning much from all of you on here. Much respect to the elder Oldsmobilers. I am trying to help out others on here as well. I've been on a lot lately since I dumped the girlfriend

J-(Chicago)

I called JEGS to see if they had a motor mount kit for 72 A buick to 80s full size olds b body..... The guy was speechless for a second, and said.......

"I get 100 calls a day about dropping crate chevy motors into ALL kinds of things, but this is only the 3rd time in my life that someone has asked me about anything close to a swap like this...."

So I said, well I am 1/3 of your market then...... and I'm expecting a nice Christmas card from you guys.

No kit obviously.
Good thing I kept those frame mounts.

My dumbass forgot the power steering pump though I unbolted the bracket from the motor, cuz fluid would leak everywhere if I cut the lines.

I'm going to get a beer to cry in now.

Oldsguy

Don't cry in it, drink it.........

joe_padavano

Why do you need a kit? The Buford 350 was available in B-body cars for 1977-1980. Those mounts will work in any 77-90 B-body.

J-(Chicago)

I was looking for a bracket to bolt on to my existing Oldsmobile frame mounts, that would make the Buick motor mounts bolt right up in the correct place on my frame.

Can I take the motor mounts off of the 307 and place them onto the Buick motor and have it work smoothly?

captjim

Nope. Also for future reference, Jegs and Summitt are not the places to find parts for us. Go to an Olds vendor.

J-(Chicago)

Yeah.... sigh... I was hoping to at least get a lead from someone there though. They have a s-10pickup-big block mount kit that I'm aware of, but I was wishing for a miracle hoping that they had it or someone there would have the time to tell me where to get one for my application. I suppose that wouldn't show up on their comission check though

I mean Cmon, The motor is 35 years old, racing teams have been slapping together whatever they could find to race in random cars since the very beginning. Surely there is an aftermarket company that has one of these brackets, or at the very least some cool gearhead that sells them out of his garage.

Until it is time to get to the nitty gritty, the only tools that I want to use are a phone and a pen for the check.

Oldsguy

I don't understand that, I bought a complete rebuild kit for a 455 from Summit.

captjim

Some stuff, sure. Intakes, some headers, etc. Cam choices are limited, as are exhaust (Kooks, AR, etc), pistons and other internal engine parts, underdrive pulleys, etc. Go to Jegs and ask for the .030 over new Probe pistons and an Engle 20-22 cam. Then call Rocket racing, FCR, Smitty, DM, etc. You get my point.

joe_padavano

Go read my post #3 in this thread:

Also post #18:


(emphasis added)

J-(Chicago)

Oh ok, that would be a delight.
Thank you Joe.
I will call Doug Herbert and see if they have them then.

My apologies for being stupid....

88 coupe

Herbert is an aftermarket supplier. Not much different than PAW, Summit, or Jegs. They do not sell OEM parts.

Look for the frame mounts in a scrap yard, and the engine mounts at your local auto parts store.

Norm

J-(Chicago)

I'm on it.

Olds64

Check it out DAWG! 64Rocket suggested this part in a different post. Maybe this website would have something you could use if those other options don't work.

http://www.tdperformance.com/TransDapt.html

J-(Chicago)

YES!
That is on the right track. Exactly the type of sites I am looking for. There has to be an adjustable one somewhere or a good drilling template/bracket.
Thanks all.

joe_padavano

I give up.

First, an "adjustable" what? There are "adjustable" motor mount crossmembers. These are designed for street rods and early trucks that have parallel channel style frames. Your B-body ALREADY has a complex, stamped steel crossmember as a welded part of the frame.

Second, there are NO "adjustable" motor or frame mounts commercially available to adapt a Buick block to Olds frame mounts. There is no market, no one has developed them, and inexpensive factory parts are readily available.

Third, if there WERE such a mythical thing, the added thickness would raise the block up to a point that it would cause hood clearance problems.

Do what you want. I'm done here.

J-(Chicago)

Sorry to frustrate you Joe. This is obviously my first time removing/attempting a frame mount.

Perhaps my perception of the whole thing is wrong without a hands on look.
Here is a pic of the idea that I was wondering if would work.

I was wondering if there was a frame mount bracket that is fully adjustable like an alternator bracket. or a drill template to make the pads from the skylark that I removed bolt up in a perfect location on the frame.

J-(Chicago)

Will something like this idea work?

J-(Chicago)

Oh well....
I'm going to try and go with the 3.8 V6 mounts, I can't find any 77-80 buick optioned olds b bodies around here in the boneyards. I'm hoping the 2 cylinders were added on the front of the motor on the 350 and the mounting position will be the same for both. There should be plenty of holes to choose from on my chassis.

Thanks for your ideas guys.
I'll let you know of my successes or failures.

yooper

On all of the GM cars built there are numerous holes drilled in the frame in the engine area to accomodate all the different engine combinations. The frame was NOT just built for your olds.

J-(Chicago)