Oldskool84

Need to kno if chevy 383 stroker would be compatible with my 350 olds trans(i have 72 cutlass). Also, most of my accessories are new so im thinking short block, would this work? Lastly, im a novice " do it yourselfer" so im looking for suggestions on engine building/performance tuning books and dvds

oldcutlass

If your thinking a 383 chev stroker, the answer is no. None of the accessory bracket will fit, and other mods are required. The easiest thing to do is to stick with an Olds engine.

MDchanic

+1. NOTHING will interchange, except for the points, condenser, and distributor cap.

That includes the motor mounts, transmission, exhaust, and all accessories, brackets, and belts.
Carburetors, air cleaners, and manifolds are different as well.

Why do you ask?

- Eric

olds 307 and 403

You can build your current Olds 350 into a 380 stroker. You either offset grind your current crank or get a stronger 330 steel crank and do the same. Then bore your block to 4.155" and use sbc 400 pistons and 2" journal sbc rods. Cutlassefi knows the exact piston and rod combo. Stock Procomp heads with give 10 to 1 with flat top pistons and 0 deck. Should equal any sbc 383 with a much better torque curve.

joe_padavano

Or, for less money, a 455 drops right in.

oldcutlass

Bigger is better...

Lars

If you put a chev in your olds. U will disrupt the space time continuum, the earth will stop spinning and you'll be to blame. Don't be the blame!

Oldskool84

Thx 4 the feedback guys.
MDchanic- im considering an engine swap bc ive had so many probs with the engine Ive got. I figured if i start fresh my probs would be solved. I wanted a bit more power so i figured the chev 383 stroker was the way to go so long as the parts interchange. Now I know thats not the case.

MDchanic

As the others have said, a 455 is cheaper and easier.

- Eric

yamahondarider

Olds 455, or, Turbo 5.3 LM7. 600+ WHP with a completely stock 5.3 and a single GT45 turbo.

droptopron

Whatever problems you are having would be with the example you have & not representative of all Olds small blocks. The engine in your car now could be built to run just fine and have way more power.

captjim

Or, to keep things very simple, the 403 bolts right in, a direct swap with all the torque you need. It does have it's quirks and needs to be dopne correctly. Or, on a budget, do like Joe and Eric suggested and find a running 455 for $500 and drop it in.

Oldskool84

Sounds good but ,where can i find a running 455 in good condition?

MDchanic

Perhaps knowing where you are would be a good start.

- Eric

yamahondarider

185 HP smogged down motor? gross. Spend the extra and get a pre smog 455. Plus, atleast where I live, 455's are easier to find than 403's.

Oldskool84

MDchanic - lol good point, I'm stationed in hawaii but live in Florida

yamahondarider

I have no clue where you could find a 455 in Hawaii. If you don't mind the purist guys yelling at you (no offense guys ) then a SBC with chevelle frame mounts and cheap accessory brackets and a new exhaust could be a more cost effective and easier solution for you. Or, if the car is in Florida I'm sure you could come across a 455 pretty easily, try craigslist.

captjim

In stock form, maybe. But there uis still a TON of torque and they respond well to upgrades. The 455 will win, cubes always do, but the 403 is a direct swap while the 455 needs minor modifications. They a LOT of 403s on the street, they are not that hard to find.

captjim

Bad advice, IMO. You are leaving out a LOT of "minor" details; trans won't bolt up, new radiator, etc.

yamahondarider

If he actually was considering a 455 swap he could the research himself, I'm not an encycleopedia

z11375ss

Maybe you should just go with the Chebby stroker. Then get a Chevelle to put it in. That would be the easy way IMO.

yamahondarider

I'm thinking of going with an LSX based 5.3 Chevy motor in my 69.

Let the hate begin

Lars

Nooooo!

yamahondarider

It would be turbo of course, some guys think thats cheating. But, I never had a problem cheating in school so why stop now? 600 WHP on a completely stock motor with an ebay turbo is fine with me.

Olds92

Get a 455 before 1973 or better yet a 425 engine. Great power in stock form. Dont put chevy junk in your olds like everyone else. Support olds because the whole point of them is their great engines.

captjim

Then don't give half azzed advice on subjects you really don't know. You stated this,

" If you don't mind the purist guys yelling at you (no offense guys ) then a SBC with chevelle frame mounts and cheap accessory brackets and a new exhaust could be a more cost effective and easier solution for you."

It is not easy and in most cases is not cost effective, IMO.

Octania

Say, wait, then it'd be just like all the other Chevies....

Oh, now I get it...

Oldskool84

Honestly guys I love my olds and would prefer to keep it the way it is. The problem is that Ive reached the limit of my knowledge on how to fix it and mechanics here in HI charge upwards of $100 pr hr for labor. I absolutely love my cutlass convertible but its been murdering my finances all year. I dont wanna throw in the towel just yet so i keep trying to find ways to make it run smooth, but to no avail( It likes to stall out alot ).

captjim

OK, so let's start over. What are you running (engine, trans, carb, dist) and what are the issues. A little tuning can go a loooooong way.

Oldskool84

Ok ...
350 trans
350 engine with big cam(idk the specs ..2 owners b4 me put it in), holley street dominator intake, demon 750 carb, MSD igntition(6AL, blaster 2 coil, and pro-billet Dist).
Issues are stalling out (usually while backing up or anytime im not giving it a lot of gas)
And since ive installed msd - often it will rev to 2k rpms but just barely be going 30mph, and then it usually stalls.

captjim

What year 350 and vehicle?

380 Racer

Get rid of that Demon carb, put a real Holly on it and find someone that knows how to tune it!

Oldskool84

Oh sorry, 72 cutlass supreme convertible 5.7 350 (K block)

billmerbach

Hahaha

captjim

OK, so you have the large dished pistons and a compression ratio of around 8 to 1. If it has a big cam in it, it is going to be a dog. A cam in the 205@.050 and .450 lift should be about right. What intake is on it? You would probably be better off with a stock points distributor. Not much experience with Demon carbs, so I really can't comment but a 670 Holley Street Avenger or Q-jet might be better.

MDchanic

Ahhh... Sounds like another bitter refrain of the "Ill Considered Modifications Blues."

- Eric

joe_padavano

Sorry, but I'm going to be brutally honest here. You have a bunch of mis-matched parts and you're frustrated that you can't get it to run right, so you think that throwing all that away and spending money on a Chevy motor and trans will be cheaper than fixing what you have? Time for a reality check.

When I got my first car, I couldn't afford to pay someone to fix it, so I learned how myself. Your 72 is nearly as simple as they come. Start with a KNOWN cam that's correct for the engine, a dual plane intake, and either a stock Qjet or Ebrock carb. Ditch the fancy, unneeded ignition and drop in a relatively stock HEI. Learn how to tune the car with that near-stock combo and THEN upgrade parts as appropriate. I read everything I could on carb and ignition theory and tuning BEFORE getting in over my head. This won't cost nearly as much as a completely different engine, trans, starter, exhaust, carb, radiator, hoses, wiring, etc, etc.

Octania

You don't say!
Another case of "different is not equal to better"?
The factory spent a great deal of time and effort making well refined packages. While not impossible to improve in various areas, it's not as easy as randomly changing parts.

heed Joe's advice
The HEI is a pretty stout ignition system.

Oldskool84

Ok guys , i respect your pov but the only mods i did was the msd setup. The rest was done before i bought the car. Also, ive done the best i could with fixing the car myself but honestly have no idea what im doing. I bought this car with hopes of learning more about cars and bc i thought it'd be easier to fix,but didnt anticipate it breaking down every couple of days or weeks.

oldcutlass

Lighten up guys, we all started the way he is.