350\cutlass

Hey guys i am just looking for help on beefing up my engine and getting some better gear ratios. I have a GM 350 in my cutlass now and was wondering if anyone could offer helpfull\affordable sites for rebuild kits and also ideas on rear ends/transmissions to swap in so i can really smoke em!

Thanks for the help!

joe_padavano

If "GM 350" is your code for Chevy, you unfortunately probably won't find a lot of help here. The majority of the folks here are experienced in Olds engine builds, not Chevy.

Olds64

What year Cutlass do you have? Perhaps it is an Oldsmobile 350.

Oldsguy

I think the best bet would be to take a picture of the engine. I read your other post and there is still some uncertainty as to the origin of the engine. As Joe said, if it is an Olds we can help out, if it isn't then we probably don't know much about it.

bammax

Just look for the bypass tube on the thermostat housing. That's how I tell chevy from Olds in a pinch. If it's still not certain then remove the cover and on a chevy the opening is perfectly round while the Olds will have a round opening with a little bump cut coming off of it towards the front of the engine (for the bypass).

Olds therm gasket

Chevy therm gasket

If it's Olds then you'll get plenty of help.

If it's chevy then research the following:
Vortec heads from 1996-1999 with the casting number ending in 062. You'll also want to get the vortec intake from edelbrock or gmperformance to go with it as the stock gen1 intake won't work with the taller ports of the vortec heads. The heads themselves are limited to about .460-.480 lift so choose a cam carefully, or get the heads worked a little to allow for higher lift.

scubastever

i recommend forced induction to the Nth degree if youre looking for mo powa. below is an example.

350\cutlass

so far i think it is a chevy i will follow the advise with the thermostat thing but i do believe it is a chevy. through my internet searches it seems that way but the knowledge i have found is flaky at best. also it seems no shops around here are very knowledgeable. maybe i should grab my codes again and you guys could help me out?

bammax

Here's a better pic to go by when looking at the housing. If it has the bypass then it's not a chevy. I've never seen or heard of a chevy that used the bypass.

Olds thermostat housing

Olds64

The oil fill tube will also be right behind the water pump on an Olds engine. A Chevy will have the oil filler in the valve cover.

joe_padavano

NOT necessarily.

IMG_1273.jpg

Olds64

dsolomon

From your previous posts on the forum, it appears you have an 81 Cutlass. That is still an A-Body (I think) and should have an 8.5 Corporate rear. Assuming that the car has overdrive I would think that a 3.73 gear ratio would be fun. You would need to see if you have a series 2 or 3 carrier before you purchase gears. The 3 series would take a factory 3.73 ring and pinion.

joe_padavano

Correct, although they are identical to the 82-88 G-body cars in everything but platform name. When the FWD A-body cars were released for the 1982 model year, these RWD cars were given the G-body designation.

Not correct. All the 78-88 cars got the 7.5 axle except the 84 H/O and 85-87 442 and GN.

dsolomon

Well thats what I get for assuming

350\cutlass

thanks for the help. it does not have a bypass on it so thanks anyway but i guess i will have to look somewhere else for help bu if i ever get the funds to buy a different engine i will definatly go olds
if you guys can help me with one more thing with my engine that would be great, that is if anyone can figure out what this engine code is
GM 3970010 C6U110337 V0926TYU

dsolomon

You have a Chevrolet 350 Small Block built at the Flint Mi plant on September 26th 1974 for a 1975 C-20 Van. Its an LS9 165 HP (at least from the factory) and came with a 4BBL carb.

bammax

Now that's some good info there. Someday I need to learn how to read them codes

goatwgn

There are some other tell tale signs. If it is an Oldsmobile, the distributor goes into the block, not the intake. The Olds has 10 or 5 valve cover bolts(depending on year)- the Chevy has 4. The Olds has an oil filler tube, the Chevy(unless it is 1967 or earlier) fills through the valve cover. The Olds has easier to reach spark plugs that are over the exhaust manifolds, versus between the manifolds, (like the Chevy). Just throwing this out there- if it is a Pontiac 350 it will have a visible valley pan under the intake, if it is a Buick 350, the distributor will be in the front. Hope this helps.