Olds 330 confusion....39 or 45 degree cam

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Old Jun 27, 2017 | 03:04 PM
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Kalle's Avatar
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Olds 330 confusion....39 or 45 degree cam

Hi.

I pulled the intake from my 67 330 SBO and i found .841 lifters in it... does it mean i need a 45 degree cam in it?

Its a 394417 #3 Block ( 9:1 comp. 2bbl engine)

I found various information about it.. some say its 39 degree..
Is there a way to tell it from the outside... drill spot ect ?
Old Jun 27, 2017 | 03:52 PM
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check out this site, its great for your engine questions: http://www.442.com/oldsfaq/ofeng.htm#Engines
Old Jun 27, 2017 | 04:00 PM
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All 330's had .842 lifters.
Take a piece of paper and roll it up, then stick it in the lifter bore. Is it parallel with the cylinder or does it tilt slightly towards the center?
Parallel is a 45, slanted slightly is a 39.
Old Jun 27, 2017 | 07:33 PM
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I have found that 67 330 engines have a 39 deg bank angle but you should always check to be sure.
Old Jun 28, 2017 | 06:34 AM
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I've never seen a #3 block that was a 45 deg angle. All 67 #3 blocks (IMHO) are the best 330's to build. #4 heads are the best too.
Old Jun 28, 2017 | 01:49 PM
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Some have also found cast cranks in the 67 330's.
Old Jun 28, 2017 | 01:55 PM
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Originally Posted by olds 307 and 403
Some have also found cast cranks in the 67 330's.
Never saw a 330 with a cast crank.
Old Jun 28, 2017 | 02:21 PM
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Thanks guys! I´ll try the paper trick that cutlassefi mentioned.

The oldsfaq page stated that 67 330 had .921 lifters and 39 dgr. cams... I was a bit confused, as i saw the .842 holes in the block.
Old Jun 28, 2017 | 02:23 PM
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Some of the Olds facts are not factual.
Old Jun 29, 2017 | 06:57 AM
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Originally Posted by oldcutlass
Never saw a 330 with a cast crank.
I haven't either but some have, I am sure it was a member here. Olds did a lot of flip flopping of parts in those years. Maybe a warranty replacement?
Old Jun 29, 2017 | 07:31 AM
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Originally Posted by olds 307 and 403
Olds did a lot of flip flopping of parts in those years.
No, they really didn't, and when they DID, it was well documented in the Service Guild or TSB documents as well as in the parts book.

Now I WILL say that I just purchased a set of 1967 Service Guild bulletins at the NAOC meet, and I was surprised to find a reference to a "special crankshaft" in the 1967 330 motors. It doesn't say if this crank is cast or forged, nor does it say what is "special" about it. It DOES say that the balancer is unique to this crank and that if replacement is needed the crank and balancer must be replaced as a unit. This is the first I've heard of this.

I'll also point out that every SBO uses the same 3.385" stroke, so a later cast crank will drop into a 330 block. Of course, the converse is probably more common.
Old Jun 29, 2017 | 08:10 AM
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Originally Posted by joe_padavano
No, they really didn't, and when they DID, it was well documented in the Service Guild or TSB documents as well as in the parts book.

Now I WILL say that I just purchased a set of 1967 Service Guild bulletins at the NAOC meet, and I was surprised to find a reference to a "special crankshaft" in the 1967 330 motors. It doesn't say if this crank is cast or forged, nor does it say what is "special" about it. It DOES say that the balancer is unique to this crank and that if replacement is needed the crank and balancer must be replaced as a unit. This is the first I've heard of this.

I'll also point out that every SBO uses the same 3.385" stroke, so a later cast crank will drop into a 330 block. Of course, the converse is probably more common.
That could be it Joe and you know Olds factory literature better than anyone. When did the fire happen at the crank foundry? We know the balancer is different between cranks, a mention of the flex plate would have definitely confirmed the cast crank. Very interesting indeed.
Old Jun 29, 2017 | 10:15 AM
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Also there isn't anyone who has this special crank. So who knows if it ever was used!
Old Jun 29, 2017 | 01:05 PM
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Originally Posted by wr1970
Also there isn't anyone who has this special crank. So who knows if it ever was used!
We don't know that for sure, it is too vague. The only "special" balancer I know of is the W31 but the crank is ordinary except for maybe a specific bearing clearance, as the engine was blue printed. Food for thought at any rate.
Old Jun 29, 2017 | 01:18 PM
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Originally Posted by olds 307 and 403
We don't know that for sure, it is too vague. The only "special" balancer I know of is the W31 but the crank is ordinary except for maybe a specific bearing clearance, as the engine was blue printed. Food for thought at any rate.
The Jan 1972 printing of the parts book also talks about replacing the balancer AND flywheel when the crank is replaced on certain 1967 330 motors. Note footnote *2 under group 0.646, which points out that these 330 motors had a "CW" prefix on the engine unit number.

Old Jun 29, 2017 | 08:08 PM
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There you go, just shows some cast cranks starting making there way into late 330's.
Old Jun 29, 2017 | 08:49 PM
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Originally Posted by olds 307 and 403
There you go, just shows some cast cranks starting making there way into late 330's.
You are jumping on a band wagon. Have you seen one? Has anyone ever seen one? Just because there is paper work saying it was possible don't make it a fact that it was used.Anyone seen that solid main web 403 LOL.
Old Jun 29, 2017 | 11:29 PM
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Yes, at least one member on here has come across the cast crank. Could it have been swapped? Anything is possible aftwr 50 years. But there have been some found in 330 blocks and here is literature to at least show it might have happened.
Old Jun 29, 2017 | 11:31 PM
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Also when did the Olds foundry burn?
Old Jun 30, 2017 | 08:37 AM
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Originally Posted by olds 307 and 403
There you go, just shows some cast cranks starting making there way into late 330's.
Just to be clear, NOTHING I have seen says anything about a CAST crank, only a (in the best Church Lady tradition) "special" crank. I will admit that the circumstantial evidence (especially the need to change the flywheel along with the crank when replacing) SUGGESTS that this was a test run of 1968-style cast cranks to provide real world testing data.

Of course, GM would NEVER use customers as unwitting guinea pigs...

Originally Posted by wr1970
You are jumping on a band wagon. Have you seen one? Has anyone ever seen one? Just because there is paper work saying it was possible don't make it a fact that it was used.Anyone seen that solid main web 403 LOL.
I've never seen any factory documentation that ever said there were SMW 403s, so I don't understand how that is even germane to this discussion. As for the "special" crank in the 67 330s, Olds would not issue documentation in the form of parts book notes and (two) Service Guild bulletins for a mythical part. We're not talking about advertising brochures printed months before the release of the model year that showed options that were cancelled before production started, we're talking about service documents released AFTER the parts were already in service. And one more time, NOTHING in the literature uses the word "cast", only "special". Of course, nothing in the literature says the other 330 cranks are "forged", either.

Ultimately, what we need are the appropriate pages from a 1967 Engine Assembly Manual, with all the final revision notes throughout the model year.
Old Jun 30, 2017 | 11:34 AM
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Originally Posted by joe_padavano
Just to be clear, NOTHING I have seen says anything about a CAST crank, only a (in the best Church Lady tradition) "special" crank. I will admit that the circumstantial evidence (especially the need to change the flywheel along with the crank when replacing) SUGGESTS that this was a test run of 1968-style cast cranks to provide real world testing data.

Of course, GM would NEVER use customers as unwitting guinea pigs...



I've never seen any factory documentation that ever said there were SMW 403s, so I don't understand how that is even germane to this discussion. As for the "special" crank in the 67 330s, Olds would not issue documentation in the form of parts book notes and (two) Service Guild bulletins for a mythical part. We're not talking about advertising brochures printed months before the release of the model year that showed options that were cancelled before production started, we're talking about service documents released AFTER the parts were already in service. And one more time, NOTHING in the literature uses the word "cast", only "special". Of course, nothing in the literature says the other 330 cranks are "forged", either.

Ultimately, what we need are the appropriate pages from a 1967 Engine Assembly Manual, with all the final revision notes throughout the model year.
Joe it was a sarcastic comment on the 403 for the drum beater on a 330 cast crank band wagon rider!While there may have been a document for said special part doesn't mean it was ever used! Now if you and the other guy want to debate that go right ahead. No cast 330 crank has been documented any where to being used.The key word {Documented} on a non molested engine. I am sorry you were unable to read between the lines.
Old Jun 30, 2017 | 01:10 PM
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Just going by what has been found by at least one member here. Unless someone can show me a forged 330 crank with a different balancer and flexplate, what does it mean? Yes, I know some early 330 cranks have a smaller balancer bolt. There was foundry fire, was it 67 or 68? That could have caused the shortage. Who knows for sure, special could also mean different, could it not? There is no 403 solid main factory literature out there such as this, that I am aware of, for your comparison. Joe, this site's leading expert shows that it is possible at least, with documentation. It could be a very small production number for 67. Interesting and I would pissed if I bought a 67 330 just for the forged crank, another reason to at least pull the pan.
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