MyBlue72

OK Folks, let me start off by saying "thanks" to all of you that have helped me out so for in my short time on this site. I am by no means any kind of mechanic. More of a tinkerer and enjoy doing more of the cosmetic things.
That said, I wanted to run a few things by you. My car has had the oil idiot light flickering off and on at low idle. After reading a few posts on this site it sounds like either (1) I had a bad oil sensor, or (2) my engine is worn out. The odometer shows 67,xxx miles, but was sold to me as "exempt" for mileage when I bought it. So, I had gauges put in the car as suggested in those posts just to verify my true readings. The oil pressure gauge is a mechanical gauge as suggested. Well, my worst fear, it looks like I have a tired engine. See the photos attached of my temp and oil pressure when cold, warmed up, and sitting at idle.
I have a mechanic that works at our local Chevy dealership doing work for me at his home shop. He has put a 50 weight oil in the car to hopefully help the oil pressure, but it is still low.
Once my wife gets over the shock of how much I have spent on this Cutlass so far, I plan on this guy rebuilding the engine for me. Below is what he suggested for parts and a rough price to do the whole job. I'm just looking to up the horsepower some and have a car I can depend on to cruise on the highway with the A/C on if needed. My car is currently the stock original 350 - 4 barrel , automatic, with ceramic headers and dual exhaust.

He said................"Called the machine shop roughly 600 to bore block.030, mill heads and valve job, install cam bearings , press pistons on rods. Parts , labor, machine work. Would be about 4K. "
The parts he was going to buy are as follows:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fem-csmhp819-000

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/e...yABEgJUuvD_BwE

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cca-k42-222-4

Well, what do you think???? Does his suggestions and price sound kosher to you, and if so, approx. how much horsepower would I end up with?
Thanks for any and all help.
-Doug in NC-

geardoc66

I would not recommend running it with the 50w oil very long. If the mileage on your car is original or close to original and the engine has never been rebuilt, there is a chance your oil pressure problem may be due to a plugged oil pump pickup. Oldsmobile engines of this era used an aluminum camshaft sprocket wirh nylon teeth. Mileage and age deteriorated the teeth and they would crumble and detach from the sprocket and eventually plug the oil pickup screen. A good check to see if the gear is deteriorated is to rotate the engine clockwise (preferably by hand) until the balancer is at TDC. Remove the distributor cap and turn the engine counter clockwise until the rotor on the distributor starts to move. Then observe how many degrees the crank turned. If it is more than 10 degrees, that may be your problem. While it is a bunch of work, it might be worthwhile to pull the oil pan to be sure before committing to an overhaul

scrappie

That sounds about right to do all that stuff but you may not need to go that far unless you want?
A stock rebuild would be cheaper and give the engine new life. A cylinder hone with new rings on existing pistons, all new bearings, camshaft, lifters, timing chain, oil pump and valve job I would think have the engine run like new unless there is some internal damage? A different camshaft could give you a little boost in hp if thats what your looking for, cutlassefi would prob be able to recommend a good grind. I don't think all rebuilds require a bore and new pistons and that could save you a few bucks. It also could be the oil pump pick up restricted like geardoc66 suggested? Just my opinion.
Nice car BTW

cherokeepeople

these also are good for the valve stem seals getting brittle and crumbling.then flowing to the ends of the heads and plugging the drain back holes in the heads.pull the valve covers and check the holes.also what kindof oil consumption do you have?quart in 400 miles?1000?3000?this would help narrow it down if your towards the low end i would say time for rebuild,if towards the 1500-3000 or so mark rings should be good BUT the oil pressure problem probably really lies in the crankshaft. i would have your mechanic pull the engine get it on an engine stand,drain oil and pull the pan while keeping engine upright.this will keep all the crap in the pan,once off pull the timing cover and chain.he can then remove a couple rod caps making sure to mark one side of em as they only go back together one way do one at a time and mic the crank he should have one or access to one.and pull all the main caps and lift up on crank to get access to the main journals to mic them.if it is out of spec you might get by with just turning the crank and putting in undersize bearings.

joe_padavano

The real question is, how do you plan to use the car? The engine rebuild kit is comprehensive, but do you need the cost of forged pistons for your intended use? Do you want that CR? I'd talk to Cutlassefi on this site about a cam and kit. He's got a better understanding of what an Olds motor needs. I wouldn't waste my money on a Performer - other than lighter weight there isn't much benefit over stock. A Performer RPM would be a better choice, assuming that it matches your intended use, rear gears, etc. It's easy to spend a lot of money on mismatched parts and end up with a motor that's much less than the sum of the parts. Selecting everything to match the rest of the car and the intended use is a smart thing to do. Also, be sure a Chevy-centric mechanic understands the nuances of an Olds motor. One classic mistake they make is not appreciating the need to get the valve stem tips properly aligned so the Olds non-adjustable valve train works properly.

MyBlue72

Thanks a lot Guys for the great input. Since I know squat about rebuilding engines, I will pass on this info to my mechanic.
I forgot to mention that the oil pan has been off, the oil pump pickup has been checked.

MyBlue72

Joe,
Thanks for the suggestions. I've read on here that the Olds engines aren't like a typical Chevy engine. After all the money I have spent on my car so far, a lot of which was a waste, I need to make darn sure the mechanic knows what he is doing.
As far as how I plan to use the car, I would love to be able to get in and drive across the country if needed. I'm almost 60 yrs old and don't plan on racing or beating it. I just want a nice looking, good running, dependable car. I have A/C and I want to be able to use it too. I definetly don't want a car that overheats if sitting in traffic. An additional boost in horsepower would be great, but nothing crazy.
I've always been into more stock original just because the car holds its value more.
Thats about it,
Doug

Fun71

The factory pistons have huge 24cc dishes for ~8:1 CR with the original .017" thick shim head gaskets. Put that back together with thicker aftermarket composition gaskets and it's in the 7.x:1 range. With 7.x:1 CR, it's extremely easy to overcam the engine and lose low end torque, so you have to be really careful which cam you select.

If the engine is going to be rebuilt, follow Joe's recommendations so you won't be disappointed with the results.

olds 307 and 403

That engine kit isn't a bad deal, problem is, if your head or block has been milled in the past or is milled any amount for this rebuild, it will end up with 10 to 1 compression or higher with that kit cam looks ok but won't idle like stock and will probably be noisy. As said, get the RPM intake. I have a 9 to 1 Olds 350 with a 214/214 custom cam from Cutlassefi. I can run 87 octane and the idle is noticeable but far from rough and idles at 700 RPM no problem. Even with highway friendly 2.78 gears it fries the tires with ease. Cutlassefi (Mark Remmel) brought a 10cc dish piston which is more money but with a much better ring pack, is lighter and will work much better in your 72 Olds 350.

MyBlue72

Will do. Thanks for the input Kenneth.

MyBlue72

Thanks for the reply and great info. That RPM intake sounds like the way to go. I spoke with Mark the other day for the first time. Great guy. I would love to buy the engine he is doing right now, but after all of the money I have spent on the car so far, its a sore subject at home. I will have to go the cheaper route at this time. Maybe I need to remind her I have a birthday coming up this month. LOL.
Its been a long expensive experience with this 72 Cutlass, but it will get there. Always loved the looks of a Cutlass.

Have a great week,
Doug

olds 307 and 403

I get that, a lot of us are not wealthy. I would get the Speedpro LF2321 forged pistons instead with the 5.8 cc dish versus the flat top pistons, a similar cost and lower compression a bit. I would get at least a valve job and the guides checked on the heads, replaced as necessary with new valve seals. I would get a cam from Mark so it will perform like you want it to.