78 cutlass W-31 build

Clutch

Geezer
Apr 7, 2017
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First video from Mark you remember when I could not get the 350 to run? When he tore it down he found Manny problems but one was all 16 lifters were stuck and holding open the valves so we fixed them.
I still don't know how to post a video but I'm trying
 
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Clutch

Geezer
Apr 7, 2017
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I went to the machine shop Thursday night without Lauren and disassembled the #6 heads. All the guides are in real good shape however on close inspection we found that the valve stems are actually worn. After a long discussion on cost vers outcome we decided to do hardened seats and if we're going that far.. well its getting the 2" valves or 1.995 asl i think they are. A lot of what mark dose for a living is porting so... Might as well. Polishing the chambers and using modern head gaskets will keep it on pump gas and if tool is in hand then those guides can get teardropped and the exhaust bumps can go away a little better than i did before and if you do the heads... May as well do the intake to match the ports. And of course at his place we'll throw them on the flow bench just to check the work. I think this project is finally snowballing in the right direction.
 
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Clutch

Geezer
Apr 7, 2017
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No machine shop this weekend. It's Lauren's last band weekend and we're both a little under the weather. She's had her mother and I worried for some time now but hopefully Monday we get back definitive test results and it's not to serious. Today was her parent performance day so she had band from 12 to 5 and tonight is her senior prank night only to have a band breakfast tomorrow morning at 6 followed by practice then the championship competition in Hershey Park.
So what I'm saying is more progress to come after band season! And it ends tomorrow. Her test results should be back Monday also personally I think she's got Lyme's disease and shes pushing to hard. The Dr thinks it could be something more serious..I hope not.

So hay Oldsmobile guys any tips for this 403? Like what do other people do about oil returns? And do you restrict the oil to the top? I the past I've drilled a hole in the gally plug to get oil to the distributor gear is that enough of a bleed off? I'm indecisive because this time I'm trying to get it right.
 
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DRIVEN

Geezer
Apr 25, 2009
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No Olds tips from me, but I hope Lauren is okay. Hang in there.
 
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Clutch

Geezer
Apr 7, 2017
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No real progress here my buddy Mark is at PRI 23 hanging with the famous people selling porting equipment and I'm home broke and fixing things around the house. Lauren is feeling much better but the problem still lingering. Doctors suck there paid to practice. I'm toying with the idea of buying some Chinese stainless headers for this car but not until I come up with some money. Over Thanksgiving weekend I helped my cousins buy out the contents of a junkyard in upstate NY. That was actually a lot of fun I got a bunch of stuff even a set of g body front bucket seats the same light blue as this car has. Lauren got taillights for the Hurst Olds I picked a bunch of odds and ends Lauren bought a 66 fury my little cousin bought every classic on the property to resell 66 Oldsmobile toronado 3 square body trucks 1 4x4 76 tow truck 1 77 short bed step side 4x4 1 1/2 ton 2wd long bed a clean 80 Camaro no motor no trans 79 trans Am 455 olds pa state issued vin number way to many cars and parts to remember it all. For a couple of days I felt like a kid again
 
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Clutch

Geezer
Apr 7, 2017
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There hasn't been much progress until tonight. After carful consideration and a lot of discussion Mark ordered some new parts for me. The guides in the #6 heads are perfect so he ordered all new valves and seats. Tonight the work started. First we grabbed a #7 head to do a test weld on with the tig.
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And dialed in mark got on the #6 heads because 8 calendars should have 8 exhaust ports.
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And with that we have enough material to separate the ports. Mark dose a lot of custom work for people on jet ski engines you may even recognize him. Or his logo.
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So after welding comes .... Porting! Now as you may well know a 403 with #6 heads = high compression felpro gaskets drop it a little but polished chambers puts it on pump gas.
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And as for valves ... This is the W-31 build lol
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Yup more to come we will be spending a lot of time making these heads nice and we will be doing a lot of work on the intake manifold as well. Iwe figure if we can get more power from time spent in the machine shop then it's worth doing because while we're there lol
 
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Oct 14, 2008
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Awesome! What size valves?
 

Clutch

Geezer
Apr 7, 2017
5,189
10,913
113
Brick NJ
There will be more discussion with Mark today I'm going on a road trip with him to buy some used machine shop equipment. Hopefully anyway he's making calls now we were supposed to go last weekend but there was a snow storm where it is. Obviously someplace north of us I don't know where.

The point of to much compression for pump gas has been brought up a few times with a 403 and these heads. All I can say is thick head gaskets and polished chambers is hopefully going to get it on super but we shall see? The other subject that's come up is where do Oldsmobile heads have enough metal to shape ports? Can we make the bowls round? Should I destroy the #7 heads to find out?
 
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