I have recently aquired an Olds 350 from a "75 H/O. It only had 160 hp from the factory according to a little research. It supposedly ran, but figured I'd look inside and see what I'm dealing with. So far I think I can just clean it and hone it. I wanna do all gaskets, rings and bearings. Then a timing chain and cam/lifters. Its a very low budget rebuild. I plan on running stock cast iron heads and intake. I have #8 smog heads w/ huge 79cc chambers and what looks like dished pistons. Can I just put different pistons in to bump the compression ratio? What would be a good cam for a fairly stock 350? Is there anywhere that stocks rebuilt older high compresion heads like #5 heads or something. I can find some for chevys but not Olds. What kind of power could I get with just a cam and pistons?
Olds 350 rebuild ?s
- Thread starter brettlaage03
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A set of older 350 heads or late 330 heads would be a much better choice over replacing the pistons IMO. Older Olds heads can easily be found in the 'parts wanted' section of any Olds specific forum. A cam can't be picked unless you provide more info on what you have and what you're looking to achieve.
I just want something fun to drive. I don't need a ton of power. The engine is bone stock with #8 heads and I was thinking of a lunati voodoo cam and lifter set. How much power can I gain with a cam alone. I don't think I can afford heads at the moment. I am looking at these...http://www.summitracing.com/parts/LUN-60801LK/
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FEM-205-6310M000/ Then also a new oil pump, true roller timing set and cam bearings.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FEM-205-6310M000/ Then also a new oil pump, true roller timing set and cam bearings.
That's a good cam, but the problem is your compression ratio sucks. Camming a low compression engine just results in a crappy driving engine. You'll lose throttle response and low end which is what you need in a street car. You also need to match a cam with the proper gear and stall.
In addition to all that, I think the 350's of that era still used the thin steel shim head gaskets. Replace them with standard Felpro's and your already low CR takes a nose dive. I assure you you won't have fun driving a car with a 7.5 CR 350, an oversized cam, and crappy stock ( probabaly 2.41 or worse ) gears. It's been done before by many. It don't work. It'll be a dog.
If you say you can't afford a set of older ( better ) heads, I would hold off on the rebuild untill you can. BTW, the #8 heads also flow worse on the exhaust side than the earlier heads ( but they can be ported ), so the older heads do more than just bumping up the CR.
Call Rocker Racing and talk to them for details. They are located in WI.
In addition to all that, I think the 350's of that era still used the thin steel shim head gaskets. Replace them with standard Felpro's and your already low CR takes a nose dive. I assure you you won't have fun driving a car with a 7.5 CR 350, an oversized cam, and crappy stock ( probabaly 2.41 or worse ) gears. It's been done before by many. It don't work. It'll be a dog.
If you say you can't afford a set of older ( better ) heads, I would hold off on the rebuild untill you can. BTW, the #8 heads also flow worse on the exhaust side than the earlier heads ( but they can be ported ), so the older heads do more than just bumping up the CR.
Call Rocker Racing and talk to them for details. They are located in WI.
An early set of 350 heads will net you a 9.2-9.4 compression ratio depending if they have ever been milled and what gaskets you run..
I thought it had more compression than that? w/ exhaust manifold bolts busted off in the heads and all I gueass I have a boat anchor! Thanks for the info tho. I was trying to avoid putting together something I wasn't gonna be happy with. I will call Rocket racing but i'll have to wait til i have some money to do anything. Thanks again
It's usually a good idea to do an engine last anyway IMO, so I wouldn't feel too bad. For now you can concentrate on getting some decent gears in your car and making sure your trannys up to snuff too. After that, you can put a nice dual exaust set up on it that so it'll be there when you're ready to swap in your new engine. Even if it takes you longer than what you'd prefer, you can at least still enjoy the extra performance with your better gears and exhaust ( assuming you currently have a running engine in your car right now ).
yeah It runs but the carb and starter need to be replaced. BTW can I use the BOP Q-Jet on my chevy 350? I dnt see why it wouldnt work. the linkage for throttle and kickdown cables look way different. The Olds had a like-new carb on it and the chevy's is looking pretty bad and has a few issues. Yeah I definitely need gears, but would love to put a detroit tru trac or auburn posi in with the new gears!
Other than the linkage which have had many changes over the years, the only real difference between a BOP Qjet and a Chevy Qjet is the fuel inlet location so you'll need a new fuel line from your fuel pump to your carb.
Linkages can be swapped between different Qjets too. I have a late 70's Qjet with the linkage from an 80's 307 Qjet which I knew would work because that's what my car was set up for.
Linkages can be swapped between different Qjets too. I have a late 70's Qjet with the linkage from an 80's 307 Qjet which I knew would work because that's what my car was set up for.
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