1987 Cutlass Build

[scoti]

I like the idea of corrision protection that product leaves behind. These headers go more brownish than blue, from the pictures I have seen. Either way it beat spending $1000 more for ARH and maybe a handful more HP and TQ.

The .065" wall stainless head/exhaust pipes on my dually turned a tannish color where it connects to the headers. The tan is a lighter color vs the 'Titanium' ceramic coating on the headers (which is close to an 'as cast' coating in hue).

 

[olds307 and 403]

What were the quality of the supplied gaskets? I have never found any paper style gaskets to last long term and Copper can leak. It will help having the thick 3/8" flange.

The collector gaskets especially, only Cooper and aluminum only last for me. I started doing this and no leaks for years at a time. The Cooper 3" collector gaskets will get the same treatment Permatex Optimum Grey which is more robust than their Ultra Copper.

 

[scoti]

What were the quality of the supplied gaskets? I have never found any paper style gaskets to last long term and Copper can leak. It will help having the thick 3/8" flange. View attachment 195896The collector gaskets especially, only Cooper and aluminum only last for me. I started doing this and no leaks for years at a time. The Cooper 3" collector gaskets will get the same treatment Permatex Optimum Grey which is more robust than their Ultra Copper.

When we did the header gaskets on my old roommates 455, we soaked the paper style gaskets in warm water overnight before installing. The soak caused them to expand/swell slightly & then cinching them down compressed the mating surfaces for good sealing. We might have been lucky but it worked for the 350 w/manifolds, the 455 w/manifolds & then 455 w/the headers. A light film of Permatex was also painted around the ports.

 

[84dragcutlass]

The supplied gaskets were the aluminum ones that i've had good luck with in the past so i just installed them as i got them. I usually put a little ultra copper on just about everything else. That ultra copper has become by go to for anything that will contact the engine. I need to give that optimum grey a try it seems

 

[84dragcutlass]

Okay so pretty long time since the last update. With the summer rush in full swing I haven't been able to do a whole lot. However I have some things upcoming with the car. Tonight I got the dash dyed finally. The cars original was literally crumbling away. This one is in much better condition. Hard to believe this was blue before

So now I have a nice maroon dash that I can put in. Not perfect but a huge step forward. I will be going over other interior parts as well while I'm in there. Stay tuned I have some intake stuff coming up on how I'm making a 307 A5 intake fit the 260

 

[84dragcutlass]

All assembled up. A few minor touches and it will be ready to put back in

 

[84dragcutlass]

Installed! Looks better than I had hoped

 

[84dragcutlass]

Okay so on to making a 307 intake fit a 260. So as everyone already knows the 260 only came with a 2 barrel carb and the only intakes that will fit are the stock one and the SP2P. Well not being able to find another SP2P I set out to make a A5 307 intake fit. So first I started out by painting on the intake the port difference.

You can see where the black paint is that the 260 port is quite a bit higher up than the 307 port. So a little port work and I had that area solved.

Now you can see that the port roof has been raised to match and the gasket now matches at the top.

So now onto the fun part which is raising the bottom of the port. I got some wood straps and marked just above where I wanted the port floor to be and then glued the wood to the intake

Next I added some Devcon epoxy and flowed it in to where I needed it

After all was said and done all I had left to do was more port work on the newly created epoxy floor and just like that the 307 intake now will fit a 260

 

[olds307 and 403]

Okay so on to making a 307 intake fit a 260. So as everyone already knows the 260 only came with a 2 barrel carb and the only intakes that will fit are the stock one and the SP2P. Well not being able to find another SP2P I set out to make a A5 307 intake fit. So first I started out by painting on the intake the port difference.View attachment 210266
You can see where the black paint is that the 260 port is quite a bit higher up than the 307 port. So a little port work and I had that area solved.View attachment 210267
Now you can see that the port roof has been raised to match and the gasket now matches at the top.View attachment 210268
So now onto the fun part which is raising the bottom of the port. I got some wood straps and marked just above where I wanted the port floor to be and then glued the wood to the intakeView attachment 210269
Next I added some Devcon epoxy and flowed it in to where I needed itView attachment 210270
After all was said and done all I had left to do was more port work on the newly created epoxy floor and just like that the 307 intake now will fit a 260View attachment 210271

I know one guy on Classic Olds just raised the port to match and left the bottom unfilled. I can see you want to keep max velocity out of the intake. I always thought the 260 raised port made more sense than the lower 307 port for performance🤣🤣🤣. Not sure what the logic was in dropping the port.

 

[84dragcutlass]

Yeah i didnt want that big lip from the gasket on the transition from the intake to the head. That kind of port misalignment will cause fuel pooling and flow issues from the air/fuel mix hitting that lip and having to change directions.