86 Olds 307 to 455 Swap

[rpolds714]

I have a 1986 Olds Salon w/307. I was planning to swap with a 70's buick 455. I was wondering. What probles im going to run in to. Any helpful tips would be nice.

Thanks

 

[joe_padavano]

I have a 1986 Olds Salon w/307. I was planning to swap with a 70's buick 455. I was wondering. What probles im going to run in to. Any helpful tips would be nice.

Thanks

The biggest problem will be the motor and frame mounts. Of course, you'll need all the accessory brackets, starter, etc.

Alternately, an Olds 455 bolts directly to the 307 mounts.

 

[jimmyp618]

I just did mine , Go to www.v8buick.com there is a step by step on what ya need and the how to's. Only thing that is a lil bit of a butt are the mounts. I made my frame pads the ones you can buy dont work , they make engine sit un level. I made a set and had engine bolted down in under an hour and only cost about 20 bucks so long as ya have access to a welder.

 

[Minion1186]

stiffin the front shocks it a heavier engine than a 307

 

[joe_padavano]

stiffin the front shocks it a heavier engine than a 307

While stiffer shocks are a good idea for handling, shocks do nothing to increase the amount of load the suspension can handle. That's the job of the springs only (note that if you remove the shocks completely, the ride height doesn't change).

More to the point, the weight difference between a 307 and 455 is in the 50 lb range. Not worth the trouble to change the springs.