88 Cutlass Supreme Classic

[cjbritt2013]

W30 is a 455, so no, it's not a 'W30 block'. It seems it is just a standard 71 Olds 350. They didn't have any special/performance versions in 71. It's a very good platform but there is a very important issue about them and it applies to you; they have low CR from the factory due to large dished pistons. What does this mean to you? Well, first it means that if you took the heads off and replaced the head gaskets with standard Felpros, your already low CR will now be even worse. Secondly, that cam you just bought will be GARBAGE whether you replaced the head gaskets or not. It's just too big of a cam for your application and even if it were the correct size, there are other cams out there that would outperform it anyway.

Put that cam in your engine and you will have a turd. A big fat stinky one.

Thats a good way to just shoot me down completely. I'm not going for a drag car or anything. How is the cam WAY TOO BIG? It's not even that big...I wasn't going for balls to the wall power here. Just a little ole 350.

 

[cjbritt2013]

W30 is a 455, so no, it's not a 'W30 block'. It seems it is just a standard 71 Olds 350. They didn't have any special/performance versions in 71. It's a very good platform but there is a very important issue about them and it applies to you; they have low CR from the factory due to large dished pistons. What does this mean to you? Well, first it means that if you took the heads off and replaced the head gaskets with standard Felpros, your already low CR will now be even worse. Secondly, that cam you just bought will be GARBAGE whether you replaced the head gaskets or not. It's just too big of a cam for your application and even if it were the correct size, there are other cams out there that would outperform it anyway.

Put that cam in your engine and you will have a turd. A big fat stinky one.

Also, the pistons ARE dished. BUT they supposedly aren't the stock pistons. Im not too sure, but I think you think I bought a bunch of junk?? How can I identify the pistons?

 

[cjbritt2013]

I HIGHLY suggest doing some research on http://www.realoldspower.com by using the search function, don't bother trying to join the site... that's another topic for discussion
There are a couple threads on here with some good info on Olds motors however you're not gonna get that many responses right away for Olds motors, seems everyone here rips the damn thing out and sticks a Chevy under the hood... they might as well just give up and buy an Mustang if they want to put no effort into anything.

Olds motors will blow any Chevy out of the water when researched and built properly and can still be done within reasonable cost.
Remember Horse Power don't mean sh*t without the Torque to back it up...

I personally want to keep the Olds powerplant just to say I have a real OLDS car. By looking at it you wouldnt know if it were the 307 or 350. Unless you took the time to look at all the pretty little details. lol.

 

[rccktmn2]

This is just my opinion but I would be very weary of buying a cam on ebay, for a typical small block stay under 500 lift and under 300 duration, if you get bigger than this for a street driven car your not getting the performance you want for the money spent. Personally I would definately do a little research, call mondello, dick miller, rocket racing performance, BTR and I'm sure there are others that will give you good advice based on what you want out of your engine, not to mention the computer programs that you can get to at least give you an idea. The engine you have looks like a typical sbo 350, nothing fancy or rare about it, also keep in mind that almost all the engine blocks, cranks, and rods are the same, the only difference is in the early years the nickle content of the block and the thickness of the cylinder walls. The pistons being dished is standard factory pistons, all were dished, depending on the deepness of the dish the higher or lower the CR, if you look at the bottom side of the piston see if there is a part number, also keep in mind your headgasket thickness, bore, cc of the piston, and if the heads have been decked or not all play a part. All sbo and bbo cylinder heads flowed within 5% of each other so unless you want to do some porting and polishing or go aluminum if you stick with factory heads they'll all do the same thing with almost the same flow numbers. If you want an engine to upgrade later invest in better pistons, a good cam and a good machine shop that will stand by there work. A lot of what you want can be accomplished very easily by just doing some research and using good parts. Good luck with the build it sounds like you have a good base to start at, I also agree with the other guys on the board as far as keepin it olds powered and you can build an olds motor for about the same cost as a chevy the only differece is the availability of parts and what you want to spend. Good luck and I hope this helps.

 

[78sik ick]

X2 on the cam, 300 duration is quite a bit, my cam is 294int. 300ex. hyrdo roller and my car runs 11's in the 1/4. not saying it will work, it will, just not the best. If you bought flat top pistons you'd probably be okay, but pistons and rings are way more expensive then a new cam. Good luck with your build and hope it goes well.

 

[cjbritt2013]

I looked up my casting numbers on some parts. Apparently the block I have is from a W-31, not W-30. Thats my fault for saying its a W-30 block. The heads are 1971 #7 heads. And the only thing that doesnt match the block is the crank. Its from around a 74 350. The casting number on it is 393654.

 

[Blew86442]

Thats a good way to just shoot me down completely. I'm not going for a drag car or anything. How is the cam WAY TOO BIG? It's not even that big...I wasn't going for balls to the wall power here. Just a little ole 350.

That is quite a bit of cam. That cam is meant to run with much higher compression and a different rpm range than what your motor can offer at the moment. You have to match ALL COMPONENTS of your build for optimal performance. A better matched cam will make your engine run that much happier.

 

[cjbritt2013]

Flat top pistons are on my list, the heads have been shaved .020 i think. What kind of CR should I have to be able to run this cam? Iv'e been doing some research and from what I've found, the stock cam in this motor was actually BIGGER than the one I have. I think it was .474/.474 lift, with a .300/.300 duration? Correct me if I'm wrong though.