My Father's Oldsmobile

[axisg]

well **** !!! That has to suck !!! You did a good job on finding the weak points on it though. Head of QC right there !!

I am sure once or thrice we have all done it. I floated the valves on the monte last saturday chasing some kid in a civic. I figured if she blows , she blows but we had fun while it lasted. I always look at it this way. It's not like you are saving your wife for the next guy in line right ??? Use it while you can. Unlike a wife you can rebuild a motor. LOL

 

[olds307 and 403]

...................................yet the weak 455 Olds bottom end held up.

No broken springs? Were you pretty tight on piston to valve clearance? I've seen the head snap off of a lot of valves at the stem, but I've never seen part of the head snap off before.

It is not even the weakness issue on the 455. It is the way too many bearing failures on the BBO on these sites. It seems in excess for the number built, maybe all the whiners show up on line? I have seen maybe one Olds 350 with bearing failures. It didn't make a lot sense built by a proper builder with a forged crank and lighter pistons even with the aluminum rods. Did Trimble go through the heads as well? There have been some Edelbrock heads with tight guide clearance out of box but this isn't 2 miles in with this failure. Not fair regardless.

 

[DRIVEN]

Sometimes parts just break. You had way too many miles on it to call it builder error or a design flaw. Not like you built it to putt down the freeway at 1800rpm. She died doing what she loved.

 

[fleming442]

Long story short: yep, sh*t happened. Don't do it the way I did. Frank offered an Eagle HBeam, KB Icon solution, and it is what felt like 3x heavier. Nuff said- we're going the same but I need heads

 

[Texas82GP]

Long story short: yep, sh*t happened. Don't do it the way I did. Frank offered an Eagle HBeam, KB Icon solution, and it is what felt like 3x heavier. Nuff said- we're going the same but I need heads

Captain, is the block salvageable?

 

[DRIVEN]

I know China but...how decent are the ProComp heads if they're built right?

 

[olds307 and 403]

The Procomp heads are good if quality valves are used. They need porting to match the Edelbrock heads but are robust castings. Their valves are crap, supposedly measure all over the place.

 

[fleming442]

Captain, is the block salvageable?

The block becomes a rabbit hole. Off the shelf pistons that are in it require .60 over, which is max. I could go 80, but then piston cost is double, PLUS rebalance. I think a rebuilt shortblock and heads will be most cost effective. No wear on the nose of the cam lobes indicate straight up launch- i like that, but stiffer springs are required.

 

[Northernregal]

The block becomes a rabbit hole. Off the shelf pistons that are in it require .60 over, which is max. I could go 80, but then piston cost is double, PLUS rebalance. I think a rebuilt shortblock and heads will be most cost effective. No wear on the nose of the cam lobes indicate straight up launch- i like that, but stiffer springs are required.

What cam are you running?

 

[fleming442]

What cam are you running?

It's a Travato custom grind- puny by the numbers .491/510 236/242 on a 110., hydraulic roller.. Apparently, its a launcher because the noses of the lobes show little wear. I like it,but might need a stiffer spring.