Olds 350 manual trans swap
- Thread starter Isaac84cutlass
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I haven't heard from the machine shop "yet." I hate bugging people but I'm going to try to get him tomorrow. I really want to get an engine together soon.
In my area, Youngstown/Warren Ohio, we HAD lots of engine machine shops. About half have gone out of business. The main one I used was a "one man band." I knew him from grade school since the 1950s. His machine work was spot on but he was slow. Around here all the shops are in cahoots with each other. I had a 455 Olds block I wanted bored and I needed it now. Instead of taking to shop A, I called up shop B and told him I'd need it soon. He said, "no problem. " I took it and had it back in a week. All is good. A few months later, I run into shop A owner. He says, " so, you don't like me anymore?" I says "what do you mean?" He says, that block you took to Wards, I bored it." I said really? He said, they know I do Oldsmobile blocks so they brought it down and told me it was a rush order. I told him I needed it fast was the reason I took it there. After that he'd ask me "how soon I needed it?"
He also told me, Nobody locally does crankshafts. If "they" had a crankshaft a guy would pick it and deliver it back when done. Shop A owner died 3 years ago.
When I was wanting to get this crankshaft "drilled" I first call Shaft Tech, it's supposed to do the company Bill Travado uses. He told me he could do it. I'd told him I had the Mondello diagram for dimensions. He said bring it. He was able 120 miles from me.
I called shop B, he no longer does machine work, just sells parts. He's just hanging on, I still buy my parts from him.
Anyway he tells me the name of the crankshaft guy everyone in the area uses. McBride Crankshaft Service.
I called him and he also wanted the Mondello drawing. He would have picked "them" up at my house when in the area but I was going to my Son's in S.C. so I took them down to his shop. I'd called and told him I'd be there at 9am, unfortunately he wasn't there but his wife was and I left them plus the drawing. I took 3 shafts, two 425s and one 455. I figured I'd get a better price for 3. Anyway, I thought these crankshaft guys must not do Olds because both wanted that diagram. The Mondello diagram is what everyone uses from online talks.
He also told me, Nobody locally does crankshafts. If "they" had a crankshaft a guy would pick it and deliver it back when done. Shop A owner died 3 years ago.
When I was wanting to get this crankshaft "drilled" I first call Shaft Tech, it's supposed to do the company Bill Travado uses. He told me he could do it. I'd told him I had the Mondello diagram for dimensions. He said bring it. He was able 120 miles from me.
I called shop B, he no longer does machine work, just sells parts. He's just hanging on, I still buy my parts from him.
Anyway he tells me the name of the crankshaft guy everyone in the area uses. McBride Crankshaft Service.
I called him and he also wanted the Mondello drawing. He would have picked "them" up at my house when in the area but I was going to my Son's in S.C. so I took them down to his shop. I'd called and told him I'd be there at 9am, unfortunately he wasn't there but his wife was and I left them plus the drawing. I took 3 shafts, two 425s and one 455. I figured I'd get a better price for 3. Anyway, I thought these crankshaft guys must not do Olds because both wanted that diagram. The Mondello diagram is what everyone uses from online talks.
I delivered three crankshafts on March 13th. I haven't heard from him. I called today, not trying to hurry him but I wanted to know if he had any questions or problems. He said that he hadn't gotten to them yet but he didn't think there would be any problems. I told him that if he had to "a light"polish" on the two that already machined (actually he did the crankshafts but through my Machinist). I'll wait him out now.
I'm still waiting. I'm at a standstill. The car is a factory 4-speed that was converted to automatic. I fixed the leaking turbo 400 yesterday, new pan gasket just so I can drive it. It's a J-headed 455 right now. Even finding a turbo 400 pan gasket only was a pain. O'Riley, Autozone, Advance Auto, none had either the gasket or new filter/gasket. Luckily the NAPA store had new filter with gasket. The Counter Guy is very knowledgeable. I told him I'd take it even though I only needed the gasket. He said, I'll sell you just the gasket and order a gasket to put back in with the filter. $5.33 out the door. Doesn't get any better than that. This is the car.
Think somebody is getting kick backs every time he post Lucas...🤔
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