Okay, I'll give it up. It's from a 1976 Cadillac Seville. These cars used 350 Olds engines, with a different intake so that multiport electronic fuel injection could be used. Note the injector bungs at the end of each runner. I'll be using a carburator though, rules don't allow injection.
Everything inbetween the four bolts will be cut away and cleaned up with a die grinder. The 4 bolts flange that exists is an odd pattern, that does not fit any known carb, so yes, I will need and adapter for that. On top of that, I'm going to use a 4 hole spacer, that blends into the open throat of the plenum, making a better transition. Should look funky once a get it all on there.
Are you planning on making intake spacers as well? The 350 Olds intake is narrower than a 455, as the 455 has a taller deck height than a 350, thus a wider intake.
Got the cam back yesterday. Without even taking any information, the grinder reviewed the job, and told me what was wrong with it. Looked up what lobes were used, and saw the wrong exhaust duration. Thumbs up to him for keeping that much info on every job he does. He was able to fix the cam, so I get to keep my extra core for later.
It was Canadian Chromium and Crankshaft who I was dealing with, I'll definitely keep going there.
Hey guys, it's been some time, but I have some updates. Still working on the motor, been slow, but it's coming. I should be getting the rest of the truck back in the shop soon, so there will be more about the rest of it very shortly. For now I have a few pics of my intake, and the spacers.
Great build! Interesting story on the cam. Good for Canadian Chromium and Crankshaft for stepping up.
I am surprised by your intake manifold choice. I would have thought that a stock 455 Olds 4 BBL would be a better (easier) choice. Seems to me those W30 455's put out some pretty good HP/torque. Though I expect they aren't easy to find.
I forget all my Olds trivia (had a '64 Cutlass way back when), but isn't the 455 intake interchangeable with some other Olds blocks? Can't remember which one - 330, 425 ?
The intake is something that I've been wanting to try for some time. Was lucky to find one, they don't grow on trees.
A 4 barrel would have been much easier yes, but the problem is their basic design. The upper plane isn't bad, but the lower goes way down under, and then the ports tip up at the end of the runner to meet up with the head. Not to mention that no cylinders have any direct flow from the plenum, they have to share a runner with another cylinder before it T's off.
I used to run one on my car way back, (before I had any aluminum intakes) but couldn't ever get it tuned right. Seemed the more power I tried to make, the more trouble I had tuning it. Fuel distribution was the problem, some cylinders would run lean, others rich, some in the middle. Didn't matter how I tuned the carb, a happy medium was the best I could get.
The benefit of this new intake is that as least every cylinder gets a fair share of air and fuel. It might not make power just off idle like the stock 455's do, but I don't plan on ever being under 3000 - 3500 rpm's, so what do I care?
Despite all the extra work, I'm happy to do it. To my knowledge nobody has ever attempted this, so I get to be the first. Plus I enjoy a challenge, I wouldn't be using an Olds if I didn't. Hopefully it makes a few people shake their heads, or at least scratch them.
Well folks, talk about bringing a topic back from the dead. A ton of stuff has happened since I last posted here, and a few projects have gotten in the way. Fortunately I have gotten back on track, and things are moving along well. I'll try my best to put up more photos and descriptions where I can, hopefully a few of you remember this one.
This was pretty much as the truck sat since I last posted. We ended up pulling the axles for another project and I sold off the rims and tires. We even used the steering box for something else, so there really wasn't much here to work with. It was sitting on a grain auger axle and a pair of jack stands since about 2011.
After Scrounging for parts, I was able to get it back on 4 wheels.
I was finally able to let it see the light of day for the first time in years.
I did some mocking up with a dummy block and transmission. Where it was most comfortable ended up giving me good firewall to distributor clearance. I did end up moving things around a little bit, but this is mostly where things landed.
I had to address the steering. Previously, we just connected stuff together for the sake of moving it around, but now I really wanted something more concrete. I had to do some creative machining, but I was able to get a proper bushing at the end of the column, as well as attaching the adapter properly. I'm aware the steering shaft is not properly aligned, but this is a good baseline to use for now. It's a stock unmodified squarebody steering shaft, so I at least have the option of putting one in if ever I had an issue. When I rolled the truck out of the barn for the first time, I had pretty much stuffed a very crummy power steer box in place so I could control it. Later, I built a manual box so it would be much easier to steer the thing. Don't know if I'll stick with it, but I have it.
It was at this point that I needed an engine. The previous one that I was going to use ended up going to another project, but may make it back here later. For now I just needed a good runner to get me going. After striking out with a few, I decided to put one together out of leftovers from previous builds. It ended up being a pretty decent 455, although mostly stock. It will later go into my '68 Delta, but it's comfortable where it is for now.
There was also a ton of stuff that happened all between these photos. Things like, installing every part of the brake system, including making the lines. Sourcing a fuel tank and getting it mounted, as well as adapting the filler neck to the '55. Figuring out what I had to do for wiring, and getting some guages mounted. Getting the rest of the drivetrain figured out with one of the longest shafts I've done for myself. It also needed seats, cuz the 6x6 I was sitting on wasn't to comfy. Had to make adapter plates for the motor mounts because there wasn't anything to bolt to right where I needed it to. The shifter on the column is for a 3 speed manual, but I was able to modify it to connect to the TH400 linkage. The transmission needed cooler lines and a cooler. Engine needed a rad and hoses. And honestly, about a thousand other things I'm probably forgetting.
I was able to get it fired for the first time on Mothers Day. I gave my mom her first ever ride in it and she seemed super happy. We sold our family farm just recently as well, after being there 30 years, so it was a nice sendoff.
This took about a year start to finish, in between work and other projects. There's still plenty to come, hopefully not as long of a wait till the next update. Stay tuned.
-- Edited by Pontiac_Truck on Monday 21st of May 2018 11:29:17 PM
