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Recently purchased a 1947 Chevy Pickup which had been mounted onto a Olds Cutlass chassis. The engine was suppose to be a 350 Olds, but it turned out to be a 403 Olds...Which is a good thing if built correctly. The engine has been rebuilt before, but back to factory resulting in a fairly low performance engine putting out less than 200 hp....That HAS TO CHANGE! Well, in my research on the best way to build this 403, I found out why everyone sticks to smallblock chevy's...They are much cheaper to build. The other thing I found was that I could actually build a 455 Olds for the same price as a 403 Olds. So, here is my delimma...which engine? I'm concerned about the cooling of the 455. Right now, the 403 runs a little on the warm side, but with the original radiator from the I6, before the chassis swap. I have a new HD radiator, which should solve that problem. But will it cool another 50 cubic inches? The engine will have a mild build...focusing more on torque than upper end horsepower. Can you imagine 500+ ft-lbs of torque from a 455? Better invest in tires, eh?

The 403 is the small block like a 350 Olds. The 455 is wider & heavier. The 403 is a great engine for it,s size & weight. I would put a mild cam in with an aluminum intake & Q-jet carb. Dual exhaust with 2 1/4 in pipes. Should run great.

Surprisingly, the 455 only weighs about 45 lbs more than the 403. The problem with the 403 is the compression...right around 8 to 1. So, new expensive pistons and head milling are needed to get the performance back...all adding up in cost. But the 403 would be a great engine still.

Hi, nothing is better then a Chevy in a Chevy or a Chevy in something else,but... I GOT TO ADMIT...I really appreciate seeing something different. Pull that Olds and give her an overhaul. She probably needs stainless valves or hardned seats with the use of unleaded fuel. Then again, if she runs good already I am in agreement with "WRENCHBENDER RET". A cam, intake and qj carb and bigger diameter exhaust will make a noticeable improvement. That should satisify your craving for a while. Then in a few years or so, tear her down and give her a complete make over, you can still use the parts you previously installed.

the 455 properly built and balanced will give you lots of power and torque!! BUT, they dont seem to like high RPM's tho.. I've ran Olds 350's, a 400, a 425 and a couple of 455's... you can really tell the difference between a hi-po 350 and a so-so built 455!....

I agree with Wrenchbender. The 403 is considered a small block starting around 1976. The 400/455 is a big block with the 455 ending in 1976. I also am tying to decide to build a 1976 455. It has the low compression "J" heads and unwanted intake. The cost of upgrading and rebuilding is a real eye opener. Good luck

The larger bearing journals on the 400/425/455 limit the RPM capabilities of the BBO. A larger volume oil pump is a highly suggested purchase. A properly built SBO will be a killer engine. Used to have a 330 in an F85. Had a 350 in a cutlass.

I myself have a decent 455 that I will be using as well to power my '48 along with a T-5 from a Camaro. The J heads have the larger valves, however crappy intake ports. Although the engine with an RV cam, intake, and holley carb will be more than plenty for a half-ton

I will be having exhaust flanges water-jet cut through a local vendor so I can take a low $ pair of Chev headers and swap flanges as the BBO exhaust stuff is a little pricey and SBC stuff is dirt cheap.

I have a TH400 which came with my 455, however with fuel economy I have chosen to stick a T5 behind the trans. I considered building a 200R4, however I have the T5.

Scott

I don't really plan to take this engine into the high RPM range. There will be the occassional burnout or playing around, but this rig really isn't intended to be a racer...more of a cruiser. I like the idea of using an olds engine since it's something a little different and I like the idea of the BBO since it's close in weight to the SBO, will directly swap in with all the same brackets and mounts, and will produce ALOT of torque/power without having to do a large buildup.

My concern is with the cooling. I just don't want to have a bunch of cooling issues with this setup. I've been fighting cooling problems in my Firebird with the 461 stroker...a royal pain. But just about have myself convinced that if I keep the cam under control with a new HD radiator, I should be good to go.

Thanks for all the input guys.

Say Scott. Will a T-5 stand up behind a 455 olds? I,ve got one in my 58 with a 350 but figured that,s about as much torque as one can handle.

Wrenchbender

It will depend on how you drive it, and the level of build. I have the T5 from behind a Camaro (26 spline) that I will be using. Stock, the trans is rated at 300lb-ft, however that does have a safety margin, and it is 1st gear that is the limiting factor. I have pushed these transmissions to about 400lb-ft with careful driving (no clutch-dumps, etc) behind a built-up SBC. Will it be the weak link in the chain? - YES. Since my engine is nowhere near the specs of a W30 with 500lb-ft, it should live for a while. However there are new gears that can be purchased relatively cheep to get to 500lb-ft capacity DD performance here is a T-5 tech write up Here is TTC's page of stock trans

If all else fails, I will pick up a TKO 500

Scott

The 455 should be good for 5600 rpm tops if you put ARP bolts in the stock rods. The motor is tougher than people lead on. Very very powerful little engines. Bump compression up to 9.5:1, cam it interesting, and you will do endless burnouts for blocks and blocks.

I posted before but my post disappeared.
I think you will need to use a BOP (Buick Olds Pontiac) style bellhousing, and probably either a TH400 or a M21 or M22 Muncie behind it.

Already have a TH 350 bolted up to the 403 which is in the truck....so have the BOP bolt pattern. Met with the guy who will complete the build today at the drag strip. Very good, down to earth guy which lives for Olds engines. Will be setting the compression at 9.5 to 1 with Edelbrock heads and a list of goodies in the shortblock. Some overkill, but should be very dependable in the long run which is my goal....besides the other goal of 400 hp and 500 ft-lbs of torque...What can I say...I want my cake and want to eat it too! Should be a fun ride!

Rick

I got a little situation that I wonder if anyone can help me with.

An aquaintance gave me an old engine that he said was a Chevy 350, but now I'm not sure what it is. I only found one casting # on the whole thing - on the front of the intake manifold. 395558.
I cleaned everywhere where I should find a a casting # but there aren't any others. I Googled it, and it looks like an Olds engine.
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:HEUx38KzVGcJ:www.442.com/oldsfaq/ofblk.htm+%22casting+numbers%22+395558&hl=en&gl=ca&ct=clnk&cd=8

A couple of weeks later he was over for a few beers, and I asked him where he got it. He said it came out of an '82 Buick. (I'm not complaining - all it cost me was some gas to haul it home )

I want to rebuild this thing, but I'm not sure which rebuild kit to buy. Is there any way to find out for sure what it is?

When I took it apart I found 3 bent pushrods, the tops of the pistons and the combustion chambers all carboned up, burnt exhaust valves, and the spark plugs almost made me run out of the garage screaming.

If it is a Chevy 350, I think its salvageable considering what I paid for it.

Thanks!

I could tell a Chevy V-8 in a heartbeat if I could see a good picture of it...

Thanks OldSub, its down to the bare block. Will that do?

Sure. I'd like to see the front, the top and the bellhousing mount surface. Email them to me if you don't have a place to host them.

Thanks. When I get my engine crane back I'll get the block on the stand to get good clear shots. Might be a week or so.

Pics would help

i have a 70 delta 88 with a 455. if you can find a 69-70 455 with the c or e heads you could do a basic rebuild, edelbrock intake and choice of carb and have 500 ft lbs of torque. My olds has the older heads which will give you 10.25 to 1. very reliable with gobs of pwer and torque. then there is mondello olds out there in cal. (ha ha highdollar alum head intake big power and torque$$$$$)

Have you considered a 500 cuin Cadillac? Great torque, great cruise, cheap to buy, aexpensive to build but the blocks last forever and theye engine is only about 35 lbs more than a SBC.

Have you considered a 500 cuin Cadillac? Great torque, great cruise, cheap to buy, expensive to build but the blocks last forever and theye engine is only about 35 lbs more than a SBC.

Yes, I did consider a Cad500. Even found one that was running for $1000, with all the brackets and stuff. But I already have the Olds in my truck (403) and like the idea of sticking with that route. Should be an easy swap.

Hope I did this right! I'm real green at it! I just did this today. I got my engine crane back, but I guess I didn't really need it. Thanks!

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj99/cantcompute/Automotive007.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj99/cantcompute/Automotive006.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj99/cantcompute/Automotive005.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj99/cantcompute/Automotive004.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj99/cantcompute/Automotive003.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj99/cantcompute/Automotive002.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj99/cantcompute/Automotive001.jpg

I don't recognize it, but its not a Chevrolet! Under the circumstances I'd expect it to be an Oldsmobile.

Thanks again! I guess I'm S.O.L.! I'll try and find out more about it, then decide what I'm gonna do with it.

Pontiac maybe? :confused:

1968-1972 Olds 350 per the engine casting number (aint Google just the bomb)

Thanks.

Is anyone else on the forum running a BBO in an AD? If so, besides exhaust, what am I going to run into?

Stock steering gear is long gone and suspension will be custom IFS and either leaf or 4-link in back.

Scott

Hang an oil cooler on it. Oil transfers heat just like water. Most engines don't have oil coolers from the factory. Not sure why. If you put an oil cooler on, with a 180 degree thermostat (for the oil cooler, not the engine), that will take a lot of heat out of the engine, and make your oil last longer, too. Add an electric fan for the oil cooler for when you are idling, and I suspect you will see a very noticeable drop in engine temperature. Mercedes Benz Diesel tank engines use this principle. Half the cooling is by water and the other half by oil. US Diesel tank engines use air cooling for the cylinders, and very large oil coolers. Both systems are very reliable.