The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop olds 455

how good are these motors i have one that i think is good other than being outside for a couple years would it be worth it to rebuild and use for a truck?

Good torquey engines, I know a guy that has one is his '52 Power Wagon pulling truck, that thing is unstoppable. I say go for it, if only to be different from the belly-button smallblock Chevy.

Olds 455 was a very good engine and parts are still available. The were the power plant for the 70 Olds 442 W30. They were also used in many marine applications. Lots of Olds 98's were cut for the engine. The best ones were in the early 70's. Later they went to a block with thinner cylinder wall thickness but that's a real issue unless you are building for all out performance. You can tailer the power to your specific needs.

My cousin and I put a couple in a 73 chevy pickup of his. A real torque monster and very dependable. Easier to put one in than you think. Low RPM engines in stock form. (notice i said we put a COUPLE in the same truck).

I'm not sure what year mine is but the casting # is 396021. where is the date casted?

The date code is on the rear of the block, next to the distributor hole.

It takes some pretty expensive valve gear modifications (rollerized replacements for the original stamped steel rocker arms and aluminum pivots) before the top end is reliable at any kind of speed. Also, the only way of adjusting valve lifter running depth is by grinding valve stems or installing different-length pushrods after a valve job. The 455 pistons are dish-top only, and there's no flattops available without going to high-dollar custom pistons. However, a 455 Pontiac piston is the same in every dimension except bore. Bore a 455 Olds .025" oversize, and use a 30 over 455 Pontiac flattop piston to get more compression. The wrist pin size and compression distance are identical, and the weight is within just a few grams of the Olds.

Given a choice, I'd rather have a 500 Caddy over the Olds 455. more cubic inches, less weight, and less-expensive hotrod parts for that one. Joe Mondello is the go-fast guru for Olds engines, and he's an arrogant jerk who thinks his parts are gold-plated. Don't bother calling his "tech advice" line unless you're ready to buy only the parts he sells!
Jerry

the numbers on the block by the distributor are 5
237*CFD what year would this be

I like Cad 500 also, in fact I have 500 in a 75 car. I had planned to put it in a 55 GMC as is because it is extremely low mileage. However, people who are Cad men cautioned me to either be prepared to run an automatic or pull the crank and have a hole machined for a pilot bearing. I have 2 455's, one in a 442 Olds and the other in a basket. Both have cranks drilled for a pilot bearing. I'm not sure if they all do.

i have a cad 472 in a '72 coupe deville i was also thinking about using for a truck but the car it's in is in really good shape so i will just use the car

My car belonged to an older gentleman who scraped every fender and what have you. The car looks like it's been through the war, but he changed the oil meticulously and its low miles.

I myself have an olds 455 with fairly low mileage for my '48. Was in a wrecked '76 Olds 98. From there it was transplanted into a friends '81 diesel half-ton and used as a tow vehicle for 6 years. The truck was used to pull a 18' car trailer with a Mid-Am car. Then he got an RV tow rig and now the engine and trans are sitting under the bench awaiting me to drop into the truck.

This will be the 4th Olds engine I will be owning. All have been outstanding. The bearing journals are huge, hence the reason these run at lower power. Here is a link to some advice on Olds engines : http://www.442.com/tech/enginearticle.html

Scott

I have a 500 Caddy in my 65 shortbed.Hooked up to a 400 turbo.It is one nice cruiser and sure gets a lot of attention at the shows and cruisins.

I believe all the Olds engines have the pilot bearing hole,and I'm told SOME of the '70-'71 Caddy engines did too.(?)This was from somebody who bought a GM pick up with a Caddy engine and an SM465 trans. Even if not,it isn't that big of a deal to pull the crank and have it drilled before you set the engine in;good chance to throw a set of bearings in it,and that's done a lot easier on an engine stand than under the truck. Those Caddy 472's and 500's are torque monsters,and are strong,reliable engines,EXCELLENT for trucks;there's getting to be quite a bit of performance stuff available for 'em,too.
Speed

If you have the Cadillac 500 I'd sure suggest going with it over the Olds, though those I know running the big Olds are pretty happy with it.

I'm planning to put a Cadillac 500 and TH400 in my GMC 1-ton.