Hot Rods Let's talk Cadillac 331's, 365 and 390's

Go to Street Rodder magazine's vintage engine build series, it should be easy to look up. They did a series on building vintage motors the right way, and covered most of the cool traditional motors like early Chrysler Hemis, Buicks, Cadillacs, Oldsmobiles, Y Blocks, and possibly even included Lincoln & Studabaker. It's been 5+ years or so, so please forgive any error in my memory.

They also had listed parts suppliers, EGGE machine, and Many others, along with what is still out there for any given motor.


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I can't find the thread that mentioned it but there was talk that using a manifold without the heat risers you should use steel/metal intake manifold gaskets.
Anybody know a source for these?

 

The last Fel Pro gasket set I used had sheet metal intake gaskets.
The low buck "rebuilder" sets do not.
I also use thin S.S. with red RTV to block the heat risers.

 

Any reason to block the heat risers?

 

The intake I'm using doesn't have them and I was reading a thread talking about Cad intakes that mention that the heat build up from the planking the ports will cook the standard / lower quality ones.
Also thanks,I will check out the Fel Pro sets

 

I blocked the risers in my stock 4bbl intake because there was no need for it. The runners got hot enough it pretty much cooked the paint off, but no other issues. .

 

I think some of the high performance SBC intake gaskets have an optional sheet metal blanking device. I wonder if the SBC port is the same size as the Caddy port?

 

390 Cad motors are awesome.

I have a 429 in my 66 convert (related family) that I bought when I was 16.... having that car at 16 I put that engine through the ringer... ended up cracking a piston from over revving, second motor is still running like a top. Even in that cadillac and its weight disadvantage I drag raced and won plenty of back country road 1/4 mile races manually going through the gears with the auto- most of the time to other peoples astonishment- (mine too )

This is turning out to be a cool thread. Watching and reading with interest because I'm in the same mode...

I found a greasy running 62 390 I plan to clean up and put in the Ranchero.

Actually I got crazy and bought 3 of them... two of them are 59's I think... so if you need any parts @Roothawg PM me- I have a 4x2 Cragar and cragar adatper to ford stick. I found a B&W R-11 O/D to run behind it- these transmissions are the strongest overdrive they made- same one they put behind the supercharged stude's. It was the predesessor to the T-10, same case. I really want to run a column shift but I think I'll put the hurst yo-yo in and run bucket seats. I found a Scheifer Flywheel and clutch assembly and a hurst conversion kit for the shifter. I just need to take out the plug in the crank and cut a pilot bush for it and rebuild the carbs and then I can look at doing the swap-



I've been collecting parts for a 331 too that I plan to drop in my first car (bought it when I was 15) shoebox kustom, half of this thing burned but I've been collecting parts to resurrect it- 4-2 cragar to cragar bell to 57 ford trans and '57 9" rear. I found stude lifters for this one. I actually got an extra pair of 390 heads too... I was going to do a headswap and build this one to be hot. This shoebox is the one I z'd the frame on back when I had the old shop.

 

Wow, That's cool Tuck. I have been talking with everyone trying to learn about these motors. Mine is a 62 390. I mic'd it last week and looks to be standard bore. It has a small ridge and a little egg shaping going on, but it should clean up pretty easily.

That Ranchero gives me a stiffy.

 

Wow, nice Ranchero. Two of my favorite things, Caddy 390's and early Rancheros. looking forward to that thread.

 

My other thought/concern is only having earlier motors and the partial flow oil filtration.
Every early cad I have pulled the valley cover off has been full of sludge,probably though just from lack of oil change and breathing problems.
I keep looking waiting for a 60-62 390 to come up but not a lot on the ground down here.
Some say to bypass the filter completely and change the oil often but that may be okay for a car pulled out of the shed occasionally but I plan an every dayer.
I have 4 cad motors,1 x early 49,2 x 365s and a 59 390.
I have built 1 of the 365s using 390 heads and have it dressed up for a night out.
Probably just go with a beehive filter but am looking at trying to work out a full flow setup,we'll see.

 

Make sure you use oil with zinc for the flat tappers. I use Valvoline Racing or Rotella T (diesel truck oil). If you actually change the oil every 3,000 miles you should be OK. Remember that back in the day detergent oil was not common. That's why all the sludge build up. All the particles settled out.

 

That intake is the one I would love to find Barrelnose. I had to settle for a Weiand 2x4 with the small base carb footprint.

 

Do not bypass the oil filter, the filtered oil returns to the crankcase while providing the timing chain lubrication. Ron

 

Cheers Roothawg,yeah,I was lucky to score it,A mate contacted me to say he had seen a pic of it for sale locally and no one knew what it was off.He suspected Cad or Stude, I jumped at it once I measured it up.I would love to know the history of it as it has been used and it came with a matching set of 94s.Thanks for your threads too mate,enjoying the inputs

Thanks Ron,from research I did awhile ago it can be bypassed but I would have to keep/use the restrictor on the inlet side of the filter or suffer pressure loss and plumb back in the original port going into the timing chain area so what you say is correct I think.
Cheers. Chris

 

Offy says they are gearing up to reproduce them, but it may be a while.

 

I'm new to caddy engines but I'm running a early 1949 331 in my 34 roadster. Does anyone know if 365 exhaust manifolds will work on a 331? I was planning on running two left 331 manifolds but heard 365's would work.

 

31 pickemup,

I've got a 55 331, and wanted to do same thing... ordered some '58 manifolds, and they did not fit.


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471 Blown 331 at a local show:

 

Man I like that!! Wonder who made those valve covers?

 

With all that badassery you want the valve covers lol I would give them to you if I could have that blower intake lol. That is awesome I have so many questions for the owner anyone know who owns it


Chrome don't get ya home

 

Yo Chris...Speedway still sells the aluminum adapters to mount AFBs or Holley 4 barrels on that weird tiny bolt pattern. I have an old Offy 2X4 intake on my early Pontiac motor with the adapters to mount a pair of AFBs.
If you decide you want to run early small pattern carbs, I have a single 56 caddy WCFB and a single Rottenchester 4GC, application unknown. If you think you'll need either, gimmee a PM or "conversation" or whatever it's called now.

 

mine at the moment, still waiting to find a blower intake...

 

Anyone know what the factory manual flywheel specs are for an early Caddy? Just wondering if anything interchanges?

 

Hey Root, according to The Hollander Manual the only manual flywheel for "early" Cadillac OHV engines were '49-'53 models with standard transmissions and interchange with similar '50-'53 Olds V-8. That's not exactly what you were looking for but someone may have specs for one or the other?

 

That definitely helps. Thanks!

I did find this on Wilcaps site.
http://www.wilcap.com/wilcapstore.h...p/55009083/category=14420222&forcescroll=true

 

The 390 crank isn't drilled for a pilot bushing. Probably why no manual trans flywheel interchanges, per the factory interchange manuals. You can drill the 390 crank for the bushing though.

Not sure if the 365 crank is drilled for a bushing.


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Nothing after the 331 has the pilot bushing.