Hot Rods newbie struggling with '55 or '56 Olds Engine

ok tried to take off the driver exhaust manifold, center exhaust port bottom bolt, does that go into a coolant passage? When I pulled it water came out
-struggling with two outer bottom bolts, don't want to break them off, steering components limit accessibility and car is on a trailer so I can move it tomorrow, so can't get from underneath yet
-will post picture still this week when I get it on a lift

 

yes, the exhaust header bolts go into the water jackets.
Here are some block numbers for reference and head casting numbers copied from the Olds info thread:

1949--8A1001 TO 8A193864 H PREFIX=HYDRA MATIC
1950--8A194001 TO 8A568689 H PREFIX= HYDRA MATIC
1951--8C1001 TO 8C287312 B PREFIX= SYNCHROMESH
1952--8R1001 TO 8R214478
1953--R215001 TO R549482
1954--V1001 TO V355083
1955--V400001 TO V983275
1956--A001001 TO A385513


Head numbers that I know of:

#2 1952
#3 1953
#7 1954
#8 1955
#10 1956

Be cautious with rolling the engine over if it frees up. The dimple covers indicate adjustable rockers available back in the day which are very hard to source today. A frozen valve will result in broken rockers most likely, not what you want. Can you pull a valve cover and give us a pic of the valve train. When you get it off the trailer I would loosen the oil plug to see what leaks out first, hopefully old oil and not antifreeze.
What a find you have there, stoked for you

 

thanks for the info VTWHEAD

-not adjustable rockers, but will remove and protect the valve covers today still (in an office, not the shop)

 

thinking about broken rockers I think I will just pull the heads so that no damage occurs (or the rocker rail)

 

that is a really clean looking top end! Maybe you will get lucky with the rest. Keep us updated.

 

ok looks like number stamped on the block is "EFD 692"; hard to tell as it has multiple strikes on some digits

 

I always tell new owners of old Oldmobiles to join the Olds Clubs, both national and regional. They have advisors for every issue. That's a bitchen car, have fun with it.

 

can you post that image for us? Which side of the block is the number stamped on?

 

great idea, will do, thanks

 

driver side between front two cylinders


had to pull the motor to get the exhaust manifold off and get a good picture

-have had 5 people look at it, picture doesn't show as well but we believe the stamped number EF D692, with the last number 2 looking like it was stamped over a light hit 8

 

My guess is that is not a factory Olds number.

Sent from my Trimline

 

Not factory numbers, wrong size, type, spacing, alignment, prefix and number of digits

Either the machine shop or the owner had their own identifying system.