Technical MOTOR, Early Olds Rocket tech summary.

that is a Dynaflow.
it is my understanding that after the Hydromatic factory burned down the '53 Olds and Cadillac motors had Dynaflows attached in place of the Hydromatic.

Paul

 

Well, for those searching swaps and ebay for vintage Olds aftermarket parts, here's some manufacturers to be on the lookout for:

GOTHA, Thomas, and McGurk: variable ratio adjustable rocker arms and lifters/pushrods
Spaulding, Mallory, DuCoil, Dupoint, Mr. Gasket, Joe Hunt, Vertex: Distributors and Magnetos
Offenhauser, Edelbrock, Weiand, Cragar: Intake manifolds
Ansen and B&M: Floor shifters for the early Hydramatic Transmissions
Trans-dapt: Engine/Trans adapaters & remote oil filter adapters
Hildebrandt: Oil filter bypass kits, Starter motor changeover adapters
Schiefer, Weber: Flywheels and clutches
Hurst, C-T: Engine mounts and engine/trans adapters
Offenhauser: main cap support strap kits
Clay Smith, Engle, Crane, Howards, Herbert, Barnes, Iskenderian, McGurk, Almquist, Weber: Camshafts
Cragar, Beatty, ISKY, M/T, Weiand, Delta: Blower drives for Olds engines
MOON, Edelbrock, Offenhauser, Hidebrandt: Valve Covers
MOON, Weiand: Aluminum race type front engine covers
Grant, Mickey Thompson, Forgetrue, Jahns, McGurk: Pistons
Mickey Thompson, Howards: Connecting Rods
Mickey Thompson: Roller rockers
Mickey Thompson:Stroker Cranks...C-T and maybe Reath, Howard, and Jewel may also have made them
Paxton, Latham: Supercharger kits (Paxton using the McCullough supercharger)

That's off the top of my head...rocket guys feel free to add (or subtract)anything...I didn't mention Fenton exhausts as I havent seen any for sale for over a decade, and I think they made valve covers and maybe intakes, but I never see them for sale anymore.

 

you're making my mouth water,

I had a pair of Holmes valve covers,
and a Wilcap starter switch over

and had lust in my heart for a Potvin blower setup

 

Studebaker adj. rocker arms are supposed to be adaptable to Olds& are sometimes listed as 1.8 ratio. I have found them to be about 1.5 & the geometry is wrong. I strongly discourage their use on Olds. I think anyone who tries them will be disappointed. If you want to buy a set of rockers, new Cad shafts, & reamed Olds stands cheap contact me. Greg

 

Thread is almost 10 years old,

That's me quoted up there both as Paul Smith and as '60 Style

 

Ok, question for those wiser than myself. I purchased this fly wheel , guy said he took it off a 371 many years ago , he thought the engine was a '58.
I have a '59 371 and a '56 324 , can I use this fly wheel on either ?

Any suggestions appreciated, if anyone can I.D the flywheel , brand etc that would be great info also .

Thanks

 

If you can't get an ID by all those numbers printed on it,,,

It looks like it might be neutral balanced? I don't see counterweighting. If so, it will work on your 56

57 up all had external balanced wheels from factory. Neutral wheels can be used on a rebuilt motor that was internally rebalanced

Check it on a tire bubble balancer to see if it is neutral balance

 

One observation. I don't mind seeing technical threads dragged back up. I would really hate to see these threads get lost. I have a '49 Olds Rocket myself. It has been rebuilt and has a lot of good stuff on it (Gotha rockers, Isky cam, an Offenhauser dual quad manifold, etc.). I don't have a current use for it, but you can bet if I find something, it will be back, front and center. Anybody that knows anythiong new or unique, post away, no matter how old the thread is.

 

flywheel looks like it was bolted on but never run
I would run that on a mild motor in a minute

 

Thanks for the responses guys. I had tried a Google search on numbers but maybe I wasn't
Holding my tongue quite right.
Good info on the balance , thanks. I havnt lifted the trans off my 371 yet but being a '59
I'm expecting to find balance weights .
Paul , you are correct , I was told it had been fitted to an engine and never run, there is
No sign of ever having a starter engaged , ring gear is unmarked.
Ring gear has no leading edge either , strange or ?

 

It's neutral balanced..... 56 and earlier Olds.....And it's drilled for dowel pin so early caddy as well

 

Thanks all for the input. Helps me decide what direction I'm going. The flywheel will go on the 324 with a LaSalle trans that's converted to closed drive and then it'll all
Get slotted in my '39 .
Means the Model A will get the 371 , I can live with that !
Anybody have a flywheel for a '59 371 available? Hey if ya don't ask ya don't get, right!

 

I don't have an Olds parts book newer than 1958. I am pretty sure someone put up some info on the later flywheels, and there were more than just one on the 59-64. I don't know who would have a book to look it up.

 

I have come across a couple stock '57-'58 stick flywheels but only one '60 371 and no 394s.
Must be quite rare.
I'm sure you could find a new aftermarket one pretty quick, Ross Racing, McLeod...

 

I've also got a Cad LaSalle converted to closed drive behind a 324 in one of my projects.. maybe one day I can get back to it, Damn thing just sits there collecting dust..

 

Thats the setup I am using. By the way, I am on the hunt for a set of period high ratio adjustible rockers, if anyone has a set...

 

So, would aftermarket be balanced for each model of late 371 and also 394? Seems unlikely?

What "is" the balance difference on these 59-64 motors?



I do have a GM iron 394 flywheel, but I don't know what year it is.

 

I thought you had a lead on a partial set of Thomas rockers? If you do, I will look at my single rocker shaft with 8 Thomas rockers, to see what ratio they are...and if they freed up yet. Been soaking in parts washing tank for a year


Hey, time f'ng flies....it was 50 years ago this year, that I bought my first set of adj Olds rockers for a 57 field car... I wasn't even in high school yet.

 

I did, but I havent heard back. I will follow up, its been a couple weeks. I gotta chase down the lead I got last night as well, honestly, I am a little skeptical about that one...

 

When I say I've never seen one I mean never seen one attached.
I've had several external balanced stock stick flywheels over the years but only a few that were still attached to their original engines.
The stock steel flywheel that came off my '60 371 is now bolted to my '63 394, I did not have it reballanced and it seems to spin nice with no signs of out of ballance.

 

OK question from what I've seen here you can or can not use a 324 stock manifold on a 303 ? example: 54' 324 manifold on a 53' 303 block?

 

They'll bolt up. It's just a matter of exhaust port sizes. Early 303's had round ports. Not sure if they were all round until the 324's, or if later 303's had square ports as well. @GOATROPER02 will know for sure.

 

Probably a little late, but I looked up the patent stamped into @4t6ford 's flywheel. The patent is assigned to Schiefer, filed in 1952, and approved in 1955. That'd make it a really early aftermarket 303 flywheel.

 

Iam in the middle of getting a 303 and 324 built. Please keep this thread going.Even if just a small tidbit gets past on its worth it.Thanks JF

 

I've got an old Hilborn FI unit with 303 casting numbers on it. Anyone ever hear or see of an Olds 303 with a Hilborn FI unit on it?

 

I've not, but I've been searching for one....
Please could you post some pictures of it and tell us the part number?

Jay

 

I read about a Hilborn for Olds on here somewhere...

This maybe: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/hilborn-but-can-you-tell-me-what-this-one-is-for.487166/

 

I have a question. I have a 1961 olds 394 that I'm having rebuilt. I have all parts except main bearings, I need .010 over. I can find 59-60 and 62-64, but no 61 main bearings. My question is, does 1961 stand alone, are the mains different, did they make three different bearings for the 394 in the 5yrs run of that engine or are they all the same bearing?

 

Tony @ Ross Racing Engines would be the one to talk to. Just google them and give him a call

 

Many Thanks to bluthndr and everyone else who contributed to this thread...It's great!
I used to have a 394 in the '60s with an Isky E2 and Mallory dualpoint that I raced. Stilll think about that great engine even though I now have a Pontiac 428 that I love too.