Dug up another "Dead Soldier"

Kennybill

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There's a lot of dead Olds around my buildings/Olds junkyard. I've had this "Baby" since around 2004. I call them all, my Babies. Everyone of them has a story behind them. This story goes back to 1990s. At Ohio Drag City, also known as Meander Dragstrip and/or Youngstown Executive Airport, whooo, 3 names for the same Dragstrip. It was owned by Brothers Alex & George, the Greeks. Around 1994 there was a 1969 F85 a B-headed 1966 2V 425. It was Grandma's F85, they dropped a stock Delta 88 power plant in it. The F85 ran 16s. The guy had a "cousin" that was "building" a 1971 Supreme. He mentioned he had some "bad boy" #5 heads that were ported by an Olds Guru. Bad boy and Olds Guru are words I use to shorten what he told me. I mentioned they should put the bad boy #5 heads on the 2 barrel stock 425 to bump up the compression along with a "big" four barrel to wake up that "sleeping" 425. Ya, I might have had a few beers in me. Fast forward a few weeks. Here's the F85, they put the #5 heads on with a Preformer and a Holley. Thats it, never opened up the timing cover to check the chain, nothing. After some tuning car was running high 13's with slicks on the stock peg leg rearend. Couple weeks later, they were gone, never came back. That strip closed in 1998. I always looked for those heads, I'm like a bird dog when it comes to Oldsmobile parrs/cars. Fast forward to 2004. Car guy I know tells me about a guy that has Oldsmobile Supreme all torn apart and he needed to unload the stuff quick because the deceased Mothers home had been foreclosed. To be continued.
 
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Kennybill

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I called the number. Guy starts tell me about his project that went wrong. The "rusty" wheels in my head start clunking."
I said did you have a cousin that raced at Ohio Drag City? He says, "why, yes, I did." Hmmm, are you the guy that had the #5 heads? He says, "why, yes I am." I say, "You still have them?" He says, "shortly after the dragstrip episode, his cousin (needed money) sold the car with the agreement the purchaser takes the #5 heads off and bring them to this guy." New buyer, lied. He spun a bearing right after he bought it. The guy tore it apart and "ya, you guessed it" lost interest. This guy didn't know where he lived. A few years later, the 69 f85 is apart and a divorce sale. The cousin hears about and the "cousins" pay the guy a visit and after near fist fight, he got his #5 heads back.(I should write a book, many people have said that) Those heads are another story because I'm not going to use them. They are W31 heads but on steroids.
Back to the seller. It's a Thursday afternoon that I'm talking to him. He tells me he only has till Sunday, he MUST get his sh*t OUT by Sunday. (More, later, Boss Lady has diner ready)
 
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Kennybill

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I was working midnight shift in the steel mill that week. I'd made plans to meet him Friday at 2pm to look over all of his Oldsmobile stuff. I was going to get those #5 heads for sure. It was an old rundown house and a even more rundown 1 1/2 car garage. The car was a butternut yellow 1971 Supreme. Car missing the front end. The disc brake frame was very nice. Body and floors/trunk floor, very nice. Doors clean. He has a #7 headed 350 complete, all painted, supposedly rebuilt. Turbo 350 trans. He had a like new core support, bumper with brackets, hood.
On a stand he had a "big gunner" 425 +0.030 block, machined 20/20 crankshaft. A box with Speed Pro pistons with factory rods with new bolts. He had the new bearings. The engine/parts weren't protected very well. He told me it was a 1965 or 66 block. I knew it wasn't a 1965 because they have a large A near water pump. Finally he showed me what I've been looking for the #5 heads. Why he put all the $ into I don't know. I think I have around $2,000 worth of bills he gave me, somewhere.(I'm not using them in this build)
There were lots of other stuff plus knick knacks. We bs'd and haggle'd a bit. Final deal, $1,200 cash and I get everything out of there on Saturday, the next day. I gave him $400 down payment on the spot. Got it in writing plus I took the #5 heads, just in case. :)•》
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Kennybill

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Wow, looks like I'm writing a book here. Anyway, 71 Supreme shell only on rolling frame went to Canada for $1,300. Everything else was now free. I dug out the 425 + 0.030 over, I'd oiled it up years ago, cleaned it up. Actually the machine work was done by my deceased Buddy in the late 1990s. Speed Pro pistons on stock rods but with new rod bolts. :) The crankshaft is 20/20, it came with the new rings and main and rod bearings. A year ago, I took the crankshaft to the guy who does all the crankshaft work in this area. Never again. It took me 4 months to get the Mondello blueprint machined for a pilot bushing. I took him two 425 crankshafts, one already machined 20/20 and a great std crank plus an already machined 20/20 455 big N cast crankshaft. My twisted thought process was, if I gave him 3 crankshafts after the first the next 2 would be a piece of cake. Wrong, after 70+ days, if started calling him. Long story short, he farm'd it out to another guy. Luckily he called me. I ended up calling Auto Gear and having them send two of their pilot bushings. I finally got them back with all pilot machining. I got the guys phone and address for future reference. I'm happy with the crankshaft. Mains are all 0.003 with #5 at 0.003+ maybe a "tad" loose but not according to BTR. Rods 0.002. Hopefully the factory rubber connecting rods can hold up swinging those porky pig Speed Pro's. Keeping RPM'S down will help me picking a bump stick. So far I have $150 in this engine. That's the cost of crank machine work with the Auto Gear pilot bushings. My plan is to use parts I already have. I have a few sets of "steelie" factory head gaskets plus a half a dozen other sets of head gaskets. Pistons 30 in the hole I have a few choices of double roller timing chains plus the old stand by Coyles single timing sets. I have a "new" in the box but (made on 01/24/03) Performer-Link 7813. I'm thinking about using it. I have a Erson TQ 40 H I'll probably use. I have a Comps Cam 280 H also, pretty much the same camshaft, both are 110. I have a Lunati Bracketmaster 083, a hair bigger but 112. I wish I had a TQ 50 but the plan is "use what I have."
I have a brand new Erson that I would like to use but a it would be for higher rpm's, imo.
318-324, 244-252, .538-.534 108
I'm considering it but I would probably need a vacuum can.
I've had this camshaft for a couple decades. Special ordered from Super Shops back in 1997. :)
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Kennybill

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Nice day in Ohio, 63° and sunny, garage doors all open. I already had the 1967 forged 20/20 crankshaft that's machined for pilot bushing torqued in the block. I was a Senior in H.S. when this crankshaft was forged. I had a 1958 Impala with a 348/250 hp, with a 3 speed with a Foxcraft shifter. :)
I put #1piston in and dialed in the camshaft. I had a new 3 key'd Edelbrock roller timing set. Cam figured out to dot to dot so I pulled the roller set off and tried a regular new Cloyes timing set. It was right on dot to dot so I kept it on and put the Edelbrock set away. I figured why use it if the advance/retarded wasn't needed. 4 degrees is a lot of advance if not needed. Imo, it'd bring the power band down a few hundred rpm. I put the Erson TQ40 in it. It's a little small but just a putt putt around car. I got the short block together. I used Brad Penn assembly lube instead of just oil. I bought the Brad Penn at a indoor swap meet about 6 weeks ago. Factory ratings on the 1967 425 4V engine is 365 hp/ 470 TQ. This engine will be 6 more cubes, less dish, little more camshaft, better heads with a Edelbrock Performer instead of the factory cast iron. I'm shooting for 366 hp/471 tq. :) I've had everything +/- 20 years. This will be a free engine except for the spray paint. I'm not sure of which heads I'll go with. I'd like to use C's. Still thinking about that.
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Kennybill

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Another beautiful day in Ohio, all the garage doors are open. I almost put a Mellings hi-vol pump on with the bolt on pickup but I would have put a Milidon pan on it. I've heard of fitment problems on the 1967 442 front cross member. I have 3 Toronado pans so I got one out. Some don't like them saying they "rob power/oil puddles in the front pan area" whatever. One more quart of oil "cooling" oil. Plus I like the front timing area "block-off" baffle and the small oil pump area baffle. Pan has a "crankshaft scrapper". Just my opinion but this pan was designed for the 1966 Car of the Year in 1966. I remember when the Toronado came out, it was all the talk, both young and old. The Toronado broke all the Pikes Peak climb records. I put a new Sealed Power "stock" oil pump, measured and tack welded the pickup. I took the pump apart, cleaned everything, looks good. I drilled the blow off spring hole, 1/8 inch closer. We'll see how the pressure goes. :)
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Olds 307 and 403

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I believe most flatten that hump so the oil can drain back. Yeah, there have been issues with Moroso and Milidon plans with cracks and leaks. It seems only the more expensive but US made Canton pan is worth buying for a higher capacity aftermarket pan. Sounds like a fun build.
 

Kennybill

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I've had a busy week. I drove to N.J. on Tuesday. A Lady Friend's Grandson, 18, has cancer. Usually I can handle the drive of 820 total miles in one day. On Wednesday my hip was bothering me a tad. Thursday I drove 540 miles to my Son's. Grandson's birthday party was Saturday. Hip is bothering me more but I'm heading back to Ohio tomorrow morning. My Son and Daughter in law are Teachers, schools are closed for 2 weeks. My Daughter the Lawyer married to a Lawyer, wants me home to watch the Ohio Grandkids because their school is closed for 3 weeks. Guess my car hobby is on the back burner for a while. If it isn't one thing it's two.
 
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Olds 307 and 403

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Yeah, two of my Daughter's are home from University, at least one unscheduled week off.
 

Kennybill

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Beautiful day in Ohio, now that the 12 hour rain stopped. I have all the garage doors open. I've been "hiding" from the Coronavirus. I came back Monday from S.C.
I went over to my buildings Tuesday, dug out two more Toronado oil pans. I have one more, still attached to a complete 1967 C heads 425. Engines been sitting since I pulled it out of 1967 Toro in 2002.
I was going to drag out the torches are heat up and flatten part of the hump, maybe.
My Daughter "the Attorney" is freaking out about this virus. She "grounded" me, I'm not allowed to leave the "yard". (The yard is 7.8 acres) So much to do, so little time. :)
 
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Kennybill

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Wasted half of the day being "Mr. Nice Guy". The "old" ex ball and chain, called up whining about the sump pump was spraying water from the drain hose. She was going on and on about "what am I going to do?" I always put her on speaker phone so my live in "younger blonde" Lady Friend can hear her. Finally I say, "okay, I'll come over and fix it." She instantly she's, "thanks." My Lady friend laughingly says, you made her work for that. It didn't take long to fix but the getting tools and over taking stuff is a pain. The "OB&C" always says, "Nobody does nothing for me" :) It's a running joke between my Daughter and me. After I fixed it and I'm leaving, I say laughingly, "Nobody does nothing for me." :) The "OB&C" says Well, you do."
It's coming up on 21 years since we spit up, best money I ever spent.
Back to Olds, I'm going to use a set of big valved C heads. I knew of these heads in the mid 1990s. A Racing engine machine shop did them. I had a set of G's done by them. I put $1,500, in mine back in 1999. He told me about these heads, more work in them than mine. The crossovers are filled. The back of the heads are drilled, threaded for oil return lines. (I'm doing away with them) The center exhaust ports are welded and milled. Heads have 7/16" rocker studs, with the locks but the guy kept the rockers. They are ported with sodium filled valves. I saw the car run consistent 10:90's until the connecting "rods" go through the block/oil pan. Stock rubber band rods. The guy put a crate 454 Chevy in it, it went 11:20s. :) he was asking to much for the heads. I waited him out and got them for a fair price but no roller rockers. I guess if I use them I'll have to "open" up the wallet. :)
I have a "few" sets of ready to use heads but I need to use C's because this engine is going in to my 1967 Sports Coupe 442. I'm hoping these heads add at least "5 Ponies." Notice I didn't say "HORSE-power", I said "PONIES." :) 20200321_150004.jpg 20200321_145853.jpg 20200321_145621.jpg 20200321_145521.jpg
 

Kennybill

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I've been in the garage since 9am today, off and on. The Lady Friend called me to come up at 10.30am to have some fresh baked cinnamon rolls. They were good but that killed over an hour. Later we went for a walk in the Ohio sunshine, chilly but sunny. I managed to get the epoxy cleaned out of the heads rear oil drain holes. I wonder what Shargo Racing charged for this rear oil lines work? This was a "trick" upgrade in the mid 1990's. I still have the Mellings hy-vol oil pump from this busted engine. I got the heads with rocker studs, Moroso tall valve covers, 6 pistons and rods, the Mellings pump, double roller chain with gears, eccentric and bolt. Probably some other knick knacks. He'd sold the roller rockers. I'm thinking about "buying" some Comp 1632-16 or maybe the old stand by Harlen Sharpe roller rockers. So far, I have 12 "new" dollars in this build. Everything are parts I've collected in years of wheeling and dealing. I'll be looking for some Comp 7/16 stud roller rockers. I have many head gaskets choices, from steel shim to Prema-torqe. I'm thinking steel, maybe another "pony." :) WOW, those "ponies" are adding up!

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Kennybill

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I've been cleaning up my "bad boy" C heads. I painted them a "near" Oldsmobile Bronze color. Now I have to find/buy 7/16 studs, roller rockers. Comp Cams 1632 or Harlen Sharpe rockers. Heads are machined for the thicker 7/16" studs that are one them with the poly-locks. Luckily I live 23 minutes from Summit Racing "BUT" are they open, I consider them "essential" but will they have curb service? :)

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Moreno_831

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I just bought t this 67 delta 88 with a 425 old man said it was rebuilt in 2008 carb is running rich and chocking past 55.... what route should I go on this stock motor... what kind of carb and intake should I do cam or not?
 

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Kennybill

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Nice looking 1967 Delta 88. You probably have a Quadrajet on it. I'd leave it stock and give it a good tune up. Say you were to put a Edelbrock Performer and a new carb, Holley or Edelbrock. You'd have $700 in doing it yourself and almost no performance gain from the stock intake and a properly tuned factory Quadrajet. Whenever you want performance, you have to put together a "complete" package. So, to get a decent performance upgrade, (if your engine is in good shape, compression test/leak down, to see if your rings, valves are in decent shape) Better rearend gears are NON-existence for the 1965-1970 B-body (all 88's) and C-bodies (98's). I was into the bigger cars for 20 years. The best stock rearend gears I ever found were 3:08 posi. Next problem is exhaust. Your Delta has a "rear" steering box, NO ONE MAKES HEADERS for your car. The steering box is in the way. Then there's the weight of your car, a lot. You'd have to put around $12k to get decent performance. Then you'd have to upgrade the brakes. Basically I'm say just leave it stock and enjoy it. I've drank the kool-aid with these big cars. Just drive it and enjoy it. Jm-educated-o.
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Olds 307 and 403

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I just bought t this 67 delta 88 with a 425 old man said it was rebuilt in 2008 carb is running rich and chocking past 55.... what route should I go on this stock motor... what kind of carb and intake should I do cam or not?
I replied in the other thread. You need the Qjet rebuilt by someone who knows what they are doing. The Performer is a better intake, the main advantage is a 50 pound weight savings. You even a special exhaust manifold to properly route dual exhaust, if you don't have duals.
 

Moreno_831

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Nice looking 1967 Delta 88. You probably have a Quadrajet on it. I'd leave it stock and give it a good tune up. Say you were to put a Edelbrock Performer and a new carb, Holley or Edelbrock. You'd have $700 in doing it yourself and almost no performance gain from the stock intake and a properly tuned factory Quadrajet. Whenever you want performance, you have to put together a "complete" package. So, to get a decent performance upgrade, (if your engine is in good shape, compression test/leak down, to see if your rings, valves are in decent shape) Better rearend gears are NON-existence for the 1965-1970 B-body (all 88's) and C-bodies (98's). I was into the bigger cars for 20 years. The best stock rearend gears I ever found were 3:08 posi. Next problem is exhaust. Your Delta has a "rear" steering box, NO ONE MAKES HEADERS for your car. The steering box is in the way. Then there's the weight of your car, a lot. You'd have to put around $12k to get decent performance. Then you'd have to upgrade the brakes. Basically I'm say just leave it stock and enjoy it. I've drank the kool-aid with these big cars. Just drive it and enjoy it. Jm-educated-o.
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Thanks for the info might just do the aftermarket intake and carb for the looks I guess and some valve covers to dress it up... last owner said it was rebuilt in 2008 but idk how true that is... motor sounds and smells healthy just the carb isn’t tuned right...
 

Moreno_831

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I replied in the other thread. You need the Qjet rebuilt by someone who knows what they are doing. The Performer is a better intake, the main advantage is a 50 pound weight savings. You even a special exhaust manifold to properly route dual exhaust, if you don't have duals.
Yea makes sense I will do that not really going for a track car more of family weekend cruiser
 

Moreno_831

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Here’s some more pictures
 

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Olds 307 and 403

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Great looking car, love those years of big two door Oldsmobile's.
 

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