My 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass S

[Olds 307 and 403]

Got the dehumidifier running in the garage, was 70 percent, now down below 50 percent. It was dry all Summer, now that motor is in the garage, we have been getting rain. The Melling high volume oil pump is torqued to 35 ft/lbs. I tightened the Canton pick up and gasket with a long 1/2" wrench. I can't get a torque wrench on one side, so just reasonably tight. I cleaned then torqued the oil filter adapter with a steel core gasket with a very small amount of Right Stuff One Minute on both sides to 35 ft pounds with some nice stainless 3/8" × 1" fastners I had lying around. I put on the nitrile coated, rigid core Felpro OS30471C pan gaskets, used the Right Stuff One Minute to glue it to the block. I torqued the Canton 6 qt pan in place to factory specs as it is very slightly warped. I am painting the factory flanged bolts VHT Black Metallic high temp once it sits for a few hours, this afternoon. I also cleaned and painted my best spare timing cover VHT Gold Metallic high temp paint. I will put new gaskets and front seal and paint top rear of the timing cover. Keeping the 358 sealed in plastic in between work on it. It also looks like a pilot bushing is installed, I was planning on a TKX in the next couple of years.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

I will be pulling the heads, cam and timing set in the next couple of weeks. Ordered a black oxide small head 12 point sockets for the 7111 Performer off Ebay. I have been painting and reusing the factory fastners since they are better quality than basic replacements. Of course factory bolts won't work with the RPM due to different runner length and one bolt is very pinched. Edelbrock actually sends a small 12 point bolt like these for that one runner. I also ordered a single Trick Flow SBF 1/2" to 7/16" head bolt bushing, was missing one. You need to open up the top of the hole slightly larger to fit these. These heads were drilled for 1/2" head bolts when I bought them, going on a 7/16" block. I also ordered a fuel pump block off plate. I also ordered a Transgo TH350 1-2 shift kit, converter seal, tail shaft seal and bushing for the TH350 in the car. I also have a 2000 to 2200 stall converter for it. I have the 2004R but had issues with the CK shift, would not shift at all. So I just went back to stock in the valve body and accumulators from a parts 2004R. This TH350 shifts Ok but on the soft side. Honestly part of the reason I am using this Performer cam and iron heads are these weak automatic transmissions. I have seen both fail behind very little stock power. Both can beefed up but then you either have a shitty gearing, old school inefficient 3 spd or a good gear ratio harsh shifting 4 spd auto. I honestly don't trust either of these trans behind real power. With the 3.08 gears, the first gear 3.27 TKX 5 speed should give a perfect launch ratio and make the car much quicker, the .72 OD will also be great a 75 mph. A manual is a millennial theft deterent, old school but with a modern twist, just like this whole car. I plan on getting the SEFI on this 358, no Qjet on this one at all and I will be enabling and running the knock sensor and timing control on the Terminator X. Once the SEFI and 5 speed conversion gets done, I will install the 218/218 .541/.541 112 LSA roller cam, Cloyes Billet 9 way timing set, cam button, Comp Evolution hydraulic roller lifters, Harland Sharp 1.65 ratio rocker for the new Edelbrock heads. Since I also have the Mr.Gasket MLS head gaskets and Edelbrock intake gaskets, I will literally just need 3/8" custom length push rods when the time comes for the Edelbrock head swap.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

Heads, push rods and rockers are off.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

I had to buy another puller to get the timing gear off the crank but it is done. It has an acceptable amount of slack. Lifters came out easy with a strong magnet, they look good, kept in order. The cam also looks good, no pitting or excessive wear. Having no play in the valve train is a good sign.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

Cam and fuel pump eccentric torqued to 65 ft/lbs, timing chain dot to dot which is 107 ICL. Oil pan, water pump and front cover torqued in place. Flex plate bolts torqued to 65 ft/lbs and the Scat Harmonic balancer decently tight with my Ryobi 18V impact. I used Royal Purple assembly lube on the cam, lifters and timing chain.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

Got one of the heads chambers polished. It measures 68ish CC. I will try to get the other the same, will give me 9.3 to 1.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

Other head, the chambers are polished. All gasket surfaces cleaned on both heads. I used carb cleaner, compressed air then brake cleaner and more compressed air to get all the filings. I used the Permatex Copper high temp gasket spray on the head side only, since it doesn't have a fresh machined surface, a few thousand miles since machining. I used the ARP lube on the ARP head bolts, went to the factory 80 ft/lbs, seeing some have had leakage issues at the 70 ft/lbs ARP recommends for Olds head bolts. Painted the heads once torqued in place. The spark plugs in the heads to protect the the threads, junk Champion plugs that will come out once the paint dries, NGK XR5 to replace them.​

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

Installed this just to kind of see how it fit. It must be very close to the trap door in the oil pan, needs finesse to seat the stick all the way.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

Test fit to see how it looks.

 

[Rocketman269V]

Looks like that intake may need to be machined some to get it to set down on the heads better.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

I have the turkey tray valley pan and rags in there to keep crap out. It had a clean up mill done when the injector bungs were installed. Pretty sure it is ceramic or powder coated as well. I was considering Mr Gasket Ultraseal intake gaskets this time, if they will fit.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

I was going to use the Turkey Tray gasket, only style that would fit without question. I decided to try the Mr Gasket Ultraseal intake gaskets I bought off Cutlassefi probably 10 years ago. I tried them with my Performer on a stock 76 350, no go. So I will finally be able to use them, thanks to a clean up mill on this intake when the injector bungs were installed. I might actually check and see if the Performer will fit, it may be less than straight. I was able to fit the SCE gaskets on a 403 with this RPM before the injectors were added, probably straighter to begin with. I also put rags in the valley and tapped all the intake bolt holes, plenty of gunk in the holes. I need to figure out an intake bolt set, mine wasn't sent and refunded. I would not mind a reduced head set, to match the one small one needed on the one runner.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

I got the TH350 out and drained. Got a new torque converter and tail shaft seal with bushing. I also have the big Transgo shift kit to install. Also have a 2000 to 2200 stall converter. It will be the back up trans till the TKX 5 speed. I also cleaned and painted the master cylinder and booster with VHT Black Engine Metallic.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

I've decided not to reuse the used Edelbrock 3712 cam and lifters in this motor. I just had a bad feeling reusing them I couldn't shake. I looked on Summit a while back, even the Melling version is nearly $400 Canadian. The 3712 is $353 US now, well over $400 CAD. I was looking on Amazon Canada. Last I looked they were out of stock for the 3712 but at a really good price. I looked the other day, 3 in stock at $266 CAD, that is $198 US! I couldn't get springs and pushrods to use my roller cam for that much money. Then both my transmissions would be very questionable under the extra power. I ordered the 3712 cam and lifters and a 5 quart jug of Lucas Hot Rod 10W30 high ZDDP oil which dropped $4 to $55, what I paid at Napa. Last I looked Napa had none on the shelf, had a whole display before. I take this all as a sign as the right thing to do since I thought of my Daughter's 2013 Ford Edge which had blower fan issues a month or so back. It popped into my head the day I found this, I texted her, no response. My Wife called her that day, she said funny you should ask, it stopped working today, first time since I last had an issue, a sign! I will throw a degree wheel to check it for accuracy. My Proform socket came to mount the degree wheel. Then break this cam in with this Lucas oil and the Qjet and HEI but have the EFI already to go for after cam break in. Should be here in a week or so then a partial disassembly and new cam degree and install.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

So I put a Transgo 1-2 shift kit in this TH350 with red pressure regulator spring and the dual feed plate. I added the white and yellow governor springs and new cover O ring. I changed torque converter seal. That took way too long and will leave the tail shaft bushing and seal for another time. Another issue is the modulator valve diaphragm is shot. It was sucking ATF into the motor no doubt, it was losing fluid. This trans was shifting soft. Fair bit of clutch material when I first dropped the pan. Not much this time but some metal on the magnetic drain plug. Hopefully this will just be an incase the 2004R dies transmission.

 

[Rocketman269V]

So I put a Transgo 1-2 shift kit in this TH350 with red pressure regulator spring and the dual feed plate.............

I hope that you know about replacing the plastic check balls in the valve body with steel ones. For some reason the one for reverse wears down to the size of a bb and causes a loss of pressure and eventually a loss of Reverse.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

I hope that you know about replacing the plastic check balls in the valve body with steel ones. For some reason the one for reverse wears down to the size of a bb and causes a loss of pressure and eventually a loss of Reverse.

Thanks, I almost missed them in the kit. Yes the plastic check balls are replaced. Also found my fairly new red stripe modulator to replace the internally leaking one.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

Well the cam and lifters arrived. In a white box with Edelbrock on the outside, Olds Performer 350-403. I opened it up, Torco assembly lube, Edelbrock lifters and the cam suprised me. Under the Edelbrock part number sticker are the correct cam specs. I will try get it back apart, install the cam and lifters. Degreeing may be the next couple of weekends. If I can get the cam and rings broke in before the weather turns, it will be a big bonus. Then I can get in the garage for the Winter EFI install.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

. I pulled the heads, I know this timing set is accurate, already checked it. Now to remember how to degree a cam, Comp includes instructions gor degreeing. Here are the cards and my set up.

 

[Olds 307 and 403]

Motor together in the car, on the mounts. I just need to install the intake. I just stuck the Performer on loosely, didn't want to risk damaging the RPM SEFI rails. Snow on Monday, just in time. Will get the intake on, the Lucas 30W break in oil in the pan and primed with a drill and get it ready to fire and break in the cam.