Chevy & GMC Vans

I was checking out the local junkyard yesterday when I noticed a familiar looking oil filler tube on an engine that was sitting at the top of the engine pile. The engine was an Olds V8, the unmistakable oil filler tube gave that much away. I figured it was a lowly 307--there's scads of those in the junkyard-- and walked on. But I stopped within a few steps and looked back at the engine. I just had to go back and look it over. I climbed over the other engines and was surprised to see that it was in relatively good physical condition for being on the engine pile. The fan was a twisted mess and the valve covers were gone, but the carb was intact and the distributor looked okay even if the cap was broken. Even the oil pan wasn't badly dented.
Curiously, the engine was painted Chevy orange, but underneath that was the factory color of light blue.
That color really got me wondering about the engine; blue gave way to black in the early 80s--the engine color of my 82 Olds Delta 88 is black, for instance. I wrote down the numbers that appeared on the boss above the water pump: 557752-3B.
As soon as I got home I hit the net and did a search for that number. I found that the engine is a 77-80 Olds 350; the heads carried the designation of 3A and that also agreed with the date span of 77 to 80.
I had to check it out further, so I went back to the junkyard. I found a piece of barstock nearby to use as a lever and tried to rotate the engine by using the bar in the flywheel. The engine freely turned.
Okay, I was psyched at this point. A 350 Olds is unheard of in the junkyard I usually frequent, and finding one that can be rotated is beyond rare.
I couldn't resist, I asked the office what they wanted for it, figuring (hoping, actually) that the price would shut me down. But they only wanted $75 for it and I couldn't say no. Just couldn't bear to see an Olds 350 wasting away on the engine pile; the thing would have haunted me if I had left it there. So, I stacked the Astro's rear seat on top of the middle one and had them load the Olds engine up.
The Astro squatted abit at the inclusion of another V8, but it was no problem for the suspension and we got home with no problems.

I immediately began to tear it apart as I knew there was rainwater inside it. I wasn't wrong about that, two of the cylinders were nearly full as were several runners in the intake manifold. The oil pan must have had a gallon of water in it. But surprisingly the engine was not rusted internally anywhere. Even more surpisingly was that the engine had been recently rebuilt, or at least not run much after the rebuild since the honing crosshatch pattern can still be seen in the cylinders.

So, right now the engine is in pieces drying out in my shop. I've used a roll of paper towels and nearly a can of WD-40 mopping it out. I intend to see what it'll take to bring it back to life. Not really sure what I'll do with it once it's back together, but the idea of an Olds 350 powering my 89 Astro is appealing to me. Of course, it would bolt right into my 82 Olds Delta 88 with no problems. Oh, the possibilities...

Cool find Rob, did the JY know it was a 350? or did they care,lol oh well looks like you've already decided where you want to install it, haha

great find.. and an even better price!!

You gotta excuse my ignorance, but what is rare about the olds 350?

Even more importantly, has your wife informed you of the exact date of the divorce proceedings?

Lifted, I believe that GM ceased production of the 350 Olds in 1980, after that the only Olds V8 available was the 307. Thousands of the 350 were built over the years, but this is the first one I've seen in the junkyard for a very long time. It seems that the crusher has taken its toll on the cars that originally had this engine.
But I have to admit that the Chevy 350 is also a rare sight now in the junkyards I hit. Actually, any size of Chevy smallblock is getting rarer by the day. I happened to be at a junkyard last year when an engine rebuilding firm had made a sweep of the yard for Chevy smallblocks. There must have been 15 Chevy V8s loaded into their trailer. Engine size didn't matter as long as it was a Chevy engine-- they were acquiring rebuilding stock.

It's true that I have a soft spot for Oldsmobile, I don't know why. I think GM made a big mistake by dropping the marque back in 04, to me it demonstrats gross mismanagement. If GM can't keep a line of cars viable, especially one that began in 1897,what does that say for the rest of the company? At the very least their passion for things automotive is gone.

Zammer, the 'yard knew it was a 350 because I told them after I found out. It didn't matter to them, it was just another junk engine on the heap. I also pointed out to the office that the alternator on the engine was a new looking rebuilt unit. Not a big deal either; the $75 was for what the forklift would lift from the pile and put into my Astro.
I'm a regular at this particular junkyard and all the workers there know me by now. They're a good bunch of guys. I think they like the fact that I always want to remove the parts I need and rarely ask them to assist.

Peter, the wife was a bit concerned about me dragging home another 'treasure', but I told her that if she gave me $75 I'd consider the engine a Christmas gift from her. I didn't get the money, but I haven't heard another word about the engine either. All is cool!

The 350 R's were sweet running motors, I loved the one I had in my 72 cutlass. That thing was starved many times of oil when my sister had it and she kept running,I pushed it too 150k before it rusted away on me, still ran good. I know someone on AS.com squeeze one in an astro, got to be tight as wide as they are. Good score! If you decide to ever part with it let me know, I've been itching to sell the camaro and get me an Olds project someday!

Blazer, on astrosafari.com the member who swapped an Olds V8 into his Astro was Talkdty. That engine wasn't a 350, it was a 403. Same looking block, as I'm sure you are aware. From 260 to 403, the Olds smallblocks all look the same and like the Chevy smallblocks the parts will interchange. Or so I've read.
After the holidays, I'm going to have the heads and block cleaned and checked out at the local rebuilders. The results of that will decide what I do next.

Peter, the wife was a bit concerned about me dragging home another 'treasure', but I told her that if she gave me $75 I'd consider the engine a Christmas gift from her. I didn't get the money, but I haven't heard another word about the engine either....



More like you haven't heard a word from her at all. The calm before the storm, I'm afraid

Peter, you may be right. I'll just have to wait and see!

Tearing down the engine was enlightening, to say the least. The timing chain was so loose on its sprockets that I wonder what kept it in place. Number 3 piston has hit the intake valve; there's a circular impression in the piston crown. I wonder if the timing chain slop caused this.
The number 4 main bearing is in terrible shape as is the corresponding crank journal. There's no doubt that the crank needs turned.
I dropped the heads off at the local engine rebuilder and ask him to check them out. I'll get the report on them next week.
I also dropped off the block, intake manifold, and miscellaneous parts at a machine shop in a neighboring town that has the 'bake and bead blast' type of cleaner. Those cleaned parts will look like new when I get them back next Friday; I'll post some photos then. I'm also having the shop check out the block measurements.
...and off in the distance, I hear a cash register adding things up...

Sonufagun, you're really serious about this, aren't you? What are you gonna do with the engine after you've rebuilt it? You remind me of an old greek saying.
"Now that you have found a horshoe, all you need are three more horseshoes....and a horse" LOLOLOLOL

Peter, I've already got the horse that could use a 350--it's my 82 Olds Delta 88. The 307 presently in it is very tired.
But I guess what's really driving me is that I'm trying to save a piece of history. Oldsmobile is history now and if it doesn't take a lot of bucks, I'd like to preserve an engine.

I hear ya, Robby !

Okay, got the word back from the shop that checked out the heads--the heads are okay (no cracks, no warps, healthy gasket surfaces), but two exhaust valves leak a bit--there'll need to be a valve job done. I told them I'd consider what I wanted to do next.

The out of town shop that cleaned and inspected the block also was ready with their report. The block is in good shape; the bores are 40 thou over and only need to be touched up a bit with a glaze-breaker hone. All the grunge on the block is gone--the block looks new now. I also had them clean the intake manifold, oil pan, and some other small parts. The oil pan came out really nice, as did the oil filler tube. The intake also cleaned up well, but that hunk of cast iron must weigh 40 pounds. It's a prime candidate for an aftermarket aluminum replacement and I see that Edelbrock makes one.

Next step: Oil all the parts up well and make haste slowly. I intend to do a lot of research on Olds V8s and see where that takes me. I don't want this project to turn out like the 305 did for my Astro.

Didn't get any photos today due to the rain.