324

[racerjohnson]

My uncle is restoring a 1955 Olds super 88 2door hardtop that belonged to by grandfather. We want him to drive it again. I'm tasked with the engine and while thats coming along fine, I thought my uncle could use a little inspiration for when he can't see the light at the end of the tunnel on a big restoration.

I thoroughly blasted the intake, cleaned all the acorns out of it, ran a welding rod through the head riser tube for the heat choke as they're always plugged. My friend Jeremy Beck of Beck's Customs sprayed the epoxy primer before laying on the Bill Hirsch Olds green. Finished it with the little detailing stuff like semi-gloss on the wire loom bracket, gloss black on the bead blasted coil.

I cleaned up the WCFB by dunking it in Tyme for 24 hours, wire wheeled anything steel, blasted the top and the base, bent a new heat choke tube, and assembled everything to specification. Took a couple days all together. Its now an office piece with a happy owner.

[racerjohnson]

This engine was stuck when purchased. Of course with these engines if the engine won't turn over you can't take the transmission off because there are about 30 bolts holding the torque converter type thing together and the converter doesn't slip out of the transmission. Can't remember what its called, but its not quite like a normal converter. A taurus? Its two pieces with a gasket between them. Knocked the pistons out without knocking any holes in any of the cylinder walls ( ) which all took the better part of the day. After that the transmission still didn't want to come off but eventually man always wins one way or another. I had the assembly strung up from the ceiling like a gutted deer to use the cast iron transmissions weight to my advantage. It didn't give up without first dumping transmission oil all over the place, however. I think I discovered why the engine was put out to pasture at one time. Broken skirts were quite common on these engines. The rest of the engine was in remarkably good condition.

Did you know these trannys were air cooled? Interesting.

[Tom]

Looks good Pete. This is not the motor that was in grandpa's car ?

[racerjohnson]

Nope, this one is from Joel. The result of drunken negotiations. I can't remember what I traded it for. Haha. I don't know where it came from, maybe Joel does?

My male family members still talk smack about my grandma for running the original motor out of water and locking it up. I suggest to them to handle their man business by maintaining their vehicles. There can't be many men who would honestly entrust a woman to check the radiator for water before driving it, can there?

[pinstriper40]

Here's a Norwegian Mafia history lesson.  I bought the engine/trans from Gaylord Rachels of Fergus Falls.  I then traded it to Pete for the banjo rearend intended for the A coupe.

While I had it I put asphalt in the cylinders and dipped it in Permatex thread locking compound so I could get the valve covers off.

[sixinarow]

Looking damn god Pete! Is she keeping stock specs or getting warmed up some?

[racerjohnson]

Here's a Norwegian Mafia history lesson.  I bought the engine/trans from Gaylord Rachels of Fergus Falls.  I then traded it to Pete for the banjo rearend intended for the A coupe.

While I had it I put asphalt in the cylinders and dipped it in Permatex thread locking compound so I could get the valve covers off.

Speaking of permatex (silicone), 'nother history lesson. The heads were borrowed by a friend of Joels to take up to tech school to take his practical test in valve and seat grinding. You pass when the intake and exhaust ports hold suction. When I disassembled the heads there was a light coat of silicone on the valve to ensure it held suction. Winner.

Stephan, other than bigger intake valves and some port relieving to compliment the package, its pretty much stock. I measured and learned that that the intake valves run the same stem diameter as chevrolet small block. Exhaust valves have huge stems in these things. Pushed out all the guides and installed 16 intake guides. Reground everything. This runs the risk of burning an exhaust valve right? My thought is that exhaust valve material technology improved a bit since 1955 so we'll see if the narrower stem lasts. I ground the heads for good teflon positive control type intake guide seals but I'll use the OEM O-ring seals on the exhaust valves to keep them oiled a little (and therefore cooled). We'll see how it goes.

I bought a reground cam that I don't know the specs on so once I measure it I'll know what I'm doing cam-wise. I may give it some bark instead of some lope. Torque.