Early Oldsmobile Rocket Hot Rodding 101 - Is That A J2!!!

Since the 1932 Ford Schroll Coupe is basically ready for the road, we decided to sit down and talk about the Oldsmobile Rocket Engine. This Hot Rodding 101 covers the first generation of Olds Rockets produced from 1949-1964. Matt covers the basic engine sizes and compatibility between the sizes, and some "factory" upgrades that can hop up the early engines. Speed Equipment, Early Ford install issues, and infamous "J2" are some of the topics Matt touches on. Comment down below with some of your favorite hot rods with Olds Rockets, or your go to intake setup!!
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[@danielmarek4609]

A friend of mine, who graduated HS in about 57 had a 40 Ford Coupe as his first car. I remember him telling me he paid $80 for the car. He pulled the original drive train out and put in a Olds engine, a floor shift manual, open drive shaft and rear end. For intake he had 6 2 bbls. He showed me several photos of the car and if he had it today at a car show it would attract a lot of attention. He also painted the car candy apple red in his garage. He did the swap with no kits and fabricated whatever he needed with hand tools, and an arc welder (stick). He also made his own headers for the car, and ran open headers. No noise meters or noise laws back then. Pretty good accomplishment for a kid in high school.

[@IronTrapGarage]

Man that sounds awesome! The golden age of hot rodding!

[@denniscastle936]

I've owned 8 different Oldsmobiles and absolutely loved them.

[@robertrider6485]

Matt, I still have my 1950 Olds 88, these last 54 years. I have had everything from a few 324s to overbored 371 J-2 engines in it. LaSalle trannies and even a B&M hydro. My J-2 ran dual fours ,Wieland manifold. It even got pretty decent gas mileage on the highway. Back in the 1980s parts like bearings got hard to come by, so the Old engine went away and it now has a 69 455 ,turbo 400 and 12 bolt rear axle. The engine is no longer stock. Cam ,heads, dual fours, magneto( electronic). 99% of what you said about the Kettering engine is correct. 303s and 324s are internally balanced AND externally balanced. 57-58 371s are externally balanced. You will see a huge gonad on the front balancer and on the flywheel. To internally balance one of these a lot of Mallory metal is required and Its very expensive to do . I have built several of these engines and nothing sounds quite as pretty as a Kettering Olds. I am now 76 years old and I still breathe cars and my Olds has been mine since I was 22. It will never be sold as long as I live. I spent my life as a mechanic, bodyman frame man painter and I have to say, the work you do impresses me and there are few people who impress me. I have won a lot of shows with my creations and even a magazine centerfold. I guess that's my claim to fame. Few of us get that ,on the grand scale of things. Good job Matt, keep it up. Robert.

[@IronTrapGarage]

Thanks for the education and correction Robert! I don’t think I came across that with the late 324’s but I did know they had some differences to the earlier years. Thanks for that!

[@bigjarn]

One of my guy friends had a 58 Olds J-2 with the cam option. He was killed in Nam, his Mom gave me the car after five years it had sat in the damp grass all that time five years, plus the two he was active. I took the whole power train and put it in a 49 ninety-eight.. The project took about one year and any required fit up parts were built at my Dad's machine shop.

[@KS-on9qp]

Had a 394 Olds -- power and torque to spare with no mods !

[@willsee1822]

I feel very lucky that my friends dad chose me to sell his high school car to. A 31 model A coupe with a built 303 olds still running the 4 speed hydramatic. Built in 64 and parked since 70. Matt is correct that the HAMB is a excellent source of information. I'm 39 years old and enjoy being a student of early hot rodding.

[@IronTrapGarage]

That’s so awesome! Congrats on a real oldschool hot rod!

[@roballen5404]

Great video. Thanks for going into something that not many other hot rod channels go into

[@IronTrapGarage]

No problem 👍

[@joefreeman9733]

Back in 1963 I bought a well thrashed 57 2 door sedan Super 88 with the origninal J2 engine and carbs and ai t cleaner. Shortly after purchase the bottom end expired spectacularly. I went to a junkyard and found a nice 62 394 out of a Starfire. Next stop was the machine shop and engine builder . We went thru the 394 which actually needed very little but got a lot. The bottom end was balanced rods polished and xrayed crank micro polished flat top pistons with 10.75 to 1 oil system revisions Isky solod lift cam adjustable rockers some porting work on the heads and intake manifold carbs rebuilt and a set of really nice inch and 3 quarter equal length headers into 3 inch dual exhaust out the back. We never dynoed the engine but it was probably making around 370 hp at the crank. Then the problems began. The 57 used the Jet a Wsy transmission which had replaced the stronger Hydramatic in 1956. In short order I trashed the original zjet a way and a replacement before zi dis c overed the aftermarket BAnd M Hydro with a 2 year street or strip warranty... basically a beefed modified Hyramatic. Then I started tearing up the two piece driveshaft and had to have a custom two pc driveshaft custom made and balanced. THEN I broke a left rear axle which resulted in my getting a set of custom HD axles.. The 57 Olds at that point was reliable torquey and fun. By now I could pretty much deal with any Fords except the 401 390 which was very rare. Or a 406 tri carb Ford. I could deal with about any Chevy except the 409 or a 63 or 64 327 365 ir 375 hp engine.. they were simply too light . And I could deal with any MOPAR EXCEPT THE 413 OR 426 HIPOS .. My favorite victims were the 283vandv327 Chevys . A very very few had the solid lifter 365 hp engine and 4 speeds were rare and people who could shift them quickly were rare.. 421 SD Pontiacs were univorns although you could run into the occasion a l tri carb 389 Catalina or Ventura that was pretty hot. In this perio the e 94 Olds sndc392 Chryslerscwere the fuel and alvohol choices. But thatcwas far outside my budget and interest. I sold the Olds in late 64 before departing foe 2 tors in Vietnam. When I returned I factory ordered a 427 435 hp 67 Corvette coupe But that was a different level of performsnce and a different story. Ive always had a soft spot for my 57 Olds. It was an adventure and I learned a lot.

[@jamesmusser6160]

Matt, I cant tell you how much I enjoyed this video on the Olds Rocket engines. Growin g up in Hbg in the 50's i had a ring side seat for a couple cases in point. My BF's dad had a '54 Olds 98 that was quicker than one would think for such a big car. A guy I worked with had a beautiful 'Blue and White '56 Super 88 2 dr hardtop. In '57 Larry Hartmann (Grandfather owned Hartmann Old's in nearby Sreelton, PA) bought a black '57 2 dr 88 hardtop with the Tri-power J-2 with an Isky w-1 cam, and 3 on the column. I SAW Larry lay rubber from a standstill in 3rd gear, and the first time he took it to the Lancaster drag strip he spun out of the tires coming off the line too hot. Another friend had a '56 Fire engine red Studebaker Golden Hawk just a little modified ( Over sized jets in the 4 barrel, electric fuel pump and OD, columbia high speed rear end, 3 on the column. That car pretty much ruled Hbg for a couple years until the courts forced him to sell it to keep his drivers license, but to the point, one car he had problems with on the top end was Bruce Larsons '54 Olds. Yes that Bruce Larson. And the Hawk was dyno tested for 134 mph...thanks for the memories. Love the '39 Merc...

[@IronTrapGarage]

Bruce is a legend and a hell of a nice guy! Not surprised he was going fast even then!

[@bertrandpatrick3694]

!n 1964 my friend had a customized 1950 Ford coupe that ran a Chevy 327 with dual 4 barrel carbs coupled with a B&M stick-hydro using a Pontiac bell housing as an adapter. It was fast and fun to drive !!! By the way, I've never heard Matt claim to be an expert on anything but he sure does a good job of passing on what he does know !!! (Don't forget, an ex is a has-been and a spurt is adrip under pressure !!!)

[@silktat2803]

I have owned a 54 rocket 88 324, and a 55 holiday 98 324. In 78 needed to rebuild the engine in the 54, had problems finding the correct valves at the shop i used, they used chevy 454 valves and seats, had to open the head up a little bit and turn the valves down a little. But it breathed a lot better, 10 -10 crank and cam, 30 over pistons, and those heads, so basically stock. One fast old car!!!!! The crank broke into 2 pieces, used to have to put a little gas down the carb, and a quart of oil every day to get to work and back, didn't know the crank was broke till it got pulled apart, just thought i had some rod knock, or maybe a couple of mains goings. Those were strong engines, 25 miles to the gallon on the highway most of the time, i ran it long distance one time between 45 and 50 MPH and got 30 MPG. Wish i still had it!!!! Brought back a ton of memories, even though they weren't hot rods.

[@robbh.6505]

The other big advantage with the '56 heads; they would bump your compression ratio two points, from 7.25 to 9.25.

[@Mccabone]

I loved my Olds powered Model A Roadsters!!! I later went to 425s and 455s with T400s in stock form ran 12 .0 at 110 and with mild mods 10.90s at 123mph all under 5,500 rpm! I used to have a ton of content on the HAMB... fun stuff

[@jackaustin3576]

My Dad had a 1956 Olds Super 88 Holiday....I had a1953 Olds Convertible....About 1970 I put a 390 or 394 Cadillac engine from a 1960 Cadillac into a 1953 International Harvester Step Van....It looked about like a USP Truck....This was all in Miami, Florida....That was the good old days....

[@johnstearn4277]

My '32 Ford Highboy roadster has a 324 in it and is a lot of fun to drive. The engine looks stock from the outside with it's green paint, stock exhaust manifolds, generator and valve covers. But it's got a bigger cam & some valve/headwork so it's got a nice lope in it's idle. The rest of the car is built with a look of a Hot Rod that may have been built in the mid to late 50's. Very little chrome, black-wall tires on steel wheels with Ford dog dish hub caps and so forth, so the engine fits right in with that old school vibe. This is the first vintage Olds engine I've had and it lives up to it's reputation... This car is a bullet!

[@joealbert7773]

I used to hang around a filling station/used car lot in the early 60's. An early hot rod I remember was a 53 or 54 Studebaker with an Olds V8. It was pretty hot for the era.

[@edwardwerick2420]

Another potent swap was a "Studillac" which was a Studebaker with a Cadillac engine swapped in. They weren't quite as fast as the supercharged Stude powered cars but it was a "low buck" swap and nearly as fast.

[@joealbert7773]

@@edwardwerick2420 I remember reading an old Popular Science article about a guy I think was in New York who evidently did a lot of the Cad in Stude swaps.

[@edwardwerick2420]

@@joealbert7773 That's right. His name was Bill Frick. He specialized in putting Cadillac engines and 4spd hydro transmissions in 1953-1955 Studebaker Commander coupes. His conversion included Cadillac brakes. One of the members of my local Studebaker Club chapter has a 1954 Studillac that he dragged out of a swamp many years ago. I believe it is one of 3 known to have survived. I hope he gets it back in running order some day.

[@jimmccoskey8253]

Oh yes, a 401 nail-head ate my stock 48 Ford gearbox -TWICE, then you learn! Thanks for all the informative and entertaining videos! Old iron is good iron...

[@obi-wancanoli8236]

One of my dream hot rods is a '32 Ford with a hopped-up Olds in it, I love these things!

[@DennisMurphey]

Very interesting, Back in 65 I had a 47 Chevy Coupe. After seeing the Orange Crate in a Car Magazine I wanted an Old's Motor. I went to the junk yard and bought a 371 engine, trans 4 speed Hydra and rear end. Swapped it all into the 47. Found a great Cam and bought that. It required the earlier Rocker Arms. so i found rockers off a 324 used and bought them. We got it all together and was pulling it to get started. It fired up and the front end lifted and i nearly hit the tow car. Then it died. I did that a few times until on one WOT pull there was a loud bang and the oil filler cap went flying. Oil was running out the oil pan from a big hole. We towed the car home and the gang left in silence. I tore into the engine to find the valves were hitting the pistons. Broke the cam a two lobe section fell down into the crank area, a Rod hit it and ripped off the crank then the crank continued to beat the the rod until the piston cracked and the whole thing was smashed against the pan poking a hole in it and crushing the piston. Needless to say I was sick. At 15 this cost me over $400 and i was broke. My Dad was so upset he forbid me to work on the car anymore. He towed it to the junk yard and gave it away. I saved the Hydra because i had it built up and could sell it back to the guy that did the work. But all was not lost. 6 months months later Mom and Dad agreed to left me use money I had saved for College to buy a car and Dad would still help me with tuition. After searching all over Central Illinois my Dad found a 1964 Corvette Convertible 327 365, 4 speed 3.73 gear, White with Red White seats and I was only $200 short so We got that. Not long after i had reworked the Holley and put headers on it. Its a disease. D

[@dennisonbrower7680]

A chopped model A on 32 rails with an olds motor is on my short list of “some day” cars. Great video!

[@mattomon1045]

the more knowledge you have the easer and moor fun you have in this hobby / work! thanks for teaching us!

[@johnelliott7375]

I get in to these so much, I wish I could do it for a living.

[@kevin2960]

Nailhead were also popular and one of the most raced Engines in the 50's early 60's. The early hemi and the Nailhead.

[@johnelliott7375]

As always sharing, liking and commenting. Great day to you all.

[@IronTrapGarage]

Thank you!

[@restwetq]

That was the hot set-up in the day. Dad's 32 5-window has the J-2 371 with the 6 Stromberg set-up intake. LaSalle trans of course held up great for drag racing. Great info Matt and love the build's.

[@paulcsmith]

great introduction to the Olds engines, if your viewers are looking for more information on these engines the HAMB has several very knowledgeable members that are there ready to share. Thanks for all the great videos!

[@DuckReach432]

I love the old photos you show of those cool guys from the '50s and '60s with their insane hot rods and drag cars. Thanks for another great video.

[@AndyGeesGarage]

Many years ago I had the chance to have a conversation with K.S. Pittman famed gasser driver builder about the Olds engines they used. They preferred the 371 over the 394 because there was more meat in the blocks of the 371 and they could be bored larger. They would bore them and stroke a 371 out to 454” then run that with a 6-71 and mechanical fuel injection. I asked why they weren’t using the 392 Hemi and he told me that they’d work on fuel but they hadn’t figured out how to make the Hemi run on gas with a blower. Once they got that figured it was game over for the Olds. It’s a dream of mine to build out a 371 Olds to this spec one day, hopefully sooner than later.

[@ADAMH924]

Great video series on these classic engines. Trying to build a '38 Olds Sedan repowered with a '52/'53 303 and a '62 Saginaw 3 speed. She's a work in progress. All work and no progress. I bought a damn decent set of late 303 / early 324 valve covers from you a few years ago for a song and a dance and have to say, they are probably the best set of covers I have. Always great to watch the videos. Thank you Matt and company at Iron Trap. Keep them coming out.

[@IronTrapGarage]

Glad those covers are working well for you! I think they may have come with the engine we put in the Schroll car!

[@edwardgarcia614]

When i was 15, (didn't even have my drivers license yet) I bought a '46 Ford coupe with a 1957 Olds Rocket engine. This engine had the big chrome valve covers. The cars front clip was off and finally got it started. Sounded mean, no exhaust mufflers. I never finished the car, sold it as is. But it was a cool experience. I have been a hot rodder since age six. Great show, thanks.

[@robertnorton2340]

Love those Rockets!!!...had a 394 in my 1938 Chevy with a firewall set back, using a early hydro...great video and info...

[@Davey-Drums]

My first car was dad's 56 Oldsmobile. I found a Weiand dual quad setup with good WCFB carburetors at a wrecker for $50. Then I bought a Thomas adjustable rocker setup so I could go solid lifter cam. I don't remember any rocker cover clearance problem, though I did at some point get finned aluminum valve covers. Drove that a while, till I developed a nasty rod knock. I did get a buyer for that nice looking engine with the impressive dual quad setup. I had a better idea. At that point, we found a 59 396 in a Super 88, which I bolted in. I remember telling my dad that Hot Rod magazine said it was a bolt in, and he went with it. Then upgraded to an original B&M hydro (4 speed). Drilled the crankshaft for the required pilot bearing with a hand drill (there was a factory pilot hole, for a depth guide). The real problem was that Oldsmobiles were heavier than say Chevys. Of course, in a hot rod setup they were great. I met a guy who put a Oldsmobile 396 in a 55 Chevy, mounted back with the carburetor under the dash. He impressed folks poppin' wheelies on the street. Fun memories from the simple, affordable golden age of hot rods.

[@Davey-Drums]

I wrote this before you commented on the crank transmission bushing. I would add that the hole I drilled was for the pilot shaft only, not the pilot shaft bushing. The bushing with the solid bearing was much larger than the pilot shaft, but that was already drilled at the factory for a press fit. Just tapped the pilot bushing in, once I had the hole for the pilot shaft drilled (not a bearing surface). Never had a problem with it.

[@robertszymanski7804]

Always a pleasure listening to your hot rodding 101 series, I always learn something new!!! You are very articulate with explaining the historical overview and trying to cover every aspect. Also really appreciate your lessons learned, I think most of us learn from our mistakes. Always a blessing when I can learn from someone else's without going through the pain myself, lol Keep setting the trap, ITG that is!!👍

[@IronTrapGarage]

Thanks for watching!

[@curbmassa]

Hagerty Barn Find Hunter had a video on their channel 9 months ago about a '57 Olds convertible with a J2. The guy who restored it went into some detail about a common problem the J2 had with cracked valve seats. The car is stunning, though.

[@mikesonneson2824]

I watch your channel religiously. My car is a 63 Oldsmobile Starfire. 394 high compression 10.5 to 1. Factory dual exhaust.

[@jerrylong381]

Hey Matt, I love it when you talk Nerdy to me! Keep it coming.

[@johnbehneman1546]

GREAT VIDEO MATT!!!! I WOULD LOVE TO BUILD A VINTAGE OLDS MOTOR IN THE FUTURE. GREAT EDUCATION!!!!! THANKS FOR SHARING. I LEARNED SO MUCH.

[@Chevotaguy]

Hi mat, i liked your video. I have two j2 engines which ive had in my 53 merc that i have had since 1969 first one is a 1958 block with jons 12.5 to 1 pistons 1960 394 heads , isky cam and solid lifters and hidebrant rockers , offinhouser finned rocker covers. offinhouser 6- 2 intake with 6 stromburg 97s. What a pain it was to keep in tune. i had a muncie 4 speed behind it with the help of an honest charlie bellhousing adaptor and a starter cross over. the pilot bushing i used was was a 1964 chevy there all the same. The clutch was a ford truck pressure plate and a chevy disk. I blew up a lot of stock rears in that car. Its got a 9 inch rear in it now. Thanks for the video. I liked the flathead video too.

[@tomcummings655]

Way back when I was in high school[late 60's] that era Oldsmobiles were just"old cars".Both J-2 engines I saw had the end carbs removed and block-off plates bolted on,all the rare stuff like factory air cleaners ect were long gone.Surprisingly, both factory J-2 cars in the area were 4-doors!!

[@chuckster6513]

Hey Matt That was a great video on the exciting hop up with the Olds/Cad engines. I remember in my early teens working on a lot of cars that had these power house swaps. These engines were plentiful then. Now any time I see a car at a car show or on the street with one of these early engines it gets a longer look over than a small block Chevy would. Stay Warm, Be Safe & Well

[@lelandrogers1078]

Thanks for this video. Brought back a lot of memories.

[@380.motorsports]

Great overview and good tips on what parts to shop for and buy for the Olds. Enjoying these occasional hot rod 101 videos.

[@charlesyoung7436]

I learned to drive and took my driver's test in a 1952 Oldsmobile 98 with the first generation rocket engine. My grandfather had bought it new, and it was loaded. I loved the wall to wall chrome waterfall dash with the ashtray and glove box that were hidden in it. The coolest feature was the mechanical clock in the center of the steering wheel which wound itself every time you made a turn. It had plenty of pep, and I thought it would become mine, as my mother wanted a sportier car. My dad traded it in on a Corvair Monza with a stick shift and told me that the mechanic felt the Olds was not reliable' as the engine was knocking. I've often wondered if that was just a ruse to get the rocket cheap ($150) for a hot rod.

[@terryeustice5399]

Your a very well versed young man. And you know your stuff. Thank you for sharing!

[@edwardwerick2420]

The greatest obstacle to putting a Studebaker intake on an Olds engine was the Stude manifold had no water passage or thermostat housing. They were also a very poorly flowing manifold and nearly all were 2BBLs. Now, going the OTHER way and fitting a Cadillac intake to a Stude engine was fairly common and an easy swap. The port spacing was almost the same but the Cadillac ports were half again the size of the Stude. Some serious porting work was required to match the heads to the intake and the mounting holes had to be elongated slightly. Nearly all the Cad engines were equipped with 4BBL carbs. Those that weren't had 2-4s or tripower. This leaves out the after-market aluminum manifolds made for Cadillacs which had nearly any carburetor combination you could think of. Many years ago I found a 4-71 Detroit blower and manifold for a Cadillac.( I won't tell you what I paid for it because you won't believe me) It took a while, but I was able to fit it onto a 1963 Stude 289CID V-8. I had a special cam ground for it, put in a set of .030 over forged pistons and built a 2" wide Gilmer type drive to turn the blower. I fabricated a base plate for a 750cfm Holley carb, and a Vertex magneto I bought at another swap meet. It was a VERY nasty engine which I put in a number of cars and had a ball until Sunoco stopped selling 260 octane. I tried water injection, aviation gas, retarding the spark, you name it . Nothing I tried would stop the high speed detonation except racing fuel. This meant I had to carry enough gas to get back home on a long trip. I reluctantly put it away because I didn't want to risk damaging it. I would run it for a few minutes every 10 years or so (Open headers WOW!) and I finally sold it a few years ago.

[@TomHaroldArt]

What a great series this is. Just watched the Cad video and now this one. Thanks for putting all this information into one place so we can easily find it!

[@tacoheadmakenzie9311]

A couple observations; don't go looking for 324 rocker arm assemblies for your 303 if it's a '52 or '53 engine, because it's already got the 1.8 rocker arms and 5/16 pushrods. The '53 cylinder heads are a good upgrade for any earlier 303, since you get the 1.8 rocker arms, more compression, and larger diameter valve springs that will interchange with the cheap and plentiful small block Chevrolet springs. 1953 heads have a large 3 cast on the exhaust port.

[@IronTrapGarage]

Good clarification I tend to miss stuff when I ramble like that haha. Appreciate it!

[@daveyelmer3222]

Impressive amount of early Oldsmobile OHV V8 knowledge ! I hot rodded my 56 324 with Weiand 2-4s from a wrecker with old race cars. Did switch to solid lifter cam, with Thomas adjustable rockers and finned rocker covers, as you mention. Then I got a rod knock. At that point, I switched to a '59 394, and sold the complete engine as is with al the speed equipment. Then, when I needed a new transmission, I got a new B&M Hydro Stick. I then found that the BM, which was from a earlier 4 speed hydro matic, has a pilot shaft into the end of the crankshaft, which had to be drilled. The crankshaft had a "pilot hole" where the shaft should go, which did provide a "depth gauge" for any drilling. Also, there is a round recess in the end of the crankshaft, where you press in the actual pilot shaft bushing. The hole beyond, does not even touch, and does not have to be perfect. I just drilled it out with a hand drill, pressed in the bearing, and installed my new BM trans. Ran well for years. The BM did tend to break U joints.

[@mr.goodpliers6988]

Great info, I always learn something from the videos like this. It's amazing what they made for these in speed parts

[@markhoffman9674]

Great video! My father was a Oldsmobile rocket V8 engine lover! His favorite was the motor trend car of 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado with the 425 cid V8 with 1st year rodchester Quadrajet carburetor and 385 horsepower! The would really get up and go and had no problem doing 130 mph on the open highway! I enjoyed watching the video. Take care.

[@johnsecord9697]

I had a friend in high school that got a pleasant surprise when he took a good look at his mom’s new 58 Olds. The engine had a J2 manifold on it with a single carb and two block off plates, He put two more carbs on it and it was FAST!

[@IronTrapGarage]

Hahaha awesome!

[@user-xp9zh6px2k]

Hi Matt. I have a 79 Olds 350 that i am going to to put in a 32 roadster in new zealand. I like the look of them. They are nice wide engines.

[@tonyshoe3131]

I wish I had someone like you & ur crew where I live. some jobs I have are way over my skill set.

[@charlesherrick7400]

Well said Matt.

[@tacoheadmakenzie9311]

So far as adjustable rocker arms go, the ones from Iskenderian had the adjusters on the bottom rather than on top, and had a better chance of clearing the valve covers.

[@MrGGPRI]

Back in the day I dropped a Olds 324 ($300) into a Deuce roadster ($650 California rust-free) and thought I was good-to-go; problem was the doors would fly open unannounced, the windshield would periodically disassemble and my ’56 Chev rear axle setup would not stay in the chassis but hey I was just a teenager lacking a mentor and unknowingly driving a death-trap. Much later and much wiser after a boxed frame, a stabilized-reinforced firewall and improved welding techniques, my deuce hot-rod became somewhat reliable and due to a lighter SBC engine-drivability was much improved.

[@ernieforrest7218]

Jack Culp was the Olds Guru and go to guy in the early 50s in Pa. His shop was located in Penndel .

[@chucktaylor9190]

With all the performance aftermarket parts available for the Ford/Merc flathead engine it was still king until 1958/59. Remember the 255cid didn't arrive until 1955 and would not show up it the junkyards in quantity until 58 or 59 for the hot rod guys to salvage.

[@edhawk4737]

I have a 49 303 with a 4 barrel it was built a long time ago with adjustable rockers. I have a 52 Ford truck 3 speed to go behind it . The Oldsmobile to Ford adapter is just a flat plate I still need to put the 11 inch clutch and pressure plate. I have no idea what it will go in but I do have a 32 Frame and a chopped 28 Ford model A if not that one there are other projects!

[@michaelguinn5736]

Morning Matt, I think I mentioned to you this past summer, back in the 1980's-90's I worked for a heavy truck dealership that had a J2 Olds in the corner of the shop, it's still there, there is also a GMC Blower with it, the ole boy won't part with it......thanks for the video!! Be safe!! God Bless!!

[@IronTrapGarage]

Man it would be rad to get those things!

[@robertstuhr7846]

Excellent information !

[@terrykeithley6183]

Hi Matt, thank you for the short history on Olds eng's. Tegards to Kate, Mike, Steve.

[@squidgameisaliarisawnosqui5341]

Great video glad you shared your knowledge ty Steve

[@randiegadberry5448]

My first car when I was 15 years old was a 33 channeled Chevy coupe with a Olds Rocket engine with a LaSalle tranny and a. Lincoln rearend. That was in 1962. Paid $250 .

[@IronTrapGarage]

Man that sounds bitchin!

[@robbh.6505]

That was the hot setup all through the '50s, and I had that combo, too. But when the 327 Chev came out in '62, the handwriting was on the wall. Most guys switched over to the SBC; it could be found in almost any engine swap! But I did not, if only because my 36 coupe went into mothballs when I went overseas.....

[@shotsrodder]

Good information 😎👍

[@ecbp500]

Hey hey! The Bachelor’s Button made the vid! Nice job as always Matt!

[@IronTrapGarage]

We love that car! It’s so perfect!!

[@hensleyshobbies-doug7761]

Yeah man Matt, old Olds engines were tops, until the early Buick nailheads came along, at least by my understanding, and my Uncles, around early to mid 60’s is when the nailheads started coming on strong, well for drag racing anyways, and probably street racing too. Either way, I loved all the old GM engines, no matter what the hell they were, you know?

[@nferraro222]

Not an Olds guy, but man, that was a very interesting breakdown of the various early motors! I always wondered how Buick would have fared against these, if GM management hadn't made them rework their original OHV V-8 and go with the junk Nailhead design.

[@mackstone5303]

What was wrong with nailheads?

[@nferraro222]

Tough engines, but the redesigned "nailhead" heads sucked, flow-wise. Buick brass insisted the motor fit inside the old straight-8 engine bay, AFTER they had finished designing the motor and they had to crank the heads nearly vertical, to accomplish that.@@mackstone5303

[@chuckhaynes6458]

Thomas also made spacers for valve cover clearance. I had some on my '50 Olds. Also how about splitting the center port ala Gene Adams?

[@richmyer9111]

Back in 61-62 I was 10 yrs old. I used to hang out at Smiling Irishman's New and Used Hotrods. It seemed that all his friends had 56 Olds engines in the rods.

[@rockiecollins4412]

You can get a real nice roller rocker assembly from Tony Ross engines. They are not cheap but work really well. The big problem with old rockers is getting them to oil properly. If you are using hydraulics lifters buy American made products. Do not buy the cheap ones. They will fail. I know because it happened to me.

[@johnjenkins8782]

My father had a 49 olds with the V8 in high school 1955 56, he always talked about that car and how fast it was.

[@perrystevens8074]

Matt, thanks for the information.... I have a 54, 55, and 56 324cid for my 1955 88... one thing is the 1956 cam is bigger than the 54 and 55. It affects the push rod length...

[@57Joe]

Lifter diameter is larger as well. 49-55 the lifter is .842", 56 and on use a .921".

[@tacoheadmakenzie9311]

@@57Joe Actually. Olds went to the larger diameter lifter in '57. However, the camshaft bearing journal size increased in '56.

[@57Joe]

@@tacoheadmakenzie9311 I stand corrected, 57 was the transition year for the lifters.

[@SILVERHORSE347]

I'm looking for a 2x4 for my 401 Nail head Buick 😳 folks is proud of them.

[@bheath8295]

Great video. Thanks for the info.

[@derrickrees8895]

Just a small point Matt , I believe it was Cadillac with the 331 , who brought out the first ohv V8 in 1949 . The story ( I believe it is verifiable ) - is that the Studebaker directors , in no way able to afford the huge costs of developing their first ohv V8 from scratch , bought a brand new Caddy 4 door off the showroom floor, handed it to their engineers , who tore it down , studied the new Casting techniques , then came up with their own version in record time . Studebaker were not in the top end luxury market , thus their V8 was only a 239 . Externally there were similarities to the Caddy V8 .The Studebaker 239 was unusually heavy for its internal dimensions , though it was a fine , tough unit . The next important V8 was the excellent but expensive Chrysler Hemi- , then the Y block Fords , and so on . probably the next really big impact was the 55 Chevy , with their brilliant Small Block.

[@tonyaxeman4381]

Well I am not too old yet . Got a 2003 Olds Aurora 4.0 250 hp 260 at 3000 rpm . quickest car I ever owned. I had a Delta 88 big old 400 . Had a Toronado too but engine was a dog . The Aurora is cool looking with duel hood scoops that got added on non functioning boo . It does have crossed finish flags on it also . In the corner of the rear windows on the trunk lid and each rear quarter . A spoiler on the car as well . 10 ct. pin striping 10 ct. emblems . A done in brilliant white .

[@jgwilliams5951]

Thanks Matt , great lesson !

[@JosephCowen-fz8vj]

Its a bit like the later 1966 + engines , the 303, 324 were low deck small block ( like the later 260,307,330,350 and 403 small blocks) and the 371,394 were tall deck big blocks ( like the later 400,425,455 big blocks) .

[@robertjean659]

Great info, thanks Matt 🇦🇺🇦🇺👍👍

[@gregbenwell6173]

My experiences on Oldsmobile engines relates to the later model cars between the 1967 to 1976 cars with the Rocket 350 and Rocket 455 cars!! THERE ARE some parts from a company named Kenne Bell to look for, for THESE MOTORS when speaking about Rocker Arm Assemblies!! This company, again Kenne Bell, used to make a fully adjustable shaft style (like those found on certain Mopar engines) rocker arm train, and got rid of the non adjustable valves on these engines! The original cost of the kit was around $2300 new, BUT you can easily be fooled by their "looks" because like I said they look like something off a Chrysler/ Dodge/ Plymouth V8, and not something related to Oldsmobile!!

[@johnkeathley1612]

Jesus drove an Oldsmobile

[@garyhughes9199]

Good intel. Thanks for sharing !

[@donaldmanor2567]

1949 through 1956 Oldsmobile engines were internally balanced 1957 and up were externally balanced opposite from what you stated

[@buchananautosalesllc7855]

GOOD STUFF GREAT VID

[@robrobson2197]

The first car I ever drove was my brother in laws 49 ford business coupe with an Olds engine. I was 11 at the time.

[@IronTrapGarage]

Wicked!

[@damiansgaragebuilds7663]

I have a 1962 Buick 215 V8 which is also the same as the Oldsmobile 215 with exception of an extra head bolt, but there’s not many books out there on building Oldsmobiles or Buicks motors

[@geofo60]

I’m wondering if that’s the same engine that was sold to Rover cars in the U.K.. If so there’s plenty of books available. It was originally sold as the 3.5 litre & over the years went through many changes up to the 5.0 litre as found in the Range Rover models. I think David Vizard published several books on tuning and modifying the Buick/Rover 215 cu.in. V8. Definitely worth a look.

[@_Peremalfait]

From the days when they used to write songs about engines. "Rocket 88"

[@alexzarate8675]

Should do one on early Pontiac engines in hot rods if not done one yet… 55-60 V8

[@joealbert7773]

In the 50's, Oldsmobile was the "performance" division of GM. What I remember from the early 60's is that most 50's Olds', old cars at the time, had noisy lifters. They were good customers for STP.

[@tacoheadmakenzie9311]

Noisy and/or worn rocker assemblies were probably their biggest issue. Oil wasn't as good then, and they honestly ran TOO cool for their own good, creating lots of sludge. Add in that you couldn't adjust them to compensate for wear, and you ended up with noisy upper ends. My grandfather owned a Chevrolet dealership when 1950s Oldsmobiles were being traded in as used cars, and they put adjustable rocker arms on some otherwise stock vehicles just to be able to quiet them down.

[@chuckb9867]

Great video guys very informative

[@alp9418]

Great Video Matt I'm running a stock 303 in my 53 Olds and she is running good maybe down the road I will swap in some advised speed parts right now its has a 4barrel and a Automatic 2004R 90's GM rear 3:42

[@BrianSmart1959]

That 5x2 intake? I'd love to see that actually setup and running. Trying to get my head around how the heck the linkage for that would work.

[@camaroboy1968ss]

I would think with how the carbs are laid out, the center carb in the middle of the intake is the primary carb and then you would the other 4 come on all at once like a typical 4x2 setup. In my head you would have a base block on the rear of the intake with the 2 shafts for each side connected by a shaft running width wise of the motor and then an arm coming off the middle carb back to that shaft which would then open all 4 carbs up. You could make that arm progressive to dial in when the 4 carbs come online or run it direct on all 5 at once. For a idea of what I am kind of describing it kind of how Eelco made 6x2 linkage

[@shoominati23]

Screw the 3 speed, go for a T5 out of a mustang unless you are that worried about originality (and youve already put a totally different brand engine in your customised car?) its basically the same price to do the swap anyway with all the adapter plates available now..

[@kevin2960]

The J2 had a factory Isky solid cam. That could be the special J2R only.

[@ghostfirearmstrainingllc6951]

Will those early wire loom valve covers fit 52 heads?

[@MrGGPRI]

Rockers hitting the valve covers ?? Just glue (HI-Tack) a couple (or more) of gaskets together. Now-a-days, Speedway Motors make a very thick sandwich-type gasket with metal core that does the job for some engines.

[@enloe1966]

very cool vid

[@thomasst.martin3308]

Thank you.

[@DeucePhaeton]

I didn't hear you differentiate the 57/58 371 vs the 59/60 371? I did like the video.. Cudos.