Olds 455 V8 Dyno Blast - Muscle Car Magic

[@chrisreynolds6520]

Nick, the idle down tubes, idle channel restriction and idle screw openings all need to be resized on that Q-Jet and it will idle perfectly. That is in addition to installing throttle shaft bushings in all 4 corners of the two shafts. The Q-Jets especially with some miles on them all get throttle shaft vacuum leaks. Also when it is idling, have to pay attention to the venturis and watch for nozzle drip. If the throttle plates are open too much at idle, the fuel will pull from the venturis, the off-idle transition slots and the main metering circuit. The idle air bypass ports need to be re-sized so that it idles with the throttle plates basically closed, the transition slot is covered and only the idle mixture screws are contributing fuel at idle. If the transition slots are providing fuel at idle, the engine will have a very light stumble just off-idle because they are not able to provide more fuel as designed. The Q-Jets have idle bypass passageways similar to the adjustable idle air bypass provided in the Barry Grant Demons. Only on the Q-Jet they have to be drilled larger to cope with the decreased idle vacuum. I would suggest both Cliff Ruggles and Doug Roes Q-Jet books for Tony to dial that carb in to perfection. Nothing more fun than spanking someone and they see a stock looking Q-Jet on top of the engine that just smoked them.

[@nickpanaritis4122]

I will ask Tony to read your comment Thank you.

[@precisiond2236]

If i could give you 10 thumbs up, I would for the precise description of the workings on the Q-jet!

[@stephenwest798]

Nice to read a comment by someone who knows something about carburetors. I read and study for each different carb I have worked on and listen to what everyone has to say sometimes it's useful but often times it's laughable and have been absolutely amazed at what some people do to their carburetors. I am not an expert but then I am not a cobbler either.

[@jonwaterbury3312]

I was looking for someone to mention bushing the throttle shafts. Very common wear point on older QJets, especially if a stronger return spring has been added. To check for shaft/base plate wear, shut off engine, open primary throttle about a 1/4, check for shaft movement. With primary closed, the plates stop shaft movement, but the leak is still there. He might need to replace the primary throttle plates also, depending on wear.

[@zdravkomomci7570]

I've got Cliff Ruggles book excellent info

[@lilmike2710]

My father had a 1968 Hurst Oldsmobile when I was a kid. It had the 455 olds under the hood. I was a young kid but I remember that nothing around town or at the local 8th mile track could touch it. I will never forget that exhaust tone at idle. It's one of my most fond memories ❤️

[@MikeSmith-nu9wt]

My father had one also , he let my oldest brother take his girl friend home , he backed out of her driveway and gave it hell , 2 or 3rd gear he lost it and totolled it out big oak tree right dead center of the hood ...one of the reasons the quadrajet is so good is cause theres a race class (circle track ) open wheel modified , they were required to run stock carberator , they did alot of test and tune on them , quadrajet took notice ...

[@tl1024]

Everyone loves to hate on the quadrajet. Its actually a great carb that no one knows how to tune. I think all the tuning knowledge might be gone. But, the hate lives on. The proof that it doesnt "just suck" was just shown here. Its just as good as its rivals, just a little trickier to tune. Us GM guys already knew that, we are telling a tale that no one will hear. Darrell would be proud. (My late buddy who was a Q-jet fan)

[@lilibethdoherty295]

My Q-Jet was Tuned by a Real Pro as well R.I.P. Jim Clark.

[@JoeGagan]

my guru John Pike, who taught me how to port and many other skills, was a big fan of the Q jet. he could tune em!

[@danmyers9372]

Quadrajunk

[@jameshorner242]

Val Hedworth has built my Q jets! He is da man !!!

[@darrenbrisson4336]

Same as the thermobog lol! Love / hate mostly gate lol!

[@TheMrDarius]

Buick and Oldsmobile engines are fascinating gems of powerhouses.

[@karaDee2363]

Very nice olds 455 Don't know why everyone was so surprised that the Rochester Quadrajet did so well..... those are excellent carbs when adjusted properly..

[@johnplato4976]

My first Olds was a 64' 442 with the 4G carbed 330. That little small block could rev with a 4speed trans!

[@jsteganius6969]

Perfectly said! Step to the head of the class! 😂😂😂😅😅😅😊😊😊

[@attitudeadjusted9027]

Quadrajunk carbs make excellent trot line weights 🤠

[@johnplato4976]

So you'd prefer a Holley with leaking bowl gaskets, a crapped out , leaking accelerator pump diaphragm; or better yet, a blown power valve, enriching the idle circuit to the point of raw gas killing the idle to the point of loading up and fouling plugs. I loved the Q Jet. It could be easily, and quickly modified for ANY BPOC applications. Sorry, but I don't follow your line of thoughts on this.

[@jsteganius6969]

@attitudeadjusted9027 You have no idea what you are talking about. Many NHRA Stock Eliminator and Super Stock Eliminator cars use these and they are VERY fast!

[@rohrt1]

For us faithful few that run Quadrajets and know how to tune them the end put a smile on my face.

[@jonwaterbury3312]

I'm pretty sure that lean idle will be worn primary throttle shaft bores in the base. Bronze bushings and re-bush kits are still available. When there was no idle speed change with mixture adjustment, that is the place to look at. That cam wasn't too big, shouldn't need much else...

[@ottomechb]

In the late 80's I worked at a shop that was owned by a man that was factory trained on Quadrajets. I learned an amazing amount from him. These carbs have been very overlooked and mostly by GM guys. You can hear that engine liked the Q-jet.

[@ottomechb]

@@jonwaterbury3312 I also have found these carbs to be very fussy on bowl fuel level and fuel pressure. With some testing I have found that even 1 psi of fuel pressure change can make a big difference.

[@johnkradoska1577]

Cliffs high performance quadrajets rebuild kits and book

[@jarlnieminen4307]

​@@ottomechbyes because the bowl is so small. Needs extra pressure or volume to compensate but of course that also makes it easier to go too far.

[@johncornell3665]

What a monster. Oldsmobile made great engines. I have never heard anything bad about them myself. I had a 330 in my '66. Great V8 engine

[@NicksGarage]

Nice. Thanks for watching.

[@johnmcmullen456]

The only negative I've ever heard about the Olds 455 was its gas mileage. You didn't buy it for economy.

[@dogsense3773]

I work in a restoration shop, where you bolt the headers on to the head sometimes part of the head breaks off on the ends of the head, we had two in the shop this year come in with this problem, that's #8#7#1#2

[@vinceyoung5912]

They have head sealing problems.

[@hotpuppy1]

@@johnmcmullen456 I don't know about that. My '68 400 got a solid 15 on the highway and an uncle had a 455 in his '76 Olds 98 and he claimed to get 20 mpg out of it on the highway.

[@hugieflhr03]

Torque is off the charts and that’s why these engines work great in big cars and Trucks!

[@themacgyverinstitute5340]

I’m glad you put the Rochester on , and watching all the different personalities interact, and opinions are aired and feelings are affected. Which is exactly what you want when you have a group of passionate people with a single goal , well done to all of you.

[@NicksGarage]

Right on!

[@LR-my2di]

I wish that I'd been there to make some bets with those "experts"!

[@seangoodman665]

Doc Olds lives. Don’t underestimate an Oldsmobile. The motor was hungry. Don’t underestimate a Quadrajet either .

[@buzzwaldron6195]

Sadly... he died... but not before designing the ports in my MoTown heads...

[@mikeskidmore6754]

You can waste a lot of time trying to get a Quadra junk working properly .. they just are not worth the hassle .. Holley used to make spread bore carbs with the same bolt pattern.

[@shaneconrad7816]

The Q-jet is a great carb for a hot street setup. All kinds of adjustability to match the displacement/cam combos. Ran them on slant six to 454. Ran one for years on a small block Chevy 400 in my 69 pickup. Never let me down. The spread bore was great for part throttle cruising response while having plenty of cfm in the secondaries. If you knew what you were doing you could really make them sing.

[@mikeskidmore6754]

@@shaneconrad7816 I have one that I took off from my 79 Z-28 Camaro when it has 14,000 miles on it .. Wanna Buy it? I put a Holley Street Dominator on the Camaro .. Headers.. 327 350 HP cam ect.. Holly 600 CMF Double pumper.. I also have a Wiand SP2P intake with a Holley spread bore 450 CMF carb that I got 22 MPG on the highway on my 73 Chevelle.. that I put 1970 64 CC head the cam out of my Camaro and headers on

[@travoywashington7290]

@@mikeskidmore6754 Your mouth doesn't know that your backside is doing the talking.

[@bobkonradi1027]

This engine, as tested, might have the longest, flattest torque curve that Nick has ever tested. 500 pounds / ft from the starting point of 3000 rpm through 4800 rpm. If Nick had started the pull at 2500 rpm, they might have even found 500 pounds sooner than at 3000 revs.

[@steveaustin3524]

What about the 440 long ram?

[@SamLopezI]

​@@steveaustin3524 440 long ram?

[@shanewilson9015]

Having oil pressure that drops that far as rpm rises shows a definite issue. It dropped to 30 something at the end of the pulls. Guy is going to be taking out rod bearings if he doesn't fix it.

[@jimcatanzaro7808]

@@shanewilson9015all olds motors don’t like high rpm and there known for very poor oil flow past 4500 rpm this problem has been resolved but takes a lot of work A newer design ls Chevy engine is far more suitable with smaller weight and less displacement this engine is far to heavy for the amount of power it makes and has very high compression so no boost is possible Great motor for a classic car but don’t get one expecting to run 9’s in the 1/4 mile

[@davelowets]

​@@jimcatanzaro7808Mine runs mid 9s all day long..... 🤷🏻

[@richarddevoe5871]

Had a 70 - 455 in an 83 olds and it ripped… I knew it would produce great numbers especially with the cam bump. Tom built a great engine but it can get crowded in that control room with all those experts !!😤 Always a pleasure watching you work Nick

[@ronwelch6548]

A few to many chiefs in your dynamic room. You kept your patience very well.

[@Mark-um7ey]

You got that right 😂 I stuffed one in a 86 442. Was fender to fender but it would run pretty good, hood clearance was definitely an issue with the tall intake

[@richarddevoe5871]

@@Mark-um7ey- great engines

[@markthegunplumber8376]

Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth, I'd have booted most of them out of there. I can't stand to have people looking over my shoulder. Your shop your dyno your rules. Kojak there needs to go out and buy his own dyno. When you go to someone else shop it's best to be humble. My patience wore thin and I changed the channel.

[@richarddevoe5871]

@@markthegunplumber8376 Yeah Tom was alittle edgy for the situation but there definitely were knowledgeable builders there but being Nicks shop you need to keep that in check if possible

[@Eldude350]

I have run Quadrajets on pretty near every engine I have ever had, from a 267 GM to a 68 Olds 455. These carbs, after I tuned them using my recipe, never left me stranded. I have run Holleys, Elderbrock, Carter, but always came back to the Ol' fateful Quad and as a plus, never lost a drag race.....

[@menone8532]

Same here, but I don't drag race. I have a q jet on my IH Scout with an sv345, 1 inch carb spacer, cold induction hood. I shifted it at 6500 for about 54000 miles. Backed shift points down to 5800 this spring. Until someone starts making pistions for the engine again. Can't afford to have custom forged one's made, ie about 2500.

[@latrogeniwile58]

I have some expertise with Q jets as well. They are fine for street engines, properly tweaked.

[@chrisreynolds6520]

I ran them on everything too. Smallest engine I ever saw one used on was a Mercruiser 3.7L that was essentially 1/2 of a 460 Ford with a Chevy Bellhousing. It ran flawlessly on that 4 cylinder even pulling a pair of water skiers out of the water.

[@yambo59]

Same here, ive always loved the Quadrajet, install oringed plugs in bottom of float bowl a good float that wont soak up gas (brass if available) and its a bulletproof carb - and NO carb beats that rochester sound when you open the back barrels-!!!

[@stephenwest798]

@@yambo59 Sound like a carter TQ when you open them up, my problem when I tried to tune one was the local GM dealers seemed clue less when I tried to size a power valve for one, same with the local boat dealer when I needed a power valve for my 2jet, so a Holley it now has.

[@billrook6165]

I've owned both the 455 and 403 Olds engines in Olds 98 Regencys. Never a problem with either. Good engines!

[@dahnawa1957]

This is why back in the day all the boys wanted an Olds 455 for their drag/ski boats.

[@GhostOfRT300]

Nicks Garage, the friendliest old-school muscle-car garage in the northern hemisphere! 🚗💨 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 🇬🇷 🇦🇺 🇬🇧 🇸🇪 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 🇲🇽 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇮🇪 🇵🇱 ☮️💟

[@NicksGarage]

Very kind. Thanks for watching.

[@darrenbrisson4336]

You mean indy auto in laval quebec

[@LR-my2di]

@@darrenbrisson4336 Who? More info, please.

[@gillesthibault429]

@@LR-my2di Indy Auto is the business name of Nick's Garage.

[@LR-my2di]

@@gillesthibault429 Ok ... Thanks.

[@CBU-j2v]

Ive run 455 Olds motors since 84. I have one in my 70 Dodge short box and one in my 77 Camaro. I'm building one now for my 74 International Scout.

[@ericgman1]

I really enjoyed this video. It reminded of me when I was in HS 77-79, endlessly tuning a Q-Jet on my 68 Camaro 327ci 350hp cam, fuelie heads, Hooker headers. My autoshop class had a chassis dyno which was a real treat. Everybody ran Holly carbs at the time, so I tried a new Holly vacuum secondary spreadbore, and a 780cfm off of a 70 LT1 Z28 for fun cuz I liked how Holly carbs looked. I always went back to the Q-Jet because it made more top end power and didn't leak. I tuned it with info learned in a book on hot rodding Quadrajets

[@johnkradoska1577]

I had a 68 rs 327 hookers 3/4chevy cam stock heads trw manley 12t1 pistons holly 650 edelbrock intake. Hit the gas and It was an explosion under the hood

[@nickrichards7646]

my name is Nick...great name..and the greatest name in automotive history is OLDSMOBILE.....the best of the best....i have had so many Oldsmobiles....they are truely the greatest ..and the Olds V8 has a purr like no other V8...top quality and timeless

[@RabidSnot]

I agree. my 1st and Only. 1964 F-85 2dr post sedan, 425ci. 2spd now, TH350 ready ..

[@carmudgeon7478]

Nick is a real gentleman. He deserves great customers like Tony. Q-jets forever!

[@jlw38257]

I was listening to this on my headphones so as not to disturb my wife while she was reading. When that first startup played she said "Wow, I haven't seen a smile that big on you in years, what are you watching?". I rewinded, put my headphones on her and started the video. She said "Ill guess that is a Oldsmobile, probably a 442 right? She knows me

[@NicksGarage]

That is fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

[@NobilityandLoyalty]

What a torque monster. The boating industry stuffed the 455 into jet boats Hardin Marine had a 390 horsepower.

[@terrypikaart4394]

Yes, i had a harden marine 455 with a big window in the block.. The 455 can not tolerate any airing of the pump, one flash to 6500 and boom!. Thats why i always run a bbc in a jet boat with no rev limiter.

[@terrymitchell7714]

@@terrypikaart4394 You are correct 455's had window problems and 95 % of the time it was #7 Cylinder

[@bcbloc02]

@@terrymitchell7714 Do they break cranks, rods, or jerk the pins out of the pistons?

[@minnesotatomcat]

My dad used to talk about his buddy that had one of these back in the day. He said it wasn’t the fastest thing on the road but had so much torque down low that it could just roast the tires at will. That things sounds amazing, much respect to the builder 👍

[@todddenio3200]

Oldsmobile muscle cars could hold their own against pretty much most other muscle cars of the era, including Pontiacs, Buicks, Chevys, Mopars, and Fords.

[@Sabe53]

Stepdad had Olds Delta Royal 455, mom had a Plymouth Belvedere with 318. 318 would eat the Olds lunch up to 60 mph, after that it was Olds all the way well past 100 mph.

[@Musclecar1972]

@@Sabe53 Something was wrong with that equation, possibly the rear gear ratio, that Olds should have destroyed the 318 with ease.

[@jeffreybrandes881]

​@Musclecar1972 I agree 💯.

[@Sabe53]

@@Musclecar1972 Olds probable weighed a ton more than the Belvedere and was a factory luxury car not a hot rod. Old Plymouth 318 had factory solids and would rev lika a SBC. Buddy of mine had a W31 with 350 and that thing would haul ass.

[@dandahermitseals5582]

Wow Nick!! You have the koolest dyno room of anyone. This has been the most extensive test I've ever seen yall do. In the mid 60s I was competing at the drag strips very sucessfully wirh my big block 65 442. The 65 uses the 455 block onder bored to 400 cube because the foundry had not supplied the smaller 400 block. It was a wheel standing beast . Dandahermit !

[@thedukeofspeed]

Who would have thought you could have so much fun in your fathers Oldsmobile... and what a gang of Mad Scientist's hovering over this Blue low ram Fire Breather... I'm impressed .... good show!

[@Davey-Drums]

When they used to advertise: "Not your father's Oldsmobile", my response was: "That's the problem!"

[@michaelstansfield319]

The often maligned Q-jet can actually be a really good carburetor, especially for a street engine. This was a great video!

[@danmyers9372]

Quadrajunk

[@rogersaucedo8817]

It's about time oldsmobile 455 👍

[@krz8888888]

There’s a wink from ol’ dad in that carb! Old school can still school you.

[@ericgman1]

Over 40 yrs later, I'm the ol'dad winking. I knew a few old school tricks that made my stock looking Camaro whip some.....

[@larryroberts4984]

That Olds is making the Dino work.

[@NicksGarage]

Happy work!

[@ericball6000]

@@NicksGarage happy happy work.

[@OYisit]

I still remember 50 yrs ago as kid the special sound of a big Olds. My dads friend had this 35' Chriscraft and he lifted the rear deck floorboard to show us the motor and I was frightened because the engine room had about 10" of water in it I thought the boat was sinking, he laughed and said thats to keep the wood swelled and the oil cool. I was always amazed how that rusty motor would move that big boat with such authority... 😅

[@SpecialAgentJamesAki]

Yes! Ive been waiting for nick to run a 455! I’ve got a couple of these. Great engines!

[@NicksGarage]

This one impressed us.

[@kurtzimmerman1637]

I saw these 455's in a few different cutlass back in the late 70's and early 80's around town on cruise nights. they were definitely tough to beat! thanks nick for another great video.

[@NicksGarage]

Thanks for watching.

[@Bill_N_ATX]

I had a 69 Delta 88 in high school. 455 4 barrel. You opened up those back to barrels and you could hear the gasoline getting sucked out of the tank. Had tremendous grunt and needed it to move the 2 tons plus of American steel. Was a great car to take to Tuesday night $2 dollar a car load at the drive in movie. Could easily fit 8 guys or six guys and four girls with a trunk big enough to carry a half dozen lawn chairs and two coolers of beverages. A drunk boned me in the drivers side door and while it totaled the car, I wasn’t even bruised. Sold the motor to a friend who bored it 30 over, put in a new cam, valves and springs, and put it in his Cutlass. This was in 1981. Last I spoke to him five years ago, he was still running the same motor. As long as you don’t expect high RPM, they’ll last forever.

[@chipieal]

Just an observation. Ever heard the old quote "... to many cooks in the kitchen..."

[@markstuck4925]

Way too many

[@lilmike2710]

Too many chiefs and not enough Indians. 😏 Nick could have taken care of it all with just a helping hand standing by, with a stationary pie hole.

[@Cougracer67]

@@markstuck4925 I think that Nick was the only cook in the kitchen! The rest were just wanna be bench racers trying to impress each other!

[@1980bwc]

Too much ego in there. The "expert" Olds guy, kept dismissing the builder's opinion. Some people dont know when to shut up, because they think nobody else but them knows anything. Aint cool.

[@davidziemer4283]

That's exactly what I came to post! I think that if the cameras weren't on there would have been some stronger disagreements...

[@OlSgtLove]

Very Nice to see that Big ol 455 Oldsmobile on the Dyno !!!!! Brings back memories of the Oldsmobile 442s and others holding their own on the street !!!

[@davidetchellsetchells4692]

Big block B P O engines are tourque monsters! And they are reliable engines that last along long time! Ive owned a few Buick big blocks 455, and 425 nailheads also a Pontiac X block 455 which made giant horsepower and tourque one of my favorite engines . All the 455s no matter if its a Buick, Olds, or Pontiac are fantastic engines and all very different animals, usually the Pontiac reigns supreme, but my last Buick was exceptional, i just love em.

[@elapik1973]

1 more thing about the Q.Jet's is they pull cfm based on vacuum, a properly sealed intake is a must! It absolutely makes the difference on whether the engine will bog or not.. After 1972 they had 800cfm rated Quadrajets as well, had one off a 500 cube caddy on my 77 trans am....car was a FREAKY FAST

[@Slugg-O]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="2733">45:33</a> Great guys I'm sure but only 1 to 2 cooks in the kitchen is the way to go. I don't have Nick's patience. You want me to dyno it, I'll do it. You want to tell me how, you do it.

[@robhalter]

The engine builder needs to get his own dyno. Nick you have way more patience than i do.

[@stephenwest798]

What do you think of Nick yanking the throttle back quickly at the end of each run? Is that good for an engine?

[@Slugg-O]

@@stephenwest798 The dyno is holding it back during the pull. It's better to pull the throttle than risking the dyno letting go at WOT.

[@Slugg-O]

@@robhalter Lots of ego in that room. If you're paying a guy with decades of experience to tune your engine in his shop it's best to step back.

[@tomkolimatsis8109]

@Slugg-O nick, Perry, and I been building and tuning for many many years. Nothing wrong with team work.

[@Jeffbob442]

I llove this video! We started an Olds 442 club here in town back in the day [After one of our friends brought a ''Real'' 70 W30 to town, that is, a 4 speed, no air no power brakes, so you got the ''real'' W30 cam, with a 3.91 gear...After he waxed about everything around, he made believers of us real quick. My 70 W30 ran 10.50 in the 1000foot, and was still a street car..[this was with headers and slicks] and a few Mondello goodies. I too was amazed at the fact my Quadrajet was as good as any other carb I tried After a lot of trial and error with metering rods, jets, power valve springs/ no power valve, wrap settings on secondarys etc. It had the best drivability of all. Also found out the big w30 cam [adv 328 duration] just had too slow of a ramp up, so a Mondello /Lunatti unit around 540/312? was used, with 4.33 gears and a 3000 stall converter. It was so cool to have some guy look over your shoulder in the pit's and see that Quadrajet on a pretty stock looking engine then walk away laughing, then blow his door's off on the track....but then 500+ pounds of torque to play with, makes anybody look good!

[@DavidPerez-er6hd]

Finally the ellusive 455 olds motor test that viewer's have been waiting for. Also love the Harold Brookshire cam.

[@ericball6000]

good to see all the doors open at the shop.

[@NicksGarage]

It sure is! Great to have the sunshine again.

[@COUNTSLURPULA]

It's my favorite engine of them all. I'm... Olds Schooled.

[@NicksGarage]

Nice.

[@WS4WS6W72]

Oldstylin...

[@davidetchellsetchells4692]

One thing ive noticed over my many years, all 455s have a very distinctive sound, and i love it!!!! Fantastic engines.❤

[@adamtheede2575]

my 1981 gmc 1500 with a 305 4 barrel dual exhaust with mild cam with Qjet cruising got 23 mpgs and 6500rpms of fun!! it was a 305 never a racer but it took my abuse steady for 4 years so the lonely 305 is my keeper

[@Carcrafter7165]

Thank you Nick for sharing this with us. Like you said on the Quadrajet except for the idle circuit the carburetor knocked it out of the park. When you have a Quadrajet that works well never underestimate it and you’ll be surprised. Again thank you Nick.

[@williambeckett8196]

455 olds is a real torque monster

[@klausphx]

So is Pontiac 455

[@srt8rocketship241]

Also Buick.

[@trevor02150]

I have a 750 quadrajet I've had for nearly 23 years, it's had one full rebuild in that time has been on many different types of engines from 6 cylinders to 5 liter v8's from ford and GM and even once used on a 454 big block Chevy to test run it ...awesome carby...👍👍👍

[@Sherlock067]

Lots of knowledge and experience plus good friends , Nick you make engine Dyno testing enjoyable for all, now where’s my shot to celebrate!

[@perrykioussis9741]

it was fun,and nicks great

[@anthonymavrick7238]

Very nice and extremely informative Dyno session, The teamwork is amazing. I also paid very close attention on how gentle Nick runs the engine on the Dyno, The engine comes off full throttle it's a work of art. Never seen anybody do it so well. THE BEST

[@todddenio3200]

Oldsmobile made some great engines and great cars. The biggest problems with the Quadrajet carburetors are most people don't know how to properly tune them and after years of use the bores the throttle shafts go through wear out and allow them to have vacuum leaks but that can be resolved by installing bushings into the carburetor body for the throttle shafts to go through. They are great carbs and can make some terrific power and efficiency.

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

Exactly right Todd. Just like the old Carter Thermo bog on the mopars. I had a factory one on a 360 duster and when I finally found a guy that knew what the hell he was doing that thing would run circles around an Edelbrock or a holly 650 dbbl pumper on top of a Mopar

[@georgejr2640]

@@truckerkevthepaidtourist Yep, the part that makes them great, is also the part that makes them bad. Easy for a novice to mess them up.

[@GBelly-tf9sq]

A guy in my hometown had a 69’ Olds 442. He did his homework and a lot of trial and error with the Quadrajet. Included tweaking the jets etc. He collected many pink slips😎. This was like early ‘70’s

[@mnoliberal7335]

I was assigned to drive an early 1970s Oldsmobile ambulance from time to time. We enjoyed the HP and torque of that 455

[@EileenFoster-o8f]

Barney would be proud of you guys ! GM knew what they were doing , the Rotchester was there way of bringing except able fuel economy with great HP when you wanted it . I've been a gear head my whole life, I recall my high school buddy's mom bought a brand new 1975 Caprice Classic 2 dr. with a 454 CID & that very same carb. I recall it had a pretty healthy rear sway bar under the that posi. axel it could smoke the tears pretty well. It would really through you back in the plush valuer (living room sofa) seat , & for such a boat of a car really great performance. I loved all those GM A bodies parcel to Chevells SS my 1st ride was a '66 SS convertible 396 350 hp with a power glide, bucket seats power windows , & deep tinted factory glass . Wife & I are in our 60's now we drive a 2011 SS /RS 2 Camaro that 376 CID makes 400 hp but I use K&N oil & washable air filter so it's probably making 410 hp it's like a big go cart especially if you keep the correct tires on it . WELL DONE with the Rotchester , old school baby old school rules !

[@eugenecastles7475]

Hi Nick & George, It's Monday afternoon, and today we have a Olds 455 on the Dyno. Pretty impressive numbers especially with the Q-jet installed. I just love the variety at Nick's Garage. I hope you guys have a great week!!!

[@NicksGarage]

Thank you, Eugene. It is fantastic clients like yourself who deserve the praise for the variety at the shop. The love of muscle cars! ❤

[@todddenio3200]

The Quadrajet is a better carb than most people give it credit for. The 2 main problems with Quadrajet performance are 1. People not knowing how to properly tune them. 2. The throttle shaft bores wear out allowing vacuum leaks around the throttle shafts which can be resolved by installing bushings into the carburetor body.

[@eugenecastles7475]

@@NicksGarage Another great video George, especially with all of the extra people in the Dyno room, you did a fantastic job. The love of muscle cars is a world-wide passion. I have met fantastic car people in every country I have visited.

[@chrisreynolds6520]

​@@todddenio3200The other reason for the bad reputation is they were always from day one an emissions type carb with fuel economy in mind. GM made them foolproof adjustability wise with various passageways and channels drilled for the exact demands of the stock engine. Once it is on a modified combination, many of the passageways meed to be redrilled to recalibrate the carb. Idle down tubes, idle channel restrictions, idle mixture screw openings, idle bypass air passageways, secondary pull over enrichment well feed channels, secondary pull over feed tubes, secondary pull over discharge ports and accelerator pump diacharge ports all need to be resized. The non-performance carbs should all have a half moon ground into the front of the secondary air valves inline with the secondary pullover enrichment discharge ports in the airhorn casting to help get fuel flowing going into the secondaries. Makes them respond alot like a double pumper. Many need the longer accelerator pump piston and the stiffer spring installed as well as a few other things addressed like a larger needle and seat to flow enough fuel for sustained WOT at higher hp. Tony's 455 is making enough power that Q-Jet needs all the good mods.

[@eugenecastles7475]

@@todddenio3200 I agree with you. My friend had a 69 GTO, and he tried all kinds of different carbs on his car. The Q-jet did the job better than anything else he tried once it was tuned properly. He later added a Performer intake still with the original Q-jet.

[@jaykeefer8587]

I'm a diehard Mopar guy but the very first engine I ever rebuild was a Olds 403 and I love Olds engine.. they are extremely expensive but cool as heck I love the saddles on the head assembly

[@lindarodman576]

My uncle had one of these powering his Hondo jet boat back in the 70's.

[@BobbyOfEarth]

The original Berkeley Jet Boat Co. had their dealership at the Oakland Estuary in 1968, where my father bought their first model, a green w/gold flake 16 foot jet boat with a 350hp 327 Chevy engine. ....we went camping every weekend..

[@RexKarrs]

I had one in my 19' Sleekcraft jet boat around 25 years ago. Lots of big-block Olds in fast boats back in the day.

[@jimmiestuckeyiii]

I have a olds 455 in my 76' Tahiti jet boat with a single carb tunnel ram intake. This video really motivated me to get my 455 running.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Thanks Nick George and all of the guy's on the 455 Dyno Blast pull.....lt was a blast for this old F-4 II Pilot Shoe🇺🇸

[@mikemarshall1394]

Nick, that manifold might be flat but look at the length of those runners. It's built for torque. I envy you guys having so much fun.

[@HitokiriRaiden]

Nice to see a olds engine getting some love like the pontiacs alot of people forget about these torque monsters.

[@karlsracing8422]

I grew up with a 68 H/O my grandfather had, then he passed away, and my uncle has it now,the 455 is one of my favorite engines.

[@fwaynedavis]

I learned to snatch up every Q-jet My friends took off their cars in the 80's. I'd clean, adjust, tune and smoke 'em at the track. Mine would idle, not flood, no fire belching backfires, no stupid weak power valves or leaky bowls. Then when cruising, i got great mileage and silky operation. Q-jets are fantastic. Holleys are great for dynos and tuning, but require constant babysitting, and adjustments when conditions change. Most issues with Q-jets as they age were just worn throttle shafts and leaking well plugs. both easily remedied. But the best was the sound when the secondaries opened!

[@billharden7127]

When i was in high school. A friend of mine parents. Had a 1970 olds 442 holiday coupe. It was equiped with the gold 455 w30 it also had the Dr Oldsmobile sticker on the valve covers. 400 Turbo auto in the floor. His and hers shifter. No hood scoop car. The colors were beige and gold. Hub caps with white wall tires. Unless you took a good look at it you would think it was a cutlas. That thing was bad a$$.

[@bobbycuesroadhouse2204]

All 455 engines were blue, from 70-76 , 68’ 69 were red, only the 330-350’s were gold, Not saying it wasn’t a 455, and someone painted it gold, ? All W30’s had the Ram air hood

[@peteloomis8456]

There is a car dealership by me and the owner has a Official Olds Pace car that is gold in very good condition that I see sitting outside once in a while & just last weeki had drove by & it was sitting outside by the bay doors of his shop . From what I hear is he has a nice collection of muscle cars some Mopar & Ford & he has a nice 75 Plymouth Duster sitting out front for sale that I was looking at .

[@mikechiodetti4482]

A great dyno test/tune day! Big surprise how well the Q Jet did on the dyno both in torque and horsepower! Thank you Nick for this video. Looking forward to the next Dyno Test/Tune Day!

[@howardkanitz4998]

I really enjoyed this episode Nick! The big crew was the best. Reminding me of the old days when I was a kid working on cars with my friends. I love my old quadrajets!!!

[@SeanJoseph-s2s]

Good to see another big "OLDS" engine on dyno...no disappointment on torque with that motor...great content Nick...and thanks 🔧🔧👍

[@rodneybyrd9516]

BB Olds and Buicks love 850 carbs!! I think my '72 LeSabre Custom 455 had a 800cfm Q-Jet and it handled every bit of it! I did a 464" Buick 455 for our Fiat-bodied front engine dragster and it loved an 850 Holley double pumper on a Wildcat Kenne Bell single plane intake!!

[@gordowg1wg145]

Remember, the QJ is a 750 CFM carb', some rare ones were 800CFM, and can be set up more accurately than the Holley.

[@Autophysn]

I have only had Old 455's in my old jet boats...torque monsters!

[@israelalvarado1695]

Love oldsmobile!! I know 2, 87 442 with a 355 and a 73 with a 463. Both make above 370 hp and 470 tq. They're are just expensive to build. Great video!!

[@chadhaire1711]

370 hp gross in only 300 net horsepower....any 2023 Chevy V-6 will beat you with 335 hp net

[@blinkie1523]

That was one beaut video Nick, George and the team and Tony's dads carb did the trick how cool was that. Till next time have a beaut week all.

[@NicksGarage]

Thanks Blinkie. You too.

[@greggc8088]

Wow what a wide power curve and loads of low end torque. Good thing he won't be running the old polyglass tires from the 70's.

[@BenCarling-z9l]

GM spent big money and tons of man hours designing the q jet- and it works great- they had a 750 and 800 cfm for bigger engines- when tuned they are excellent all around carb for street and strip- they also last a very long time before they need a rebuild- no power valve to blow out is a big bonus- I have heard many people say cliff ruggles builds a bad ass q jet- im going to buy his book and learn all i can

[@debi5292]

Cliff built mine. Very competent dude. 455 HO Round port Pontiac that has similar dyno numbers to this Olds 455.

[@carlpreston1680]

Quadrajets and HEI distributors they made them for all applications, different elevations and emission requirements I have Cliff's book it's a good one

[@chrisreynolds6520]

They had an 850 version of them in the late 70s through the 80s as well. The large venturi "mod quad" units are 847 cfm with the secondary air doors set correctly and can flow over 900 cfm with the front venturi rings cut down. The information is in Cliff Ruggles book.

[@lizzardwizard2000]

My neighbor had a ‘73 455 Pontiac Trans Am. He was a professional mechanic and it sounded like a P51 Mustang when he started it and drove to work.

[@buckykattguitar]

I put a 455 into my 77 Omega, it was an emissions era turd and barely smoked the tires. Heads, 9.<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="301">5:1</a> compression and a hydraulic roller and on the chassis dyno, it was 470hp at the tires. It boiled the 295/50 Pro-Tracs at will after that. It was a burnt orange 4 door.

[@MississippiDan1]

Those things were torque monsters... We had a Chevelle once that got a olds swap and it was so fun and fast!

[@LR-my2di]

Nick is a cool guy! What a stud he was back in July 1993 with his green '71 Hemicuda when match-racing that 1970 GSX Buick. Man, that was one fast Buick GSX!

[@clintperry799]

I'm a Pontiac 455 fan , I think it's the same as the Oldsmobile. Good show guys ! From Tulsa Oklahoma USA 🇺🇸

[@stevelacker358]

The Pontiac 455, Buick 455, and Olds 455 are all completely different engines with no interchangeable parts bigger than the HEI. And rhe Shivvy 454 and Cadillac 472 are also completely unrelated. The Olds is a long stroke/small bore, the Buick is a short stroke/big bore, and the Pontiac is sorta in the middle. The Buick was the best performer in stock trim.

[@NoralBlundell]

The good old Rochester,I remember reading the results of a comparison test on the CFM flow of different carburettors and the 750 Rochester's they tried all flowed between 825&835 CFM. Those tests were performed in Australia.

[@krz8888888]

This "mule" has some kick to it!

[@NicksGarage]

Right.

[@menone8532]

I think it's a Clydesdale😊

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

It seems the factory engineers did a good job with the original Rochester carburetor. This was an info-packed video when it came to minor timing changes versus performance. Happy motoring, Tony! THANKS! for the video. I love Oldsmobiles. Dad had a '64 Super 88 with a 394. It was so much fun to drive. I owned a '58 4 door 98 with a 371. I should have never sold it.

[@Anthony12valve440RB]

Im a huge mopar fan probably the only gen Z that loves and builds the old school LA and RB engines for big power and i love oldsmobile. That engine is making good power. it’s sad you don’t see these anymore. Btw I’m a big fan of your stuff Nick i been watching you since you started your youtube. I hope one day to see a poly 318 aka the semi hemi on your dyno.

[@nickpanaritis4122]

Very rare to have a Poly 318. Love to build and Dyno test it.

[@traviswschneider]

story. i pulled into burger king in the morning years ago. a 1970 chevelle big block in front of me. the harmonics between a 440 and a big block gm are astounding as they idle in line at the drive thru.

[@renegade44040]

I love " flying" through the shop George.

[@NicksGarage]

Thank you for that!

[@nativenation3296]

yeah his editiing is top notch love it

[@gabesgarden57]

Its nice to see nick dynoing a 455 oldsmobile after dynoing a buick and pontiac 455. I have a 72 oldsmobile 98 with a 455 oldsmobile that is a torque monster.

[@sjcottsi]

Olds engines have highly efficient combustion chambers. They don’t need a lot of timing. They’re great for low end torque.

[@mfc4591]

That was an excellent video, thanks everyone, good job George.

[@NicksGarage]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@lancemiller4647]

Gave me chills hearing that 455 big block purr at high rpms.. Those were the days..

[@stephenwest798]

You call 5800 high rpm? Start turning 7000 rpm to 8000 rpm and I'll agree.

[@Neal-lf7rk]

Torque monsters. One of the first engines that i modified and tuned as a kid Love the 455

[@garyhopkinssr8561]

That was righteous guys. The numbers were righteous to. That intake manifold is beautiful. ✌

[@chriswalshe499]

I love yr show Nick- can't wait fr every Tues morn to see dyno runs. Olds 455, what a treat. Love from Australia 🇳🇿 Always love seeing Phil's expertise too! Well done mate you called it. And my god that Edelbrock carb is beautiful!

[@josephsouza9951]

Back in the late 60s/early 70s Berejik Olds was a strong runner, ran low 11s, very impressive for a 442 !

[@GearheadExplorer85]

It's awesome that you finally got an opportunity to work on a Oldsmobile 455. You've done builds for just about everything else but this engine. I figured it was only a matter of time lol I love how this engine makes so much power and torque without having to rev to the moon.

[@bradleymadosh911]

The best 455 engine is the one with the Distributor in front of the block. They are beasts

[@jaymakormik6779]

@@bradleymadosh911 are you talking about a Buick 400/430/455?

[@pjimmbojimmbo1990]

In the late 60s and 1970, The Horsepower Numbers stated weren't cast in stone. There was often a lot of Phantom HP, added simply to False Advertise... Getting Max HP out of an Engine is actually quite easy, getting it to do so and still be Streetable, easy to drive, can often be another Story

[@wadepaul2943]

It's one of those engins that got to help start, The SR 71! I love it.

[@frankperrone5663]

No it was the Buick nail head 465 wildcat engines 2 in unison

[@OlSgtLove]

George ,Love the opening and sailing through the shop !!!! See that ol Blue Charger ..and think of me and Dad with his Gold one like that . The fun I had with Dad crusing and doing burnouts as a young kid !!!!! Big Wave and Smile to All !!!

[@bdogjr7779]

Awesome Nick《☆》Wow👍🏾🔥🤳The 455 really lived up to its reputation. Rochester really was a pleasant surprise🍺CHEERS EVERYONE✌🏼😎☯️

[@lilhoss45acp75]

As a engine machinist, builder,and Oldsmobile owner Not Bad At All for an iron headed 455! I personally love when folks can't identify the engine that just put them on the trailer. OLDS MOB FOREVER! 461 @11.<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="241">4:1</a> full roller in a chopped up 49 f1 pickup with no front end to look like a 32.

[@yafois988]

My 69 400 RAIII Pontiac Q-jet, 7029263, ran as good as my Honda EFI Once I put Cliff Ruggles parts in it following his advice, reworked Idle tubes replaced etc, and tuned adj for final “total area” jets-rods near 0.003000 and the secondary opening b-flies sooner. Those carbs are really great with a little tuning on them!!

[@markmoris2914]

The headers on that olds are huge. I miss my 73 Omega 350 rocket