383 motor swap

[Desperado 12]

I have a 383 and trans was told it came out of a new port going to put it in a 19802 door Oldsmobile Delta 88 I'm looking for recommendations on universal motor mounts and any other information that would be helpful

 

[Runcharger]

You'll have to fab up motor mounts, nothing is available. Check what type of oil pan you'll need first, I think it has to be a rear sump. Also the starter is on the drivers side on the 383, right side on the GM. If the kickdown linkage hits the firewall easiest thing to do would be go to a cable kickdown setup. You'll need a driveshaft setup for the weak GM rear and the 727 as well so that will probably have to fabbed, better yet would be to throw away the inferior GM rear too and install the Mopar 8 3/4 and a shortened Mopar driveshaft from the Newport.
It won't be a weekend swap.

 

[toolmanmike]

I have a 383 and trans was told it came out of a new port going to put it in a 19802 door Oldsmobile Delta 88 I'm looking for recommendations on universal motor mounts and any other information that would be helpful

Welcome to FBBo. The welcome Wagon forum is where you introduce yourself and show off your Mopar.

 

[Don Frelier]

Welcome from NY.

I just don't have anything good to say about this project.

If anything id put a Chevy motor in it.

 

[toolmanmike]

Welcome from NY.

I just don't have anything good to say about this project.

If anything id put a Chevy motor in it.

ANy of the Olds motors are as good as our Mopar mills.

 

[Don Frelier]

ANy of the Olds motors are as good as our Mopar mills.

Oh they were good but you rarely see them at the strip and if you did they would often break.
Id take a Mopar engine for high performance any day.

 

[Desperado 12]

You'll have to fab up motor mounts, nothing is available. Check what type of oil pan you'll need first, I think it has to be a rear sump. Also the starter is on the drivers side on the 383, right side on the GM. If the kickdown linkage hits the firewall easiest thing to do would be go to a cable kickdown setup. You'll need a driveshaft setup for the weak GM rear and the 727 as well so that will probably have to fabbed, better yet would be to throw away the inferior GM rear too and install the Mopar 8 3/4 and a shortened Mopar driveshaft from the Newport.
It won't be a weekend swap.

Thanks all info is good I've had the Oldsmobile for 10 years or better blew the motor up and ran across the 383 figure it will b unique

 

[Jerry Hall]

Welcome from Alabama, unique is right. Anything can be done, but why? You will spend as much or more making it work than finding a good engine that fits without modifications.

 

[Budnicks]

A MoPar 383 in an Olds, that's different alright

welcome to FBBO

good luck

 

[Outsider]

Hmm.... I believe a big block Chevy and GM trans would bolt right in that Olds. And that 383 would go pretty well in a Dart.

 

[gdrill]

Hot rodding with a 180 degree flip.

 

[khryslerkid]

Welcome!

Sell the 383 and use the money to buy a GM engine.

 

[nodust]

I would put an Olds engine in it or a Chev at last resort! My opinion, your car!

 

[WileE]

ANy of the Olds motors are as good as our Mopar mills.

Hate to do this, Mike... but

. First, a disclaimer. Olds is my favorite GM line, I've owned several Olds cars. With that, I'm not disparaging Olds cars or engines, I loved my Olds cars, but... in no way, shape, or form are they as good as equivalent Mopar engines. What Olds engine compares to the Slant 6 ? the reliable small block 318 ? power ? 340 vs. Olds 350 ? Please, that's why a Chevy swap makes sense. Big-block isn't even a discussion. Sorry if I detoured this.

 

[toolmanmike]

Hate to do this, Mike... but View attachment 1518618. First, a disclaimer. Olds is my favorite GM line, I've owned several Olds cars. With that, I'm not disparaging Olds cars or engines, I loved my Olds cars, but... in no way, shape, or form are they as good as equivalent Mopar engines. What Olds engine compares to the Slant 6 ? the reliable small block 318 ? power ? 340 vs. Olds 350 ? Please, that's why a Chevy swap makes sense. Big-block isn't even a discussion. Sorry if I detoured this.

High nickle content blocks made them last forever. My point, if you have a GM car with a Olds under the hood, why not keep it that way. They will last as long as a Mopar engine. They are very trouble free. I worked at s GM dealer for 13 years. I could tell you stories.

 

[Photon440]

High nickle content blocks made them last forever. My point, if you have a GM car with a Olds under the hood, why not keep it that way. They will last as long as a Mopar engine. They are very trouble free. I worked at s GM dealer for 13 years. I could tell you stories.

Did any of the stories involve Oldsmobile lifters wearing to the point that they had holes in the bottom? I had two of those (1972 350 and 1969 455) and a mechanic told me he saw that a lot with Olds engines. The 350 lifters were mushroomed too much to pull out so I had to pull the cam and drop the lifters out below.

 

[WileE]

High nickle content blocks made them last forever. My point, if you have a GM car with a Olds under the hood, why not keep it that way. They will last as long as a Mopar engine. They are very trouble free. I worked at s GM dealer for 13 years. I could tell you stories.

On that point, YES, I agree with you completely, keep it Olds. I took it as meaning the Olds engines were as good as Mopars... on that, I disagree. Oh, I KNOW you can tell me stories... how about fixing my Olds 350 diesel !!! I bought that brand-spankin' new in 1980 from my friend who owned a dealership... loved the car... not the engine I still bought/owned Olds cars after that, though, and still my favorite GM line

 

[toolmanmike]

Did any of the stories involve Oldsmobile lifters wearing to the point that they had holes in the bottom? I had two of those (1972 350 and 1969 455) and a mechanic told me he saw that a lot with Olds engines. The 350 lifters were mushroomed too much to pull out so I had to pull the cam and drop the lifters out below.

Olds wasn't the only division with thise issues. Buick was the worst. Chevy was having lots of cam and lifter issues back then.

 

[toolmanmike]

On that point, YES, I agree with you completely, keep it Olds. I took it as meaning the Olds engines were as good as Mopars... on that, I disagree. Oh, I KNOW you can tell me stories... how about fixing my Olds 350 diesel !!! I bought that brand-spankin' new in 1980 from my friend who owned a dealership... loved the car... not the engine I still bought/owned Olds cars after that, though, and still my favorite GM line

That 350 diesel had nothing to do with Olds. That was Coorporate's idea. They wanted a diesel for the cars and trucks and Detriot Diesel Allison didn't have one. Converting the Olds Motor made sense because it was good. They knew a converted Chevy 350 wouldn't work. We had some LeSabres with the 5.7 with well over 300,000 and a coupke v6 diesels with over 4. And those would get 35+ mpg. Not saying Mopar doesn't have a good engine, I'm saying a Olds motor in a GM is a good one as well. Why switch?

 

[WileE]

That 350 diesel had nothing to do with Olds. I'm saying a Olds motor in a GM is a good one as well. Why switch?

Yes, the Olds blocks were very strong and good, the heads were a disaster on the 350, they were stock gas heads not redesigned to handle a diesels compression. I also had to add a water separator, which should've been in the first place. The V6 were a better design for the diesel.