455 Olds into 80 Catalina

Has anyone transplanted an Olds 455 motor into a 80 Catalina B body? If so, was it a bolt in or what problems were encountered? What motor mounts did you use and can stock exhaust manifolds be used? Other than these two items I don't see any other unsurmountable problems.

 

I put one in a 2dr olds 98 that vintage. You need the frame pads and mounts for the 455 and the crossover pipe unless your doing duals.

I cannot remember if it hit the air conditioner box or not I know if it did not it was close. You will want the engine complete (for pullys and what not) And change the orifice from the current engine's power steering pump(one in wagon) into the olds pump(this is the high pressure one). 80 will have a different metric line but the orifice going into the pump is interchangeable.

depending on the current engine in the wagon( is it 307 olds or chevy 350) if it's a chevy motor you will need the BOP style bell housing type trans if its an olds engine it will bolt right up if it's a metric 200r it will be unibolt

 

Current engine is a 301 Pontiac. I had found a 455 HO Pontiac engine but would have had to buy the whole car, rent a trailer....blah blah blah, so I passed on it. Now I have found the Olds engine locally and it is complete pulleys to flywheel. I have the 200 metric trans but would swap it with a 2004r if the deal goes ahead.

Being almost 70 and working alone, I want a swap that doesn't have a lot of complications.

 

Won't be to bad starters are on the same side (and interchangeable as long as flywheel size/circumfererence is the same) as are the alternators.(easier to hook up electronics) The frame is drilled to bolt down the mount pads for every GM engine made but you CAN weld the pads in. The poncho would of been easier, But still would of needed the pully's. As long as the olds engine had the large and small torque converter drillings it will bolt right up. Nice thing about the poncho 455 and why I went with one in my car was simply weight compared to the buick or olds 455's and it has way more power.

I would suggest that you use NEW motor mounts (the rubber ones off the engine) as they are prone to breaking easily AND run an engine hold down chain from the upper front a-frame stud up to I believe I used the alternator mount. BELIEVE me you will be glad you did they are a torque monster!

Oh and if you get that 200r4 try and get the driveshaft and crossmember out of the donor car.(if not a wagon not sure on the length on the shaft)

 

I did this exact same swap,.
Car was a 5.7 diesel originally,.
the hydro boost was good, the cam was too lumpy for vacuum brakes ,.
I used headers for the 68-72 a-body platform,.
It had a built a t400 short shaft switch pitch trans,. all fit very easily,.
My advice is first upgrade the brakes,...
The stockers really are not up to the task,.

I had no idea an 80 catalina came with a 301,. i thought it was all 305 chev stuff then,.

Nick

Now thats funny right there,.

 

And what would be funny about that bud!



Cannot WAIT to hear this!

 

The olds is 610 dressed with no a/c
the pontiac is 625,.
the buick is 640,.

depending on what year pontiac engine you got would depend on its power level,.
same for the olds and the buick,.they all came in various outputs,.stock.

You can read magazines and their build ups,. ,. the truth is when you have a very strong motor of any brand up front,. there's a lot more to getting the car to go fast, then just the motor,.
magazines sell copy, by promoting numbers,.

when you,ve done years of street racing in the real world,you find lots of big motored cars run 2nd, simply because the car in front was a better put together package,.
But folks love to brag numbers,..

nick
oh and the frame pads are all the same for those vintage motors,. lots of BBC motors were put in buicks olds and pontiacs,.

 

Strange that the Buick engine is the heaviest, being that its outer dimensions are almost equivalent to those of a smallblock Chevy :confused:

 

I'll be following this, as my Safari has a 307. Nothing wrong with it right now, other than not being able to get out of its own way...... (exaggerating, but only slightly).

Please take lots of notes and pics......

 

You put a SBC side by side with a big block buick and you will see a huge difference

 

Really? So your telling us that a let's say 455 olds engine or buick 455 will set down on the frame pads used by a small or big block chevy?

And the olds is listed at 620 and for the reasons already listed i'll take a poncho anyday. More power, Oldsmobiles don't like heat Ponchos LOVE it. Ponchos have motor mounts that are wrap around not all rubber that break like the olds and buick. When you have a car with massive torque and a load of 12,880 LBS(on a light load on the trailer) Rubber motor mounts don't cut the mustard.

 

I don't have hydro-boost and hate them anyway. I have vacuum brakes, disc in front, drum in rear. My car is one of those that is so sensitive that you if just tap the brakes it almost throws you thru the windshield. Being I won't be doing any street racing, I think they will be sufficient.

They did until the 1981 model year after which they were discontinued for emissions reasons. NO factory equipted Pontiac engines were allowed to be sold in CA as they could not pass the tests. I think that's when they started swapping in other divisions motors.

 

The brakes on the ones I have done were all vacuum style and they worked well, Unless of course you cam it WAY up! ( sounds like you'll be fine to me tho)


When hydro boost works correctly you cannot beat it seriously thought of putting it on mine BUT I will tell you this, My mother coming down a hill years ago the belts came off the Big block chevy 1 ton. Not only do you lose braking you lose steering too and that's a bad thing.

 

Unlike the Olds, the Buick has a larger bore than stroke...

Maybe, it's high time we go over and give Wikiped a swirley http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_V8_engine#430

 

ROFL I have "checked" and gotten 30 different weights on the different engines dude on line all over.

I'll go with what my EYES can see and what does and does NOT make my cherry picker creak in stress when I pick it up with with a 400 turbo on it.

and seeing as how it "claims" 25lbs more than a SBC I call BULLSHAT


and I've done it THOUSANDS of times.