new here... 79 silverado

[2502]

with the olds swap. converted from diesel, big headache. i was told it had a 350 and do to some unreliable opinions, got it, and found out it was an olds 260 in the thing. so it's olds crap, but i got an olds 350 to bolt up it's just gotta get cleaned and buttoned up before we drop it in.

anyone have anything like this?

i'll have better pics shortly. i ditched teh dang cap.










all in all, i got the truck which didn't have as bad a rust damage at everythign else i looked at, spent a buncha money trying to keep the 260 from dying, but bought the 360 that has 66k miles on it for 1400.00 total. interior's pretty mint just got some stuff on the dash pad but it's getting painted and whatnot shortly so that's all coming out...

[alex]

We converted lots of the diesel trucks to the olds gas engines in the 80s;a very easy swap as the mounts and exhaust all worked ;we did most of ours with the 403 motor ...good power and fuel economy and you can still buy a decent full size olds from the 80s for a low price ;the full size cars were usually welll maintained and with the high ratio rear ends the motors lasted forever....

[2502]

We converted lots of the diesel trucks to the olds gas engines in the 80s;a very easy swap as the mounts and exhaust all worked ;we did most of ours with the 403 motor ...good power and fuel economy and you can still buy a decent full size olds from the 80s for a low price ;the full size cars were usually welll maintained and with the high ratio rear ends the motors lasted forever....

the motor i bought has a mild cam, edelbrock intake, alum water pump, some chrome crap on it, and it needed a carb but a friend of mine has an edelbrock he's just giving to me so i'm waiting for the dang mailman to show up with that so we can swap in the 350. i looked at a 455 for it for the same price but it was gone by the time my paycheck came. but i'd need something to get around in. i was just gonna start to stockpile parts until i could do everything over the course of like a month but the motor needs swapped now cuase the bearings on the 260 are like out so its' got nooo power. tops out at like 60 and it just dogs. i can't wait to get the other one in. we drove a 77 chop top with a nice built 350 in it and that thing hauled ass.

i'll be looking for more parts. looks like i'll be painting the engine bay now instead of later while the motor's out.

[HAULIN IT]

Welcome to the site! I'm across the state, a little north of Pittsburgh. Mine wasn't a diesel conversion (originally a V6), but is Olds powered - '70 455, 4L60 trans. I also have a '78 4x4 with a '71 455 Olds. Lorne

 

[Blazin]

Welcome from New Hampshaa! I have a 403 punched 60 over, and I have two 2 wheel drive trucks I could use. What I don't have is time or extra $.

[dumbucket1]

Looks like you have a good starting point for a very nice truck. i can't count how many times I was told a car had a 350 or 455 "rocket" engine just for it to end up really being a 260 or 307. Jeremy

[2502]

it was a nightmare. the guy i bought it from sold it to me before he physically had the title in hand from penndot. he bought it and thought he'd make a quick buck. i gave him 800 for it. then had offers up to 2k for it but been adamant about keeping it. my grandfather has a 77 in mint condition with 45k miles on it, and i want a matching one. or rather, one like it, just with my own shoot on it.

took over a month to get it, during that time that 260 was dying the whole time. left me stranded at least 3 times that i can think of, one night having to have the thing towed, the tow truck broke down as well on the way home with my truck on the back. so yeah, i'm keeping the $#*() now that it's caused me so much grief. it hardly had any rust that i could see, there's just a few spots where the paints bubbling up from probably bad rust repair but it doesn't look to be THAT serious. i just can't wait to drop in the other motor i been stalkign the mail man since wednesday. my carb was coming from ny, and shoulda only take 2 days at the most to get here...

i have the 400 tranny in it, according to my stepfather. bare with me i know nothing about american cars or trucks, i do sportbikes and that's where the extent of my knowledge lies. thing drives now, but has NO power i just came from my gf's house and i thought the thing was gonna die trying to make it up this hill... lol

[dumbucket1]

ya my wife jokes with me when Im waiting for a part and says the mail man has installed them on their mail jeep and will bring them to me when he/she is done 

[2502]

ya my wife jokes with me when Im waiting for a part and says the mail man has installed them on their mail jeep and will bring them to me when he/she is done 

it finally showed today and it doesn't fit. the bolt pattern is the same, but there's i hate to say this, there's not enuff clearance on the sides. ran back down to pep boys since they have edelbrock everthing, and they had a spacer for it, which gave me ALMOST enuff clearance. it's off prob less than an eighth of an inch. but i got a rebuild kit. so to be honest, they stocked my carb, and to just be given a carb that set somone back a good 360 or whatever, i'm happy with the investment if i could just get that extra gap in there.

anyone have any suggestions or mods since i got the olds setup?

[Fordeatinz71]

welcome man!  nice truck...

[2502]

thanks it's gonna get gutted but i don't know enuff about it i just know how i want it to look and drive. i really shoulda paid attention to my grandfather growing up. his is still new and has been sitting in the garage pretty much since a few days after i wa7 born. he bought it new and paid it off. i wanted one just like his, but i couldn't really bare the thought of driving his in case something happened to it. so i got a junker. not bad for
800 huh

[HAULIN IT]

I don't understand the "not enough clearance on the sides". What is interfearing with what? Throttle lever? Are you putting this carb on a spreadbore intake? Is that why you needed the spacer/adapter? Glad to help, but not sure what you have going on, Lorne

[autorepr]

Welcome from Dayton Ohio!   I've had a lot worse for twice the price! Junker??

[2502]

I don't understand the "not enough clearance on the sides". What is interfearing with what? Throttle lever? Are you putting this carb on a spreadbore intake? Is that why you needed the spacer/adapter? Glad to help, but not sure what you have going on, Lorne

i'm not educated enuff on this stuff to know what i'm talking about. i have the edelbrock performer intake on it, it's an olds 350. the carb was apparently on a mustang, not that i suppose that really matters because the bolt pattern is the same. i'm sure i'll get laughed at but the sides of my carb doesn't have enuff clearance. with the spacer now that i got it's still a little in the way. looking at it, on the right side, there's a small opening on my intake that has a plate blocking it off, i'd say probably is about 2 inches long. i don't know how else to describe it. but that's whats getting in the way. hope that helps?

[HAULIN IT]

Ok, That's what I thought, you have a speadbore intake (small primaries, large secondaries, not 4 similar in size) but your carb has 4 similar sized throttle blades. Yes, you need the plate, however maybe not the one you got. The Edelbrock pt # EDL-2732, looks to be the one that would work. It really just closes off the gap at "hips" sticking out beside the standard carb. If the spacer you have is in the way of the carb linkage, ect. maybe you can clearance the side a little just where the problem is, but not effecting the sealing area. You will need to use a spreadbore gasket on the bottom & a standard one on the top of the spacer. Can you take photo's? Hope this all makes sense to you. Lorne