455

[Bdusted440]

whats a o-ringed blown 455 worth minus the blower guy wanted it back ran great.

[OldSleekOlds]

whats a o-ringed blown 455 worth minus the blower guy wanted it back ran great.

Without a lot more info including a Dyno sheet and a Guarantee it isn't worth anything unless you know the motor and/or the person selling it. I would also want to know why anybody would o-ring a 455 and put a blower on it.

[Spike Morelli]

Back in the later part of the sixties, I was given a ride in a blown Olds flatbottom. The owner said it would hit 100mph, and it sure felt like it. Scared the Bandini out of me! The "Hurst Hairy Olds" had TWO blown 425's in it back in those days, and I don't remember seeing articles on them scattering, so a professional engine builder can do it to it. The only real blower manifolds that i've ever seen, and used back then for the 425/455 Olds were made by "Sharp". I'll bet they're rare and hard to find today, but incredibly better than the dual-four barrel manifold welded adaptations offered by the blower shops today.
But, to answer the question why anyone would "O-ring" a 455 Olds, is that Oldses ( along with Fords, and 392 Chrysler Hemis ) only have four head bolts around each cylinder, instead of 5 or 6, as other engines have, making head gasket retention a problem when running high compression or blowers,so, you'd o-ring and use head studs, and "why put a blower on an Olds?"..........why not???? Done right, it would be a real runner and not like everyone else too. With all the parts available today such as Batten or Edelbrock cyl heads, steel cranks, aftermarket rods, 4-bolt mains, etc, same as you'd do to a Chevy or Ford or Chrysler, it would be creative , cool, and powerfull.

[OldSleekOlds]

We started with a single sentence. "whats a o-ringed blown 455 worth minus the blower guy wanted it back ran great." A friend of mine bought a beautiful "T" roadster with a blown 350 in it. He decided to see what was in it before he put it on the road. Turns out it was a "show car". It had lots of chrome and high quality everywhere.......well almost everywhere. Inside the motor was very little of value. First blower motor I ever saw with cast pistons. The point is....just because somebody says a motor is o-ringed does not mean that there are the parts that should be in a motor that has been o-ringed. What's it got for pistons, pins, rings, crank, cam, timing chain/gear, flywheel/flexplate, heads, the list goes on and on and on. Who built the engine? Built for street, strip, marine? I understand the reason for o-ringing a motor. I run a 455 Olds in a boat. I have had several boats with 455 Olds engines. At present, I'm running 10.25:1 compression...no o-rings....no blower.....Dyno shows about 470 hp. I did a lot of research on 455 Olds engines. Most of what I read and all the guys I talked to said that a 455 Olds was great up to about 500 hp. As you increase the hp, the cost goes way up. The block weighs quite a bit less than a 454 Chevy or a 460 Ford. The Olds block is not as strong. You need to invest a lot to make it stronger as you increase hp. This assumes we a talking about a blower motor. A turbo motor is a whole different situation......but we are talking blower motor here. I like 455 Olds engines. Probably has something to do with all the $$$$$$$ I spent learning how to build a "Marine" engine that would hold up in a boat. If I wanted a "High Performance" 455 Olds engine, I would use turbos. I know that blowers look cool, but I think it's not a good choice for a 455 Olds. That's why I asked the question.

[Spike Morelli]

OldSleekOlds,
I couldn't wait to get home from work today, 'cause I knew you'd reply. I understood what you meant in your first entry, I just was having fun with you with the second paragraph of my entry. I knew you were interested in Oldses by your Avitar.
I had a 425 Olds in a hydro for years, and it was a good engine,read that GREAT engine ( same bore as a 455, just a shorter stroke, can you say..winder). Many guys overlook the Olds engine today, but they shouldn't.
I work at a well known performance head and engine shop, in the clean room doing engine assembly, and I get to play with all sorts of makes, and all different levels of build, and I like them all ( I have my preferences, but I like them all). You're so right about " ...just because somebody says...", ANY used or rebuilt engine should be taken apart to verify it's condition, clearances, whether it's a stock grocery getter, or a highly modified engine, prior to use. It just makes good sense. A guarantee would probably only come with a factory engine, so it's buyer beware when buying from a private party.
However, I would like to see someone do a blown Olds for their boat. It's not at all a question of whether there are better or worse engines to do this to. Lots of guys have added a blower to their Ford Flathead in their street rods, not so much for all-out racing, but to improve on an engine's breathing , and power output. It would take more money than , say, supercharging a big Chevy, but not unreasonable really, given the cost of buying custom parts for ANY engine. And, wouldn't it turn heads!
Like I stated, Sharp made a real blower manifold for the big Olds, ....if I find one, I'll buy it. I'd swap out the engine in my ski boat just to "wow" the crowds.

[Spike Morelli]

I got to thinking, so I thought I'd post some photos of blown Oldsmobiles , for those who are interested.

[OldSleekOlds]

OldSleekOlds,
I couldn't wait to get home from work today, 'cause I knew you'd reply. I understood what you meant in your first entry, I just was having fun with you with the second paragraph of my entry. I knew you were interested in Oldses by your Avitar.
I had a 425 Olds in a hydro for years, and it was a good engine,read that GREAT engine ( same bore as a 455, just a shorter stroke, can you say..winder). Many guys overlook the Olds engine today, but they shouldn't.
I work at a well known performance head and engine shop, in the clean room doing engine assembly, and I get to play with all sorts of makes, and all different levels of build, and I like them all ( I have my preferences, but I like them all). You're so right about " ...just because somebody says...", ANY used or rebuilt engine should be taken apart to verify it's condition, clearances, whether it's a stock grocery getter, or a highly modified engine, prior to use. It just makes good sense. A guarantee would probably only come with a factory engine, so it's buyer beware when buying from a private party.
However, I would like to see someone do a blown Olds for their boat. It's not at all a question of whether there are better or worse engines to do this to. Lots of guys have added a blower to their Ford Flathead in their street rods, not so much for all-out racing, but to improve on an engine's breathing , and power output. It would take more money than , say, supercharging a big Chevy, but not unreasonable really, given the cost of buying custom parts for ANY engine. And, wouldn't it turn heads!
Like I stated, Sharp made a real blower manifold for the big Olds, ....if I find one, I'll buy it. I'd swap out the engine in my ski boat just to "wow" the crowds.

LOL, I know what you mean. A couple years ago a friend of mine had a "T Bucket" that he wanted to sell. It needed some work (mostly cosmetic) and it looked a little rough. He said he had $8K in it and he just wanted out. It was part of a package deal that he bought. I actually started thinking about buying it from him and putting my 455 in it. A good set of headers would get me well over 500 hp.

Lucky for me, I woke up and said to myself. "You are a fool. Even if you could afford it....a 70+ year old fool drivin a 500 hp roadster down the road......you have finally lost your mind".

It would be fun tho.....especially if it had a big old blower stickin out the top.

[Spike Morelli]

Oh, by the way, all the photos I just posted are of 425 Oldsmobiles, not 455s. The 425s were made for three years in '65, '66 '67, have higher nickel content blocks, and forged steel cranks. If I were going to build a big Olds, these are what I'd use. My family had a carbureted 425 in a hydro and it would turn 6500 rpm all day ( it also was clearanced and had oiling mods), but those mods were not why it revved, just done because it revved. It's just a great engine.
Also, all the blown engines in those above photos ran custom Mickey Thompson rods and pistons, Iskenderian cams and complete kits, Milodon main cap supports, Sharp Mfg blower manifolds, valve covers, and timing covers. The engines ran on nitro, blown and injected. Ignitions used were Schiefer, Vertex, and Grant Flamethrower. Check out the injectors....Enderle bugcatcher, Hilborn bugcatcher, and Hilborn 4-port upright were all used.
Anyone got the "bug" yet to do one?

[Hamjet]

I will give both my eye teeth and half a wisdom tooth to have a blown or turbo 455 Olds in my boat. I would have been done assembling my motor but I dropped a brand new Icon piston on the floor. I am waiting for the new set to arrive from the States, I do not want to take any chances with the motor.

Spike and Sleek, a request if you will indulge me.

List the way you will build your perfect Olds Marine engine, 455 Olds, parts, clearances, mods etc.

Wikus

[GIL_CV21]

dont know if you guys saw this video but its one of my favorites .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hXfSDa0ulg

[Spike Morelli]

dont know if you guys saw this video but its one of my favorites .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hXfSDa0ulg

Gil,
I watched the video. It's hard to really tell what amount of engine build he's got going there, so I don't have any basis to comment about what I see engine - wise. It looks good though. However, the driver seems to be prone to getting in and out of the throttle constantly, ( that would annoy me ), and I sure wouldn't want to be a passenger in his boat!

[Spike Morelli]

I will give both my eye teeth and half a wisdom tooth to have a blown or turbo 455 Olds in my boat. I would have been done assembling my motor but I dropped a brand new Icon piston on the floor. I am waiting for the new set to arrive from the States, I do not want to take any chances with the motor.

Spike and Sleek, a request if you will indulge me.

List the way you will build your perfect Olds Marine engine, 455 Olds, parts, clearances, mods etc.

Wikus

Wilkus,
The people that I trust regarding hot Olds engines, and the modifying of them, are the people at Mondello's. While I've had a few, that's ALL they do. If you type in the Mondello name in a Google search, you should come up with a couple of different Mondello's to look at. Joe Mondello's shop is in Tennessee, he passed away this last year, but I believe they still supply parts and services. Joe's son Bernard Mondello has Mondello Racing,( Corona?), and can help guide you as well. There is a Mondello's in Paso Robles that can also help you.
They all sell special manuals dealing specifically with the modifying and racing of Olds engines. You'd be amazed at the plethora of parts that they have for your Olds, that I'll bet you never knew are made, or available. Let them know what you want to do. They really know what they're doing!

[Hamjet]

Wilkus,
The people that I trust regarding hot Olds engines, and the modifying of them, are the people at Mondello's. While I've had a few, that's ALL they do. If you type in the Mondello name in a Google search, you should come up with a couple of different Mondello's to look at. Joe Mondello's shop is in Tennessee, he passed away this last year, but I believe they still supply parts and services. Joe's son Bernard Mondello has Mondello Racing,( Corona?), and can help guide you as well. There is a Mondello's in Paso Robles that can also help you.
They all sell special manuals dealing specifically with the modifying and racing of Olds engines. You'd be amazed at the plethora of parts that they have for your Olds, that I'll bet you never knew are made, or available. Let them know what you want to do. They really know what they're doing!

Spike,
Thank you for the reply. I deal exclusively with Mondello's when I purchase Olds parts, Junior at Mondello is the guy I deal with. Bought 1000's of $'s worth of spares from them. Always good service and impeccable quality parts. My pistons, rods, bearings etc are purchased on there recommendation.

What I would like you to list is how you and Sleek would build your ultimate 455 Olds Marine motor (500-750 shaft HP) regardless of cost.

I like the way you explain things, you must remember I am sitting in a 3rd world country with limited or none people with experience on Olds motors, Chevy and Ford are plenty full.

Thanks,

Wikus

[Bdusted440]

i pulled the heads and pan to check it all out thats how i found it was o-ringed.was in an old jet boat. i traded for.its all roller upper end thought it would be worth 5-6 hundred for parts.

[Bdusted440]

oh i guess i wasnt to clear.he wanted the blower back.have the intake for it yet.and the complete motor. and i would love to put turbos on my glastron rebuild as i have been an audi tech for years.