my brother has a 71 cutlass it came with a rocket 350 but has since had a 1977-1980 delta motor put in. poor rocket 350 was a good motor (blew a rod). I was wondering if a small block chevy engine would fit in since sbc parts are easier to find and cheaper. he wants a small block so he can put a vortec head kit from scoggin dickey and an xe comp cam 268h in it and headers.

 

The transmission is a different bolt pattern, so if you want to go Chevy he'll need to change out his engine and his transmission...

Would probably be easier to stick with an Olds enigne, plus putting in a Chevy is gonna make it harder to sell.

 

how do the stock heads flow? will the sbc chevy cam fit? the block says gm on it but sbc heads don't fit. i don't think that car will ever sell pops bought it brand new when he was younger and has since been passed to my brother. i have a ws6. he just want's a bad *** motor in it again the rocket 350 was nice

 

No, a sbc cam will not fit. It is stamped w/GM because it is a GM corporate engine, just not a Chevrolet engine. This was back when each branch of GM had their own engines.

IIRC, the Olds 350-455 are the same as far as cam, head, intake, header, etc fitment.

 

The 330, 350, 403 are "small blocks", 400, 425, 455 are "big blocks". Same basic engine, but the BBs have a taller deck, wider intake, need different headers. All sorts of variations on cam bank angles/lifters in the 60s engines, but later engines of the 70s don't have that problem.

Ayalam, tell your borther to consider a 455. It will bolt right in place of a 350, and engine brackets, accessories, etc, will bolt right up. A 455 will make much more power than a 350 sbc. Yeah it will cost more, but it won't be just another sbc. For more Olds info:


http://www.realoldspower.com/phpBB2/index.php

 

thanks for the info i'll look on that site and c what he will want to do i know he wants more power and a nice choppy idle. im not sure he wants to race it though. i think he wants a nice daily driver that'll keep up with my lt4 hotcam'd ws6.