joe_padavano

Why do you think you need to replace the suspension arms and not just the bushings and ball joints?

Contrary to legend, it has been proven that the 68-69 H/Os received their 455s in the Olds factory. The Hurst installation of the motors story was fabricated to satisfy GM brass (plausible deniability or something like that). Besides, all 68-69 H/O motors are stamped with an M for Lansing in the VIN derivative. The D would not have signified "Demmer" if that's where you were going with that. A 69 H/O motor wouldn't have had 70 F heads anyway, so obviously this motor has been cobbled together from assorted (and admittedly high quality) parts. Anyone could have restamped the block at some time in the past, including a dealership that made a mistake.

Are the lower control arm bolts loose? They need to be to allow the LCA to pivot out of the way. The spring does need to be compressed as much as possible, with the ends of the spring compressor as far apart as possible to capture as many coils as you can. Put the top end in first (it should be the end that has the flat coil) and be sure the spring fits over the locating cylinder that's inside the spring pocket in the frame. Now push the bottom of the spring into the lower control arm, beind sure to align the end of the last coil in the recess in the LCA. Use your floor jack under the ball joint to raise the LCA to the point that you can get the ball joint back in the spindle, torque the nut, and remove the spring compressor. Be sure the car is at ride height (or at least the weight of the car is on the springs) before torquing the two LCA-to-frame bolts. To answer your other question, I've used 350 springs on A-body cars with 455s with no problem. The car sits slightly lower in the front - not a bad thing in my opinion anyway.

Well, D would have been Doraville, which was not an Oldsmobile plant. Are you sure it might not be an R for Arlington, TX?

Larger wheel cylinders won't cause a soft pedal, but they will require additional fluid which will make the pedal travel further. Of course, at some point it should still be rock hard. I'm almost certain your truck has ABS, which does require a special bleeding process.

The end tanks on the four row radiators are wider than those of the two and three row radiators, so no, the four row will not fit your car as-is. The "U" shaped brackets on the core support and top plate are wider (and the rubber insulators are correspondingly different). You can cut and weld the current brackets to fit the wider radiator. Alternatively, get an aluminum radiator. It will fit the current brackets and works better than a four row copper radiator.

To answer your second question first, no, Olds did not retain build sheets. I've found them under the back seat, on top of the gas tank, and under carpeting. Lansing built cars often did not have build sheets left in them.

The 77-90 Custom Cruiser frame is completely different from the 71-76 cars, so the later hitch likely will not fit. As for the B/C platform, they are essentially the same except for the wheelbase. It appears that Reese, Hidden Hitch, and Draw-Tite have all stopped covering that vehicle. Your options are to either find a used hitch or have one custom welded. The latter is actually not very difficult, particularly since your car has a full frame. If you look for a used hitch, search for a 71-76 Chevy Caprice Wagon. It's the same frame as your Olds and much more common.

Hi, Due to the curved faceplate, only a 66-67 Cutlass radio will be an exact replacement. AM only is the most common. You'll need to search Ebay or an Olds specialty house to find a used one.

The A4 fits on any small block Olds. It has 350-sized ports, so use the 350 gaskets.

The A4 flows about as well as a stock cast iron intake, but weighs only 1/3 as much. The A5 has tiny ports and should be avoided at all costs. A4s came on 81-85 307 motors, the A5s came on 86-up 307s. I've seen A4s selling for as little as $15.

Here's a source for Qjet parts: http://www.carburetion.com/quadrajet.asp

Here's a useful tire size conversion chart: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/45_conversionchart.html

Doug Roe's book on Rochester Carbs is pretty much the bible for Qjets. Available wherever fine automotive books are sold...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I am looking for some front fender patch apnels for my 1972 cutlass. Year one has them but on a scale of 1 to 5 they rate them a 4. I was wondering if there is a better substitute from another supplier or has anybody used the ones from Year one? </div></div> I have not used the ones from Year One, but there are only one or two manufacturers of these patch panels. All the vendors get them from the same sources. They are all stamped in China and the fit and finish stinks. Unfortunately, it's the best you can get. I'd shop around and get the best price. Try one of these vendors: http://www.showcars-bodyparts.com/cutlass.html http://www.billionsandtrillionsinc.com/olds.asp http://www.rustrepair.com/ http://store.shermanparts.com/cgi-bin/sherman/mgflist.htm http://www.autobodyspecialt.com/

Any 68-72 GM A-body with A/C will work.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you haven't already done so, replace all of the brake fluid from the master cylinder to the wheels. </div></div> This may be good advice, but it won't solve your brake idiot light problem. The slow flow from the back brakes is indicative that the differential pressure valve spool is likely stuck in the rear position. The first troubleshooting thing is to disconnect the wire going to the proportioning valve. If the light goes out, the spool valve is your problem. If not, you have an electrical problem. Next, try just cracking one of the front bleeder screws a little and have a helper press hard on the brake pedal. This should dislodge the spool valve. If not, you should probably replace the proportioning valve.

TCS is transmission controlled spark, an early emissions control device. The intent was to prevent vacuum advance in certain gears (hence the "transmission controlled") to reduce NOX emissions. The looping hose indicates that the unit is already bypassed, so disconnect the electrical connector and drive.

There's one on ebay right now...

Steve, Same answer as on 442.com. As far as the flywheel is concerned, the crank flange bolt pattern is different. As for other differences, the 65-67 400 uses a 4.00" bore and a 3.98" stroke on a forged crank. The 68-69 400 uses a 3.89" bore and a 4.125" stroke on a cast crank. The reason for the two very different motors with the same displacement starts with GM's corporate limit of 400 cu in on the A-body cars. Olds wanted to save cost by reusing the expensive crank forging from the 425. The existing 3.98" stroke dictated the bore. Yes, the early 400 and 425 cranks are the same. In 68, Olds increased the stroke of the 425 to make the 455. Again, Olds reused the (now longer stroke) crank on the 400, which required the smaller bore to stay under the 400 cu in limit.

The G-body Monte uses a 7.5" ring gear. Your H/O uses an 8.5" ring gear. Parts are not interchangeable. You can get a new posi unit from Drive Train Specialists (among many, many others): http://www.drivetrainspecialists.com/categories/gm/

I'm sorry if my response was too strong, but this is a technical forum and your post looks like spam for a commercial organization that frankly had no relationship to the original thread. There are plenty of opportunities on this site for commercial ads.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Larry; The chasis for 68 through 72 "A" bodies are all the same. The only bushings I believe are the grommets that support the anti-sway bar... </div></div> Actually, "bushings" typically refers to the rubber bushings at the inboard end of the upper and lower control arms. These deteriorate over time, leading to squeaking and loose handling. You'll need to remove the control arms to replace the bushings and ball joints, which requires removing the front springs. There's a lot of stored energy in the springs, so use a quality spring compressor. Bushing replacement requires a press or at least some special tools. Get a factory service manual to fully understand the process if you plan to do it yourself. One trick on reassembly is to be sure that the weight of the car is on the suspension before torquing the bolts that go through these bushings. That locks the rubber in at a specific control arm orientation. If you torque the bolts with the car on jackstands, the control arms will be locked in at the "drooped" position, causing the front end to sit too high when you're done.

Why, are you watching the one on ebay right now also? ;-) It means it's a real 72 H/O. That was the option code for the H/O package that year.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Mike, Can not answer your questions on the posi-rear, but want you to know that American Midwest Chrome is available to chrome polish and plate your parts in need. Please remember us for all your chroming needs... </div></div> Well, after a B.S. stunt like that, I know who I WON'T be using for all my chroming needs...