1979 olds cutlass

['79 cutlass]

I have this car & the engine is going bad on it.

its 4.3l 260 v8 & my questions are

I want a bigger engine not for the srip or anything

1. what would I have to change out besides the tranny lets say I put in a 450 in it.

Im new to the car thing so any help I would thank you so much

[Guest Dave Wyatt]

If you drop in any of the following Oldsmobile engines, 307, 350, or 403. It is literally a bolt in operation. Step up to a big block and things get tight under the hood, some accessory brackets may need to be changed, but it's still pretty much a bolt in.

They are all the same basic design, but the big blocks have a taller deck height, which makes the top of the engine taller and wider. I would suggest a nice 350 Olds for what you wish to do.

[joe_padavano]

Just to add to what Dave has said, you don't need to change the trans to install a 350 Olds unless the original trans is not working currently. Any Olds motor will bolt to the existing trans behind the 260, though chances are you have the weak-kneed TH200 that won't live very long behind a more powerful engine.

['79 cutlass]

what about fuel lines & all that good stuff for the 350?

Thanks for the great info.

[joe_padavano]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: '79 cutlass</div><div class="ubbcode-body">what about fuel lines & all that good stuff for the 350?

Thanks for the great info. </div></div>

Depends on what carb you plan to run, but in stock configuration, EVERYTHING should be the same.

The only thing to look out for is the water pump and accessory pulley issue. On Olds motors, the length of the water pump was different depending on whether the car had A/C or not. The pulleys match the water pump. Just swap the pump and pulleys from the 260 onto the 350, use the accessory brackets from the 260, and everything will be exactly the same. Just be sure to reinstall the spacers between the PS pump and the block in the correct places or that belt will never line up.