303 motor innerchangable parts...

[labluvr]

I'm new @ this site so bare with me ! I'm close to purshasing a 1950 Olds 88, and I need some info; will a '53 dist. w/hex key window work with this motor,

or will a good after market (see Petronix) be a smarter way to go ! Will the '54 to '56 heads fit & are they better breathing heads!

What can I expect to pay to have the hardened seats installed etc.(to run unleaded) !

After removing the heads, should I replace the hyd. lifters to an after market / upgrade ! ( I know the motors have lifter / rocker arm problems...) ! Is there anything else I should lookout for / replace as long as I'm going this deep into the motor ! All the help would be appreciated !

Labluvr

[Rusty_OToole]

Easy big boy. Don't get carried away.

You don't need a new distributor. The original points distributor will work fine. You just clean and adjust the points every 10,000 miles or so. Even when your car was in every day use they needed replacing only once a year. As a hobby car the points should last 10 years without replacement.

There is nothing wrong with the heads you have now. Your engine only has 7:1 or 7.5:1 compression. The heads are made to run on low lead gas. The real heavily leaded hi test did not come out until a few years later.

If you want to be real Felix Unger about it, add a little upper cylinder oil or Marvel Mystery Oil to the gas.

As long as it's running Ok you don't need to tear into the engine. If it is not running Ok you need to diagnose the problem and fix what is wrong, not tear everything apart or replace good parts at random.

The 1950 Olds engine is one of the ruggedest longest lived engines ever made. Chances are it does not need anything.

Of course it passed its Best Before date when Cher was a virgin so I could be wrong. But have it checked out by an old gray haired or bald headed mechanic who knows the old engines. Chances are a tuneup and an oil change will have that engine purring like a kitten.