1981 Cadillac Diesel

[MarkV]

So, what is this cadillac diesel buisness from 1981 in the Sevilles and the Eldorardo Barritz's? How where they and I hear that they get good gas mileage. Tell me what you think.

[RocketDude]

I worked at an Olds dealership in the 80's, and built many diesel engines. The Cad/Chevy/Buick used the same engine.

The later engine which came out in about 1980 has a DX cast into the side of the block. That was a good engine, The earlier engine was a converted gas engine, and was very problematic. The later DX engine had a much stronger block, stronger crank, roller cam and lifter, many upgrades that made it a nice engine

I drove a Chevy PU with that engine for years with no problems. I don't really remember what kind of mileage I got with it. Nothing special, as I remember.

Knowing that engine as well as I do, or did, I would recommend against buying it unless you get a real steal. The reason I would be leery is because it has been out of production for a long time, and I'm not sure how available parts would be for it. Also not many guys left with experience working on them.

Here is a site dedicated to the Olds diesel. Go pick their brains. There are a lot of guys in that site that still love them today. My knowlwdge and experience is 20 years old.

Good luck.

http://olds-diesel.com/

[mrpushbutton]

Wasn't the first-generation engine converted to Diesel from the Olds 350 gas engine? I know a lot of people who took out that engine when it failed and bought an Olds 350 out of a junkyard, usually one from an early 70s Cutlass and those engines dropped right in, everything bolted up easily. I had a '79 GMC Pick up that I bought on the cheap, the engine had died. I bought another P/U, a '77 Chevy, same color but very rusty, and put the Chevy 350 and its TH-350 in the Diesel truck and it made for a great truck, until the iron moth are it to nothing.

[Restorer32]

Dad had a GMC pickup with that engine. Nothing but problems! Don't think I'd take one if someone gave it to me.

[RocketDude]

The PU I had was an '80 Chevy with the early design engine. I bought it low mileage with a blown engine for really cheap. I drug it to work and put in the late model DX engine and drove it for years. When I first went to work for Olds and heard that rattle clank of the diesel, I knew I had to have one..! Cost me nothing for a new engine. I took too low mileage warranty engines and made one good one. Zero cost.

Yes, the first one was a converted gas engine. When a vehicle came in needing work, we would look to see the mark. If it was a DX, we would rebuild it. If it was a D, we would yank it out and toss it in the trash can...

Good old days. If I could had done nothing but work on those engines, I would have stayed at Olds forever. Alas, along came vans and I retired to Goverment Fleet where I didn't have to work anymore..!

[Guest Dave Wyatt]

As I asked a friend who was considering a diesel GM car back in the day.

What is the difference between a diesel and the clap?

You can get rid of the clap!

[Twitch]

Back then it was either you heard of the diesel lemons or the superb, long-running trouble free engines and nothing much in between.

[mrpushbutton]

GM burned a LOT of customers with that one. People who were loyal GM brand repeat buyers left and never came back.

Buh-bye!

[joe_padavano]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mrpushbutton</div><div class="ubbcode-body">GM burned a LOT of customers with that one. People who were loyal GM brand repeat buyers left and never came back.

Buh-bye! </div></div>

On the other hand, the Olds diesel block makes a BULLETPROOF gas engine.

[Rusty_OToole]

Those diesels sure sold a lot of cars. First they sold GM cars, then they sold Fords and Chryslers.

In 1980 my father at the age of 60, bought the first new car he ever owned in his life.

A 1980 Pontiac Parisienne Brougham Diesel. A luxurious car but nothing but trouble. It converted him from a lifetime GM fan to a Ford fan and me back to a Chrysler fan.

The engine went back to the dealer many times for warranty work, usually connected to the fuel injection. When the car was 3 years old it started to burn oil. The dealer said it was "normal" and would not warrantee it. So he had a used Olds gas engine installed. A year later he sold the car for $700 and bought a Crown Vic.

By the way this was his second diesel car. The first was a Mercedes, both the car and the dealer gave wonderful service for 8 years until it was killed in a wreck.The car not the dealer.

The old man really wanted a Mercedes 300SD but between 1972 and 1980 Mercedes prices went thru the roof. The Pontiac was less than half the price of the Mercedes. Less than half the car too.

[mrpushbutton]

The Olds 350 gas engine already was bullet proof. best dang engine to come out of GM in those years.