OLDSMOBILE 455 QUESTION

[slow5poh]

My friend has a 69 cutless 350 engine. He switched to a 445, and now his shorty headers won't clear the frame. Any ideas? He thinks maybe if he switches out the engine mounts or something???


thanks

 

[NcogNitto]

Maybe a custom header shop in his local area

It's hard to provide a possible solution when I can't see where it's interfering, and I'm not ?A-body? savvy either.

 

[PuterAmI]

Sounds like he needs to get a cutmore for his cutless.

 

[Realmongo]

I think it is the same issue as 302 vs. 351W

 

[willys1]

My old Boss use to have a 69442 with a 455.He had a set of Hooker headers that bolted rite up with no problem!!

 

[Realmongo]

My old Boss use to have a 69442 with a 455.He had a set of Hooker headers that bolted rite up with no problem!!

Were these headers for a 350 Cutlass or the 442's original 400?

 

[rd]

No real firm idea.

Everything I have read says they are externally identical blocks. Maybe the weight of the 455 pushes the mounts down some, or the heads vary somehow.

I thought this was the same with Pontiacs, until I owned a 301, one of the two that is different from every other Pontiac from 326 to 455. It has a shorter deck and so all the brackets and stuff were differentl

 

[Realmongo]

The Olds 330, 350, and 403 were the smaller block, while the 400, 425, and 455 used the larger block.

 

[willys1]

Were these headers for a 350 Cutlass or the 442's original 400?

They were for the "stock 455"..

 

[bigcat]

dont those cars have multiple mounting locations for different motors and/or chevy/BOP? i bet that the engine is mounted to the wrong mounting location.... i dont see any other way that a shorty header would not fit, unless it is a cheap POS header.

 

[willys1]

I Never heard of shorty headers for a 455.No they were not made to accept a chevy motor or anything else.Back then chevy was a chevy,Buick a Buick, Oldsmobile an Oldsmobile ect...... not like today!!

 

[bigcat]

I Never heard of shorty headers for a 455.No they were not made to accept a chevy motor or anything else.Back then chevy was a chevy,Buick a Buick, Oldsmobile an Oldsmobile ect...... not like today!!

check out your car history. you dont think you can put a chevy into a BOP?

 

[willys1]

check out your car history. you dont think you can put a chevy into a BOP?

Dont tell me dude,,check your facts!! Yes,you can put what ever you want in anything!! Im saying if you bought a Trans Am it came with a Pontiac motor! If you bought a chevy it came with a chevy!! Factory's put there "own" motors in there cars!! Period!

 

[willys1]

yea yea,I know 1979 Trans Ams came with 403 Olds...Thats the one exception.

 

[bigcat]

he did a motor swap.......give a little room for error, dont you think?

 

[timeless2]

Dont tell me dude,,check your facts!! Yes,you can put what ever you want in anything!! Im saying if you bought a Trans Am it came with a Pontiac motor! If you bought a chevy it came with a chevy!! Factory's put there "own" motors in there cars!! Period!

True. However, blocks were shared based on displacement, willy.

 

[willys1]

he did a motor swap.......give a little room for error, dont you think?

correct,I guess I did drift a bit from the topic.

 

[willys1]

True. However, blocks were shared based on displacement, willy.

good point

 

[slow5poh]

From what i understand the headers are the same for the 455 as the 350. He has a brand called sanderson. They are pricey too. He's thinking if he switches to 455 mounts, it may give him adequate clearance. You guys think so? I guess the frame is in the way.

 

[Realmongo]

No. The headers for a 350 are NOT the same as a 455.

350 headers fit the 330, 350 and 403.

455 headers fit the 400, 425 and 455.