[AT] Trailer brakes

Ralph Goff alfg at sasktel.net
Sun Dec 6 20:53:52 PST 2009


Charlie, I'm pretty sure I've discussed this here before, but it might have 
been on another forum.
You no doubt recall GM's first foray into diesel power for cars and pickups 
in 1978. It was an Oldsmobile built 350 cubic inch diesel engine and lacked 
strength in a few crucial areas so were not too successful. Mine had leaking 
heads when I bought the truck in 86 so I took the easy fix and bought a used 
403 Olds gas engine which is pretty much identical to the 350 and bolted 
right in with no modifications. Of course the bell housing had the 
Buick-Olds-Pontiac bolt configuration to match up with Olds gas and diesel 
engines. I was actually looking for a 350 Olds gas but at the time there was 
such a demand for these engines that all I could get was the 403. No regrets 
though.
That transmission seemed slippy and dragging for years and the oil was 
beginning to show signs (and smells) of overheating so I figured before it 
left me walking I would have it fixed. Also the lock up torque converter had 
never locked up. The trans shop fixed that too so now I've dropped at least 
a couple of hundred rpms at highway speeds which can only be a good thing. 
This truck does not use much (if any) more gas than the 4.3 v6 in my 97 
Blazer and that has the overdrive transmission. Got a fair bit more 
horsepower under the hood with the 403 also.

Ralph in Sask.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "charliehill" <charliehill at embarqmail.com>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2009 9:46 PM
Subject: Re: [AT] Trailer brakes


> Ralph, what's the story on the 403 Olds?  Is that something you swaped 
> into
> it along the way?  I'd never heard that GMC used Olds engines.  If so is 
> it
> a Canadian thing?
>
> Charlie
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Ralph Goff" <alfg at sasktel.net>
> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" 
> <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2009 10:34 PM
> Subject: Re: [AT] Trailer brakes
>
>
>> Mark, I just spent $1000 to have the TH350 in my 81 GMC pickup rebuilt
>> this
>> past spring. I don't know how many miles this truck has for sure as it 
>> has
>> turned over the odometer a time or two. That Olds 403 engine just won't
>> quit
>> and its such a nice driving truck that I figured it was well worth
>> spending




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