[AT] Trailer brakes

charliehill charliehill at embarqmail.com
Mon Dec 7 03:48:53 PST 2009


Oh ok Ralph.  I had just forgotten about that.  I should have known that was 
the deal.  A 455 Olds would have been even better!  grins

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 11:53 PM
Subject: Re: [AT] Trailer brakes


> 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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