Plugging the Exhaust Crossover on Oldsmobile Heads
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- This one of the ways (and the most common way) that I use to plug the exhaust crossover on Oldsmobile heads. I do not recommend this for daily drivers, especially in colder regions, it will effect cold drivability and startups. This modification is used to keep the intake manifold cooler, resulting in a cooler inlet charge. The benefits depend on the build and favor performance engines. I have seen some benefits when used with cams that have LSA's of less than 110 degrees (more overlap). This method will allow you reverse this modification easily by drilling a hole through the plug. Filling the crossover is a lot of work and mostly benefits high rpm race engines, I recommend going to an aluminum head in that application. I prefer this method in performance street / strip engines.
Sure beats melting pistons and filling each opposing hole “exhaust and topping the flange side
Been Using this method for a few years now and many ways to skin a cat or paint a car, but this works over 200 passes on a iron set of heavily
Ported E heads and all is good.
number 5 350 heads with minor porting best small block heads
I agree, they are good heads.
Good content! I bought the plates from inline tube.
The background tunes are a solid groove!
Good video. I thought I was the only guy around that blocks the cross over like that. I have a video as well. Good stuff.
Great minds must think alike!
I love your video on the Oldsmobile oiling my wife is building a 455 for a jet boat right now and I wanted to block off the crossover port on the heads would it be okay to weld those plugs in with flux wire or what did you weld them in with thanks John
Great question! On this video I used flux core wire and a 110v welder. If your metal prep is good, you won't have an issue. Check for leaks when you are done. Grind and weld any gaps you find. Don't use sheet metal, it will eventually burn through.
Please, please, please, dont use vise grips to tighten bolts. It’s really cringe worthy. Other than that, great work! Keep the content coming.
You are correct that vise grips should never be used to tighten any engine bolts, however I make an exception for cast iron hydraulic pipe plugs when working on late Oldsmobile heads. Most people do not own an open wrench with a good fit for pipe plugs and use adjustable wrenches on them. I don't use adjustable wrenches and prefer vise grips as they provide better fitment and feedback for applying the proper torque.
@@junkdump2720 well said.
Out of habit I find myself doing a "safety squint" when you're welding. What do you need to weld to cast iron?
Welding cast iron is tricky. I use a 110V welder and I heat the head beforehand. I weld small sections spaced out to keep heat down. After welding I let it cool down slowly. It's funny, while watching the video again, I also did the "safety squint", I guess we are conditioned! Thank you for the question.
What about porting the inside of the exhaust ports on the other side of your weld and with the air holes on those heads those are junk heads ...I have about 12 sets of heads from the mid '60's to early '70s small and big block... Some built already and some stock when the center exhaust ports are done properly you can get 50 extra horsepower and the other side where the headers bolt up with that dip build it equal as the rest and you gain anouter 10-15 horsepower my 425 c.i. "C" heads I got 90 horse out of them that motor is over 525 h.p.
Please keep in mind this segment isn't about making the best flowing Olds heads, this is about modifying this style Oldsmobile small block head to get better performance. You also wouldn't fill the crossover unless you were building a set of race heads, but in that case you wouldn't use stock small block heads from the late 70's-80's. There is no benefit to port the crossover cavity behind the welds as there is no flow through those passages once you plug the crossover. On these heads the intake and exhaust passages leading to the manifolds / headers have been ported and the AIR system remnants have been removed. You might consider these heads "junk" in stock form, but when ported and modified properly they will greatly increase the performance on a stock or performance street / strip engine build.
Pete, I think you're full of shit. Did you actually think about your question? Why the hell would you port on the other side of the welded block plate?
Well i guess thats one way to drag out a video. Just show everything twice.
You make a fair point. I wanted to show what the whole process looked like, but perhaps it makes more sense to show only one side when the process is identical for both. Thank you for giving me something to think about!
@@junkdump2720 People can stop watching at any point. Lol Thanks for the Vid.
Question...
What does that achieve...
More power due to ...
What...
I see it as a change in exhaust note...
I am glad you asked this question. The exhaust cross over in the intake manifold was designed to help heat the intake (and carb) quicker for benefits in cold weather and with early emissions. The drawbacks of the system are plentiful. It adds heat to the intake charge which is unwanted in every scenario with the exception of extreme cold weather and startup. It also contributes to engine heat, which is hard on your cooling system. Properly blocking the cross over passage in the heads is an excellent upgrade in performance engines. This one modification helps keep the intake manifold and intake charge cooler, while reducing the strain on your cooling system. Generally speaking , a cooler intake charge is a denser intake charge which makes more power.
Helps heat soak/ vapor lock
excellent video but i can't help but notice that you have some tremors going on with your movements . Stay safe and take your time working.
So true! I have definitely had injuries as a result of a rogue hand movement or two!
What wire are you using? Any reason you don’t just fill them?
Here I am using Lincoln Electric .035" flux core wire. Filling the crossover is a lot more involved, it might be worth it if you were making racing heads. The other method that I commonly use is welding in the plugs that are available from Edelbrock, they reach further into the passage. Thank you for the questions.
Is this mod only useful on performance cars, or does it provide some benefit on a driver-type car as well?
It does provide some benefit but you have to weigh the pros and cons. You have to keep the choke on longer for cold days and the intake will take much longer to heat up. Some people don't notice much and others do. I have this mod on two of my personal cars but I don't drive them much in the winter. I had a dailer driver with a 455 and this mod when I was in high school, I found it a minor inconvenience in the winter time but worth it for the summer benefits.
The main benefit is it will save the paint on your intake. I did this to my stockish 350 Olds. I drive it year round.
wouldn't blocking the intake be easier ?
Great question! I prefer to block the heads for two reasons. 1-Less heat is transferred into the intake when you block the heads. 2-Some intake gaskets are prone to failure and leaking when the intake side is blocked.
parkinsons?
Permanent side effect from taking a weeks worth of Lexapro.
@@junkdump2720 whats lexapro?
@@darrrenbetker4266 anxiety med I tried for a week to help with panic attacks after my father died.
Are his hands really that shaky, or are my eyes playing tricks on me?
No tricks, your eyes are fine, my hands are wicked shaky!
@@junkdump2720 Thanks. I thought my doctors new meds were going gonzo! Thanks again
@@kenfrenchu7917 Lol, no worries, you should see me solder, it's a wonder I don't melt everything in a 2 inch radius!
Hey this is John if you reply to my welding question what do you weld that with please reply over here at you're going to need a bigger boat I watch this channels messages a lot closer thank you
I left a reply on your channel, hope it helps out.
😂 clearly doesnt know what to weld cast iron with or how to. Hilarious. Or the real reason you block crossovers.
I have brazed cast iron with an oxygen/acetylene torch but prefer using my welder on crossover block plates, of course I had to heat the head and slowly cool it afterwards to reduce the chance of cracking, but this method works great on simple block off plates. Please feel free to share with the channel what you weld cast iron with and what you think is the real reason to block your crossover ports. I only ask that this time you share the information and leave out the personal jabs against me, they aren't necessary and quite possibly aren't accurate.