Camshafts and Camshaft Selection
Camshaft Specifications
Lifters
Valvesprings, Retainers and Locks
Chapter 4: Connecting Rods
Factory Connecting Rods
Aftermarket Steel Connecting Rods
Aluminum Connecting Rods
Connecting-Rod Side Clearance
Rod-to-Stroke Ratio
Chapter 5: Pistons, Rings and Pins
Factory Cast Pistons
Aftermarket Forged Pistons
Off-the-Shelf Pistons
Custom Pistons
Piston Domes and Compression Ratio
Piston Rings
Gapless Rings
Piston Clearances
Piston Pins
Coatings
Ring Gaps
Chapter 6: Oiling System
Oiling-System Flow Path
Oil Restrictors
Main-Bearing Modifications
Lifter Gallery Plugs
Oil Pumps
Oil-Filter Adapters and Oil Filters
Oil Pans
Windage Trays
Engine Oils
Vacuum Pumps
Chapter 7: Cylinder Heads and Induction
Factory Small-Block Cylinder Heads
Factory Big-Block Cylinder Heads
Head Gaskets
The Milling Process
Aftermarket Cylinder Heads
Porting Tips and Tricks
Valveguides
The Valve Job
The Flow Bench
CNC-Ported Cylinder Heads
Valves
Intake Manifolds
Carburetors
Chapter 8: Exhaust System
Factory Cast-Iron Manifolds
Center Divider on Factory Heads
Header Sizing
Full-Size Headers
Low-Cost Headers
Merge Collectors
Painted versus Coated versus Stainless
Crank Case Evacuation
Exhaust Gaskets
Mufflers and Exhaust Pipes
Chapter 9: Ignition System
Ignition Boxes
Advance Curves
Crank Triggers and Magnetic Pickups
Distributors
Distributor Gears
Ignition Coils
Spark Plugs
Spark Plug Wires
Setting Ignition Timing
Appendix A: Assembly Tips and Techniques
Appendix B: Popular BTR Performance Combinations
Source Guide
Several people shaped and molded me as a young Oldsmobile enthusiast. It is my pleasure to give them credit. The very first time I ever went to a drag strip as a teenager with my first car (a white 1970 Cutlass S), I saw George Howcroft leave the starting line with the front wheels in the air, running some 11.40-second ETs in his black-and-gold, NHRA E/Stock Automatic (E/SA) class, 1970 442 W-30.
At that moment, my future was determined; I decided to do whatever it took to run that fast one day. George took me under his wing and continuously helped me to progress; he possessed tremendous knowledge and had raced Oldsmobiles since the 1950s. In the mid-1980s, George convinced me to compete in NHRA Stock Eliminator with his old W-30 that was for sale. Eventually, I purchased the black-and-gold car that I first saw him race when I was a teenager. I decided that if I was going to race in the NHRA, I was not going to show up unless I could come close to setting a national record. This mind-set motivated me, during my early years as a garage/backyard engine builder and racer, to chase that NHRA E/SA record. George helped me as much as he possibly could until he was stricken with cancer and passed away at age 62 in the late 1980s. If he could see what he helped me to achieve, I think he would be proud.
Another person who deserves credit as one of my mentors is Dave Smith of Dave Smith Engineering. As a young Oldsmobile racer, I looked up to him; he was a high-profile, accomplished Oldsmobile racer. I can remember calling him, buying parts and asking for advice on many Olds-specific subjects that I so desperately wanted to learn about, and he always took the time to help me. I also offer this written apology for calling him and taking up way too much of his time. As a shop owner now, I know how difficult it is to spend time on the phone. He helped pave the way to my future.
A special thanks goes to my auto tech teacher Paul Reynolds and my machine shop teacher Bob Finnegan. These guys educated and molded me as a young man in high school and I always looked up to them. I was fortunate recently to have both of them visit the shop; time traveled 30 years in an instant. They were able to see what their hard work in education had created. I was also able to thank them personally, something that I had wanted to do in recent years.
F. J. Smith is another gentleman whom I always admired, respected, and wanted to be like when I read about him in the Oldsmobile in Action publications of the early 1980s. He is very well respected in the performance industry, contributing his great knowledge of race car design and safety to the SFI Foundation. Many of the chassis safety regulations that we all have to follow are the result of much of his work. He contributed a great deal to Oldsmobile racing in the 1980s when it was at an all-time high. He set many records during Oldsmobile Racing’s development years, and was a major contributor to the design of many of Oldsmobile’s racing parts and engine building methods that we all still use today.
This is my 1970 442, running low 11-second quarter-mile times and chasing the NHRA E/Stock Automatic-class World Record.
In this revised edition