If I wanted to clone a 68-70 Ram Rod/W31 would I HAVE to have the huge balancer? I would run OAI and correct heads, intake, exhaust, etc....,but that dang balancer is hard to find and expensive. This answer will determine which direction I go with my next Olds purchace. Thanks. Matt
Casey's car Casey, You are correct but that's one expensive balancer Your car is kickbutt, but it will always be Casey's car in the PS,FAST circles. The price you have it for seems very fair considering everything about the car. Maybe you should take it to Scottsdale, AZ in Jan. and get a good some of $$ for it? Matt OKC,OK
You may have a point there, Matt. It WILL always be Casey's car in these circles. Maybe too notorious. Priced very right. Maybe he should part it out like everyone else seems to be doing with W31's these days........... To answer your question on the balancer, yes if you want to pass it off as a real one or a perfect clone, it will have to be there. Unfortunately selling a clone and being honest about it, doesn't mean the next will be as forthcoming and go for the brass ring. There are much cheaper high performance balancers out there for a lot less money, wouldn't take a stock one into the RPM ranges that real W31's run. I used to shift mine at 6500 with the stock cam, so it saw numerous little "blips" much higher than that between gears and when you miss a gear (like I did on my last run at Stanton this year. Whatever balancer you do use, make sure it's the same one when you have the engine balanced. Don't balance it with a standard non W31 one and add it later if you plan to run those RPM's. Also, it's just as important that the balancer be in good shape as the correct one. Mine was mint, but the timing mark had shifted considerably before it was rebuilt. It isn't pretty when they come apart either. Different world with these high RPM small blocks that rely on top end horsepower rather than torque for the speed and power. Big gears (more the better), high compression (more the better) , and lightweight cars (less the better.) W31 was never planned to be a street car, just was made available in production because of the 400 cube max rule of GM and Olds' decision to go with low revving high torque G blocks in 1968 and using the common lower end (crank, bearings, block machining) of the 455 with the 4.25 stroke). Olds was in danger of losing a lot of dealer sponsored race cars and professional race teams with that small bore 400. W31 and 68 Hurst saved that and held it off until they put the 455 in place in 1970. Then killed the W31 for that reason (they didn't need it anymore) and the fact that it wouldn't run with the lowered compression ratios, and the insurance issue with "hot rods". Its popularity and success in 1968 had marketing drooling and they couldn't resist marketing it in a more streetable form for 69 and 70. Exhaust systems were drastically improved for 1969 (even though they still had the P.O.S. manifolds) and lots more options to increase sales. Didn't have all the special processing that the first 500 68's did, but the myth was there thans to the Dr Oldsmobile campaign. So now let's highjack this thread and talk about Mercuries! :TU:
matt,do what i did,create a w-31 "fund".everytime i get a cup of coffee,another buck goes into the "fund". it adds up.. :TU:
"If I had money, I tell what I'd do I'd go downtown 'n buy a Mercury or two 'cause I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury crazy 'bout a Mercury I'm gonna' buy me a Mercury and cruise it up and down the road!" This highjack was brought to you by... Alan Jackson :bglasses:
As I understand it if you run an aftermarket damper it's considered a safety item and ok. If you show up with a standard 350 damper your considered cheap and it's not ok. Be carefull about balance with an aftermarket damper, in particular a fluid damper has specific instructions NOT to balance with the assembly as it is zero balanced from the factory. If it is an external balance engine then the hub only is to be used for balance. BTW I use the factory balancers.
Only one Oldsmobile engine made in production to run those high RPM's. That damper is there for a reason. Probably no problem running a stock one unless you get a little "crazy" and wind it out a little more than usual. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: BTW, they also had a factory Scheiffer clutch and pressure plate that had a GM part number assigned to it. Same one was used on the big 427 Corvette that year, but not used on any other Oldsmobile. It wasn't for the torque. They're a mother to drive with god awful pedal pressure, so a Centerforce dual friction is a much better way to go. BHJ makes a good low cost mechanical balancer for this application, but it doesn't look like the W31 one. Nothing looks like that thing. Probably be 3 times the number of W31 clones out there if they could find enough dampers.
Love Allan Jackson Good points Dave. I've emailed Dan and Bob but I haven't heard back. I didn't think of an aftermarket balancer as a safety item. That's an interesting tidbit of info that'll need to be discussed. Matt
Think I've got the only 68 Ramrod on this site and it'll never be for sale. :bglasses: I just heard Casey's car was sold again right after Stanton. It's in the Inline Tube harem now.
It is possible to make a correct W31 balancer from different Olds balancers. While the W31 balancer as a unit is unique, the components are are not. I made on last year for one of my cars. With a little work and investigation you too can make one. At this time I prefer not share the information on how to make one however it can be done. No sense in giving the re-pop bunch the information on how to make one and then sell it as an original. I will tell you the that there are little differences in W31 balancers based upon all the pictures I received from other original balancer owners, internet pictures and support I received from Olds enthusiasts. Nothing major, just a cut or casting mark etc. No specific information if these differences are model year related or production date related however there are minor differences seen from all the information I received from the above sources. The balancer itself is not unusual in the fact that none of the components themselves are unique, just sourced from different GM vendors. This is especially common in unique items like early C1 Corvette wide steel wheels and other special performance items. I guess if I was smart I would start building the damn things and selling them but too much else to do now.
Wow this post came back from the dead. I'm currently in the middle of buying a 71 442. It's a Lansing built non-a/c black on black car with manual disc brakes. It has the build sheet but where the box would indicate the W30 option there is a rust stain It will need a lot of help but I have a running '72 Cutlass that will get me around town until time and $$ permit the start of the resto. At that time the '72 will donate what is needed to the cause. Matt
If you want correct W-31 parts, I have 2 original w-31 cars and iam thinking of selling some of my rare stuff, I have 2 NOS w-31 balancers, 1 NOS w-31 carb and 1 NOS w-31 1970 intake, I know what i have paid for good used stuff but what are these NOS parts worth, If i get a nice offer i might let some go, Whens the last time any one has seen NOS parts like i have NEVER!:dollar: :dollar: And here is my favorite 1970 W-31 car i own, its Games Garners Vic Hickey built Baja race car, Iam restoring the car right now to compete in the NORRA vintage ralley and the cool part is they are filming a movie about the history of NORRA and the Baja 1000 and they want to mount cameras in my car to film with:kodak:
