31st Aug 2009, 04:33
The people defending the Olds diesel know what they are talking about and the bashers don't.
Yes smart owners bought water separators, inline heaters, replaced the horrible torque to yield head bolts with proper bolts or studs. Some wanting more power went for turbo kits or tuned headers, but both turbos and headers would only last about three years.
GM also experimented with tuned intake manifolds and headers for the 4.3 L V6, and there were rumours of factory turbo's and a diesel conversion of the 2.5 L Iron Duke. But diesel prices rose and the cost of gasoline dropped, killing interest in North American diesel powered cars.
There still are a lot of cars with head gasket issues related to torque to yield head bolts. It wasn't just a Olds diesel problem. And look at all the VW diesel cars that go through starters, injectors, injection pumps, cracked heads, blown head gaskets etc etc. All cars need maintenance and repairs, and yes it's easier or cheaper on some cars than others. But as long as you choose the right car for your taste and driving needs, then just take care of it, maintain it really well, and it should last a long time.
2nd Nov 2009, 17:03
My first diesel was a 1981 Cutlass Brougham 4-door 5.7 and it ran well, my second was a 1983 Cutlass supreme 2-door with the 4.3 v-6 diesel it ran great also, but I am having head gasket problems and cannot find a diesel technician to work on it.
I have loved the Olds diesel since I was 17 years of age when they first came out in Aug 1977, and will always love them even with problems or not.
14th Jul 2010, 01:21
I have two 350 DX engine with different head numbers.
One has D3A the other has D3B. Can anyone tell me what the difference is?
18th Jul 2010, 12:54
I'm not sure, but could the A and B simply be for right and left? The heads on both sides would have to match and be exactly the same, otherwise your car would be running very rough or not at all.
19th Jul 2010, 16:18
Thanks for that, but both heads are stamped the same.
Can anyone tell me if the belt pulleys are the same as the gas engine?
7th May 2012, 23:02
D3A and D3B were the second and third revision to the original D3 cylinder heads. Look on Wikipedia for the "Oldsmobile V8" page, scroll down 'til you find the section on the Diesel. It has a lot of technical information on these engines, as well as engineering revisions that were made during production. You may also find a few forums that have threads dedicated to the Olds Diesel simply by Googling "Olds 5.7 Diesel" "GM Diesel" or "Olds Diesel".
7th Jul 2012, 22:32
I just purchased a 1981 Pontiac Grand Prix LJ with the 5.7 diesel engine DX block. While she was first a Florida car, she has been in storage in Worcester Mass. for about 10 years. Though I felt she would be in amazing condition, I bought her sight unseen, other than a photo. She has some rust underneath a bad floor pan, and had to replace every brake line and fuel line. She is very restorable, and runs and purrs like a kitten with just 85k original miles.
I was excited, as I partnered with the owner, who was extremely nice and helpful, and had her shipped to beautiful North Carolina. She arrived in just 4 days, and it was a Kodak moment, as the carrier had 9 cars on it. Porsche, Mercedes, Hummer, BMW, Lexus, and right on the bottom backed in, there she was, stood out like a sore thumb The 1981 Pontiac Grand Prix LJ, two-toned cream and white, with a pristine original vinyl top. One small dent on the hood, headliner hanging down. Just beautiful!
Named her Belle. She will remain with me till the end!
18th Jul 2009, 07:33
As to last posting and looking for injectors. I would suggest Gomer's Diesel & Electric Inc www.usdieselparts.com
2400 Palmer St Missoula, MT 59808-1822 (406) 728-7620
They helped me out with the little copper crush rings that need to be replaced upon any removal of the injectors (which I did not know).
I had a rude awakening because of not paying total attention on something -- while being excited about replacing my 472 engine in a 1968 Eldorado with an Oldsmobile 5.7 (as I have messed around with a couple of FWD diesels in Seville's and Eldorados... and did not realize the position of the starter on the Olds is on Driver's side (as I did not pull this engine)). Quietest diesel I had ever heard (like the new Duramax, if you can believe that) and is a rebuilt DX block with like 100K on it -- but wow and great power, but the Olds 98 it was in was rusted out. Had many components powder-coated and it is beautiful - gold over silver on valve covers, intake and all upper parts.
Now I see that it will have to be modified with a plasma cutter to fit -- if even the modified oil reservoir for the FWD diesels of that era will have to be modified again for this application, as it will hit the upper part of the 68's tranny on the driver's side. I am determined however, and yet -- may have to stick in the 81 Seville 5.7 diesel with 25K on it and still modify the oil pan, but it is a noisy one, though it runs strong.
Any suggestions would be appreciated, and my direct e-mail is george@safermedicalinc.com, as I just discovered this forum and don't know if I will be looking at it on a continual basis. However, if I am successful, I will somehow make sure I get a place where pics can show the result... and I too am a Diesel-head Forever! Age 57, former military attack helicopter test pilot, and own an LongEZ (experimental today).