1980 Oldsmobile 98 from North America - Comments

Excellent advice above. There are too many people out there whose "knowledge" of diesels is limited to what they have heard: they will get twice the mpg of a similar gas engine and they will run for 500K miles with practically no maintenance.

So they go out and find an old GM diesel selling for cheap, buy it and then get their rude awakening.

Mine is an 82 5.7 lte diesel Cadillac bustle trunk, it lives in the UK. I have rebuilt the top end with the better head gaskets and special head bolts, a modified water cooling system for the cyl heads to maintain a balanced water temp (which was probably the reason for the head gasket failure in the first place). I make all my own bio diesel and the old motor runs just great.

I have a 1980 Olds Cutlass diesel that is the best thing that I have owned in my 68 years of age.

I still run it every day in the summer, but do put up EDITH in the winter to keep salt in upstate NY from eating it up.

Would purchase another if I knew what I know now, just to keep for my great grandchildren to run and enjoy as I have, The secret is maintenance and warming the engine up, but oh well, I am an ole fuddy, but still praise GM for this wonderful ole girl.

Can anyone tell me where I can get replacement injectors for my 5.7 engine? It has the poppet type injector.

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 then and 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 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 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).

One of the main reasons that GM is now in the sewer is this no good engine.

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.

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 15 years of age when they first came out in Aug 1978, and will always love them even with problems or not.