Help identify this diesel engine

[hatzie]

The early ones are called D Blocks.

Look in the GM parts books and the Oldsmobile diesel tech training textbooks... It was called the 350N by GM. I don't remember what was cast into the side of the block on those engines.

The improved Goodwrench replacement 350 Olds diesel has DX cast into the sides of the block. It got longer and larger diameter main bolts, roller lifters (like the last rocket motor the 307Y), and screw-in poppet injector cylinder heads. Unfortunately the bean counters trumped the engineers on the repair engine too... they didn't install the extra cylinder head bolts the engineers specified in the original design workup in the replacement motors.

 

[82Diesel]

Look in the GM parts books and the Oldsmobile diesel tech training textbooks... It was called the 350N by GM. I don't remember what was cast into the side of the block on those engines.

The improved Goodwrench replacement 350 Olds diesel has DX cast into the sides of the block. It got longer and larger diameter main bolts, roller lifters (like the last rocket motor the 307Y), and screw-in poppet injector cylinder heads. Unfortunately the bean counters trumped the engineers on the repair engine too... they didn't install the extra cylinder head bolts the engineers specified in the original design workup in the replacement motors.

I didn't know it was called 350N. I was just clarifying the Early engines where D Blocks. A lot of people don't Have that GM parts books and the Oldsmobile diesel tech training textbooks.

 

[hatzie]

I didn't know it was called 350N. I was just clarifying the Early engines where D Blocks. A lot of people don't Have that GM parts books and the Oldsmobile diesel tech training textbooks.

The 350N were the V8 Olds diesels. Commonly 350N is used for just the early engines.

Some of the early engines had a D cast into the side of the block at the freeze plug level like the Goodwrench roller lifter engines' DX casting mark... However not all of the early Olds diesels' had a D cast into the block.

http://a350diesel.tripod.com/index-17.html has some tech information and links to a very old Delphi 350Diesel BBS with a bunch of tech info including parts interchanges from industrial engines to replace many obsolete GM parts... like the fact that you can use Case IH and John Deere Pencil Injector seals for the 350N pencil injectors.
I scanned the Diesel textobooks and the light truck parts manuals. They're fairly easy to find. Links are in my signature ↡↡↡

 

[4WDKC]

Yes, Sir, This looks to be an Oldsmobile 5.7L Diesel. Very very Rare less than 10% Of the C10s came with them and are Very Collectable to the Oldsmobile diesel guys. Not too long ago one sold for $14,700 in a group I'm in on Facebook.

Honestly, If you're Son Buys it, I STRONGLY Suggest keeping it Original There was less than 4414 Of those built with the Diesel!!! Not to mention My friend Michael is trying to buy the Patient and name of Oldsmobile diesel to Reproduce Parts... Since he has 3 Storage barns Full of Complete Cars, NOS Parts And Engines...

The Early ones 78-79 Used Pencil Injectors, The Later Blocks (Improved DX) Used Micro / Poppet Fuel Injectors 80-84 and the EGR were built into the Intakes, A good way to differ a 6.2 Diesel from an Oldsmobile is Engine Color, Injectors, Intake and as well which way the Air intake is facing If it's on the Drivers Side (Oldsmobile) IF it's on the Passengers Side (GM 6.2 Diesel)

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Here's some images > https://imgur.com/a/d9OdMEg

Really? A freind of mine had an 83 Monte Carlo with the 5.7 Diesel in it, after years of battling with issues he swapped it for a gasser and couldnt give the diesel away except to a scrapyard. he said he even called Mondello and they didnt want it.

 

[82Diesel]

Really? A freind of mine had an 83 Monte Carlo with the 5.7 Diesel in it, after years of battling with issues he swapped it for a gasser and couldnt give the diesel away except to a scrapyard. he said he even called Mondello and they didnt want it.

Yup there pretty rare. I had an engine I bought from my local "Classics" Junkyard for $150 and sold it to some guy in Denmark for nearly $1200 (Parts engine) You wouldn't believe the number of guys running them 6.2 diesels and Oldsmobile diesels in Europe now.

 

[roundhouse]

I can’t believe there’s still one of the 5.7 olds diesels that’s still running

I thought they all self destructed within a couple years

Only GM would be stupid enough to convert a gas engine into a diesel and think it would last very long

Everyone I knew in the 80s that had one , it blew up and got replaced with a BOP 350 gasser , the Chevy 350 wouldn’t bolt up to the trans ?

Even the 6.2 replacements that GM had to hire out the design of because hey we not smart enough to design , were pretty crappy

 

[82Diesel]

I can’t believe there’s still one of the 5.7 olds diesels that’s still running

I thought they all self destructed within a couple years

Only GM would be stupid enough to convert a gas engine into a diesel and think it would last very long

Everyone I knew in the 80s that had one , it blew up and got replaced with a BOP 350 gasser , the Chevy 350 wouldn’t bolt up to the trans ?

Even the 6.2 replacements that GM had to hire out the design of because hey we not smart enough to design , were pretty crappy

Wasn't Gas "Converted" to diesel They did use an Olds 350 Gas Block for Mockup though and head studs the rest is Diesel.
If you've read my other comments the reason why they all blew up GM Rushed Production so they where never able to make and test an engine with proper head studs so they used gas ones on a 21:5:1 diesel which doesn't end well... over time they will shrink and blow head gaskets or even the engine... it doesn't help when the engine in the first place never came with a 1st or 2ndary fuel filter.

 

[hatzie]

Wasn't Gas "Converted" to diesel They did use an Olds 350 Gas Block for Mockup though and head studs the rest is Diesel.
If you've read my other comments the reason why they all blew up GM Rushed Production so they where never able to make and test an engine with proper head studs so they used gas ones on a 21:5:1 diesel which doesn't end well... over time they will shrink and blow head gaskets or even the engine... it doesn't help when the engine in the first place never came with a 1st or 2ndary fuel filter.

More head bolts would've been better and internal engineering memos that escaped destruction said as much. However. The main problem is the Torque To Yield head bolts they used for machine assembly that continued to stretch when the 500PSI chamber pressures inside a Diesel engine were encountered...
It's the same issue VW had with the early 1.5L Diesels in the 78-80 Rabbit and Dasher that continued through at least the first generation of the 1.9L eco diesels in the early 1990's. I had a 45hp 1979 Diesel Rabbit that actually got 53mpg but it ate head bolts at around 6,000 mile intervals. A set of ARP head studs put the kiebosh on that crap and then I drove it til it rotted out from under me. The 78-80 1,488cc Rabbit Diesels are no doubt where the legends of 50mpg VW diesels originated. The 1.6L 1.9L and later VW diesels are rumored to run 50mpg but they do not... I've run 81, 82, 83, & 84 1.6L diesel Rabbits that only got 45mpg max... My 85 Jetta 1.6L TD got 40max and my 05 Jetta BEW TDI got 38 on a real good day. I kinda miss that stripped down no-frills 1978 Rabbit with two gauges... fuel and speed.

 

[82Diesel]

More head bolts would've been better and internal engineering memos that escaped destruction said as much. However. The main problem is the Torque To Yield head bolts they used for machine assembly that continued to stretch when the 500PSI chamber pressures inside a Diesel engine were encountered...
It's the same issue VW had with the early 1.5L Diesels in the 78-80 Rabbit and Dasher that continued through at least the first generation of the 1.9L eco diesels in the early 1990's. I had a 45hp 1979 Diesel Rabbit that actually got 53mpg but it ate head bolts at around 6,000 mile intervals. A set of ARP head studs put the kiebosh on that crap and then I drove it til it rotted out from under me. The 78-80 1,488cc Rabbit Diesels are no doubt where the legends of 50mpg VW diesels originated. The 1.6L 1.9L and later VW diesels are rumored to run 50mpg but they do not... I've run 81, 82, 83, & 84 1.6L diesel Rabbits that only got 45mpg max... My 85 Jetta 1.6L TD got 40max and my 05 Jetta BEW TDI got 38 on a real good day. I kinda miss that stripped down no-frills 1978 Rabbit with two gauges... fuel and speed.

Ahh Yes I forgot headbolts. I can only remember so much!

 

[5akman]

Well, looks as if the truck is sold. It was a 2.5hr drive and with the snow and highway closures on I-5 in northern CA we just weren't able to get back up there to buy it in time. It does appear however, that this thread has provided lots of good info on the history of the early Chevy/Olds diesels and hopefully thats been of help to some! Thanks for the great info and we'll keep looking.