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Advice needed on Oldsmobile diesel engines

GM Guy

GM Guy

Manual Trans. 2WD Enthusiast
Messages
4,846
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Location
NW Kansas and SC Idaho
hello all,

I am looking at a 1981 Buick Lesabre with the 5.7L Olds diesel, and was wondering if left stock and maintained well (good batteries and glows, and NO ether) will it be a reliable unit? this car is one owner and looks very nice.

I assume the fuel economy was rather good?

advice on all olds diesels is appreciated, as I have also seen an ad for a 4.3L V-8 diesel.
 
These engines are simply 1 head bolt short of what is needed. They were also a very dirty engine with a small oil filter. Oil changes looked to be needed every 1K. A good water separator and better fuel filter is a must. If any dirt gets to the IP it can shatter a cylinder liner from timing issues. At 55 MPH freeway the MPG was on par with the small newer stuff. We rolled up on 50 MPG like this cross country. Fuel and speed limits have changed since.

The 4.3 V8 will be harder to find parts for as the 5.7's replaced them when (if) they blew. Collector rare item otherwise.

Ads will drive you nuts on here but some info.
http://a350diesel.tripod.com/tech.html
 
There was a 4.3l v6 Olds diesel. Basically the same idea of a 350 gasser with 2cylinders cut off.

81 blocks were some of the heavier cast blocks. Biggest issue was the head gaskets, same problem as the 6.5. Good mpgs but Imo they put to high of gearing on them and they lugged too much.
 
if the 0-60 is under a minute, I am happy. no turboing will likely occur. :) an NV3500 swap may happen though, along with some horns on the hood to make it up to date. :)

did the trannies ever have issues?

was there ever EGR on these?
 
going to look at the 81 lesabre tomorrow.

goofy old gal, no one is allowed in her shed, so it will be backed out in the morning and left idling to "get the juices flowing". debating about grabbing oil and filter along way and changing it.

probably just best to haul it though. IDK how much it weighs though.

that also weighs into the price (the weight of it) anyone know what a 4 door lesabre weighs? I am the only serious buyer, and it may go to scrap (the reason I get into shit like this...saving stuff from scrap) so the price right now is variable from 500-750 dollars. (like I said, goofy old gal.)
 
Its a bad disease! lol I need to sell a couple of trucks really bad but everytime I sell one I take every part I think I can use off of it and run out of barn space QUICK.
 
ok, looked at it today:

cosmetics: ding in the left rear rocker(barely noticeable), paint transfer right front door, tiny rock chips in paint, drivers door mising molding piece (bump bar) and the chrome piece that is right below the window, and the metal under it, are bent down pretty bad behind the bottom right window corner, aka the part that hangs out when door is open. not very noticeable though. windshied cracked.
interior, perfect (amazingly perfect) save for the trans shifter indicator out of adjustment and the drivers visor is wore out. power seat not wanting to move either.

vinyl top and all carpeting is perfect.

mechanicals. tranny seemed fine with limited testing, tick low on oil. engine: oil level fine (tiny bit high), coolant down. oil seemed a tad diesely, due to her idling it constantly. (for hours on end! :O ) new batteries, cycle glows and it fires right off, but with foot to floor, it eventually dies. tanked it up a few days prior, ran ok, but now it wont even maintain an idle. this recent tank up was the first in a year. I am hoping filter, or at worst, algae. the region has been in a drought for years, and on a good year gets less than 20 inches, and it sits in a shed, so I am thinking ahould not be as prevelent in this area, so hopefully no water to spawn algae.

she is very suspicious of all, locks everything, refused to let us in her shop building (I offered to change filter if we could find one. ) my friend that went with me said that there is either a meth, pot, or organ trafficing operation in there. :D

700 seemed to be the set price, even though it wasnt running good. I asked her what scrap was, and what it weighed, and got her to think about it out loud, and we came up with 300 bucks tops. IMO she should be happy for 500 bucks. She has inherited ground from family and lives off the income, and talked about having the deere dealer work over a tractor, as it would be a good tax writeoff. turning the checkbook loose with JD for a tax writeoff? yeah, we can dicker on price and she wont go hungry I would say! :)

there was miscommunication on interest, as she has had a few calls, but let me look first. unfortunately she put a listing on denver CL. getting folks asking. you think that car would make it to kansas city? so IDK if there are any true enthusiasts interested, just weirdos looking for a cheap ride. she also mentioned a gas swap, so I hope she didnt pick that up from a caller's personal ideas for a project involving this car. I left it at try to find a nice happy home for it, some one who will care for it and appreciate it for what it is, but if you cant find anyone who fits the bill, call me.

I guess I need to ask her if she wants to keep the ol rig and just hire me to do some service work on it? she obviously has no issue dumping some money, so I figure if she likes the car enough to keep it IF it was in better running shape, we may go that route too.



is everyone sure they dont want this thing? :) It needs a happy home, and I cant afford it right now.
 
Not the purchase price you are worried about. It is the black hole that car will be.

Good running car is worth $1000. Non running car isn't worth $700.

Fuel that old - you may have to write off the entire fuel system from the tank to the injectors with the expensive and rare IP in between.
 
most likely.

luckily i know where a half dozen olds diesels are, so maybe theres a good one there. (most are v-6's to my understanding.)
 
I am re-visiting all this info, got a buddy with a 1982 Chevy Caprice 2 door with the 5.7L Olds. needs head gaskets and maybe an IP.

He offered it to me for 750, but I am trying to find someone else interested in it, or help him fix it.

it has some stains, but overall it is pretty straight with no rust that i saw, and the vinyl top is in great shape!
 
Basically he had it, sold it to a guy, guy's kid blew the head gaskets, and gelled it up, possibly ruining the IP.

valve covers and intake are off, and that is where he quit, because he is under the impression that the pan needs dropped to pull the oil pump driveshaft to pull the vac pump to pull the intake to pull the heads. I dont know for sure, I wouldnt think that GM would screw up that badly, but who knows.

I'll try to get some pics.

I guess by being an 82 it should have the DX block with the roller cam, so its much better than having a 78-80.
 
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