The best way to know you have the correct torque on the rod bolts is to measure how much they stretch. The bolts are ARP and come with a specific amount of stretch that represents the right torque. The rods are Callies Comp Star and checked out perfect right out of the box. (One note: Stretching the rod bolts a few times will let the threads on the rod bolts and the threads in the rod 'get friendly" and result in a smoother more accurate stretch reading)

Once the rotating assembly was assembled it was time to get the correct camshaft of the cylinder head, piston dome combination that would make the little olds take deep breath each and every power stroke.

Camshaft selection is very critical in making horsepower, but also by choosing the right profile you get reliability in other valve-train components. Comp Cams joined us on the “Oldsmobil-ology” project and they had us get in touch with Comp Cams guru Chris Padgitt.

Between his technical experience and Tom’s engine building experience, they came up with a custom-grind roller camshaft. It took several phone calls and some negotiations but the end result was the following camshaft: Intake lift: .727” and exhaust lift: .704” with 1.6 ratio rocker arms. The cam has 276-285 duration at .050”, installed on a 108-degree lobe center. The Comp Cams roller was installed on a 106-degree lobe center.

The Rocket Racing Cylinder Heads are fitted with 2.150” Intake and 1.690” stainless exhaust valves. Comp Cams provided the valve springs, titanium retainers, keepers and 3/8” heavy wall pushrods. The cylinder head intake runners flowed 334 cfm at .700” lift and the exhaust flowed 247 cfm at .700” lift.

The cylinder bore size of this engine meant there was also no standard head gasket available. That problem was quickly handled by a call to Cometic gaskets and they made a custom set for the 425” Olds. The intake manifold is also a Rocket Racing part. Fairly basic in design, it needed only some minor cleanup to have it ready to go.

The engine is assembled and it is ready for the “torture chamber”…er, I mean the dyno. Personally, I can hardly stand to watch them dyno my own engines but if it someone else’s engine, it is the best sound around!

R&R Performance in Spring Lake Park, MN, was chosen to do the dyno work. Ron Quarnstrom is the owner and has had an independent dyno shop since the early 1980s. Currently he is using a SuperFlow 902. This is his third SuperFlow dyno and here is probably why: He dynos an average of 350 engines per year! Yeah, you read it right, 350 per year on one dyno and basically a one-man shop. Think he is efficient with his time? Oh yeah, no messing around here. He knows what engines need and he has the stuff at his shop so you get the best results for your hard-earned money. The results were what R&S Racing, Nick and Comp Cams had hoped for.