Are there any swaps that up power, different heads from another Caddy motor or cams?

Yeah. A 500 or 472. Not much is available for the tiniest of the big blocks. You could run a hotter cam, or spray it with a 100 shot, but IMO that would be fairly pointless when a 500/472 is so easy to do and you can run a cam or spray on the 500 once its in... IMO if you're mechanically competent enough to do a head swap you shouldn't have a problem with an engine swap.

I don't think it would be hard, I kinda want to keep it original cause it's only got 72k on the car. If I can swap a newer miata engine into my first gen Miata, I can probley do the 500. How much power does the 500 have?

Stock 500 on an engine dyno will get 300hp and near 500ft.lbs. Add 10-15hp and ft.lbs. for the 10:1 500s. Bolt that up to the stock exhaust system and it will choke that power down significantly though, I believe 81 still had the bead catalyst convertor which was a real big exhaust restriction. The piping's too small anyway.

I think if you want to keep it original, keep it ALL original. Or if you're going for more performance, start with a 500/472 and take that to whatever power level you want.

Are there any stroker comboes you can do? Like with a Chevy 350 sb you can put a 400 sb crank in it and make a 383 Stroker, which in my experiances is a badazz motor. Can that be done with any Caddy motors like a 500 crank in a 472?

For what you will spend to make the 368 a top level wheezer, you will be better off to swap a 472 or 500 in there. My choice would be a '71-'73. They had a fairly agressive cam and ran good on regular unleaded gas. One of these stock would really wake up your car.

Get rid of the convertor (if you can) and run a single 2 1/2" exhaust all the way back. That will work fine unless you want to drag race the car. Duals will buy more power, though and can be relatively easily done.

You will also need a set of 425 exhaust manifolds to clear the frame properly. Those puny 368 manifolds will not fit on the 472/500 heads.

And you can safely tuck your original 368 away for future posterity.

Mike

For what you will spend to make the 368 a top level wheezer, you will be better off to swap a 472 or 500 in there. My choice would be a '71-'73. They had a fairly agressive cam and ran good on regular unleaded gas. One of these stock would really wake up your car.
.

Mike

I'd like to know where this information comes from. Every parts book that I have here lists the same exact camshaft part number for the '68 472 right on up to the '79 425. Do you have a source of factory part numbers that show a different camshaft for different years? I've run into parts books that are incorrect before and would like to know if the one used here has a problem.

472/500 RWD exhaust manifolds will clear the frame in an '81 CDV no problem. 1 upper A arm bolt will need to be hacksawed down some though.

If you go into the parts book, it does show the same part number for all of these engines. But, they are differant. I have the parts book here, that yes indeed has the same number for 1968-1976.

I had the specs written down here somewhere for these cams, but if you go on the MTS message board, someone there will verify this and perhaps give you the specs. Al Betger, owner of MTS, is a good guy, and he could likely furnish them for you as well.

For some reason, Cadillac was tight lipped on cam specs. I found this out many years ago when I was contemplating a 500 build for my '75 Coupe. If you think about it, how can Cadillac use the same cam for the high compression 472 and 500, the lower compression engines and EGR engines which used differant heads and combustion chambers over the years?

Cadillac even lists the same cam for all the roller lifter 4.5 and 4.9 engines for all applications. I suspect they are differant for differant applications, such as a TBI 4.5 to a 4.5 Allante and so forth, but I have yet to come across exact specs for them.

Mike

Are there any stroker comboes you can do? Like with a Chevy 350 sb you can put a 400 sb crank in it and make a 383 Stroker, which in my experiances is a badazz motor. Can that be done with any Caddy motors like a 500 crank in a 472?

Nothing easy like that. The stock crank can be offset ground. You can usually get around 540" but in most applications the extra few inches isn't worth the price unless you want a real torque monster.

To make a 472 into a 500 you need a 500 crank and pistons.

thank you for the info guys, when I've got the money I'll buy a 500. I've got a Chevy 350 bored .40 over, 2.02 heads and many performance parts, but I don't know if that'll do. Buy the way I'm not really looking to drag race, I'm just used to having power. Slowest thing I've owned was a Mazda b2000 truck, everthing else ran at the slowest a 14.5 et in the 1/4 mile.

The 368 already has an overly long stroke compred to bore. Really, there is not much potential for these engines. They were smooth quiet and lazy compared to the 425/472/500.

The Chev 350 will not bolt up to the trans in the car. The bolt patterns are differant. Also, many other things will have to be changed over to make it work like accessories etc.

A 472 or 500 will drop right in by comparison.

Mike

Yeah it would be much easier to drop in a 500 or 472, and more economical.

When I'm looking what is a fair price for a 500 or 472. I can't afford to get ripped off.

I really hate to mention it, but what about a small-block chevy 350 swap?

yes, yes, yes... I know, SBC 350 isnt the best setup to move around a cadillac, because of the weight, gearing, and 3spd transmission.

But when it gets down to it, the 350 is the (as far as I know) cheapest V8 around to get ahold of and modify. Stroker kits for 383", blowers, cams, heads, intakes, you name it.

If you are going to go through all the trouble of taking the engine out and putting a different one in, a 500" cad engine would be best for power. With the lighter cadillac, it should really get up and move. But, maybe frame twisting torque really isnt all your looking for, if so, would a SBC 350 offer much on weight savings or gas milage?

The only reason I mentioned SBC is because there are a lot of people around who mess with these motors. Every car parts store I have been to, has SBC performace heads/cams/lifters for sale.

When you talk about cadillac parts... its either MTS, that other place that I saw.

"But when it gets down to it, the 350 is the (as far as I know) cheapest V8 around to get ahold of and modify."

ENNNNT wrong answer. You lose.

"When you talk about cadillac parts... its either MTS, that other place that I saw."

Yeah, your local performance shop isn't gonna have an aluminum intake manifold for a 500 in stock. So you wait a couple days while a vendor ships you one. Big deal.
http://www.500caddy.us - click vendors on left side nav bar for the major parts vendors.

It simply just makes far more sense to get a 500.

THanks fror the links, but again whats a good price for a 500 that needs a rebuild? And good price for a good running one?

$50 and $50. Or better yet free. You might find yourself paying more though.

I'd expect to pay a couple hundred for a core. Then again I'm in Albuquerque, and CadCo has already snatched up all the cheap cores.

Thank you. Hopefully I can find one.