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Oldsmobile Diesels (1978-85) - How Many of You Still Own One Today?

58K views 70 replies 42 participants last post by  Stéphane Dumas 
#1 ·
As much as I dislike having to ever say anything bad about the Oldsmobile diesels -- there were three in all -- I want to ask you all: how many of you lucky owners still have at least one of these today in 2013?

The three diesels in question were given displacements of 4.3 or 5.7 for the V8 (the 1979 4.3 V8 was the debored version of the 5.7), and one V6 displacing 4.3 liters (just the 5.7 with two less cylinders). Different RPO codes are assigned depending on the application.
LF9 5.7L V8 (1978-85) (rear-drive and front-drive E/K chassis)
LF7 4.3L V8 (1979) (Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon only)
LT6 4.3L V6 (1982-85) (rear drive)
LT7 4.3L V6 (1982-85) (front drive)
LS2 4.3L V6 (1985) (front drive -- Electra/Park Avenue, DeVille/Fleetwood and Ninety-Eight only)

Of course, that's provided if you took all the recommended fixes in the years after 1985, such as the use of ARP head bolts and a proper water separator...

TIMELINE OF OLDSMOBILE DIESELS, 1978-85

BUICK
LeSabre, Electra Estate (B) (1980-85) (LF9 5.7L)
Electra/Park Avenue (C/RWD) (1980-84) (LF9 5.7L)
Riviera (E) (1981-85) (LF9 5.7L)
Century (A/FWD) (1982-85) (LT7 4.3L)
Regal (G) (1982-85) (LF9 5.7L 1982-83, LT6 4.3L 1982-85)
Electra/Park Avenue (C/FWD) (1985) (LS2 4.3L)

CADILLAC
Seville (K/RWD) (1978-79) (LF9 5.7L)
DeVille, Fleetwood (Brougham), 60 Special (C/RWD 1979-84, D 1985*) (1979-85) (LF9 5.7L)
Eldorado (E) (1979-85) (LF9 5.7L)
Seville (K/FWD) (1980-85) (LF9 5.7L)
Deville, Fleetwood (not Brougham), 60 Special (C/FWD) (1985) (LS2 4.3L)
(* note the "D" chassis code is exclusive to Cadillac since it is a continuation of the 1977-84 "C" RWD chassis. Until Buick and Oldsmobile replaced their rear-drive "C" body Electra and Ninety-Eight respectively for 1985 with front-drive versions, the "D" code was assigned to Cadillac commercial chassis and limousines. Thus, when the Fleetwood Brougham continued into 1985-92 just as the front-drive DeVille/Fleetwood showed up in mid-1984, the "D" code replaced the rear-drive "C" code.)

CHEVROLET
C10 series trucks, Blazer, Suburban (1978-81) (LF9 5.7L)
Caprice Classic/Impala (B) (1980-85 wagons, 1981-85 coupes/sedans) (LF9 5.7L)
Malibu (Classic) (G) (1982-83) (LF9 5.7L and LT6 4.3L)
Monte Carlo and El Camino (G) (1982-84) (LF9 5.7L 1982-84, LT6 4.3L 1982-83)
Celebrity (A/FWD) (1982-85) (LT7 4.3L)

GMC
Sierra trucks, Jimmy, Suburban (1978-81) (LF9 5.7L)
Caballero (1982-84) (LF9 5.7L 1982-84, LT6 4.3L 1982-83)

OLDSMOBILE
Delta 88, Custom Cruiser (B) (1978-85) (LF9 5.7L)
Ninety-Eight (C/RWD) (1978-84) (LF9 5.7L)
Cutlass (Supreme) (A/RWD, G) (1979-85) (LF9 5.7L 1979-85, LF7 4.3L V8 1979, LT6 4.3L V6 1982-83)
(for 1979 model year: the LF9 within the Cutlass family was only available for the Cutlass Cruiser wagon; the LF7 was used for the Cutlass Salons and Supreme coupe)
Toronado (E) (1979-85) (LF9 5.7L)
Cutlass Ciera (A/FWD) (1982-85) (LT7 4.3L V6)
Ninety-Eight (C/FWD) (1985) (LS2 4.3L V6)

PONTIAC
Bonneville, Catalina, Safari (B) (1980-81) (LF9 5.7L)
Grand Prix (A/RWD, G) (1981-84) (LF9 5.7L)
Bonneville, Safari (G) (1982-84) (LF9 5.7L)
6000 (A/FWD) (1982-85) (LT7 4.3L)
Parisienne, Safari (B) (1983-85) (LF9 5.7L)
(for some reason, Pontiac never cataloged the LT6 4.3L diesel V6 for its G-body product lines)

~Ben
 
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#2 ·
Always been curious about the LF9.

I had a ride in a new Sierra about 1981 that was diesel. The engine seemed quite unrefined and short of low end torque.

Also had a ride in a new Cutlass about 1985 that was diesel. I remember you had to wait for the glow plugs before starting but after that it felt quite refined.

I've heard it said that if you can get an LF9 to work it will last forever - but that's an oxymoron.
 
#4 ·
While working for Oldsmobile in the early '80s, I bought a new Toronado with the LF9. Loved it. With about 6k miles on it while traveling to a buddy's wedding, the fuel filter loaded up and limited max speed to about 60-65 MPH. Not knowing what was happening at that time and unable to pass people on the expressway, I elected to drive back home and missed the wedding. Sold it with about 10k on it.

I drove an Olds Ciera with the LT7 in it about five miles between assembly plants once. Lots of low-end torque and very perky in lower-speed driving. This would've been a winner had the crankshaft issue not been present.
 
#5 ·
The D & DX blocks are the strongest Olds ever made. The most serious Olds hotrodders choose them to this day & they're making 650 na & over twice that w/turbo. My plan for this '79 Salon I have involves this block & twin turbo, Lenco & Dana, aiming for ~1200 hp/tq on pump gas.
 
#6 ·
My grandfather purchased a Cadillac with the infamous Olds Diesel ... (probably a 1979 as he owned a trucking company and was excited to be an early adopter). The car was constantly in the dealership, and eventually he got fed-up and paid a mechanic to convert the engine back to regular gas, and drove it for several years afterwards. Supposedly such conversions were pretty common.
 
#7 ·
In all those eight years, nobody's ever heard of using ARP head bolts and adding a proper water separator as ultimate solutions.

Anyways, once these diesels are converted to gas power (whether that's an Olds 5.0 or 5.7, Chevy 5.0 or 5.7, or a Pontiac 4.9 turbo) the "Diesel" badging becomes irrelevant except to the historians.

~Ben
 
#9 · (Edited)
* COUGH *

- as the Cruze D release draws near I expect will have oodles and oodles of GM / Olds diesel 'nostalgia' threads come out - all over the internet. ;)

It's like how the '80s gets so much coverage - and likely in most cases for the same purpose.

It's a Goldman - Farley kinda' thing.

Well, two can play.

Best Ford engine of the same era - hands down btw, was exclusive to Lincoln and was a diesel - a BMW diesel.

Yeah unbelievably, the Ford gassers were literally that bad.
 
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#12 · (Edited)
That BMW turbodiesel was a really nice motor. It was particularly impressive since BMW came out of nowhere with that, they had never made a diesel before, ever, then came out with really the best diesel on the market, anywhere, better than even Mercedes who had been making diesel cars for 50 years by that time (and probably longer in trucks...)

And of course, the BMW engine was based on their gasoline six... just like VW's diesel... but no mechanical problems. I dunno why the "conversion" thing about the Olds diesel gets so much flak.

 
#10 ·
The early 80s Escort, Ranger and even the COurier pickups had a diesel version.
Not to mention the s-10, cavilier and Olds Cutlass diesels which were a heck more
reliable than the GM converted V-8s.

Haven't see one in a long time!

Of course they didn't sell either.............................
 
#11 ·
Know a few with conversions still running around. Those were nice for avoiding smog checks in some states. Nice duals on a 350 Olds or Chevy. But the NA 80s diesels were so low on power it was stupid. Get them up to an elevation and they were dangerously underpowered. Some stuff belongs in the trash can of history.
 
#15 ·
I own a Commodore blue 1978 Cadillac Seville Diesel with a production date of March 1978. I was told they became available midway through the model year which would make this one of the first Seville Diesels to arrive in showrooms. Of course it now has the DX block Mr.Goodwrench Replacement diesel engine. It also has the optional CB radio and Astroroof. I have been hoarding NOS parts, emblems, lenses, interior switches for a proper restoration.
Across town (I live in Houston, TX) is a nice 1979 Seville Diesel that is silver or gray and has under 80K. These cars hit the streets just as I was starting Kindergarten, and I fondly remember the louder chatter of running GM diesels around the town I grew up in. Later I remember the difficulty some had starting their diesels during the frigid Texas Panhandle winters.

The first GM Diesel I got a ride in a was a new dark blue 1979 Eldorado Biarritz with the stainless top and astroroof that was owned by a local business woman who owned the arcade I frequented. At 6 or 7 years old I was really impressed with the burl wood on the dash, the fancy light blue leather, and especially the soft 'fur' carpeting. It also had more than a few chrome switches on the doors, seats, and dash. For a few years most of the cars that were sold in our area were highly optioned diesel Fleetwoods, Devilles, Phaetons, Sevilles, Eldorados, Toronados, Ninety-Eights, Electra Park Avenues and Bonneville Broughams... I would guess that more than half of those had GM's 5.7 Diesel engines.

I thought it was strange one frozen morning when I watched my neighbor lady repeatedly crank and crank the starter of her new lemon yellow '80 or '81 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Diesel for half an hour (or was it 45 minutes) without ignition, finally giving up and disappearing back into her house only to reappear once or twice more for another long cranking session until the batteries gave out.

Much Later, by the time I started driving around 1988, there were usually a few pristine bodied Diesel Cadillacs or Oldsmobiles parked on bargain row (far in the back) of the used car lots and dealerships in my locale. Of course if you asked about them, you'd find out most werent running at the time, and only cash specials or sold for parts (dirt cheap!)
 
#17 ·
I wonder if it would make sense for Cadillac to try to procure BMW diesels for Cadillac's next expansion into Europe or to perhaps utilize the Maserati Ghibli VM Motori 3.0 Diesel.
 
#32 ·
I was expecting (and hoping) GM would take the V6 diesel from PSA since PSA stopped the engine partnership with Ford after the deal with GM. Mind you that V6 diesel has already been used in the Jaguar, so it is powerful and refined enough to propel a Cadillac I would say. I do expect further refinements to make it at least as smooth as a BMW diesel.
 
#19 ·
I recall working on a '79 Salon with the 4.3 V8D and a manual 5 speed trans, it also had the 442 package, brown with gold striping. I imagine it was a one of one car. The customer brought it in complaining that it would not climb over the speed bump in his apartment complex unless he had a running start. I NPF'd the car. Now there was a true collectable for those wanting a low production model.
 
#48 · (Edited)
There never was a 442 option in '79, nor was there ever a 442 offered in brown for the A/G body. Also the diesel was never offered in a 442, ever.
 
#20 ·
OMG I finally get to post something, why is replying on this board so hard?!? Just comes up blank with no where to put words....

I have just recently came into a 1983 cutlass ciera brougham with a 4.3 ltr LT7 diesel. The odometer says 98,000. It had sat for around 17 years(according to previous owner) before I came into it trying to dive deep head first into diesels having no prior knowledge of them, looking to turn it into a veggie car. I traded an old mower for it so i'm not out much. At least that is what I believe it is, then again the odometer only has 5 digits, 6 if you include the tenth mile so maybe it is realistically 198,000 but unlikely seeing as how the brake pedal is fairly new looking with few rips or tears on the seats, the car has the multi flag emblem which were only on the international series, which were supposedly only produced from 1988 up but my 1983? has it. So in retro spec I have no damned idea what I really have. I know it does run a little rough on start up and spits and sputters gray/white/blue? smoke at first but clears up once warm and runs better until you put the gas pedal to anything over half pedal it starts spitting and sputtering again but is getting better the more fuel I run through it. Aside from the leaking rear break seal it is golden, I am trying to just cap the rear drum brakes at the master cylinder so I can at least use the front brakes without the pedal going to the floor, sounds easier than it really is apparently getting the right sized plug with the right pitch is real complicated. The guy had just recently put a new battery in it and rebuilt the transmission a couple of years ago(according to him) and eventually just gave up on it. I am trying to figure out what codes it is throwing threw the computer and just recently tore the dash cluster apart trying to figure out why the service engine soon light didn't work just to discover they never intended for it to have a light there according to the cluster panel plug, so my question is how do I pull codes from an OBD 1? with out a reader or service engine soon light? I checked the OBD port under the dash board, in middle under ash tray!, and it only had two terminals..... Any help with this much appreciated.
 
#23 ·
I think by the time you figure out plugging the brake master you could just fix the brake lines properly...

water in fuel is not really a problem, the diesel fuel tends to accumulate water more than gasoline, but if you buy fuel from the fuel station it isn't so much issue unless it is not maintained...

what the hell are you looking at OBD for there is no computer, it is a diesel from 1983 :lmao: It sounds like... hey, this Victrola gramaphone is nice but how do we access itunes :D



 
#24 ·
I guess you weren't listening very well I have this issue with my children too, "issues with diesels during that ERA( Google it if you don't know what that means) were caused by water"

I guess I could just run to an auto parts store and ask for a rare seal for the rear drum cylinder for a 30 year old car and they will just whip one out of there ass, if only I had thought of that...

It has an OBD port which means it has a on board diagnostic system, why the hell wouldn't I use it?

If you have nothing to say that helps me with my problems you need not reply! Ignorance is fixable stupidity is eternal!
 
#27 ·
Ted Kaczinski, is that you?
 
#29 · (Edited)
EVIL..................A quality made in USA Wagner or Bendix rear drum brake wheel cylinder is about $25 bucks. Vato zone and other places sell the china specials for around $20.

They are not rare and avail. at almost any parts house because GM used them for years on many different models. I just replaced one in my 84 Z-28.

To check for codes and you should have a OBD connector since its a 83.................

For OBD 1 codes and how to access them with a paper clip read here:
http://www.extreme-check-engine-light-codes.com/GM OBD1 Decoder.htm
 
#30 · (Edited)
Hey thanks for the info on the drum brake cylinder, there are a lot of different models for bendix and wagner any idea of the specific SKU # of the one that would fit the Ciera? I was able to scrounge up enough parts to cap the one bad rear cylinder so I am able to get on the road with it as of now. The auto parts stores within my county(and adjacent ones) don't have them or can't get them because they stopped supporting these cars years ago. They can't even get me a fuel filter but I found a different online source for that anyway. As previously stated I have no service engine soon light so the paper clip check is out of the question, and you have to have that specific cars year port in order to use a port scanner, now that I am on the road I will be able to hit up some of the auto part stores to see if any of them do, however unlikely.
 
#33 ·
At any rate I just finished up tearing down my roosa pump and rebuilding it, does any one know what model DB4 these have on them? I adjusted the timing a little on the pump and BOOM she is back to business as usual, runs great. It still doesn't seem to have very much torque considering she is a diesel, she runs good as hell though. I am still having trouble with the trans going into 3rd gear any suggestions? Now my brakes are in good shape I figured out the problem with them was my wife...was helping me bleed them so after capping the rear she screwed up the bleeding of the front, I put her on the wrench and me on the pedal and all is great on the brakes now. I will be burning veggie oil in no time. For whatever reason I really love this car, it could rival any damned Cadillac made today in ride comfort. There is just something about it that I just love even with all it's twerks, haven't been able to figure it out yet but I love this car, leaky roof and all, ****ed those today too and will work on the radio tomorrow, will be in heaven when I can listen to it while cruising. Had a set back with the battery today will have to figure out that one, doesn't seem to want to hold a charge once I get it running I will have to make sure it is charging.
 
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