i bought this 83 camaro with what is supposed to be a 455 oldsmobile big block & to determine that it is a 455 i measured across the intake & it come out to 14" accross & thats how me & another member determined it to be the 455. if this is correct i would like to know how to tell if this is a 455 "ROCKET" so if anyone know if they put a marking on the engine would you please let me know.
thanks in advance

 

All Oldsmobile V8's are "Rockets"... it's just marketing nonsense.

 

are you 100% sure? i thought they might have made a base model 350 & a high output 350 "rocket" & same way for the 455's

 

Here, this will help you....

http://www.442.com/oldsfaq/ofeng.htm

 

i read through all of that info & it did confirm that i have a 455 engine. now is there any difference in a 455 & a 455 "ROCKET" or were they indeed called rockets just for hype?

 

Apeiron was correct, and it was explained on that page that I linked for you....;

"The Rocket engine debuted in 1949. It was termed the Rocket 88 engine. This engine was big in NASCAR, in fact with the automatic (no manual trans available early on), the Rocket won 8 out of 10 races in 1950. This engine had a number of interesting features: overhead valvetrain, hydraulic lifters, oversquare bore-stroke ratio, forged crank with counterweights, aluminum pistons, full-floating wrist-pins, and a dual plane intake manifold.

In 1957 Olds released the J-2 Golden Rocket. This was a 371 inch engine with a six-pack (it only came with a six-pack) that put out 312 horses.

I guess that once Olds hooked onto the Rocket name in '49 and people associated it with Oldsmobile, they continued to use it for many years because of that association. You could say that any Olds built V-8 from 1949 up is a Rocket engine.

The word "Rocket" on the air cleaner decals was dropped in in the mid 1970's, maybe with the 1977 model year.

All Olds V-8 pushrod engines produced between 1949 and 1990 are considered "Rocket" engines. The "Rocket" designation comes from the general design of these engines, not the HP rating. Super 88's with Rocket V-8s won many races in 1949 and through the 1950's. The Rocket V-8 has been credited with starting the quest for more power and hot rodding"....

 

If it's like other GM engines, get the casting #s and look them up.

I've seen only 1 Olds 455 that was on a stand, that was about 10 yrs ago!

 

Nothing wrong with an Olds engine. I've swapped a few of them. It was common to swap in an Olds engine when the 6.2 Diesel in your pickup truck died. Yanking out an 80's Caddy engine and installing an Olds engine is also a very easy swap.

Performance parts for the 455 will be a lot more expensive than BBC stuff because the demand isn't as high.

 

I'm not sure I've ever seen one on a stand, but I saw one at the track last Friday in a Cutlass. Ran high-12's (at 5800' elevation). Original owner. Not sure how long she's been racing it, but certainly as long as I've been racing here.

Back when I first got started in bracket racing back in the late 70's, there was a racer with an Olds 455 in a '68 Camaro. Everybody thought he was nuts - right until he sent them packing.

 

My friend was going to put it in a '80something Cutlass, but things happen & he got rid of the car & kept the 455.
Heck, I'll go over & ask if he still has it & if I can get a few pics of it, along with a few tips on 400 vs 455 ID.
IIRC, Pontiac 400 or 455 had the 400 or 455 cast on the mid-block, between the freezeplugs. Or maybe it was a certain # to look for there that determined Cubic Inch of the block???

(edit)
Can't do it til Monday or Tuesday

 

I'd love to see pictures!I'm not much on crossbreeding,but I LOVE me a 455 Olds,torques moves cars,and at 4.25 factory stroke,the 455 Olds delivers a metric asston of torque.