A $6 obstruction wrench for IP

[Cubey]

Being the first diesel v8 in a car, is there not a way to make these run well? Or is it the fact its a gasser turned diesel and can’t handle it that makes them rough?

It's not quite just a gas engine turned diesel, but close:

Contrary to what some believe, the Olds diesel was not just a gas engine "converted" to a diesel; the block was of similar dimensions because using the same bore and stroke meant Oldsmobile could build the engines using the same tooling as the gassers. The block was a beefed-up design intended to deal with the engine’s 22.5:1 compression ratio, which was nearly 3 times the CR of contemporary gas engines.

Unfortunately, one thing Oldsmobile didn’t change was the head bolts — type, pattern and number. And that would prove to be the engine’s undoing … or at least part of it.

https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/when-diesel-was-dreadful-oldsmobile-diesels-259997

 

[Scotty4]

Thanks @Cubey

 

[Randy Bush]

The heads where famous for cracking. bottom end was not any to strong neither. One real problem with them and the gas engine was not playing close enough attention to how far the valves extended past the end of the valve or spring retainer cap when rebuilding, where by causing them to drop a valve. The one thing I did like about them was the fact a 350 gas engine would bolt right in. As bad as the diesel was it still was not uncommon to get over a 100k on it before problems.