Pontiac 400 engine book

We are a pontiac engine builder that knows making power is done with the right combination of parts. The main journal saddles are quite thick, which improves block rigidity and allows the use of long connecting rods for good rodtostroke ratio. General engine specifiactions the pontiac trans am page. The gtos 360hp 389 grew to 400 and the new 4barrel engine was. If you dont care to build your own engine, one of these builders can, but at least using this book you can ensure you understand what is being done to your engine and where you want to invest your money in gaining. Pontiac gto, lemans, tempest, firebird, trans am, bonneville, grand prix, catalina, gto parts, restoration, reproduction parts, ram air, engine, hinges, bumpers. Counter clockwise 307 rotates clockwise these graphics courtesy of.

From a couple bins of parts to a fully built, iconic pontiac tripower 389, this is the story behind our latest redline rebuild timelapse engine project. Pontiac 400 428 455 engine casting numbers pontiac cylinder head id numbers service replacement sr blocks do not always have a code stamped on the front of the engine. Most important, as with all workbench series titles, the methodical and practical approach provides the insight and vital information required for the task. Pontiac 400 block quality auto parts, new, used and. How to rebuild pontiac v8s updated edition cartech books. Pontiac created the iconic black and gold color scheme to commemorate its 50th anniversary and revealed it at the chicago auto show in february, 1976. Completely tuned and ready to run from butler performance. The renewed popularity of muscle cars has restored the interest of hobbyist.

Here is the link to part 1 engine miniseries pontiac s 326 prt 1 average guys car restoration, mods and racingthe 326 was used as the base model for the pontiac tempest. Grand prix, tempest, lemans, gto, catalina, executive, bonneville, convertibles and station wagon. Pontiac 400 build the pontiac 400 cubic inch motor made between 1967 and 1979 is still a great platform for a high performance daily driver. Pontiac 350 389 400 421 455 engines pontiac stroker engines. Sa design, how to rebuild pontiac v8s book competition products. I want to build a pontiac 400 engine for my 1968 firebird. Pontiac knew that highrevving engines had become a distant memory, so in an attempt to shed overall vehicle weight, material was removed from low stress areas of the block.

Pontiac 400 engine high performance pontiac magazine hot rod. These kits include the bolts and washers for your engine. This was the cam hptv chose to install in the 400 rebuild. The pick of the day is a 1968 pontiac firebird 400 convertible powered by a numbersmatching 400cid v8, 400 automatic transmission and original heavyduty rear, according to the rockville, maryland, dealer advertising the pontiac on this is an authentic example of the performance firebird, and loaded with phs pontiac historical society docs, the dealer says. In the current times of lsswap mania, fuel injection, and computercontrolled engines, its nice to see there are those among us who still prefer old school carbureted engine plants to carry us down the street and the dragstrips across america. When building a pontiac engine, the selection of cylinder heads, camshaft, and intake are critical to building the right combination and making pontiac power. Timing and carburetor adjustments are easily performed and the performance effects can quickly be measured. Pontiac 400 with 375 hp engine package with cast iron heads can be custom designed to your specific needs. Also whats recommended on a build like as far as bottom end goes. Pontiac bookhow to build maxperformance pontiac v8s updated by rocky rotella this is an updated stepbystep book loaded with. Pontiac s breadandbutter engine was discontinued as the 1978 model year came to a close. This one book covers all the different pontiac v8 engines. Pontiac 400 428 455 engine casting numbers patterson.

Some engine prices include the core charge and some engine prices are based on using the purchasers engine core. Edelbrock rpm power package top end kit for pontiac 389467. Arp engine bolt kits come in your choice of polished stainless steel or black oxide chromoly steel bolts with 12point or hex heads. The pontiac v8 engine is a family of overhead valve v8 engines manufactured by the pontiac division of general motors corporation that made its debut in 1955. Apr, 2016 how to pick the best pontiac 400 or 455 block for a modern performance rebuild. Owner bruce fulper can answer any question for you. But keep in mind that development by pontiac on the sd engine stopped in.

Bill boyles 400 rebuild pontiac street performance. I speak with gto owners who dont know what they have and think everything is in a book or manual as if its a. Pontiac made just eight, all powered by the standard 335 hp 400 ho engine. How to identify pontiac engine blocks hagerty media.

Designed as a pony car to compete with the ford mustang and mercury cougar, it was introduced on february 23, 1967, simultaneous with gms chevrolet division platformsharing camaro. With some hunting, you can likely find a similar bargain. This book covers the rebuild of a pontiac 400, which is similar to a pontiac 455. We offer street kits with pump gas pistons to wild fully forged rotating assembly kits to meet your racing needs. Builds the best stock to the highest pontiac torque monsters on the planet. Pontiac 400 engine high performance pontiac magazine. If youre considering building a traditional pontiac v8 engine for increased power and performance or even for competitive racing, this book is a critical. A change that affected all 350 and 400 engines was the introduction of the lighter block castings in mid 1975.

It was marketed by pontiac as a 350, just like the original 326 was called rather that its true size of 325. In 1978 the base 400 had 180hp and the w72 engine had 220. Its a relatively easy build to get to 350 hp with a low compression 400. Pontiac began as a companion to the oakland division of the general motors line of automobiles in 1926. Pontiac successfully competed against moreexpensive inline fourcylinder models with their inline flathead sixcylinder engines. In the past, many people question approximately this wedding album as their favourite photo album to approach and collect. Ames performance engineering, classic gto parts, firebird.

An engine dyno uses a water brake to measure engine output. It was the release of 67 for the first time in the history pontiac brand muscle cars were installed disc brakes. If you dont care to build your own engine, one of these builders can, but at least using this book you can ensure you understand what is being done to your engine and where you want to invest your money in gaining horsepower. Download free 400 pontiac engine vacuum port 400 pontiac engine vacuum port. Dyno tuning is an easy and accurate way to ensure that your pontiac is running its best. We have rotating assemblies, engine kits for you to assemble, short blocks, and complete engines that are dyno tested and ready to install. Butler performance custom builds pontiac engines to your specifications. From what ive learned on this forum im not convinced this mfg. How hard to get 400 hp out of a 400 pontiac engine.

The pontiac v8 was the power plant for a whole generation of muscle cars, including the legendary gto and firebird trans am from the late 60s to early70s. Real book 152 pages 395 color photos all about how to rebuild pontiac v8 engines incl 455 428 421 400 389 370 350 347 326 316 301 287 265. Back engine design theory from ho racings pontiac high performance engine design and blueprint assembly if you want to build a pontiac race engine intelligently then reading this section is a must. The numbersmatching 400 was still in decent shape when bob brought it to noted california pontiac racer and engine builder larry maxwell. The manual features a complete and detailed description of the pontiac engine overhaul procedure and includes helpful photographs to clarify the instructions. It was not the only novelty, aimed at improving the safety of the driver and passengers. Select the navigation view you prefer when narrowing your search. Pontiac introduced the 400 cubic inch v8 in performance oriented cars in 1967, and continued to make the engine available through 1979. There are lots of color photos in this book which makes it great to have when rebuilding my engine. The 400 is a bored out 389, which had been in use for a few years. Eagle, scat, jesrp, diamond, wiseco and mahle to name a few. Cncmotorsports offers a great selection of 400 455461488 pontiac rotating assembly kits. What sets this engine apart in the history books is the factoryinstalled highperformance ram air systems. These motors usually have a large 70 at the rear of the block.

Find great deals on ebay for 400 pontiac engine parts and pontiac 400 performance engine parts. The 455 sd is not the most powerful engine pontiac. The horsepower guys prove that by extracting a 400 from a junkyard, machining the block and rebuilding it on a twothousand dollar budget. The traditional pontiac v8 engine s short block has some unique characteristics. Tin indian performance pontiac engine builder combinations. Stylish performer, 1968 pontiac firebird 400 convertible. Pontiac street performance 400 budget build up on horsepower tv.

The block casting number, 9790071, is for a 19681969 400 engine. My goal was to build a powerful but reliable low compression street engine. Stepbystep instruction book is designed to guide users through the necessary steps to rebuild a pontiac v8 engine. In a pontiac, the torque is most efficient in the rpm range in which you drive. This is one of the books that many people looking for. Pontiac engines were last produced and used in 1981. Whether the engine is sitting in a car, on a stand, or on the floor, at first glance you will note that all pontiac blocks have a hydraulic lifter valley pan. But if your poncho uses a different v8, the information contained in this book will still apply to. Drawing on his vast experience, pontiac expert rotella uses detailed captions. This one book covers all the different pontiac v8 engines 350, 389, 400, 421, 428 and 455 and the many interchangeable parts among. Mark gittelman is an asecertified master technician with over three decades of experience in the auto repair field. The first digit is the month, the next 2 digits are the day of the month, and the last digit is the year 6. A pontiac 455 is more responsive than a chevy or a ford.

I am restoring my new toy, a 1977 pontiac 400 w72 4 speed trans am, no ac,more fun again anyway, motor seems fine but, well measure the bearings, pull the heads, etc. When car collectors encounter a classic pontiac, the first thing they do is pop the hood, hoping to see the legendary ram air 400 cubicinch engine, which was part of. If youre planning to rebuild an engine youve already got, or youre considering a pontiac v8 purchase in the near future, there are some important engine block, crankshaft, and connecting rod information you should be aware of. No matter what youre driving, we have the right pontiac 400 block for your automobile. The book instructs the reader how to skillfully pull the engine and. A slight amount of tune adjustment may be required to compensate for vehicle weight once. All engines can be custom painted to match your vehicle at your request. The following is eddies performance pontiac engine packages and pricing.

The 421ci v8 debuted in pontiacs parts books toward the end of the. Finally, many of the nations pontiac engine builders have submitted their engine package builds and this is another great plus in using these as a guideline in building your engine. Pontiac v8s 326 301 350 389 400 421 428 455 engine max performance manual automatic transmission 3. Check out this dyno video featuring a 460stroker pontiac. You must find the date code at the back lh side of the block first. The differances between a pontiac 400,and a pontiac 455. This is a quick block id for junk yard hunting, etc. These engines are simply too old to slap a set of rings in them, a big cam and expect them to live. The price of the core often depends on the market value at the time. For the street racing movement of the 1960s and 1970s, most competition was stoplight to stoplight, so a big, torquey v8 like a 400 or 455 pontiac with a lot of lowend grunt was the usual winner in a short distance over a more highstrung engine like a boss 429 or a 426 hemi. Achieving 600 streetable horsepower has never been easier for the average hobbyist, and the wide array of highperformance components available on todays aftermarket gives buyers countless options. Pontiac v8s 326 301 350 389 400 421 428 455 engine max performance manual.

Pontiac typically changed engine sizes by modifying the internal workings instead of the outward size, so many of. The letter is the month, next 2 digits are the day and the last digit is the year. Whether thats an all out race engine, perfect street engine, or something in between. True pontiac engines were made by the pontiac motor division. Engine theory by wallace racinghome of pontiac powered. Pontiac gto, pontiac lemans, pontiac tempest, the best source for gto books, gto parts, gto pictures, gto links,production numbers and vin decoder. The parts need to match and compliment each other in order to optimize performance. Pontiac 400 428 455 engine codes patterson coachworks. Engines may also be designed for the use of a blower, turbo, nitrous, or electronic fuel injection systems. This, the firstever book dedicated to rebuilding the pontiac v8 engine, is a. The pontiac firebird was an american automobile built by pontiac from the 1967 to 2002 model years. From 1959 on, engines displacing between 326 and 400 inches contained a main journal diameter of 3 inches, while 421, 428, and 455ci engines featured 3.

Pontiac engines, early 1955 to 1979 pontiac v8 engine parts and engine building. Renowned engine builder and technical writer david vizard turns his attention to extracting serious horsepower from smallblock chevy engines while doing it on a budget. The book by rocky rotella includes honest advice on the proper way to modify. J23 october 2,1963 d083 april 8, 1973 or 1963 the letter is the month, followed by the day one or 2 digits and the last number is the year. This new engine was based on all existing pontiac engine architecture and using the 326, 389, and 400 engines crank at 3. This photo shows where the block casting number and date code are located. Arma steel is the best followed by nodular and standard cast, all are good and pontiac engines dont have a problem with broken cranks. Get the best deals for pontiac 400 complete engine at. Pontiac firing order pontiac v8 265, 301, 307, 326, 350, 389, 400, 421, 428, 455 firing order cylinder numbering distributor rotation rotor under cap spins. But if your poncho uses a different v8, the information contained in this book will still apply to other engines such as the 347 or the 455. The book is designed for use with pontiac 400 v8 engines and includes steps for mild performance modifications to increase the engines horsepower to nearly 400 ponies. We work with the summit racing tech department to help you tackle your autorelated conundrums. Pontiac engines were available in many different displacements, ranging from 265 cid to 455 cid. Pontiac bookhow to build maxperformance pontiac v8s butler.

We offer a plethora of pontiac 400 block for your vehicle needs. All the above information was taken from pete mccarthys pontiac musclecar performance book. It also covers part selection and what you need to have done at your machine shop. Picking a pontiac 400 or 455 block for performance use hot rod. This book is an allnew color edition of a previous best seller. That was going to be the extent of the divisions uses for this engine. After outselling oakland, pontiac became the sole survivor of the two by 1932. When someone talks about a pontiac ram air numbers ii through iv, theyre talking about a series of limitededition, 400cubicinch muscle car engines built from 1967 through 1970. Picking a pontiac 400 or 455 block for performance use. See the particular engine s footnotes to see if cores charges apply, footnote u. How to build max performance pontiac v8s sa design.