400 pontiac anyone ever done it?

[283nova]

i was just wondering if anybody has ever put a 400 pontiac in a 60-66 chevy/gmc truck if so what was all involved? a friend of mine is thinking of doing it with his 60 and i wanted to ask around and find out some info to help him out

[jonzcustomshop]

look up vin63 here on the board.. I am pretty sure he has a build thread on that subject

[1Bad62Pro/Street]

400 T/A 6.6 or the 400 HO.?
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[283nova]

i do not think that matters? a 400 pontiac is all the same size externally. but are you referrig to the differet mounting bosses?

[1Bad62Pro/Street]

Nah......
I was just meaning the motor in general.
I'm a hot rodder.
They were kinda popular back then.

400 T/A 6.6
In 1977 the 400 cubic inch T/A 6.6, (RPO code W72) was created to fulfill the vacuum of the lackluster 76 455 HO, with improved flow cyl "6X" casting heads borrowed from the 350 yielding higher compression, specific camshaft, 3.23 gearing, and a new dual muffler exhaust making 220 hp (160 kW), providing the Trans AM and Formula Firebird with a breath of new life after some dismal performance years. The 4 speed manual transmission was also available behind the 400 HO and the 301 HO. The 400 T/A 6.6 did not live long however, emission standards and fuel economy restrictions for 1980 model year doomed the powerplant. The 301 Turbo replaced the 400 HO in 1980, disappointing potential customers who were just getting excited about performance returning to Pontiac. The 400 HO Trans AM was the last of the performance cars available with the manual transmission, also yet another disappointment to potential customers. No hood scoop moniker denoted the 220 hp 400 HO except the standard "T/A 6.6". The 185 hp (138 kW) 403 Oldsmobile powered cars had "6.6L Litre". Historically the "T/A" prefix on the hoodscoop noted that it was a Pontiac sourced engine, and those ending in Litre were non Pontiac, with the exception of the 1976 50th Anniversary Pontiac Trans AM model and the overhead cam 6 cylinder, used rarely, but the firebird in 67 bore this badge. 1977 also had a T/A6.6 option that was rated at 200 hp (150 kW).

400 HO
This engine was first offered in 1967 as the third engine in the GTO and Firebird line (after the 400 2 bbl and the base 400)....It produced 360 bhp (268 kW; 365 PS), and had the cast iron headers. The camshaft was the HO cam with 288/ 301 duration. It was the top of the line engine until the 400 Ram Air was introduced later in the year. This engine was offered as an option in 1967 thru 1970.
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[1Bad62Pro/Street]

I always wanted a Buick Nail Head engine.
Wonder if anyone has put one in thier truck?
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[283nova]

i think its just a run of the mill mid to late 70'a 400 nothing to fancy

[vin63]

Here is a photo of my 400 block (455 crank, displacing 462 ci). I used a GM universal block mount and fabricated my own tubular block to frame mount (I had extra pieces of tubing laying around). I also fabricated a motorplate and forward bars assembly to help with the torque that my engine puts out. But, you can just use a simple Pontiac to GM corporate conversion mount that are found for A bodies, etc.

[283nova]

i was not aware that kinda kit was made? seeing as the majority of people go from a pontiac to a sbc, haha

[283nova]

i should have mentioned it has a mid 70's clip under it , so it would be like putting the pontiac v8 ito a 73-87 chevy and i have seen that swap done alot with BOP engines but just wondered what it would take.

[vin63]

The block mounts are readily available and you can use existing frame mounts (my truck project had neither when I adopted it, so I had to either buy them or fabricate them). My buddy has a 455 Pontiac in his '68 C-30 tow truck, using the factory mounts. Sometimes the more difficult part is the header selection if your friend goes that route.

[poncho_villa]

Pontiac engines are sadly overlooked and under-rated but are torque monsters. Especially with the displacement that vin63 has. Another attribute is that you don't have to yank the dizzy to change the intake manifold.

[283nova]

i agree with the overlooked aspect of the entire bop family especially Pontiac's.

[Str8axle]

Originally Posted by 1Bad62Pro/Street

I always wanted a Buick Nail Head engine.
Wonder if anyone has put one in thier truck?
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I did my 55 pickup with a '64 401 Nailhead. Fit nice and looked (to me) like it belonged. Truck was gonna be a beater. Sadly, sold it before I got to drive it.

[vin63]

Originally Posted by poncho_villa

Pontiac engines are sadly overlooked and under-rated but are torque monsters. Especially with the displacement that vin63 has. Another attribute is that you don't have to yank the dizzy to change the intake manifold.

Originally Posted by 283nova

i agree with the overlooked aspect of the entire bop family especially Pontiac's.

I built my Pontiac truck engine for daily use and to pull a trailer, with the goal to build a broad flat torque curve just off idle and to make peak HP by 5000 RPM...I just didn't see the use for high HP numbers at over 6000 RPM (not to mention I'm running an OD trans) on the street for daily use. It would be difficult to do this with a SBC or BBC at the lower RPMS and reach the same brake specific numbers.

[astrochimp]

Originally Posted by vin63

[COLOR="Navy"]I built my Pontiac truck engine for daily use and to pull a trailer, with the goal to build a broad flat torque curve just off idle and to make peak HP by 5000 RPM..

Love that 2500 RPM T number!

[66-PMD-GMC]

Wish I had seen this thread earlier.
I have a complete blow by blow, part by part break down of bolting the superior Pontiac engine into a 63-66 Chevy/GMC truck.

[poncho_villa]

Originally Posted by 66-PMD-GMC

Wish I had seen this thread earlier.
I have a complete blow by blow, part by part break down of bolting the superior Pontiac engine into a 63-66 Chevy/GMC truck.

Is there much difference in engine mount location between our garden variety small block chevy and lets say, a 389 Pontiac? Just curious if the engine would be closer to the rad or firewall or stay pretty much in the same place.

[1Bad62Pro/Street]

http://www.yearone.com/yodnn/vehicle...3/default.aspx
http://www.yearone.com/yodnn/Vehicle...7/Default.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_V8_engine
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[chevyrestoguy]

I always thought that GMC missed the boat when they decided to run the V-6. To me, GMCs should have gotten the Pontiac engines as the standard engine. A 389 (or 400) would be excellent in a truck. Trucks need torque to do what they do best, and the Pontiac engine is a perfect match.

I love the '60s-'70s Pontiacs.

That Nailhead idea is awesome, too. The Buick engine would be a great choice for a truck, too. They are smooth running torque monsters.

[66-PMD-GMC]

Originally Posted by poncho_villa

Is there much difference in engine mount location between our garden variety small block Chevy and lets say, a 389 Pontiac? Just curious if the engine would be closer to the rad or firewall or stay pretty much in the same place.

I used the motor plates/frame brackets or whatever they are called, from a 79 Olds powered (diesel) GMC. The top of the frame on the 63-66 needs to be trimmed a small amount to work properly.
Starting in 70, Pontiac started using a 5 bolt for motor mounts setup on the side of the block, 389 motors have only 2 holes for the motor mounts.
There is actually 2 ways to bolt any Pontiac into a 63-66. One way works only on the 70 and later blocks and the other works on both.
Pontiac started using side motor mounts in passenger cars in 59 think, maybe 60 but the pre side motor mount motors like the 370 Ponchos that went into GMC trucks were torque monsters too. They used a motor mount on the timing cover and 2 rear mounts on the bell housing like a chebby bell housing. They will bolt in too if a cross member is fabricated for the front mount.
I have been building Pontiac's since 1974 when I dragged an old LeMans home and built it up.
I agree with chevyrestoguy that GMC made a big mistake trying to develop their own motor when Pontiac was right across the street and they were already using them anyway.

[66trkbldr]

have done 425 nail head and 472 caddy (now) love to see something diff!!!

[66-PMD-GMC]

Originally Posted by chevyrestoguy

That Nailhead idea is awesome, too. The Buick engine would be a great choice for a truck, too. They are smooth running torque monsters.

Pontiac, Buick and Oldsmobile will bolt directly into a 63-66 truck without clearance issues.

[vin63]

Originally Posted by 66-PMD-GMC

...There is actually 2 ways to bolt any Pontiac into a 63-66. One way works only on the 70 and later blocks and the other works on both...

That's correct...very cool avatar (that's my old engine that was in Hot Rod mag.).

Here's what my blown Pontiac looks like today:

[66trkbldr]

got a 472 caddy that kept blowing up 12 bolts till it got a 68 caddy controlled diff. tight but it fits with stock cross member