[FHC1971]

In 1971 were there any 400 motors with Ram Air or was it just in the 455s?

[Half-Inch Stud]

I think RA IIIs were thru 1970. HO and RA 455s 70-73, generally. I can tell by the avail heads.

[JSuchma]

You could order the 1971 formula 400 with the ram air option. If it was a stick car it also got the 7041263 single booster ring quadrajet!

[Formulabruce]

'71 the WU3 was available, but thats NOT a ram air engine., its an induction system.

[FHC1971]

Thank you all, I was not aware there was an option for the 400. I thought it was only the 455 HO.

[PunchT37]

I believe that “Ram Air”,as a marketing scheme, ended in 1970.
Also, the engines themselves were marketed as Ram Air engines.

[steve25]

In 71 and 72 the only V8 motors to get to get one of the most vital parts of a true ram air package, (I.E. the Exh manifolds )could only be had on the 455 HO motors.

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by FHC1971

Thank you all, I was not aware there was an option for the 400. I thought it was only the 455 HO.

Can someone please cite a credible source showing that the WU3 was available on anything besides the 455HO?

The information I have access to shows this RPO requires the 455HO engine.

I have understood that the WU3 RPO was specific to the Firebird model;
In 1971 it was an option only available to the 455HO.
In 1972 it was a required option with the 455HO.

I do not have 1971 Tempest/Lemans/GTO options literature, but I have 1972 literature - for 1972 the 455HO option included the ram air setup (pretty much exactly like it worked on the Firebird-Formula model).

Now(!) - for 1973, the option was expanded on the Firebird-Formula model to any car with a 4bbl engine;
For 1974, I had understood that it was made only available to cars with the 455(d-port) engine option - but my 'Firebird Red book' (1992 edition) cites the option only for the '35S' (400-4bbl) engine - but I have only observed it on '35W' (455-4bbl) cars.

I agree that the 'WU3' option does not designate the engine as a "Ram Air" engine - but rather. it is a 'ram air' (hood inlet) option.

I would suggest that the 1966.5-1970 "Ram Air" engines were a package of sorts;
They dictated engine components (heads, cam, and sometimes pistons), the 'high flow exhaust manifolds' (now known as 'Ram Air' manifolds), and what was known as a 'cold air induction system';
Over time people seem to have misused the term in Pontiac realms to attach it to engines (assemblies) which were NOT ram air engines.

Eg1: a 1970 Pontiac 400 is NOT a 'Ram Air (III)' because it comes drilled and tapped for four bolt mains.
Eg2: a 1966-72 Pontiac 400 is NOT a 'Ram Air' engine because someone slapped on a 'ram air' induction system, or 'ram air' exhaust manifolds.

[mchell]

Gto and firebird combinations offered in 71 …..from the dealer brochure …

[Half-Inch Stud]

8.2:1 hits quite high on the misery index

[mchell]

Originally Posted by Half-Inch Stud

8.2:1 hits quite high on the misery index

Might seem so but the lower compression engines (8.2-1)seemed to hang with the higher compression models. (Especially the 455). Personally attending Pontiac events with mostly stock Pontiacs seem to support this. This could purely be axle ratio as the low compression performance cars usually ran with the 3.55 gear set. And yes, given the right fuel and tune, I would expect a higher compression motor to outperform a lower compression motor hands down.

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by Half-Inch Stud

8.2:1 hits quite high on the misery index

meh, the 350-400-455 engines from 75-77 generally don’t even get that high;
I’d expect a 7.6:1 would be higher on this misery index.