Along with the many great design ideas Pontiac had there are a couple elements that seem like they could have been improved;
The water passage between the back of the timing cover and the front of the intake manifold. Pulling the intake towards the timing cover with that slender bolt can alter the alignment of the ports in the heads to the intake. Although sawing off the front of the intake solves this and allows for a dry intake swap...I would have prefered a short section of hose ala Olds or BBC.
Non adjustable valve train - decking the block or shaving the heads can really foul this up if you're sticking with the factory system. I guess it's easy enough to convert the heads to an adjustable system, just kind of a puzzlement why the non-adjustable design was held to.
Out of curiosity, which other major Engine designs used a non-adjustable valve train? Was it more economical to build on the assembly line? Was it less prone to problems for the duration of the warranty?
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