[SD455DJ]

We finally got the time (and the inspiration) to pull the RAIII 400 out of the Formula. It developed a slight bottom end knock when coming back from the 2022 TA Nationals and been parked since then. We spent yesterday pulling the engine (first time it’s been out of the engine bay since it left the Norwood assembly plant in late April of 1970). Instead of being down for another year, we decide to install another engine in temporarily, a 455HO from Dan’s engine stash. It been in several Pontiac A-body’s and was also in a 1971 T-37 that was raced at the Pure Stock Drags back around 2010 and was a participant in Pontiac Enthusiasts Magazines Pavement Pounders series where it went 12.50’s at 108 mph. It’s served duty in a ’71 Judge and GTO while their engines were out being rebuilt most recently.

The plan for the RAIII is to install forged rods & pistons, 1-piece stainless steel valves, bronze guides, new springs and retainers, poly-locks, etc. for durability. We’ll see if the original 068 ‘S’ cam & lifters are still good to be reused. If not, we’ll likely go with the Summit 2801 cam with Johnson Hylift hydraulic lifters. I’m going to keep the original RA exhaust manifolds on it in lieu of the oversized outlet units. We’ll be keeping the quench tight at .040” and the static compression ratio as low as possible, hopefully around 10.2 to 1. It should run well on 93 octane fuel with the proper timing curve and jetting. We will dyno the engine and post the results when that happens (this fall most likely). The build will be identical to the small valve XV code 400 in my ’70 Tempest with the only differences being the large valve #12 heads and the RA exhaust manifolds. That engine dyno’d at 385 hp/454 lb-ft torque, so we’re thinking 400+ hp/475 lb-ft should be attainable.

Dennis