[SD455DJ]

Originally Posted by MescaBug

Very nice car. Is that Palissade Green? Looks like Springfield Green from '72. One of my car was born this color. Not a big fan, but it looks awesome on your car with the steel wheels!

MescaBug...Yes, it is a slightly brighter version of Palisade Green (the original color). Believe it, or not, the factory listed dark green (Pepper green) for the steel wheel color when no full wheel discs were ordered. I think matching the body color looks best, but I may paint another set Pepper just for yucks.

Dennis

[MescaBug]

Originally Posted by SD455DJ

Believe it, or not, the factory listed dark green (Pepper green) for the steel wheel color when no full wheel discs were ordered.

No kiddin. I wonder why they didnt paint match the car/wheels. Pepper green is a lot darker than Palissade... Black would've been a better choice IMO, instead of different shades of green...

[SD455DJ]

Can you imagine pepper green wheels on a Verdoro green car? They called Verdoro a medium color and pepper dark.

Dennis

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by SD455DJ

MescaBug...Yes, it is a slightly brighter version of Palisade Green (the original color). Believe it, or not, the factory listed dark green (Pepper green) for the steel wheel color when no full wheel discs were ordered. I think matching the body color looks best, but I may paint another set Pepper just for yucks.

Dennis

Dennis, your '70 looks good. Personally believe the pepper green steel wheels will give it a little contrast & really give a good look From the assembly plants, seldom did '70-72 Pontiac A-body's with poverty caps have same color wheels as body color, too many times the matching color steel wheels look contrived. Dave Hall has a 72 LeMans Coupe on eBay right now. Monarch Yellow with same color wheels & poverty caps...just does not look right.

[SD455DJ]

Thanks Roger & Vince!

Here is the short block assembled and the pistons are all around .001" in the hole, which means we can use the Felpro 1016 head gasket with .039" crush to make our .040" quench goal and keep the compression around 9.75 to 1 to run on pump premium (93 octane in our area).

Dennis

[SD455DJ]

The static compression worked out to 9.94 to 1 exactly and cam was degreed in to be -2 (best Desktop Dyno numbers with the 2800...actually with the 2801 & 2802 cams too for yucks). The dipstick tubes and windage tray are installed, so now the heads are next. The Desktop Dyno is predicting 359 hp at 5000 rpm and 432 lbft at 3500 rpm. It'll probably be closer to 350 hp and 440 lbft., but we'll soon see.

Hopefully break-in will be in a couple weeks ,then to the dyno to see what a small valve 400 will do in pure stock form with just below advertised compression (10.0 to 1).

Dennis

[SD455DJ]

Getting closer...heads on, quench at .040" and the pushrods, rocker arms & pivots, guide plates, oil pump & driveshaft, fuel pump eccentric, and a few other pieces and she's ready to break-in of the test stand.

Dennis

[SD455DJ]

The day of reckoning is finally here! Any guesses as to what this 400 (406) will make on the dyno?

This motor is built for the pure stock drags and is based on the small valve 400 4-bbl available on both A & B bodies (non-GTO) that has 10.0 to 1 advertised compression, rated at 330 hp and 430 lbft torque. The stock factory cam is the 066 cam rated at 273/282 (200/210 @ .050” lift) and .413” lift.

The XV 400 motor build is finished, broken in on the test stand, and goes to the dyno tomorrow. To recap, the block is a late ’70 400 block (F240) that is .030 over (406 cu. in.) with Icon forged pistons (1/16” - 1/16” – 3/16” rings), RPM 4340 I-beam forged rods, stock N-crank, balanced with careful rebuild (not blueprinted). The pistons are off-the-self 400 + .030 pistons with the 1.720” pin (compression) height, 4.5 cc valve reliefs and .0015” in the hole. The head gaskets are Flepro 1016’s with .039” crush thickness for a quench of .041”.

The stock small valve # 16 heads (date castings D160 & E200) measured in at 78 cc’s after a slight clean-up cut (80 cc’s factory) with a calculated static compression ratio at 9.94 to 1. The stock pressed-in rocker studs were pinned (like in the good ol’ days) with stock 1.5 stamped rocker arms and factory pushrods. The valve springs are basic CC-990 with 120 lbs seat and 240 lbs @ .400” open pressure (5600 rpm max. shift points). The valves are 1-pc SS 1.96”/1.66” Ferrea’s with 45 degree faces/seats (no back-cutting of the valve heads). The heads weren’t flow benched, but other small valve heads flowed around 190-195 cfm intake/150-155 cfm exhaust stock.

The Q-jet carb we used on the dyno is a 7041264 (’71 400 auto application with 73/43 primaries and CC secondary rods to start out with) on an untouched ’70 cast iron intake manifold. The distributor is from a ’69 400 manual trans application with a Crane XRi electronic replacement ignition. The exhaust manifolds are the std. A-body log style with 2-1/8” openings flowing into Pypes mandrel bent 2.5” head pipes 4’ long.

The cam originally selected was going to be the Summit 2800, but we decided to go with the 2801 instead because of the higher compression to bleed off a bit more cylinder pressure since this is a street driven car 95% of the time. As discussed earlier, the Pure Stock Drags now base cam limitations on the engines ability to maintain 16 in. vacuum at 1200 rpm in neutral. The 2801 does that easily and (actually closer to 20 in.) and is very mild with minimal lope. It is essentially a high lift version of the factory 068 cam (214/224/112 @ .444”/.466” lift). Interestingly, the Desk-Top Dyno predicted 341 hp/445 lbft for the 2800 and 359 hp/429 lbft for the 2801, so very little difference and a trade-off of torque for horsepower. The 2801 was installed straight up as the DTD predicted the highest hp/tq and averages at -2 degrees with the 2801 valve timing specs anticipating timing chain stretch.

The ’70 small valve YH code 455 (462) I dyno’d a few years ago with the same compression and exhaust logs made 391 hp/512 lbft torque with the 2802 cam.

What you’re your predictions?

Dennis

[HWYSTR455]

I'll take a shot, just for fun:

310hp/365tq

Guessing it will be dependent of the type of dyno too, but went a little soft on purpose. It will probably pick up after say 10k miles or so too, after it loosens up some and along with fine tuning.


.

[footjoy]

That was a great story and a great build. I hope I can get 80% of what you got, in my build.

Greg

[Jack Peters]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

Dennis, your '70 looks good. Personally believe the pepper green steel wheels will give it a little contrast & really give a good look From the assembly plants, seldom did '70-72 Pontiac A-body's with poverty caps have same color wheels as body color, too many times the matching color steel wheels look contrived. Dave Hall has a 72 LeMans Coupe on eBay right now. Monarch Yellow with same color wheels & poverty caps...just does not look right.

My 71 had dark green wheels w/ poverty caps. Thought they were black until the first wash after driving up the Alaska Highway in April. Mostly gravel road. Really dirty. Noticed again when I put the slot mags on it.