[charles vance]

Does that sound southern?( you know, were for where and stuff )
If not it must be this DAMM Hennessy.

[bmpmdf]

I have changed many chevy cams because the fuel lobe was ate up. During the 80's, chevies were using such garbage for cams that it is a wonder gm didn't go belly up repairing them. As for the water pump, it's a nightmare if you break a bolt in any engine. And as for the intake story, that applys to every engine. The Pontiac down turned exhaust ports were for easier exhaust under chassis exit and to prevent burned plug wires. Oh, on the easier to put headers on a chevy thing, not in an S10 !!! But I'll get into that little project of mine another time. hehehehe

[meanken]

Yeah, I remember the notorious Chevy cam problems. I replaced a bunch of em too, but they all had the lifter lobes ate off of them. Boy did I make a bunch of money on those, and got pretty good at changing them too. (at first GM wouldn't pay warranty on them)
And a 15 minute Pontiac intake swap just can't be beat.
I wasn't being ugly, It's just always Chevy that gets brought up into this topic and I was curious as to why. I guess it does kinda make sense since it is the most abundant one out there. Carry on, gents.

[Ron Landis]

Interesting to hear Edelbrock brag on their "revolutionary" new Air Gap intake design, worth 10 hp, they say. When customers ask me to explain, I just use a Pontiac intake as comparison, usually the RAIV, just to make my point, and explain to them that it was a NASCAR design initially. Also tease them about screw in studs, oil deflectors and windage trays, which they don't have. pontiac went to "rollover" heads in '67, from 20 degrees to 14 degrees, whereas Chevy still uses the 23 degree design even though it is proven tha the 18 degree makes more power. I won't even go into Fords. Pushrods? What day was your car made on? Do you have shaft, rail type or pedistal mount rockers? What is the deck height of your small block? What a cluster!

[ATF204]

Reading through all of these replies has given me a new respect and appreciation for the innovations and designs that the Pontiac engineers developed such a long time ago. Makes me even more proud to be a pontiac nut instead of your run of the mill chevy/ford guy.


-ATF

[pontiac6269]

skid2964, you could post your Jeep project in the Non Pontiac Motors in Pontiacs section of the forum, its also for Pontiac engines in other makes. I would like to see you keep project,as this is something Ive thought about doing in a Jeep J series pickup. Soory about the hijack.

[Dryseals]

Having owned and worked on many different cars and engines, sounds like Pontiac should have moved the distributor up front. The it would be almost perfect.

[vidguy]

I recall someone once explaining that decision also..

anyone??

[carbking]

ATF204 - this thread explains some of the reasons some of us "old-timers" prefer real Pontiac engines to the corporate bowtie small block.

Jon.

[ilikebmx999]

the only thing that frustrates me about my 389 is the distributor in the back of the motor. its so cramped back there. then again i did own my buick engine before the pontiac so im just not used to it being back there.

[Juliano]

Real men wear bow-tie or do I have that backwards.

[skid2964]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by pontiac6269:
skid2964, you could post your Jeep project in the Non Pontiac Motors in Pontiacs section of the forum, its also for Pontiac engines in other makes. I would like to see you keep project,as this is something Ive thought about doing in a Jeep J series pickup. Soory about the hijack. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, I will do that ....

[PMDRACER]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> the only thing that frustrates me about my 389 is the distributor in the back of the motor. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Get hold of BOP Engineering. They can get you all setup with a front mounted distributor.
http://www.bopengineering.com/beltdrive_acc_front.shtml

[jamaca85]

has anybody said anything about the part swapping of a pontiac motor vs chevy. pontiacs all interchange from 326-455, cranks on 326-400only rods on all heads,intake, exhaust, chevy certain small blocks, no part swapping onto the big block chevy.

[Scarebird]

One issue with a front mounted distributor is the oil pump. Most GM apps use a rear sump pan, so you have quite a distance to prime that oil pump. Cadillacs had this issue also.

[Tom Vaught]

A LOT of Super Street high horsepower Fords
use a normal front mounted pump and a rear sump with long pick-up and have no issues with the
pump getting a prime.

You MUST securely mount the pick up tube for the
pump near the screen or it will eventually break
and you will have an air leak and loss of prime.

As more and more Pontiac guys embrace efi technology
you can have the coil packs near the front of the engine and never have to go near the back except to initially install the cam sensor/ oil pump drive.

Butler's engine has this provision on it. It also will
allow a better tunnel ram design intake manifold with
the distributor gone.

Tom V.

[FantomPoncho]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by meanken:

I'm not just stirring up crap here, like I said, I like Pontiacs, but why not bring up pros and cons about ALL makes, not just the Chevies? If pontiac engines were so superior, why are they not the "Corporate" engines of today? just a thought. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The fact that Pontiac power did not become the "corporate" engines of today had absolutely nothing to do with which engine had the best design. It was a bean-counter decision. Chevies always were GMs baby because they sold the most cars. There was always preference given to chevies. Recall GM's tripower ban after 1966? Why could you get tripower in a '67 corvette? Or how about motors no bigger than 400 c.i. in mid-size cars? Why could you get a 427 in a corvette or camaro?

Considering the many advantages listed in this thread, imagine what kind of engine the Pontiac motor would be if it WAS the corporate motor of today? Besides the few after market companies doing the minute amount of develpment, R&D for this motor has been dead since 1980. At yet is still lives, in fact, it's thriving more today than ever!

[Ron Landis]

BTW, Juliano...it's "bowties are for sissies!"

[Shasta]

Been reading the thread and have learned lots of interesting stuff as the 455 for the wagon is the first pontiac V-8 I have worked with, And there are some things I like about it and others, chevys (the other v-8 I have worked with)are better, But one thing I havn't seen really explained.
What is with the water pump set up? The intermedieate plate and the bushings?
When I took my heads in to be done, the old guy in the machine shop talked about how to make sure the bushings were ok because it was a common mistake to make on the pontiac motor to leave them out and have an overheating problem. So was there an adbantage to the design?
BTW the project is almost done. Too much stuff getting in the way.

[71 formula]

I don't know exactly why they made the setup like that. My personal opinion is i like the chevy style water pump better but i have never had any problem with it. But i have heard that the pontiac pumps have a bigger impeller and i guess the housing has to be larger. Any one else have any comments?