[OVERULD]

Congrats on Both of your 455s!

BJ

[RicksGTO]

very nice to find the original block is still standard bore and everything looks good.

[2manyT/A'S]

Originally Posted by 165th

For my 455th post on these boards I thought I would update that last weekend the motor was delivered to Jim Robertson in Abilene to handle the rebuild.

Jim is well known here on PY. Mark Samford at Samford Racing Heads does all of the machine work. Here is a link with some information on a motor they just finished for Milt Milton: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=654615

During dis-assembly we were pleased to find standard bore pistons and untouched (non ported) heads and intake. Rods and crank are all original, but the pistons had been changed along the way. The cylinders look great which was not surprising for a 73K original mile car, so we'll see how they true up.

Since the limiting factor to producing horsepower will be the mechanical fuel pump and 2 1/4" collector on the original exhaust manifolds, we are going to target 400HP, leaving the intake and heads stock.

455 posts?

That's a GOOD round (port) # !

[1971WARBIRD]

question on the 71 HO motors. when did they do the change over from the early to late block? 483667 is listed as the early block casting and 485428 is listed as the late block.

i sold a couple of 1971 trans am's to a guy back in 1990 and he called the other day looking for an auto block for one of them. he still has the XF 70 4 bolt block i gave him but he is trying to find a 71 casting number block, i'm just not sure which he needs.

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by 1971WARBIRD

question on the 71 HO motors. when did they do the change over from the early to late block? 483667 is listed as the early block casting and 485428 is listed as the late block.

i sold a couple of 1971 trans am's to a guy back in 1990 and he called the other day looking for an auto block for one of them. he still has the XF 70 4 bolt block i gave him but he is trying to find a 71 casting number block, i'm just not sure which he needs.

Best I can help is with the two '71's I have now. Both were VN built, FWIW. The 12D (28th) TA has the #667 & the 05A (5th) is a #428.

[Tellyshavilli]

When is his car built ?

[1971WARBIRD]

feb build, he has not given me the exact date.

[Tellyshavilli]

Originally Posted by 1971WARBIRD

feb build, he has not given me the exact date.

If its Feb then the block should be a 485428. whats the date on the xf block?

[1971WARBIRD]

it's still at his house, i'll have him check.
i built it for a 73 bird i cloned into a 71 Blue TA back in 83 and broke the frame in it after a few years. when he bought the cars i let him have the XF as the auto car had a 71 400 in it when i got it. at the time the XF had a complete 71 HO top end. when i bought the XF it was a complete motor, but i used the 64 heads on another car a few years later.we did +.030 TRW, crane blazer cam(218-230/.450-.465), mellings 60lbs pump with HD shaft, 71 HO heads, intake, carb, and hooker headers( i couldn't find manifolds back then). my first round port and MANY have followed.
a story of the motor in my TA clone, i miss that car more than any i've had.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=529226

[wwilder9]

Originally Posted by 1971WARBIRD

feb build, he has not given me the exact date.

Joe,
The 71 that I got from you is a February car. Do you want me to look at the numbers, and tell you what it has?
Wayne

[Formulabruce]

Following GM "Mentality" as to holiday re tooling, adding in mandatory DOT stuff which went by Calendar years, I would say its a good bet all early castings were CAST in 1970. Newer in 71. So an 01 A, B or C car could have an early block.
Yes this is speculative, however have seen it with GM a bunch of times on many different things.

[OVERULD]

Originally Posted by 1971WARBIRD

my first round port and MANY have followed.
a story of the motor in my TA clone, i miss that car more than any i've had.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=529226

Love that story!

BJ

[1971WARBIRD]

Originally Posted by wwilder9

Joe,
The 71 that I got from you is a February car. Do you want me to look at the numbers, and tell you what it has?
Wayne

if you could that would be great. Art bought an auto that was a rusty driver with the motor replaced by a 1971 400, and a matching number 4 speed that came with 2 pickup loads of NOS parts. the story behind the 4 speed is almost as good as the one for your blue car.

a guy bought it home on leave from Viet Nam in 1971, went back and got both legs messed up by a grenade. since he couldn't drive a stick anymore he gave it to his brother. after awhile it ended up with brother number 3. brother 3 was a coast to coast trucker who left the car with #2. in the early 80's the car was sent to a body shop where it sat for about a year if i remember right with out being touched. #3 got mad and brought it back to #2's house. in 1984 #2 was getting a divorce and #3 had to move it and i just happened to see the ad. pretty much every piece that you could get NOS except a roof(quarters,fenders,hood,door skins,trunk lid,inner-outterwheel houses,drop offs...you get the idea). this car was built to run, white/blue standard interior,455HO 4 speed, 3.73 gears and nothing else. don't think i ever got the PHS on this one before Art bought it. still had the polyglass tires on it when i got it, with Rally II's and trim rings.

after talking with him the other day,he said he had 2 69's(TA) that he had just finished. i need to get over and see his stuff. he doesn't play on the computer, but i'm trying to get him on here.

[165th]

After reviewing these details with a couple of members here, and searching around on the threads, I can't quite find all the info on this topic. I'm trying to clarify the details associated with the passenger side heat stove and vacuum hose gutter bracket:

The vacuum hose gutter bracket (available from PY RPE230) bolts to the intake studs. That's clear.

The heat stove base plate may have two tabs and appears to snap into two slots on a U shaped bracket, also mounted to the intake studs?

A. Can someone confirm both brackets do bolt to the center crossover studs?

B. Does anyone know if the heat stove U shaped bracket is reproduced? If not, maybe Norwood could produce this. The sketch provided could be sent straight to production I'm sure.

C. The only heat stove base plate that I've been able to find does not look like it's close to being correct for this application. Has anyone found a correct base plate that includes the tabs to snap into the bracket? Pictures of an original base plate would be great also.

First picture shows the gutter bracket.
Next 3 identify the U shaped bracket with slots.
Last pic is a sketch of the U shaped bracket.

[njsteve]

I don't think the 72s used the gutter as they did not have the same bunch of vacuum hoses running to the 71 style, multi port thermostatic valve. The 72 had the purge valve with only two large vacuum hoses, one from the charcoal canister and the other from the front of the carb.

[165th]

Steve, you may be right. The '72 assembly manual doesn't show it and the parts manual lists it for '71 only. In addition, the second and third pic above is from a members car (ccie3611) who's car is an original unrestored car. His engine only has the U shaped bracket that would support the heat stove base.

I'll try to find out if the picture I posted was a '71 or '72.

Regarding the heat stove, are there some detailed pics of the original heat stove base plate mounting details. How did you mount yours? Did you have your original, or did you find a correct reproduction?

[njsteve]

Mine doesnt have that u-shaped bracket, so someone tell Norwood to make them! I need one, too! My choke stove pipe is mounted from the one side only at the moment.

[Norwood]

exact demensions are?

[165th]

Here's some additional information. These three pictures are '71's, which seems to establish some consistency that the '71's got the gutter bracket. So far, no original '72 engines with a gutter bracket. I think Steve has it right, that the '72's didn't have this part.

[165th]

And regarding the heat stove base plate, here are some pictures of original '72 engines (the black and white pic's are from a period car magazine... Great pics right!!).

It seems both styles of on base plate mounting are possible.

Thanks to all the members who are providing input/pictures on this one!