Pontiac 400 swap???

[Articdrop]

I am picking up a Pontiac Firebird with the 400 in it. How different is this going to be to swap rather then swapping a 350??

I know the block is wider, does that mean I will need special mounts? or can I go with 350 mounts?

Any help is greatly appreciated. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif

[ZZ4Blazer]

Is it a small block? I thought that some of the BPO (or is it BOP) 400 motors were big blocks. Anyways, you might need different mounts. I know you will need a BPO tranny, or at least locate an adaptor for it. I know the athe BB pontiacs need special headers, that might too. The regular SBC S-10 V8 headers might not bolt up.

[mommasboy]

im pretty sure that the SBC swap headers wont work on a Small block Pontiac. Thats what it should be if its a 400. 6.6l small block.



Correct me if im wrong but the pontiac heads are quite a bit different than the sbc heads.

http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif

[ZZ4Blazer]

Im pretty sure we\'re right. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

[knudsonm]

400 pontiacs are big blocks. What year is the firebird? Late ones had 403 Olds motors in them and they are dogs. Get a SBC to put in and save yourself the headaches. Headers will be imposible to find and the manifolds are very restrictive. The motor mounts will need to be custom made for your motor and frame mount combo. You\'ll need a BOP tranny.

[80Harley]

Unless you are a magician don\'t try it. Get a SBC. Alot less problems. You will have cooling, steering clearance, exhaust problems to name a few. Also SBC performance parts are much cheaper.

[mommasboy]

On 2002-09-28 14:12, knudsonm wrote:

400 pontiacs are big blocks. What year is the firebird? Late ones had 403 Olds motors in them and they are dogs.





The Pontiac 400 in the trans-am\'s and firebirds are small blocks. I have a few friends that have them. They are a 6.6l small block, the scoop on some of them even says SB400 and others say T/A 6.6. And my buddy Joseph had one that was an 82 and was still the SB400. After that im not sure what motor they had in them. Either way it would be too damn hard to do it and Harley is right sbc chevy parts are cheaper.

[Articdrop]

Well, I guess it is pretty obvious that it would be more trouble than it is worth for the 400. I guess I will rebuild the scb I bought originally for the swap and go that route. Thanks for all the input guys. You saved me alot of headaches.. With all the money from asprin I can get my TH350 tranny for the sbc. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif

[bohn333]

Real pontiacs are not small blocks. There smaller then a big block chevy, but bigger then a SBC. So you can call them what you want. I have had lots and lots of 400\'s , You can get a ton of torque out of them but it will cost you. And every trans am i\'ve owned 77, 78, 79 and 84. not a one said SB400 on the hood. Pontiac went with chevy motors starting in 82. The shakers say 6.6 or 400 on 77 through 80. trust me on this, i\'m a trans am nut!!

[mommasboy]

My buddys 75 T/A said SB400 on the scoop, that all i know......But i do know for a FACT that it was a Sb 400

[Mike]

there is a smallblock 400 and there is also a big block 400

[bigfoot]

pontiac parts are too expensive.

compared to sbc 350

[knudsonm]

OK guys here\'s the deal there weren\'t any small block Pontiacs ever. They all used basically the same block from the lowly 301 to the 455. As for the T/A 6.6 they made SD 400 as in Super Duty. In 82 Pontiac switched to the corporate engines as in the SBC 305/350 with Chevrolet. Buick and Olds held out for a few more years.

[Poolhusler8]

pontiac doesn\'t classify there blocks as small or big from what i know and i think you might be able to create your own mounts to fit if that helps at all

[basementdweller]

As far as i know older Pontiac motors aren\'t classifed as big blocks or small blocks. There are chevy power buicks..olds.. and pontiacs.. but older cars like.. the LeMans, Tempest, Trans Ams.. were PONTIAC 400s.. they are equivalent to the big block chevys. There is no 400 small block PONTIAC motor.. only Chevy 400 small blocks. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif

[Articdrop]

I know chevy has a SB400 because we had one in the racecar. I will get the numbers off the engine tomorrow and then I will know the true identity of this block,LOL

I am supposed to get the car on the 10th of Oct.

If it is the 6.6, I will find a way to swap it.

http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/fun_11.gif

Someone at S-series.org told me there is a Pontiac powered S-series somewhere on the net, Just don\'t know the link. Anybody? http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif

[PursuitS10]

I wish he would find that link because i\'d like to see that also.

[LT4BLAZER]

[quote]

On 2002-09-28 01:14, Articdrop wrote:

I am picking up a Pontiac Firebird with the 400 in it. How different is this going to be to swap rather then swapping a 350??

I know the block is wider, does that mean I will need special mounts? or can I go with 350 mounts?

Any help is greatly appreciated. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif

[/quote





Pontiac did not make a \"small\" block engine. The 301 is smaller than any othr engine only because it has shorter deck height which makes the intake narrower. from the 326 to the 455, all have interchangable heads, frt timing covers, intakes, exhaust, unless you get into the ram air 3, ram air 4, and ram air 5 stuff but thats another story! Also if you plan on putting a Pontiac, Oldsmobile , or a Buick in a s-10 frame, beware that you will have to cut a section of engine crossmember out on left side (driver) to make room for the BOP starter, which is on opposite sides from the Chevy design. That alone should be worth doing a Chevy engine!!

[Articdrop]

I ran the vin number and found out that the car came with a 231, but the kid insists the engine is a 400. So know I have to run the engine block numbers. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_eek.gif

[knudsonm]

The odd fire V6 was a POS but was even better than the even fire. I blow up a couple in my day. You will definately need to check block ID number because that is how the GTO came about - Ol\' John DeLorean snuck a 389 into a Tempest that was supposed to have a 326 and the corporate bean counters never knew until the car sold like crazy, and started the muscle car era.

[bohn333]

isn\'t a 231 a 6 cylinder.

[knudsonm]

On 2002-10-01 19:30, bohn333 wrote:

isn\'t a 231 a 6 cylinder.





Yup!!! http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif

[Articdrop]

The 231 is a V-6, The engine in it is a wide block, 4bbl carb, and HEI. I can\'t read the numbers yet because the equipment is still installed. I am picking up the car on the 13th of Oct. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif

[Articdrop]

Found out after running block numbers and head numbers and found that it is an OLDS 403 SB.

I wonder how hard it would be to swap into my 82\' S-10. http://www.s10v8.com/images/smilies/icon_eek.gif

[knudsonm]

The Olds 403 is a dog of an engine. Building a SBC is cheap and easier and will give better performance and reliability. The SBC also weighs a lot less than the Olds

[Vlad]

\"The SBC also weighs a lot less than the Olds\"

Do you have any numbers on this?