where can a fellow get a master kit for a 350 pontiac without pawning the car? by the way, its in a 50 buick special. $635 is the low dollar around here.
The 400 pontiac kit is cheaper. And will work in a 389 if you bore it about .055. Shop around and piece it together, I think the only difference in a 350 is either the bore or the stroke - or maybe both, but the main bearings, gaskets, oil pump, etc. should all be the same as any other Pontiac.
its usually cheaper to piece it together. The year of the engine only matters when it comes to intake gaskets, otherwise all 350s are virtually the same. Most parts interchange with the 400, and all but the crank, mains and pistons interchange with the 455/428/421. get a set of these. $256/set http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=STL%2D357P60&autoview=sku some rod bearings, they are same for all non 301 pontiacs. I would give you exact part numbers but you will need an undersize. http://store.summitracing.com/egnse...94890863+4294919599+4294840135+115+4294870491 http://store.summitracing.com/egnse...94890863+4294919599+4294840135+115+4294870443 main bearings from a 400 are the same, and a gasket set for any of them will work with a year break for the intake at 1972. If you have post 72 heads use the 75 intake gasket, if you have pre 72 heads use the 72 gasket. recondition the stock rods and get some rings or the pistons and you are in business The only difference between a 350 and a 400 shortblock is the bore. So the rest can be 400 parts, just not pistons and rings.
btw, a 350 has a 3.905 bore while the 400/428 has a 4.12 bore. you cannot bore a 350 out large enough to use 389 slugs. A 389 that is .060 over is same bore as a 400. Both the 350 and 400 use a 3.75" stroke crank, it is balanced differently because of the piston size but you can swap them with a rebalance. All rods are the same and all heads will physically bolt up. Pre 67 heads have a different valve inclination angle, something like 24 degrees and the post 67 have 14 degree incl angle. So they will not swap. Pre 65 intakes wont bolt to post 65 heads. Some 68-74 350 blocks dont have a chamfer at the top of the bore so you cant run the 2.11 intake valves unless you chamfer the bore. Need anything else, just ask. oh and a factory grind cam would work nice, its refered to as 068. Alternatively a Summit racing 2801 or 2802 cam would work well, the 2802 with headers and a 4 barrel carb. A stock Qjet intake works very well, even the EGR ones. I live Pontiacs...
The fact is engine kit prices pretty much run in line with the popularity of the engine. Millions of SBC's out there, so those kits are cheap. I bought one for a 392 International a few years back that listed at $1400, got it at a discount for about $850. Part of the reason everybody runs a SBC. Unfortunately, for some engines the parts are a little pricey and there's not much of a chance to buy 'em cheap.
True but the Pontiac choices are greater and not as expensive as most would lead you to believe. A speed shop doesnt want to mess with them because most of them are clueless about them. A 400 Pontiac can be built comparably to a 400 sbc if you shop accordingly and use similar parts, ie forged pistons, and quality bearings and gaskets. if you go ultra cheap, then you get ultra cheep engine that doesnt last. part of the problem is its a 350, most people opt for the 400 or 455 simply because they will bolt in where a 350 is, and they look exactly the same. All the differences are internal. So why not use all the tin, and the intake and peripherals from the 350 and put them on a larger engine? If he had a 400 he could get it done for around $1500 with forged pistons provided his machinist doesnt rake him over the coals because it isnt an almighty chevy. A 350 is tougher but can still be done.
I have a complete 400 short block rebuilt. Itcame with lots of parts. Is there a pontiac parts interchange book? Thanks ,great info
Not much, once you run it and the valves collide with the pistons because the valve reliefs don't line up.
damn guys, i just learned more about pontiac engine specs and id codes than i ever knew! thanks for all the links. i now know that i have a 1972 350 with 7h1 heads that are not really that bad. in. 1.96 ex. 1.66 w/80 c.c. chambers. could be alot worse. i also have a 74 350 with 76, 6x heads, which, by the numbers are a pretty good head with 2.11 intake and 1.66 exhaust and 91 c.c. chambers. i know these heads have been ported and polished, and shaved down a bit. now as for parts, only a trip to the machine shop will tell. does butlers do machine work? they are only 40 miles from here. we have no one here that i trust. the 72 is in the car and running, no smoke, low oil pressure, a slapping skirt, and lots of blow by. it came out of my 72 gto i traded for a utility pole. 15 years ago. the 74 is on the stand, its been bored 30 over with 10/10 on the crank. so i could build it a little at a time, and still be able to drive the buick. and not break my broke bank. i do think driving the buick to nashville is out thou. oh well. maybe next year. thanks again for all yalls help.
Ask your machine shop about getting the parts. On the 392 International I mentioned above, I beat my regular parts outfit (CarQuest) down a little on the price and they told me that was absolutely as low as they could go. Then when I get to get the block from the machine shop they told me they could have beaten that price by almost $100.
i have to find, a machine shop. general automotive and machine in huntsville shut down. sad day. and what we have here is just a joke. i need some machine shop advice. some one within 100 miles? i am completely out of the loop when it comes to machine shops. i personaly havent built an engine since 92. i usually hire it out for the customers. i know no one who i trust and can afford more than myself when it comes to my engine. + the motto around here is "its not a chevrolet"?
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