Technical Talk to me about Olds & Buick small blocks

yeah, chevys work!

 

Only reason I didn't give an answer on the bop bell pattern was other guys had already covered it. Figured I'd contribute variables ahead of the bop bell


As for mounting*******'s this day an age youre free to mount whatever******* you want

 

Never ever seen nor built a Pontiac that ever cracked around a lifter bore, never seen or had one that cracked anywhere.

I've owned and built quite a few, (over 30 ? Atleast) never had a block or head failure whatsoever.

....

 

Then you got extremely lucky. Happens often enough multiple companies sell a Pontiac lifter brace to specifically fight cracking

 

Went through the rocker pivot bs with Olds, I've seen the plastic rocker parts cracked on Buick 430,455. Never owned a Pontiac, I did hear once long ago they don't drain well from the top end , and to run an extra quart of oil in the pan, which goes against common sense

 

Well, ladies and gentlemen, it was a valiant effort, but that big a55 engine just won’t squeeze into the narrow frame rails. So close, up yet so far. Good news is it was a free to try experiment, and tomorrow I’ll return the Poncho engine to its rightful owner.
And now, I’m back to plan A. An SBC it is.. I’m gonna paint that*****er green and call it a Pontiac “Corporate Engine”.

 

You need a pair of the rare SBC valve covers stamped with PONTIAC.
Staggered bolt holes:
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachments/4bf66ed5-c3c4-46b8-be62-08750543f65f-jpeg.5287385/
Straight bolt holes with decal:
http://www.bruneauperformance.ca/pics/021402-1.jpg

 

Decal for 327 type valve covers:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/362141022623

 

My nice weather daily driver 70 Skylark has the original 350. It runs great, has plenty of power and torque, even with the factory 2bbl. Not much as far as speed parts and it's thirsty for what it is.

 

Think you could get your hands on an ohv 1960s inline six Pontiac engine? That'd not only be an actually cool unique swap but would be narrower

 

It's only an issue with big roller cams.

 

That would be far too long for his engine bay, plus, while the block/head/oil pan are narrower, the intake sticks out 9 inches on the left, and the oil pump/distributor drive sticks out a few inches on the right...did I mention they are tall, too, with the timing belt cover being the highest point at the front of the engine? They are cool, have good torque, and can rev up to 6,000 rpm, but not a great fit for most swap situations.

Any traditional V8 is going to be a snug fit in that engine bay and will require priorities to be set, the sooner the better for your wallet.

 

I missed your post before I made mine. The SBC is a great choice. They're cheap to build, it doesn't take much to make them rip, you can make them look nice, and they've been traditional since 1955.

If you wanted something less common, but BOP and small, the Buick/Olds 215 is a really cool engine family. Early Buick ones have Nailhead looks. Rover (English) continued to manufacture the engine into the 90's, with displacements around 5 liters.

All that said, the SBC is an excellent choice. There's a reason why it's the bellybutton! Just avoid anything street-roddy like a billet dipstick.

 

I like where this is going.

 

I was on the hunt for one. They’re hard to come by. I found a guy with a few of them, but he’d rather die with them sitting in his shed.