[bjam2]

I have a 82 El Camino SS. Right now there is a chevy 350 in it.

I was gonna keep the 350 but then I found a Pontiac 455 for $300.

The 350 has headers, 650 double pumper carb, polished air-gap intake, and miscellaneous chrome parts. I was gonna keep this and make it into a 383 stroker or use most of the parts with a 400 block.

So should I go for the 383 stroker , 400 chevy, or 455 Pontiac.

Also there are no small or big block Pontiacs right? And how much are Pontiac 400's like chevy 400's?

[shagginwagonvic]

Your right all pontiac engines are the same block
what i found being the owner of a trans am with a 400 pontiac is that the weight of the pontiac is more than the chevys and the pontiac is a big block and the chevy is a small block
there are no similarities
i would stick with the small block chevy 400 that would be the best way to go being lighter than the pontiac and cheaper than a 383 stroker

[Halloweenking]

Keep the 350, you already have something good going for you. I have a 455 and they aren't cheap to rebuild or get work done too. Build the 400 or 383.

[lluv2run]

go for the 383, it runs cooler than the 400, and is much more streetable

[jeff of nc]

Theres no substute for cubic inches! Just keep in mind when pricing your parts that the 455 will require a BOP transmission, and good heads flowing heads may be harder to find, but with 100+ extra ci's who cares? My next choice would be the 383, but thats just me, I like something diffrent.

[hank4jc2003]

I have a 72 with a 350, for now Its cool but when I built it I'm going for a 454 chevy.

[madamstn]

400 hundreds by chevy aren't even like chevy. The connecting rods are short, the engine is a small block. The short rod throughs the piston more heavily into the thrust side wall. Scrap it fast as possible. The only real reference to small block pontiac is crankshaft journal diameter. There is no small block. Parts are expensive. A 455 definetly redlines at 5700. The connecting rod bolts break. That is always the case. None hold at 7000. 3.75 stroke. But it is a torque engine however. What is your rod length on the stroker. What I ask before anything is what is the rod to stroke ratio. What is the rod length center to center,vs; stroke. 1.83 like 426 Hemi is good number. AS you get closer to 2 the engine doesn't have enough vaccum to draw fuel in. It has to have a blower of some sort. Pontiacs all are long stroke. One of the magazines years ago did a article on 455s . 425hp at 5000 rpm.Don't get funny itwill break. Theyused heads off 72 and 73 gto 400's. Gives 10.0 compression ratio. Then you have to cam it. In a transam with a 2.50 differential ratio ford axle, the only place to get 2.50 diff, they were running a TA at 160 mph Of course the distributer, carb jets, and size all had to be tuned together,Not to tough. Pontiac never messed much with their heads. They knew that they could not flow at 7000 anyway. The head casting numbers are on the middle section of the head 7k3 and 96, if I remember correctly. I will take the 455 myself. But I have said about what every one else has. Pontiac is what I do, I will take the 455. I need another one. I don't have a clue on the heads I am the only persion I know who has a set. If I did not have a huge pile of parts, I would never start with pontiac. It is just to expensive. The parts are dissapearing, the people that know much are going, chevy still moving on.

[malc]

This is from 2002, just maybe he solved his dilemma.

[QuenchPiston]

Originally Posted by madamstn

400 hundreds by chevy aren't even like chevy. The connecting rods are short, the engine is a small block. The short rod throughs the piston more heavily into the thrust side wall. Scrap it fast as possible. The only real reference to small block pontiac is crankshaft journal diameter. There is no small block. Parts are expensive. A 455 definetly redlines at 5700. The connecting rod bolts break. That is always the case. None hold at 7000. 3.75 stroke. But it is a torque engine however. What is your rod length on the stroker. What I ask before anything is what is the rod to stroke ratio. What is the rod length center to center,vs; stroke. 1.83 like 426 Hemi is good number. AS you get closer to 2 the engine doesn't have enough vaccum to draw fuel in. It has to have a blower of some sort. Pontiacs all are long stroke. One of the magazines years ago did a article on 455s . 425hp at 5000 rpm.Don't get funny itwill break. Theyused heads off 72 and 73 gto 400's. Gives 10.0 compression ratio. Then you have to cam it. In a transam with a 2.50 differential ratio ford axle, the only place to get 2.50 diff, they were running a TA at 160 mph Of course the distributer, carb jets, and size all had to be tuned together,Not to tough. Pontiac never messed much with their heads. They knew that they could not flow at 7000 anyway. The head casting numbers are on the middle section of the head 7k3 and 96, if I remember correctly. I will take the 455 myself. But I have said about what every one else has. Pontiac is what I do, I will take the 455. I need another one. I don't have a clue on the heads I am the only persion I know who has a set. If I did not have a huge pile of parts, I would never start with pontiac. It is just to expensive. The parts are dissapearing, the people that know much are going, chevy still moving on.

Although this thread originated in 2002, this particular post is the dumbest post I have read yet. It is full of false information. For example: "AS you get closer to 2 the engine doesn't have enough vaccum to draw fuel in. It has to have a blower of some sort." Right! Go tell that one to Ferrari which uses a 2.41 rod stroke ratio in their F1. Read a few of these first and then decide for yourself: http://www.pontiacpower.com/20Myths.htm
However, be careful of this guy since I have read some questionable things about him that I don't know if they are true or false. Perhaps we can get a little info on him and his credibility.

[poncho62]

Originally Posted by QuenchPiston

However, be careful of this guy since I have read some questionable things about him that I don't know if they are true or false. Perhaps we can get a little info on him and his credibility.

Credibility is in the eye of the beholder.....Most people can see right through the B.S. posts.............A person in these forums can say whatever they like...............within reason. Whether, what they say is take as gospel, is another thing.

In the case of this thread, the reason that it probably stopped at that point, was that many members saw the B.S. and figured a comment wouldn't do any good, so they let it die.

[QuenchPiston]

Originally Posted by poncho62

Credibility is in the eye of the beholder.....Most people can see right through the B.S. posts.............A person in these forums can say whatever they like...............within reason. Whether, what they say is take as gospel, is another thing.

In the case of this thread, the reason that it probably stopped at that point, was that many members saw the B.S. and figured a comment wouldn't do any good, so they let it die.

Yes I can see that but it is not good practice especially if a inexperienced person building a Pontiac stumbles on this thread and does not have enough knowledge to know better. A very knowledgeable member should come by and set it straight or at least the moderator should put out a request that someone fix the information. This forum is claimed to be the largest forum on the net for hot rodders, lets not make it the biggest b.s. site on the net.

[poncho62]

If we editted posts, it would be a fine line ............many would call that censorship.......We will not be going that route. All information on these forums is voluntary.......How you interpret them is also voluntary.

[Henry Highrise]

I never could understand why some people look for and dig up old threads......Why don't they just start a new thread? Poncho is right though...if all the post were edited and some deleted etc. then there would be no freedom of speech.

[QuenchPiston]

I was searching for something kind of different than this thread but I have to admit that it did spark my interest and then I read that b.s. post and well, I just couldn't stand that info especially about the rod stroke ratio. There are some other people that post that pass along info about R/S ratio that is not true. Some hot rodders would read them and possibly miss out on the benefits of R/S ratio as well as other parameters can provide. You know its kind of like this, tell a person building a 383 sbchevy that he should build his engine with 400 rods and an army of people put down that idea stating that longer rods should be used. But on the other hand mention any other engine made that came stock with longer rods and the same army of people dispel the benefits or the purpose of that long rod. I just like to see honest and truthful discussions. And I wholeheartedly agree that you should not remove or edit posts, I never said that.

[machine shop tom]

Originally Posted by QuenchPiston

I was searching for something kind of different than this thread but I have to admit that it did spark my interest and then I read that b.s. post and well, I just couldn't stand that info especially about the rod stroke ratio. There are some other people that post that pass along info about R/S ratio that is not true. Some hot rodders would read them and possibly miss out on the benefits of R/S ratio as well as other parameters can provide. You know its kind of like this, tell a person building a 383 sbchevy that he should build his engine with 400 rods and an army of people put down that idea stating that longer rods should be used. But on the other hand mention any other engine made that came stock with longer rods and the same army of people dispel the benefits or the purpose of that long rod. I just like to see honest and truthful discussions. And I wholeheartedly agree that you should not remove or edit posts, I never said that.

The fact that that old post hasn't been resurrected tells me that it has run it's course and the bad info it contained has probably been discounted. You don't need to dig up old posts to comment on (you have a habit of doing that, it has been noticed by myself and other mods). Instead, why don't you add something original and useful to the forum?

tom