[Bonneville462]

The 73 400 will be perfect... Hope your swapping in the Turbo 400 along with it...

[1badLemans]

That 400 should work perfectly and bolt up to your original trans no problem. I would just check you bolt pattern on both flywheels just to make sure they will bolt up to your torque converter but i'm 99% sure everything will bolt up. Also, make sure to check you car for bad fuel. Old nasty fuel will gum up your carb really fast, it happened to me with a car that had not been run in 5years and I figured if I just filled it up with some fresh it would all mix in. But I was wrong . Alot of 400 were 2 bolt mains, only rare 400s were the 4 bolt and this one will be fine. Keep us posted!

[al vegas]

.ok i got the elusive 400. do i need to disconnect the tourqe converter when extracting the motor in the car. i removed everything else

[WDCreech]

Originally Posted by al vegas

.ok i got the elusive 400. do i need to disconnect the tourqe converter when extracting the motor in the car. i removed everything else

No. The torque converter can stay bolted to the flex-plate and it will easily slide out of the transmission. If you can get it, it would be wise to get the the transmission, too.

[cobalt327]

It should be obvious, but don't try to reinstall the engine w/just the TC bolted to the flexplate, unless the transmission is also bolted to the engine and you install both into the car at the same time.

[MARTINSR]

My suggestion is to bring the motor to a machine shop and find out if it is just "rusted and cruddy" or does it have real problems because EVERY motor in an old car looks "rusted and cruddy".

I don't know these Pontiacs very well and you need to find a someone here (I seem to remember one of the members here is VERY well versed in these cars) or go to a site where there are people well versed in them. But back then the GM cars could be very different one year to the next. For instance 1964 was the first year for the now famous "Turbo 400". I don't think it was used by Pontiac until 65, and many of the GM motors had bell housing bolt patterns that changed about then. And a year newer motor may not bolt to that trans.

Just don't give up right away on that 389. Rebuilding it may be cheaper than buying another motor and ending up rebuilding it or a number of other goofy things that can happen when we try to save money.

Brian

[al vegas]

thanks for the help

[al vegas]

hey everyone thanks for the great advise . the 400 from the 73 cat bolted right up to my existing trans. the fly wheel and clutch from the 64 389 had to be put on the 73 400 thats it bolt on. the 400 was aut but it had a newer style tourqe converter. the 64 has a colum shift so the tourqe convertor is already on the trans opposed to the 73. the 64 had a fly wheel and clutch.. anyways didnt crank it up yet but its all good . **** i forgot to take pictures

[cujoky]

Originally Posted by ramzoom

I know of a rebuilt 389 in So Cal that's available....its a 65 manual trans block single 4bbl numbers....longblock...pm me if you'd like details..it belongs to my old man.

[cujoky]

i'm interested in the 65 389 engine how much and a phone # or call me 859-340-2151

[dalesy]

Whatever Pontiac motor you get, pull the timing cover, and make sure it has had the timing gears replaced with steel ones. The old stock nylon ones are notorious for failure.

While you're at it, pull the pan, and make sure it's clean. Some shops replaced the timing gears, and left the trash (old teeth) laying down in the pan, waiting to jam up the oil pump.

While you're doin' it, do it right............