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Hope ya find this stuff helpful and also buy from Ken’s Speed & Machine Shop! None of this stuff is in any particular order: Just stuff I do or find helps make your Pontiac Engine assembly easier. I recommend using block fill to the bottom of the center freeze plug when building any Pontiac engine over 425hp. It’s cheap durability. Pontiacs are known for a weak main bearing webbing support area because of increasing the bore size and main bearing size over the years with the same block dimensions. We have a good block fill and it pours without hassles and sets up in 2 hours to do the other side. I use ARP main studs to help displace the cap load with two threaded load areas. Deburring your block and heads, internally and externally, especially around the lifter bore and oil drain back areas. Block and Head Casting seams need removed. This removes stress risers and cost nothing to do but buy a cheap Home Depot or Lowe’s dremel. I use Permatex Ultra Grey Silicone sealer exclusively for the past 4 years. The best I’ve found so far to control leaks. When installing the valley pan. I silicone the gasket to the pan, wait 10 minutes and install it onto the block and just snug it in place. Take a flat-headed screw driver and run it down both sides of the pan to slide the gasket back in place along the valley pan rail, then tighten your 2 center bolts till the middle rides on the block and then another ¾ turn. I also use silicone under the 2 center bolts to help seal them and it keeps oil from being forced out around the heads of the bolts. I torque head bolts and studs from the center out and tighten the top row first in an outward pattern. I feel that it help clamp the weak 4 bolts per cylinder better. I use Copper gasket spray sealer on Felpro 8180PT gaskets when hp levels are over 350hp. Have found that it prevents water leaks into the cylinders under loads after a long time in use. Make sure when you clean the stock valley pan that “IT IS CLEAN!!!!.” I have seen carbon and trash that is hung up inside the two section tray ruin an engine because it was tanked and the loose stuff that wasn’t removed and hidden, filled the pump and scared the bearings. The aluminum valley pan (we also sell and make) is an option if original isn’t required. You can go the pcv in the valve cover with a breather on the other side for emission control and venting. Or just two breathers, one in each valve cover. I use the Mopar style breathers with the hose attachment and use ½” heater hose down between the firewall and fenderwells. They also make SS or cover hoses. At the higher rpms it keeps the oil from dripping all over the covers and down the sides from those open breathers. I run a bead of Grey Silicone around the head and block where the pan will rest and let sit for 15 minutes then install the pan and tighten till it’s about a 1/16” or so away from the block in the middle area. I then trim excess off the heads with an Exacto knife or razor blade. When installing the BOP seal. Pre-fit and make sure you have a little of the seal area extending out of the block and cap with a hard press fit with your hands. You need that to force the seal into the webbing to create a round seal. Always fill the 2 indents in the rear main block and cap with grey silicone. Install your seal. Take a thin blade small screwdriver and wipe any excess silicone from around the back of the seal. Install the cap without the crank and torque to 100 ft/lbs. Let it sit overnight. Remove cap and trim any excess silicone with a razor blade to make sure the lip of the seal will flatten without any high spots. I think that people that are having a problem is that the excess silicone is not letting the seal flatten when the crank is installed. I have only had to trim 2 seals in a 100 or so installs so far. When having your block honed. Make sure your shop torques the mains. With the thinner Pontiac main webbing area, there is distortion in the lower part of the block. I elongate the main bearing shells toward the block feed holes. This allows a direct path for the oil to feed the main and rod bearings. The rear main doesn’t need done as it has a wider load area. If you look at the oil feed system of the Pontiac block you will see that the mains are fed from the lifter bore galley first!!! Bad design. The rockers feed first on the drivers side. Then the passenger side is fed from the front man bearing area. With the advent of Chinese cheaper Steel H beam rods on the market, I recommend them if your pocket book will allow. Think about what your gonna spend anyway. 20 year old plus "used" rods. Cast at best. Installing ARP bolts, resizing, balancing. With the price of our ProLine H beam steel rods at $399.00…………. who shouldn’t have? Cast pistons are good, but with the newer tighter fitting piston designs and the Sealed power coated skirt pistons. Durability is an issue if you going keep your ride and hammering it on a regular basis. Moly rings are a must. But make sure your shop knows your using them to get the right finish. I also use a Finishing Brush, called a Ferrea brush (The Italians came up with it first for the Ferrea engines) after the final hone. It removes the sharp, can’t see with the naked eye, edges on the hone plateau for a quicker and better seal. Make sure they use it. I also hone and don’t let it cool, as I feel it helps put heat in the block to simulate some of the actual operating temp and distorts the block to that purpose. I have read that it does and doesn’t work. But my race engines with moly rings and 400hp of spray go 50+ passes without a loss in ring seal. Make sure you have plenty of clean white rags and wipe you cylinders, pan rail, deck, etc. Clean with carb spray until there is no noticeable dirt on your rag. I use a lot of air after I wipe a block clean. The weak point in the Pontiac valve train is the pushrods and rockers once you get into the stronger aftermarket valve springs and want to run in the 5500 rpm + range. Usually after the 120 lbs seat and 285 lbs open range. Go the roller rocker and moly pushrod deal. I've seen and personally (back in the day) bent and broke too many to count. But since going the roller rocker and moly pushrod way. None. Convert your valve train to an adjustable one if you have the replaceable screw in studs. Whether your using stock rockers or any upgraded valve hardware. These are Big Block Chevy 7/16’ replacement studs available at any Parts store. We stock them by the box of 100. You can also use the BBC crimp style factory nut too. That way you can set your preload and attain more top end power. I have the valve adjustment procedure on my website. I have found that when installing the 6X head on a 455, it likes the 1.77 exhaust valve when cam specs get into the 224@.050 and .500 lift range and headers. All the early High Performance 400’s ran this valve and flew. ;) Hummmmmmmm. Raising the port roof 1/8” or so and matching the intake to that really wakes up the Pontiac engine as it gives the air/fuel flow a straighter path or charge. Pontiac uses a 14 degree valve angle, which is awesome…….. however, the port roof and floors are designed with a low entry and have to make a sharp turn into the combustion chamber. Bad design. That’s why the RA IV and aftermarket heads all use a taller entry port to make power. Try running down your hall flat out and make a 90 degree turn, splat dude. All intakes and combos are not created equal. A dual plane will not necessarily make more power on a 455 then a 360 open type. I have found that the pull of a good mid range 455 likes the open manifold. Depending on the combo. If you decide to port match your intake (and the Edelbrock Performer intake really needs it), Always match on the smaller side to create velocity. Better a mistake to the small side then large. LOL. Keep the floor raised a 1/16 of an inch or so to help control reversion. This is “supposed to be” almost non existent with today’s cam profiles, but I still see it ocasionally on engines that I’m freshening up or rebuilding with upgrades. If you don’t have the ability to run a windage tray, Use the crank scraper. We sell and make them. It helps control the oil and keeps it off the cylinder walls on the passenger side. That way the oil ring has less to do. Always run a baffled oil pan. They are now available new (we sell them, lol) and cheap hp with oil control. Don’t forget to install the lower dipstick tube. There are 2 sections to the whole tube. Otherwise the stick will get caught up in the crank and pieces will go everywhere. Have the oil holes radiused in your crank when it’s polished or turned undersize. Helps the Pontiac oiling. Make sure you have at least .014-side clearance between your rods if you plan on running in the 4500 rpm and above bracket. This helps reduce oil temps as the oil can escape and flow better back to the pan. Your idle oil pressure might drop a tad, but as long as you have 10lbs for every 1000 rpms, no harm no foul. Pontiacs back in the day ran a lot of pressure and clearances because they thought that’s what they needed. With today’s technology and parts, it all depends on assembly, parts used and what you're going to do with it.
More tips as they hit me to jot down. Check back often. LOL. Added: 10/16/03:
Always install the "Block to Timing Cover" dowels. If you don't, you take a chance of the front seal leaking around the harmonic balancer from being installed off center. There is a lot of play in the 3/8' bolts used to mount the cover. If your's are smashed or lost, we make and sell a solid aluminum dowel bushing that won't get smashed like the thin steel factory units. We also make a longer one for motor plate applications. Added: 11/25/03:
If your going to run any rocker ratio over 1.5 on a D-port Pontiac head you "MUST" elongate the pushrod holes. Otherwise the pushrod will bind in the hole. The 1.65 rockers were designed to be used with the RA heads, which already had enlarged holes from the factory. You must start your grinding about 3/16" toward the rocker stud and angle down about halfway into the head pushrod hole. Then "Always" recheck (I call it Dummy up) the head on the block and your pushrod/rocker at TDC. Snug to almost zero lash. The pushrod should turn freely with no noticable load in the rocker pushrod end.
Added: 12/26/03 Free Info to my website visitors:
Here is what I use for assembling the heads on any Pontiac Engine. Additional items I feel need addressed;
#1 Always make sure your bolt or stud threads are clean and deburred before you start.
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