1962 Catalina Engine/tranny swap!!

EASY and cheap, non-running hot SBC in a Pontiac!!!

 

Intake gets a coat of primer.

 

Heads get ready for machine shop

 

Nice I've never really seen the pontiac heads like that. Do you know the valve size comparisons between your head and a sbc?

 

SBC 350 Stock Head - Intake 1.94" Exhaust 1.5"

Pontiac 350 7H1 Head - Intake 1.96" Exhaust 1.77"

Now you see why Pontiac's make serious torque!! Look at a Pontiac motor carefully. Notice that it has a valley pan. From the factory AIR GAP INTAKE!!

 

More updates

Valley Pan gets cleaned and primed.



Intake gets painted blue.



Thermostat installed and cover installed. Good contrast of color.

 

Valley pan gets a coat of Hot Rod White.

 

Water pump diver plate clearance WAY TOO BIG. almost 1/4"!!!!



Here it is finished up with around .0125:

 

Just hope that paint stays on that valley pan....

 

Me too. I havent had that many issues with the valley pan. Mostly the water pump. Seems like it flakes off once antifreeze hits it!!

 

Well if you're worried about it get some glyptol (glyptal) paint to paint the valley pan or even the valley and anything else you want in your engine. Friend of mine did it in his stock car and tore the block off after his season and it was intact nothing flaked off. His engine got pretty hot at times too.

 

Well I dropped the bare cylinder heads off hoping to get them done cheap. No dice. One of the heads was warped, so that had to be taken down and I said to do a valve job so they will be brand new on this engine. So a fresh valve job and fresh deck.. Might get a .5 increase in SCR!! I will have more pictures and an update when I get the heads back from the machine shop. Should be a day or so.

Dave

 

I was very excited when I got my cylinder head done. Mine didn't require any machining. Only one valve was replaced, the guides were spot on. It was purdy when I picked it up.

 

Will you have to have the intake manifold milled to match as well?

 

Well one of the exhaust valves was cracked. Found out that the reason was because the head was warped and needed to be decked. I love a fresh head rebuild!