Page M-1 — Engine Application – All Series – First Generation Firebird (1967, 1968, 1969)

An enhanced reproduction of the original Pontiac Sales Manual used in 1968 showrooms which described all the equipment that was available on the Firebird. This album has become a rare and valuable resource.

1968 Pontiac Sales Manual

Engine Application – All Series

Pontiac’s engine story takes on added significance with the introduction of four new power plants for 1968 – two 250-cubic-inch OHC 6 engines and two 350-cubic-inch V-8 engines.

Also, your new car customers will welcome the many refinements and improvements to be found in Pontiac’s complete 1968 engine lineup – all-new features that will assure the owner greater driving economy, smoother engine performance, increased engine power, cooler overall operation and substantially reduced exhaust emission.

AMONG THE MANY NEW FEATURES ARE:

Thermostatically Controlled Carburetor Air Preheater – Standard on All Engines. This special unit provides additional warm air to the carburetor to greatly improve cold-weather operation, virtually eliminate carburetor icing conditions and reduce exhaust emission.

Closed Crankcase Ventilation System – Standard on All Engines. New, simplified design is more efficient, neater in appearance and easier to service.

New Dual-vacuum Distributor – Standard on All Engines. All-new and a Pontiac Exclusive. Specially designed to provide a 10° ignition spark retard at idle, this new unit helps control exhaust emission without affecting normal engine performance or operation.

New Crankshaft – All OHC 6 Engines. This new crankshaft has 12 counterweights as compared to 4 in 1967. This design substantially reduces bearing loads and results in smoother engine operation at all engine speeds.

High-performance Quadra-jet Carburetor – Standard on All 4-BBL Engines. This carburetor features large secondaries which retain high-speed performance characteristics while a smaller primary helps reduce exhaust emission and improves economy at idle and low-speed operation.

New Idle Stop Solenoid – Standard on all Engines. This special solenoid automatically reduces engine idle speed to prevent the condition of after-running when ignition is turned off.

Mono-jet Carburetor – Standard on 1-BBL OHC 6 Engines with Manual Transmission. All-new and specially designed to significantly reduce exhaust emission and provide improved economy and performance in all driving ranges.

High-inertia Harmonic Balancer – Standard on All Engines. New design improves tuning characteristics to provide smoother engine operation at higher engine speeds.

New Remote Choke System – Standard on All 2-BBL V-8 Engines. Specially designed for improved reliability, efficiency and ease of service.

New “High-efficiency” Ignition Coil – Standard on 1- and 4-BBL OHC 6 Engines. This new coil, approximately one half the size of the 1967 coil, is specially designed to provide added protection against ignition system shorting, thus reducing the possibility of engine malfunction.

New Engine Front Mounts – 1- and 4-BBL OHC 6 Engines. These mounts, tuned specifically for the new 250-cubic-inch engines, minimize and isolate annoying vibrations for increased driving pleasure.

Newly Designed Cylinder Heads – All V-8 Engines. Smoother interior configuration and added depth promote faster burning of the fuel mixture, resulting in a substantial reduction of exhaust emission.

All Intake and Exhaust Valves – These valves, made of special steel, feature flash-chromed finish on the stems. This refinement results in longer valve life by improving wear characteristics.

Valve Spacing Increased, Valve Angles Revised – All V-8 Engines. This new design results in freer breathing characteristics and improved valve cooling for increased engine efficiency.

All-new “Power Flex” Fans – Standard on Firebird 400 and GTO, and on Other Models Equipped with OHC 6 Engine and Air Conditioning or Models Equipped with 428 H.O. Engines. Available as separate option on most other engines. These 19-inch fans feature thin, flexible blades of stainless steel. Designed with a given pitch, the fans provide excellent idle cooling performance, operate much more quietly at higher engine speeds and require a minimum of horsepower at higher speeds.

New Wide Cross-flow Radiator – Standard on Catalina, Executive, Bonneville and Grand Prix. The cooling area of this radiator has been enlarged by increasing radiator core width two inches. This added width improves engine cooling while driving in congested traffic or during hot-weather, high-speed operation.

All-new Delcotron Alternator-Regulator – Standard on Grand Prix. An Industry First. This new alternator features a “solid state” voltage regulator with integrated circuits inside the alternator. This unique approach to voltage regulator mounting eliminates many external wires and connections, provides improved voltage control and added reliability, and substantially increases battery life.

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