I have just spent the past hour reading past posts regarding the proper designation of the Pontiac 400 engine.
My main question originally was whether or not it was considered a small block or big block engine. Come to find out, I will be drawn and quartered if I call it that around Pontiac buffs! From what I read the Pontiac blocks are all the same dimensions from 326 to 455 but the internals are different, ok, cool, I can understand that. However I do have the following questions that have now arisen:
1) I thought that a 350 was a 350, no matter what car it originally came in. Are 350 Pontiac’s different from 350 Chevy’s?
2) If they are different, what is difference and how do you know if you have a Pontiac or Chevy engine?
3) Is a 400 block from 1968 the same as one from 1973? Does this goes for other components too?
4) I hear a lot of talk about different heads that came on 400 cars and ratios, reliability, etc… What is the difference, which are the best, worst, where is this information. I have 6X, #8 1975 heads on a 73 block. What does all this mean? Where can I learn about the different combinations and qualities of these parts?
5) How can you tell what block you have (code locations and where to reference them, web site)?
6) Aftermarket manufactures always reference Chevy small block, big block, etc... never Pontiac engine sizes. In this arena, for ordering purposes is the 400 considered a Chevy small block (sorry for that, I have to know)?
7) I want to replace my waterpump with a high volume one, but the manufacture is referring to them as small or big block Chevy short or long, etc... What’s the difference and which applies to this car?
I know that these are a lot of questions that may be common knowledge to the seasoned Pontiac buff but I am new to these cars and need to know so I can hang with you guys and gals
