I have an original 326 that I assume will need rebuilt in the near future and I was under the impression that if I put the HO 141 heads on my motor it will get me into the 285hp range maybe close to 300hp with upgraded pistons? I already have a 4barrel carb, hei, and dual exhaust. Just looking for a peppy cruiser. Just wondering if this all sound correct before I buy these heads for my build. I'm a complete novice by the way.
That is a very nice picture, beautiful country. You certainly can do that with your motor just make sure you talk with your builder and don't make the car so you can't use pump gas unless you don't mind blending in race or av gas. A good builder will set your compression ratio where it needs to be. I know it's hard when your a novice but the most important thing when going into a build is to have clearly defined goals. Unfortunately those goals will all come with the price of compromise. Power vs. drivability and fuel type use. Rear diff gear ratios pwr. vs fuel economy . and highway usability. and trans type if you have an original 2 speed auto they are great for regular driving and cruising but not so great for power from a dead stop or low speeds. and then there is the budget, always a compromise especially if your married. The only way to have clearly defined goals is to understand all the compromises and honestly assess how you want to enjoy the car.You will need to do a lot of research on this site in the FAQ and forums sections to get there.
Thank you for the great info. I am married, but been given the green light on most things. I'd be willing to bet my wife is tired of hearing about everything I've been learning on this sight and the firebird groups. I'm always researching, so many helpful people like yourself. I think my biggest issue is that I live out in the middle of nowhere. Finding a builder within 2 hours of me will be lucky. Been looking for the right vert for 20+ years and jumped maybe too soon, but at least I'll learn every square inch of this car. I think an HO engine with pump gas heads is my goal for a peppy cruiser. Next thing I need to figure out is the tranny. It seems as though the 2 speed is slipping and if that is the case I'm leaning towards the 200 4r. Seems to be what people are using for the cruiser. I have a 2.93 open rear, but it is my understanding is that I could make it a posi unit. I see a few guys really pleased with the 3.08 posi and firgured a 2.93 would be pretty close. So far I'm loving the process.
You can certainly squeeze some horses out of 326. But be careful of a couple of things... 1st as mentioned if the compression ratios are too high the car becomes a PITA. Tuning is finicky and needs fancy gas. Also beware of over carbing it. The next thought is if you keep it "original" you will be putting a lot of time and money into the 326. And after all those mods is it "original" anymore? Everyone has a different opinion... and only your opinion matters because it's your car. That being said you can easily drop a stockish 400 in there and your peppy cruiser will be a no brainer. You will hear that quite a bit. And it makes sense and doesn't cost any more. Last thought... with the small cube Pontiacs, or any lower cube muscle car for that matter, gearing is very important if you want to move out.
I am a stock type guy so my engines need to appear stock on the outside but the inside is a whole nother ball game. don't get stuck thinking you need to use the components that were used back in 67. If you want a pump gas engine there are better modern cams and parts to use to hit your target with lower compression. As far as those heads I don't think the valves are any bigger it was just a smaller chambered head to raise the compression, an easy way to get more power back in the day. Don't trust my memory though do some more research, Wallace racing has a good site with lots of engine info. Have you gotten the engine running to verify it's health? if you can get it running good you might just try and get to know it first if you have never driven that configuration before. You may find it is good enough and save some money. As far as the trans. make sure it is full of fluid it doesn't take being low much to make them slip. Unless abused they are a very stout unit. Posi or safety trac. as it's called in Pontiacs is cool but in my opinion save your money because with lower horsepower auto and higher geared cars (lower numerically) it's really not needed and won't make the car any faster off the line. Don't hesitate to ask anything here there are a lot of helpful people, sometimes the board is a little slow but you will get your answer. I hear you on the engine builder, I guess there are downsides to living in paradise.
Thanks again barnbird for all the helpful advice. I recently got it running but with a high idle. I first found the hei was bad so I replaced that and thought it was my old black carb so I put on a new carb and now I just need to figure out the vacuum lines and timing I think. I'm handy but no mechanic. I'd really like to drive it but the body guy said he wouldn't drive it because of the holes in the floor. My goal is to have a driver while collecting the bits to make it my vision. It wouldn't move at first so I put in atf and now it moves hesitantly. I can totally agree with you about the original look. Nothing better than that good ole original beauty. Oh and thanks for noticing our little paradise. I've got 3 boys that are forced to spend most of their time outside. lol. Here is a pic of our sledding/dirtbike hill. Hey any chance you could tell me what I'm missing in this other pic, under my distributor is a hole with silicone/seal around it.
just beautiful what kind of bike do you have? my daughter has a Honda crf 230 and I have a Husqvarna te 450 and a rev 4 skidoo renegade for the snow. In looking closer at the picture of that hole it looks like the pcv location in the valley pan but that should be towards the front, so backwards. maybe take a better picture. there is also a plug on the drivers side in the block. next to the distributor. there is a vacuum diagram on this site I think maybe in the FAQ section. Be careful just throwing parts at it without diagnosis it can get expensive. I am not sure how bad the holes in the floor are but if you could of seen some of the stuff I drove around in back in the day you would be shocked. If not to bad you could always just rivet or screw in some metal using roofing tar to seal up the seams until you get the time /money to do it right and have floors welded in. if unsure if ok post some pictures and will try to help. Recheck your fluid level of course while it's running, it will probably need more after the initial fill. take a look at this thread for some advise on resurrecting a long dormant motor. https://firstgenfirebird.org/forums...n-find-parked-since-1994.html#Post328586
I recently bought an xt250 dual sport, a little small but great for the old man group rides in the mountains and putting around with the boys. Good read on that thread. I will get some zinc additive asap. I didn't replace fuel lines and there wasn't a fuel tank, but I did replace the fuel pump, tank, filter. It sounds like it would run decent when I figure out a few things. I think it was a parts car due to a lot of parts being bad/missing. HEI tested bad, came without carb, broken neutral safety switch (that one took me some time to figure.lol). I've been printing and saving useful info I come across and picking parts I know I'll need later. I love all the great knowledge everyone shares.
Ya, that's a pcv valve grommet. do you have a pcv valve hooked up in the front of the manifold in the valley pan like that? You can't put the valley pan on backwards so maybe someone drilled a hole there and installed it for ?? I'm at a loss on this one never seen that before. My bike is a dual sport also, makes it easier to get from trail system to trail system.
A good set of heavy duty floor mats will take care of those holes!! LOL To Barnbird's point there is driving... and then there is driving. Be safe for sure but a low speed spin around the block is probably ok. If you got brakes that is! Of course if you put a foot through the floor disregard the previous advice.
Memory failing me again. That is the stock location in 67 for the pcv valve. you need to get one and a hose and connect to manifold vacuum. just make sure you have a breather cap in valve cover. You will have to readjust carb afterward.
Thanks UCONN sledding has been a blast, we've been getting tons of snow this year. You guys are probably right, a spin around the block isn't a huge deal. I'll try to refrain from spinning them around the block.lol