[FASTASSBIRD]

Just picked this up this morning. Someone I trust verify ed the caps look legit and part numbers are correct. shouldn't this be a 2 bolt block?

[johnta1]

I would say it probably was drilled for 4 bolt mains, but had 2 bolt caps.
Probably someone added the 4 bolt caps.

Might see if you can tell if it was align bored?

[py71lemans]

I have a 70 WT block and it is drilled for 4 bolt mains but has 2 bolt mains on it.

[poncho-mike]

I've taken apart a number of 70 Formulas and Trans Ams. I found one WT out of probably five or six I''ve taken apart.

Incidentally, the factory literature says it should be a 4-bolt main block.

Mike

[marxjunk]

ive seen it..its not rare just uncommon...what...ya think they threw away all the 4 bolt blocks and they didnt use them?...i have owned a 70 4 bolt block that was ground and re stamped....the kicker is it was a YS code with a VIN...

[FASTASSBIRD]

block is virgin across the board came from the original car and has been in the guys shop for 20+ years. Was odd to see a non ram air motor with 4 bolt caps. Is a really early date code block so for now I think the just used up what that had theory doesn't quite work. Not saying it couldn't be what happened. Just that with a date code of L059 they still had plenty of time left to use stuff. I was thinking maybe a miss stamp from the factory? Was supposed to be say WS but got stamped incorrectly? Guess only way to find that out for sure would be to run the vin number and find out the phs on the vin.

[marxjunk]

id run the PHS..someone out there may be searching for it...or it may be a lead for you to run the car down

I think a few made it in the cars..ive heard of a few others..

[FASTASSBIRD]

Was thinking maybe misstamp? Was supposed to be a WS? I know not likely but we've all seen stranger things.....

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

L059 isn't early - that's more in the middle.
Early 70 castings are Gxx9 .
Think i even had a 70 Intake that was F309.

Many 70 WT's have been found with factory 4 bolt caps in my region over the years.
They were the "secret hot ticket" so to speak.
Never kept any tracking on date codes or anything else to see what might have been the factor.

I've had one, Ronnie Gates had 2 or 3 while he was dealing, Wayne Laws a couple, and several local PMD chasers have had at least 1 . This is going back as far as 30 years and rolling forward into mid-late 90's.
Back then - in this region - it was running something like an average of 1 or 2 four bolters for every 4 or 5 WT's found.
Numerous N.C. PMD gearheads i knew had warmed up/hot built 70 WT 4bolters in their cars.
Or had one in hold for future build.

70 WS and YZ 4bolters were worth too much to just do a non-application build up with them. If you were smart - you resold those.

All the 70 WT's I have ever witnessed were at minimum drilled and tapped for 4 bolt mains. But its the luck of your draw which ones got the 4 bolt caps installed.

A local has a 70 WT now, but it wasn't a lucky one.
Just drilled and tapped.

If nothing looks tampered - and you run the VIN - it will come back as a 70 WT car.
Never seen a block code error (wrong application code) stamp.
Shortages could occur at any point during production.
4 bolt 400's were used more widely and more frequently in 1970 than all other years combined practically. So more were kept on hold.

I'm not saying it involved any shortage scenario.
Don't know what caused some to be 4 bolt caps, and more others not.
We just took the gift and were thankful for it.

Hope all that helps a little.

73 TA 4spd 455 blocks were another source for occasional 4 bolters.

[poncho-mike]

This is a copy of a page out of the S section, Performance Options from the Pontiac Sales Manual. It states the 400 manual transmission engine should have 4-bolt mains.

That was also stated in another piece of original Pontiac literature which I can't seem to find. Regardless, it seems engineering thought all manual trans 400s should be equipped with 4-bolt mains.

[johnta1]

Thanks, Mike!
Very cool piece of paper.

[thepontiacman]

I haven't had a 70 WT with 4 bolt caps, but plenty of other Pontiac engines that weren't supposed to have them that did.