[tom s]

Thanks,never been lucky enough to own a factory crate V engine but have put a lot of them together from scratch.On the hunt for another V block as I have enough to build another.Would really like another 366 or short deck 303 but would take a 400.It has become a sickness with me.At one time I sold all my V engines and parts and then the 366 fell into my lap.Tom

[SD455DJ]

Originally Posted by Gary H

Tom, thanks for the pictures of all the ultra cool blocks and other parts you have. It has always amazed me the rare stuff you have collected! I'm even more impressed that you're not just a parts collector. You actually build engines using the rarest of the rare, and then share the results. You da man!

So true...and he's a super nice guy too.

Dennis

[TRADERMIKE 2012]

[QUOTE=tekuhn;6293313] Rare - YES
Ram Air V - yes
Decked 389/400 - no. The 303 was made in short deck and standard deck versions. This is a standard deck meaning the deck height is the same as 389/400, but it’s reinforced and special.
Used in Trans Am series - it was intended for it, but program was killed before they could meet production requirements for homologation.

Mikes reply:

I must be thinking that when Pontiac was in development for a 300 ci Engine or a Canadian racer was driving a Camaro "Titus" I think, they needed a motor to compete because they got kicked off the track for not being Factory stock. Story goes..., they cut the Deck down on a Block and grabbed certain rods off the shelf to produce a 300 ci engine to compete with Chevy and Fords 302 ci prior to the actual Homologated version that never was.

[tom s]

Mike,you think wrong!They built a short deck 303 engine for the 69 SCCA season.You cant cut a 400 block down a inch.Titus took the engine and did well and was told they could race it as the factory only made 25 engines.The factory went back and tried a 303 std deck 303 and it was a dog as EVERYTHING got longer and more heavy.They then just caved in a ran the Canadian pontiac 302 engine.I have been doing the v deal for almost 23 years now and have built just about every block they made but NEVER ran 303 CI,always made them at least 366 CI.I still believe two engine straight up,a tunnel port with a pushrod thru the port wont make a better engine than a Dport conventional style pontiac engine.FWIW,Tom

[TRADERMIKE 2012]

Originally Posted by TRADERMIKE 2012

Ya, he is in one of the videos for sure!

Mike thought:
Sorry, I thought you were talking about Junior Johnson in one of the videos I posted recently.

[TRADERMIKE 2012]

Wew! I thought I lost my memory, at least I have some Idea of what I read in the past. Thanks for clarifying the exactness of the Incident. Those Blocks are History and I for one am Interested. Until know I have only read about these X Engines, nice to see them in their Baby cloths. I read something about the Ram air 5 in that it was problematic on the Race track? They had little Endurance it seems and were used up fast by being so unreliable. Today's version of the Aftermarket Ram Air 5 are Built well and I for one would like to own a ( IIA ) Aftermarket Block (I think it is called). There more solid in the webbing area than the SD 455 was.

[tom s]

FYI,the 303 RAV block has a filled in lifter bore area like a SBC.The 455 SD and 400 RAV blocks have all the lifter bores joined.If you don’t have Pete McCarthy Pontiac book you need to get one and you will be able to learn a ton about Pontiac HP engines.Tom

[TRADERMIKE 2012]

[QUOTE=TRADERMIKE 2012;6293385]

Wew! I thought I lost my memory, at least I have some Idea of what I read in the past. Thanks for clarifying the exactness of the "Titus" Incident. Your Blocks are History and I personally would like to thank you for sharing them with us along with your 25 years' experience. For one am Interested. Until know I have only read about these X Engines, nice to see them in their Baby cloths. I read something about the Ram air 5 in that it was problematic on the Race track? They had little Endurance it seems and were used up fast by being so unreliable. Today's version of the Aftermarket Ram Air 5 are Built well and I for one would like to own a ( IIA ) Aftermarket Block (by Kauffmann ). There more solid in the webbing area than the SD 455 was. I Like the Heads with the large Round Port Design and the evenly spaced Valves that Flow well. Huge 4 Bolt Mains etc...

[TRADERMIKE 2012]

Originally Posted by tom s

FYI, the 303 RAV block has a filled in lifter bore area like a SBC. The 455 SD and 400 RAV blocks have all the lifter bores joined. If you don’t have Pete McCarthy Pontiac book you need to get one and you will be able to learn a ton about Pontiac HP engines. Tom

I am more amazed about all those "X" type Vehicles and Engines that never made it market for whatever reason. Banshee, for example with the 421 SD Dual Carbs, who would not want to drive one?

[Rocky Rotella]

Bringing this topic back up as some new useful information has emerged.

Several posts back (before the topic was sidetracked) we talked about 3 specific SR 400-inch blocks foe the 1970 applications and I presumed that 479877 was the 400 2-bolt application. This NOS SR block on eBay tells us what we need to know!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/234181710031

[tekuhn]

Very cool. I would take exception to a couple of the seller's statements. The SR # does appear to be stamped on the face of the block in the correct location, and that looks like a dipstick tube and not an oil pump shaft. It's also interesting that block doesn't appear to have Cosmoline slopped all over it like mine did on the inside.

[johnta1]

Rocky, did you see the 455 SR block on ebay?


455 SR

[Rocky Rotella]

Hello, John.

Yes, I did see that one. It's been on there for quite a while.

If it were a lot cheaper, I'd seriously consider buying it for my '76 Trans Am. I just don't see that block being worth $2,500.

[birdsandgoats]

Here is another SR block cast in 1970 it is a 4 bolt block

[Rocky Rotella]

Thanks!

It’s interesting to see that Pontiac brought back the 9786133 400-inch block casting during the 1970 model year. Most often they were the current casting, which was hot wiped and stamped with a preceding block number.

Would you happen to have any images of the main caps? Can you tell what casting numbers are on them?

And last, do you have a picture of the SR8 number on the front?

[tekuhn]

I've never seen the last two digits of the casting # in the lifter valley like that.

[birdsandgoats]

Here are the caps and sr number from the 67 block

[birdsandgoats]

Here are some pics of a 1969 SR ram air IV block I have also that is listed online

[grandam1979]

Originally Posted by birdsandgoats

Here is another SR block cast in 1970 it is a 4 bolt block

That is a odd one with the 67 by distributor hole mine has 68 and cast in 70 also with only two motor mount holes on each side.

[grandam1979]

The 3 3 is very odd also.