When building a max-performance Pontiac V-8, each engine is almost always unique unto itself. Depending upon the racing class restrictions, chassis hurdles, intended performance level and usage, and budgetary concerns, very few maxperformance efforts are exactly identical.   This Tech Tip is From the Full Book, HOW TO BUILD MAX-PERFORMANCE PONTIAC V-8S. For a comprehensive […]

Any engine must be tuned optimally for it to produce as much horsepower and torque as it possibly can. That includes adjusting its carburetor and distributor until the fuel and spark curves are perfect at every possible speed. Achieving that can be an arduous and time-consuming process with much trial and error, but the efforts […]

The oil within any engine is its lifeblood. Internal components rely on a thin film of oil to prevent metal-to-metal contact that can otherwise result in significant damage. The oil pump must be able to deliver to those components an adequate volume of oil and with sufficient pressure. The oil must be filtered, of the […]

A vehicle’s ignition system is responsible for igniting the mixture within each cylinder at the appropriate time. It generally includes a coil that saturates and stores energy and a distributor that routes spark to each cylinder at the appropriate point in the crankshaft rotation. Pontiac used a few different systems that all performed satisfactorily for […]

Factory exhaust systems were designed to fit within the space constraints of a particular chassis while maintaining a specific noise limit at a reasonable cost. While that might not detract from the performance of a typical passenger car application, additional performance at every speed can be attained by replacing the factory components with high-performance aftermarket […]

An intake manifold transfers the mixture of fuel and air from the carburetor to the cylinders. The plenum, or large voluminous area directly under the carburetor, gathers that combustible mixture before it’s distributed to the cylinders through individual runners that connect to the intake ports.   This Tech Tip is From the Full Book, HOW […]

The Pontiac V-8 valvetrain is a simple overhead-valve design that’s comprised of several different components. Each cylinder uses one intake and one exhaust valve that allows the engine to ingest and expel the combustible air/fuel mixture and spent exhaust gasses. A single camshaft located in the center of the block actuates the valves by transferring […]

Most Pontiac V-8s were originally fitted with cast-aluminum pistons, and they operated quietly and consistently. Forged-aluminum pistons were specified to improve the reliability and durability of Pontiac’s very high performance engines such as the Ram Air IV and Super Duty 421 and 455.   This Tech Tip is From the Full Book, HOW TO BUILD […]

A connecting rod may be the most highly stressed component in an engine. Essentially in constant motion during normal operation, it’s designed to endure compressive loads and change direction nearly instantaneously, and the inertial force upon it increases with engine speed. A connecting rod for a particular application must be constructed of a sturdy material […]

A crankshaft transfers the energy created during combustion into a rotating force that’s channeled through a transmission and rear axle, and finally to the tires for vehicle motivation. As each cylinder fires, the crankshaft must be rigid enough to endure the shock loads associated with combustion, but flexible enough to not fatigue and fail at […]