Pontiac 350 Project is NOT going well! Engine Teardown FAILURES continue!

[@miketoth306]

You keep forgetting that the Pontiac 389 also fits in that engine group 👍 😎

[@SweatyFatGuy]

The 64, 65, and 66 389s, the 63 and older use a different system for mounting in the chassis.

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

I'm very very tempted to get my hands on an available 389 but I've honestly never done one of the "older" ones though they share most of the same architecture to the later 350/400/455s. Wouldn't exactly be the "right" motor for this car though

[@SweatyFatGuy]

@@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin the 65/66 389 blocks are essentially a small bore 400, bore them .060 and its a 400. The heads are the old 24 degree valves with closed chambers and very shrouded valves, I think they all had press in studs too. Put a 67-78 head on a 389 with the right valve reliefs in the pistons and its essentially the same as a 400. With the 68 LeMans you won't have an issue with the engine mounts, unless its a 63 and older block, the mounts are different on those. Putting the 69 and earlier blocks in a 70-81 Firebird requires adaptors so the mounts line up. The 350 doesn't seem that bad really, the crank might not even need turned, the last two I had checked didn't for the 400s I built with them. 350s lead easy sedate lives putting around at part throttle, so you could probably get by with ARP bolts in the resized rods and a cast piston, unless you want to spray it and spin it over 6500. The timing cover made me sad, heat the block a bit and PB blaster the bolt while its hot, that has always gotten them out for me. The right motor is the one you put in it, be it a 326 with a turbo or a 535 with RAV heads. People are gonna show up to watch no matter what you do.

[@DavidPufahl]

That's how I FINESS STUCK JUNK

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

You WILL come off! Get out the BFH!

[@mark8lifestyle322]

Austin I think welding a nut to the broken stud might have helped.

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

It COULD have possibly but there wasn't much there to weld to, AND it saw seized the entire way through the cover :(

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

HOWdy Austin, THANKS for taking us along I now KNOW >more than I have ever KNOWN about PONTIAC ! Thanks AGAIN COOP ...

[@GrandPitoVic]

Hey brother, when you have a bolt that is dry and seized, spray it and shock it with a hammer. I have to everyday tearing down parts.

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

Unfortunately I didn't have much at hand to spray it with, all my penetrating oils are gone. I DID do a decent amount hammer "shocking" unfortunately with dissimilar metals that bolt is stuck allllll the way through the cover.

[@GrandPitoVic]

@@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin That's true too lol

[@GrandPitoVic]

@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin I work at the Goodyear plant. I build and disassemble the bladders the inflate to press the tire into the mold. At 350 degrees for days on end. The bolts tend to get dry and stick. They are a torx head bolt and tend to strip really easy. Especially when they are that hot. I hit them with a little WD-40 and smack the crap out of them and USUALLY, USUALLY they come loose. BUT there is the really big pipe wrench to get it. Lol.

[@vettegreaser6590]

Good stuff brother. I notice you don’t apply heat or apply any solvent to stuck bolts, unless you’re doing it off camera. Any reason that you don’t? I’m. Eating your lifter bore is good. The lifters are slightly mushroomed. Pull the cam, turn her back up and push them out toward where the cam was

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

Pretty much nothing is being done off camera, I'm not one who hides the ugly frustrating parts or the mistakes. I actually would have used some penetrating oils however I didn't have any on hand and cans of that seem to get legs and walk off in the shop :) I am VERY much hoping the lifter bores are ok, if not, we're pretty much back to square one. No way I'm putting the time/money/energy into bushing lifter bores on a 350 Pontiac unless it was a numbers matching rebuild.

[@GrandPitoVic]

I watched a friend drop a head on his foot. SBC head. He took all of the bolts out and I turned to grab a rag and as I turn back all I could say was"NO"". BLAM!!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Yup from then on Infigured I should probably leave 1 bolt in from now on. Lol.

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

That's usually how most of us learn that less, and if we're REALLY lucky it doesn't involve broken bones! I honestly should weigh one of these heads with manifolds on them just so I know the proper amount of foot squish they can cause. How bad was the damage to your friend?

[@GrandPitoVic]

@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin 3 broken bones on the top of his foot. That was years ago. I bet 1 of those heads and manifold is around 70 to 80 pounds. If not more lol.

[@haroldcaldwell2225]

Austin they say Kauffman makes some good heads for pontiac check out the heads on that firebird on the rack if it doesn't have an ls in it good luck

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

They do indeed and if I weren't trying to make a "budget friendly" build I would totally go that direction. Though honestly not on a 350, that's just a bit too much overkill for me. However there's a better than decent chance you all see a very nasty Kauffman headed Pontiac from me in the future. Not sure how far down the line, depends how quickly this channel can start bringing in some income to offset the parts!

[@kennyhayes8488]

Put a big 🪛 where the hose goes and pull it up and down

[@spankyham9607]

Well you sure got me laughing fighting them head bolts. If it was me, and I was in this pickle with the timing cover, since it is broke anyway, just cut the dang aluminum around the shaft, or drill around it till it is free. I think if the cover hadn't been broken, I would have tried to double nut the stud at the bottom and get that out, then just tap the side of the cover spinning it around the stuck shaft and it probably would have broken lose.

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

There's an above average chance that a grinder is coming out of the toolbox today to get the remainder of that cover off! At that point I don't know if you can tell but I was more than a little fed up and exhausted. I hate that I destroyed that cover but sometimes in this game there are casualties!

[@natec4359]

So the first question on Craigslist should be "do you change your oil". Just pulled a head off my 302 yesterday. Fortunately not as exciting as your engine. My engine can't have but a couple thousand miles on it but it got water in it from sitting outside. I think I can reassemble in a couple days.

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

Lol yeaaaa you know I've actually had way better luck buying things off Craigslist than Facebook Marketplace. This car was a Facebook find someone else pointed me to and I stupidly purchased. Glad to hear your issues weren't quite as bad as mine, quick cleaning of surface rust, hone job, and back in the game for you?

[@natec4359]

@@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin Don't think I would call it a stupid purchase. Those are the ones you buy and they sit in the back yard for years before ya get to them. I found out a tractor mechanic put the heads together on mine so gotta tear those all down now. Had to get my hopes up. Lol

[@nickenglezos687]

My first motor i worked on as a youth was a v8 pontiac. saw them in junkyards, pulled them, installed them .i enjoyed them....ain't seen one in a while...till i started watching youtube......peace.......

[@TheGto389]

I'd like to see you use a 4.00 stroke crank and custom pistons . 383 + cid. Cant wait to see it coming together.

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

It's tempting to toss a stroker kit in this thing it really is but... the cost is ROUGH! Especially for a "regular joe rebuild" that's a hell of a price tag. Lots of math to figure out on this one still but more cubes are always nice!

[@55classic1]

@@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin a 4.00 stroke would be the 421-428 crank... journals would have to be cut down to 350-400 spec... you're getting into big buck territory... those cranks are hard to find... a new forger crank is costly

[@tombrewsaugh1399]

You're showing how and what the average car guy goes through in his home garage. Thanks

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

That's exactly what I'm trying to do here Tom, show the struggles and reality of how this all really goes. There are plenty of other places and channels you can go to to see the professional fully stocked "shop show" stuff. That's not what I'm doing here, glad to see at least a few people are enjoying it with me!

[@tombrewsaugh1399]

My brother in law was given a 383 with trans on a Friday night. We had to get it Saturday because Monday morning the whole car was going to the junkyard. So my brother in law my younger brother and I pulled that engine and trans in a raging Florida thunder storm. When we got home Dad just shook his head and muttered "idiots". Damn those were fun times.

[@55classic1]

try a gear puller...that has so much burnt oil... it's probably on there like it's been super glued [timing gear that is]

[@billpace3489]

Time to get out the jackhandle.

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

I elevated from jack handle to really long piece of pipe ;)

[@billpace3489]

I like watching your videos because you are trying to do this like I have to do it. It's not easy. And I learn

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

That's exactly why I'm doing it this way Bill, the way everyone else has to, with basic tools and if we're lucky a flat bay/driveway/garage. It's a whole lot different process than having a full shop with tools and lifts! A lot of the wins in this are honestly just from not giving up. Sticking with it, keep moving forward, one frustrating bolt at a time.

[@billpace3489]

Thank you because I just got my turbo street car fired up And there are things not right. And what you just said made me not want to give up

[@stephencarter1442]

Austin you rock! really enjoy your build . Love Chevys and have several, But AMC and Pontiac are my Favorites. Nice to see different platforms built other than the LS which has been overdone. Keep after it 12's here we come.

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

One thing I promise you'll never see from me is LS swapping these classics. Unless it's MAYBE a Chevy. Which oddly the only Chevy I have ever owned is sitting in the back yard also rotting away because I never had the time to get to it :( 12s are in sight!

[@707SLAYER]

START WORKING ON THE ENGINE BAY ...LOL

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

What I don't get to just set the motor back down in a grubby engine bay? Believe me there's a WHOLE lot of work to be done to the chassis while the motor is going through it's processes.

[@bluesman7475]

Did you check the engine codes before you bought it? Same check the trans marking? Heads, Eldebrock ram air IV clones from Butler. You use a torch, we did not have one on the farm, I had to use liquid wrench II and overnight soak. You are bringing back my mispent youth.

[@mickhirk4734]

pontiac GTO LS 6.0 yes the LS2 was also a pontiac. Will cost you less to go faster. You can go old school with a carb and ignition box. Also i have Pontiac prats you can have

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

WOWSER = I had no idea that PONTIAC came with a WINDAGE TRAY !!! COOP ...

[@jeffjankiewicz5100]

Personally, I use a breaker bar and a jack handle for maximum leverage on stubborn bolts. Take the block to Bob McVay, he does good work for Bill Hoskinson

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

That's the plan this car is being built for Bob McVay to pilot at Pontiac Nationals this year. Just gotta finish the teardown and get it up to him the next couple days.

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

QUESTION: cant these "newer" OLD Heads be Drilled & TAPPED for those outboard Exhaust Manifold BOLTS that are missing ? Curious ... COOP ...

[@patrickm.8425]

Only need 400hp to run in the 12's!! That should be easy enough, and cheap. Having fun is more important than being the fastest kid on the block, and wondering where your next dollar is coming from. 👍

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

Oh for sure not looking to set any records here or go after the No Prep / Small tire world with it. No desire to spend big to go fast. Just want to build something fun and respectable that we can take to the track and enjoy.

[@Mr688895]

Jim Hand wrote a great book on Pontiac performance engines and in the back there is a section on recommendations for engine builds and the times they produced in his A body station wagon that he raced. Most 400 or 455 based engines but plenty of 12 second time slips.

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

Jim Hand is definitely legendary in the Pontiac world. Unfortunately most everyone skips right over the 350 to just put 400 or 455 in the same hole. Honestly even myself, my yellow 70 is that exact situation with a built 455 under the hood. As far as I know Jim never did a HiPo 350 build?

[@Mr688895]

Lou from the old school Muscle Car show did a stroker 326 that made okay power. I have a 69 400 with 48 heads on it as well as the 16 heads on my 68 400. I have the 73-74 455 as well but 6x-8 heads for that. The machinist from his book lives near Richmond. Jim Lehart. I spoke with him on the phone a couple weeks ago.

[@70sport37]

I have a 350 out of a 68 bird with a broken sleeve in # 1 I don’t need .

[@55classic1]

rope rear main seals...sucked... you can take a neoprene 500 Caddy seal and cut it down... they probably make a good aftermarket replacement now... call Butler Performance

[@wilga80]

I am also a Cider drinker.

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

Cheers! Far better than that other stuff!

[@billpace3489]

A few of those head bolts were a pain.

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

Ohhhh you ain't lying Bill! Fortunately they came out but it certainly wasn't easy! Now just gotta finish this phase off so we can clean up and see exactly what we've got.

[@billpace3489]

@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin Good luck with it keep posting content keep us updated. And it's gonna be cool to see Bob Drive that car, I can't wait to see that.

[@55classic1]

where did you get that block, wow..... you can get a new timing cover from Butler... but expensive

[@jameskisor8632]

The reason your channel is doing so well is your brother's not on here trying to make everyone feel stupid

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

My brother? Lol Don't have one of those ;) I promise to not seem like I know what I'm doing most of the time so everyone can still feel smart!

[@billpace3489]

And you are not the only one who has bought stuff off. Marketplace and have not got what you wanted. I have done it so many times

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

Certainly frustrating as heck! Really took the wind out of my sails on building this car, but now I've got a focus and motivation so we're wrenching and working as fast as possible!

[@rodneybyrd9516]

Austin, I like your loyalty to Pontiac, and the fact that you DRIVE them! I personally am a MoPar guy (saw your 451 build early on, on the Lucore channel), but I do have an affinity for Buicks, in the GM line. Since Buick never offered a F-body like Chevy and Pontiac did, I always wanted to stuff a 455 Buick into a Formula, with the Raisin Bran (two scoops!) hood. I found one a few blocks from my home, and it was FOR SALE, but the guy had done a fill Super Shops rebuild on it's 350 Poncho, with a hundred Erson receipts to prove it! I couldn't afford the engine, but sure wanted the car for my F-body/Buick 455 dream. If I remember correctly, the Pontiac 350 is the 2nd longest stroke of all the GM 350s, slightly behind the Buick, so it should be torquey! I wonder how far you can bore them? Might get lucky with a sonic test and get a 4" bore? RB

[@billpace3489]

Ask Uncle bucko says. Lack of maintenance

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

Yeaaaaaahhh whoever owned this motor previously certainly wasn't real big on maintenance. As you can tell!

[@707SLAYER]

KEY WORD HOPEFULLY ...LOL

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

Always be hopeful! Even when you probably shouldn't be!

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

= COOL = you have genuine CRUDE OIL in the oil pan !!! ... COOP

[@JohnLittlepage]

Interesting to see no exhaust valve rotators

[@Null-h6c]

not welded . It's an external lock washer , they fill up with junk . People used those in the 80s . Just scratch it off the nut

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

I figured no one would be dumb enough to weld a head bolt but that thing fought everything I threw at it. Until it finally saw things my way ;)

[@ECC-ec]

Real world stuff making what you have work nothing wrong with a poncho 350

[@billpace3489]

There is no way that motor has had any work done to it.

[@SweatyFatGuy]

860.. what is is, 100 subs a day? Man you're rippin it.

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

Average is between 50-75 a day, definitely not complaining about that growth! Depending on how this continues to grow MAY be able to monetize by Tuesday-Wednesday. We'll see. Appreciate the support and the cheering on though!

[@SweatyFatGuy]

@@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin wish I could have showed up sooner in Sikeston last year, barely got to say anything to ya. If you keep making content, you will grow.. lol. I stopped publishing last year because I needed to figure some things out before I started in earnest and could possibly have money coming in from it. I don't need the money, so I have been figuring out how to give it to my kid. At this rate you're gonna be at 100k before NNN weekend.

[@malcolmdyer6090]

Totally unecessary to destroy that timing cover. A wide wood chisel tapped in between cover and block close to stud would have worked. Americans have so many tools in a can, something would have relieved that stuck stud some.

[@AutomotiveAdventuresWithAustin]

I used everything I had on hand to try to pry it forward and absolutely nothing moved it. I spent almost an hour trying to save the cover and get it to budge. Believe me I didn't want to destroy the cover, it's money wasted and one less original part I can salvage. Unfortunately when trying to get it to loosen I broke one of the coolant outlets, and that was that. So then it became a hammer job.

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

= PONTIAC Punch-DRUNK Sorry about your EYE / CHEEK / Face COOP ...

[@kennyhayes8488]

It's all st

[@sckjcrsweet750]

Use the whole top end for a new boat anchor bet you it's going to be standard more never messed with as yucky is it looks you got it this far apart put good heads I think you can make it faster than your shooting for and not hurt your pocketbook as bad as you think I don't know nothing about all that other stuff