Pontiac 400 Engine Build - Pump Gas Pounder

Everyone wants to build a better mousetrap. Some like to compete in the high-compression horsepower chase and some look to push the boundaries of the pump-gas combo. For this story, Tin Indian Performance (TIP) and Kauffman Racing Equipment (KRE) set out to do the latter using a factory Pontiac block, KRE's D-port heads, and various new products introduced by both companies. Ultimately, the engine is destined for TIP's Kevin Swaney's 3,500-pound race car, in which he's intent on running mid-10s.

The major components of the build up include a '67 GTO 400 block previously freshened up by Kevin. It was punched 0.035-over and stuffed with a 4.210-inch stroke crank. Aluminum rods will keep reciprocating weight down, a stout Comp roller cam will provide big duration and lift numbers to draw a copious amount of atmosphere through the KRE D-ports via a Holley 1050 Dominator and Victor intake. MSD components will light it off and combustion remains will be expelled via Hedman 1.75-inch Hedders.

The 400 block has been fitted with a 455 nodular cast iron crank that was cut down to 3-inch mains. An Oldsmobile thrust-bearing was employed with a shim. This short-block was originally built some years ago, before aftermarket cranks became widely available. If you decide to build a similar combo, an aftermarket crank is the way to go today. BME aluminum rods and SRP forged pistons round out the reciprocating assembly. The factory 2-bolt mains and stock caps are retained and the owner and builder of this engine-Kevin Swaney of TIP-says the bottom end will hold up, even with a possible 650 hp on tap.

KRE's aluminum D-ports are available in three different chamber sizes-65, 74, and 85 cc-and are CNC-ported to flow 310, 325, or 340 cfm. They also accept existing D-port headers and all stock Pontiac engine parts. For this engine, TIP will use the 74cc 340-cfm versions to keep compression pump-gas friendly at 11.4:1 while still providing enough airflow to produce 600-plus hp.

Follow the photos and captions to learn more and check the Engine Buildup Worksheet for further details. Then we'll see how the engine performs on the dyno. Will this two-bolt main 400 block fitted with go-fast goodies make 600-plus hp on the dyno on 93-octane and live to tell the tale? Read on.