326 Engine/Mr. PBody

[DartFart]

How good is this engine and can it be modified to perform better than stock. Would this engine in a 66 LeMans provide descent performance and a good quality drive?

Thanks

[MrPbody]

The 326 is torquey, but not vey good for performance. The bore/stroke ratio is out to lunch. The heads are severely restricted due to the small bore, shrouding the intake valve. It will respond to the same mods as anything else, but you won't get as much gain for your money.
If you're serious about wanting more power for thePontiac, consider a 400 or bigger. Best "bang for the buck". Any Pontiac V8 with either two or five mounting holes for the motor mounts will bolt right in.

[Tim81ta]

I would have to disagree with you on that MrPbody. The 350 orginated from the 327. The bores are the same, it's the stroke that is different. I have don't research into building one up for a high performance application. While these engine have less power then your 350 and 400 due to size (cid), the 327 with the shorter stroke will have a higher Red line, and will rev out more with the same grade parts as a 350 or 400. I usually us a speed of 3500 feet per sec for piston speed. This speed is usually good for your mild performance parts. Also, if you design the valve train right, you can rev the engine out even further, but this can be done with motor.

So, it all depends on what application you want. I like small blocks cause they are cheaper to build and weight less. But on the other hand I like big blocks due to the large amount of power out put.

[MrPbody]

Tim81ta,
You're confusing the Pontiac 326 and 350 with the Chevy 327 and 350. The Pontiac engine shares nothing with the Chevy. These are questions regarding early Pontiacs, when Pontiacs DID NOT have Chevy engines in them ('79 and older). Don't feel too bad. You're not the first to confuse them....
Chevy 327 is a 4" bore, 3.25" stroke, and the 350 is 4" bore, 3.48" stroke. The Pontiac 326 is 3.8188" bore and 3.75" stroke, and 350 is 3.875" bore and 3.85" stroke.
Also be careful comparing 400 Pontiac with 400 Chevy (small block). While the bore and stroke are very similar, that's where the similarity ends. Nothing interchanges. The Chevy block is inherrently weak (stretched too far for the original dimensions, unlike the 350). It takes considerable work to get it up to performance levels. The Pontiac is a good one, right from the start. Until you get past the 600 horsepower line, the Pontiac has an "edge", expecially in a street car, due to the low-end torque production of the Pontiac design.
Get Jim Hand's book "How to Build Max-performance Pontiac V8s" for an in-depth, current view of the Pontiac.

[Tim81ta]

Appoligize about that, forgot that I was on a Pontiac board. It was late at night..... anyway, yes I understand the differences between the 400's. I had been doing research in that area for a long time. Thanks

[MrPbody]

No sweat, dude... Just keeping things straight! (others might be confused as well...)

[DPelletier]

This conversation brings back memories (although I recognize that Tim knows the difference) of my younger days selling auto parts;
- a guy comes in and askes for a set of valve cover gaskets for his late '60's AMC Jeep. My partner askes him the engine size and is told it's a 327 so he grabs him a Victor gasket VS38110x small block chevy valve cover gasket. The guy leaves only to return a half hour later with the gaskets saying they are wrong. After a brief exchange, my fellow parts man is getting a little short with the guy (he builds and races small block chevy stock cars and knows them inside and out) when I leaned over and quietly told him to look for a listing under American Motors for a 327. He didn't know there was such an engine and had a little egg on his face.

I don't know how many guys came in looking for parts for thier '77 or '78 Trans Am 6.6 litre and claimed they had a Pontiac 400, when they really had a 403 Olds.

Sorry for the highjack.
Dave

[MrPbody]

And that 327 Rambler was a pretty decent engine! Apples-to-donuts when comparing to the Chevy, though.
I won $20 on a bet once, over the '77 T/A 400/403 controversy.

[wldman46]

sorry mrpbody your wrong also the stroke is the same on 326,350,389,and 400.the difference is the bore.I have a 66 lemans only thing is every 5 years or so i replace the timing chain for safety.replaced the oil pump with a high presure and blueprint ra III cam.intake from a 70 400 so i could us a q jet.stock 2v heads give 9:1 so pump gas.and about 25 mpg on highway and will give a small block 400 chevy a run for the money.they are torquey and wind up so quick u would think it was a v6.