alright, im royally confused here, lets go from the top.
1. chevy makes a 400
2. pontiac makes a 400
what are the differances? which one should i build an engine with?
i here alot of people building 406's, is that a 400 bored .30 over?
somebody please clarify all the differant types of 400 combinations, thanks

 

Well, a 400 Chevy is a SBC...a Pontiac 400 is a.....Pontiac 400. Pontiac, Olds, etc... had their own type of block at one time. For instance, the Pontiac 350 is basically a long stroke big block, in Chevy terms.



The 406 is generally a SBC 400 bored .030 over.

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=141158

 

ive already read that, but that still didnt tell me the differance between the pontian and the chevy block, it also didnt tell me which one i should use if im going to build a 400.

 

Like the other thread says, absolutely nothing interchanges between Pontiac and Chevy 400s except points, rotor, and spark plugs. I don't know how to be any plainer about it. The 2 kinds of motors have absolutely no other parts in common. They didn't even have the same color of paint.

These cars (82-92 Camaro & Firebird) never came with a Pontiac V8, only Chevrolet ones. Therefore, none of the parts you need to bolt a Pontiac motor into one, exist; the trans is different, and won't interchange between them; there's no exhaust system made; and no motor mounts. The battery for a Pontiac V8 is on the driver's side, for a Chevy V8 it's on the pass side. Of course, with enough time, money & ingenuity, you can put practically anything into anything; but if you're having to ask this type of question, you're probably not in the type of situation where it's the right thing for you to do.

Bottom line: if you want a 400, get a Chevy one. Don't bother with the Pontiac one.

Same thing goes for a Buick, Olds, Chrysler, or F*rd 400 (yes, they had them too); or a Buick, Pontiac, or Olds 350.