Just wondering.

Well... you're sort of out of luck... the problem is that they never made a transverse / FWD transmission that would mate with a Pontiac V8. You might be able to do it with a manual transmission, and just have a custom bell-housing made... but I don't think there's anything you can do using off the shelf parts.

The Iron Duke however is basically a Pontiac 301 cut in half.... that's how it started life.

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Todd,
2006 Pontiac Solstice
2004 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible (Wife's Car)
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 5-Speed
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 (3.2L) Auto
1984 Pontiac Fiero 2m4 SE
1981 Pontiac TransAm (Olds 455BB)
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter

I doubt that there would be room but TransDapt makes a bellhousing adapter to adapt Olds, Pontiac and Buick blocks to the Chevy Transmission Bolt Pattern. You'd then have to use an Archie kit to adapt to the FWD Trans. I know the Transdapt adapters are a bit thinner (about 3/4 inch or so) but that would be quite a few adapters.

The Adapters from TransDapt are about $50-$75 or so I beleive. I used to use them to adapt Olds engines to the Chevy Turbo 400 Trans and also used the adapter to mount the Chevy engine to the Th-425 Front Wheel Drive trans in a Olds Toro. I guess if you had the skills, if you bought the TransDapt adapter and the Archie adapter you could have a custom one made. What the heck, custom stuff is what we are all doing here right.

I guess you'd also have to check balancer size, Engine width, fitment into the Fiero bay, Water pump drive, Alternator mounts etc. It would be a learning experience and hey, You'd certainly have a one of a kind now would'nt you?.

[This message has been edited by 3084me (edited 01-10-2006).]

it has been done
why is a better question

use a old 60's olds or caddly el-do trans th-325 auto
they do come in BOP+C patern

the 350-400-455 is a very heavy and big lump
results is a HEAVY car and donot handle worth a chit + auto only

btw pontiac heads are very hard to find in a resonable C/R
you get 7 to 1 or 11.5 to 1 or hunt up the very few and hi-priced good heads
like a 71 ho 455 very rare and priced like it oval ports heads

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Question wonder and be wierd
are you kind?

At one time I was thinking of doing this swap. There are advantages and disadvantages of using this engine over an SB Chevy.........errr more disadavantages though.

These engines are big and heavy. They will require resized axles in order to get one to fit in a Fiero. Like mentioned...two adaptors would be needed to bolt in on a Fiero transmission. The front motor mount would have to be fabricated. I also had a hard time finding exhaust manifolds that would route the exit pipes to clear the CV shafts, transmission, etc. The starter is on the correct side....but would have to be changed to a custom unit because of the smaller flywheel used. The oil filter is on the CV shaft side.....and so it will need to be remotely relocated. The mechanical fuel pump can be used for a carb(unlike the chevy). Custom alternator and AC compressor brackets would need to be fabricated. But at least in the end.......you can say your Pontiac is still ALL Pontiac....

quote Originally posted by v8fiero400: But at least in the end.......you can say your Pontiac is still ALL Pontiac....

The Fiero 2.8 V6 is made by Chevy, so a small block Chevy swap is just as "all Pontiac" as an original V6 Fiero.

Personally, I love the idea of a Pontiac V8 in a Fiero, but there are just way too many negatives, unless I wanted to go with a longitudinal mount and build it primarily for drag racing and cruising. It wouldn't handle well, but it could still be fun.

The bottom two bolt holes on each side and the alignment pins are in the same place on pontiac and chevy v-8's. You can use the archie adaptor plate and drill the upper two holes for the pontiac engine. The chevy flywheel will also work (pre '85) so the starter archie uses will also work. The poncho engine is longer so you might have to move the passenger side frame rail some. 455 anyone?

[This message has been edited by gusshotrod (edited 01-10-2006).]

quote Originally posted by ray b: it has been done why is a better question use a old 60's olds or caddly el-do trans th-325 auto they do come in BOP+C patern the 350-400-455 is a very heavy and big lump results is a HEAVY car and donot handle worth a chit + auto only btw pontiac heads are very hard to find in a resonable C/R you get 7 to 1 or 11.5 to 1 or hunt up the very few and hi-priced good heads like a 71 ho 455 very rare and priced like it oval ports heads

It has been done. There is a car with a Pontiac 455 mounted longitudal.

The Trans ray means is the TH425 which was used in the Olds Toronado's and Caddy Eldorado's into the mid 70's

Pontiac V-8's use the same size block and heads (except the late 70's/early 80's 301) so It doesn't matter if it's a 350 or a 455.
I don't think a standard block will fit without doing lots of mods just to make space for the engine.
The 301 was a Pontiac 400 block that was shaved down to decrease the stroke. The heads were redesigned and the intake was smaller width due to the decreased width of the block. Although you may be able to fit this in the car with a trans adapter, There are very few if any aftermarket parts. Stock, If I recall correctly, the 301's were around 120hp and the Turbo T/A was around 175-180hp. So with low power and the engine being cast iron, It would not make a powerful choice, but it would be "all-pontiac" and unique.

There is a very decent aftermarket for Pontiac V-8 engines. I have no idea where ray says the compression ratio's of the heads are hard to find. Pontiac made V-8's until the end of the 70's and there are many heads that can be used. The H.O heads were used for numerous years. There are 4 different ram air heads (Ram air V heads are the large oval ports.) as well as the SD heads

If you're interested in keeping your Fiero "All-Pontiac", you might consider the 3,5 liter (215 cubic inch) aluminum V8 that went into 1961 and 1962 Tempests. The engine was also used in other BOP applications, as well as in Rovers, Triumph TR8s, and even MGBV8s. When I installed one in my Corvair, I found that a company called Kennedy Engineered Products in California made adapters to fit amlost any engine to any transmission. The 3.5 liter V8 was pretty light, and it could be had with compression ratios near 10 to 1, and four-barrel carbs. I don't know if Rover, Triumph, or MG ever had a fuel injected version. Here is a link to the "215". Good luck.

http://www.gomog.com/articles/215history.html

what about the buttler 455 poncho it is all alloy so what of the weight
I am just looking for a real pontiac.
as for the flywheel how about a steped one that allows the use of the correct starter steped down to fit bellhousing
and if we had a adapt plate just a little thicker than archies or street dreams then the large flywheel could reside there
wile the step in it would be in the bell housing correct.
as for the size it is not that much larger and I have trial fit one it was all iron so yes very heavy
as for custom pipes block hugger to get by cv and we all fab like archie and street dreams so why not get a kit for
the real pontiac. hey the 326 327 350 389 400 455 all share the same block heads rods the only thing I was told that
is diffrent is the crank and pistons.
so lets get a kit well my opinion

I have worked alot with the Pontiac motors and I can say this all sounds interesting.
My last one was a 455 in a 72 LeMans and it was an absolute animal at the track.
I believe that the length of the engine is what will give you the most problem, they really are not much different than a SBC but the front gear cover / Water pump puts it out there. I have used the SBC to Pontiac adapters in the past and they are pretty thin, If memory serves maybe 3/8 " and then you use a 3/8" washer between the flexplate and converter.
I am currently doing a SBC into my 87 GT and my main concern is the drivetrain, with the torque that a pontiac puts out from idle thru 5500 rpm I would think that the transverse drivetrain would be an issue.

quote Originally posted by Oreif: It has been done. There is a car with a Pontiac 455 mounted longitudal. The Trans ray means is the TH425 which was used in the Olds Toronado's and Caddy Eldorado's into the mid 70's Pontiac V-8's use the same size block and heads (except the late 70's/early 80's 301) so It doesn't matter if it's a 350 or a 455. There is a very decent aftermarket for Pontiac V-8 engines. I have no idea where ray says the compression ratio's of the heads are hard to find. Pontiac made V-8's until the end of the 70's and there are many heads that can be used. The H.O heads were used for numerous years. There are 4 different ram air heads (Ram air V heads are the large oval ports.) as well as the SD heads

well the heads swap BUT the compression ratio is an other story
I had a 68 GTO with a 71 HO 455 [firebird ONLY motor] swaped in to it in 89
but I didnot get the very rare 71 HO oval port heads with the 4 bolt block
at the time 89 -91 before aftermaket alloy heads were made by edilbrock but those were 67cc anyway
the old ram air heads were 13 to 1 on a 455 like the ram air 3s I had
and newer superduty were 8.3 to 1 with domed pistons and 7 to 1 with flat tops
and the only real other heads was the 71HO rare firebird only and normal 455 70-71
all the others were small valve and ports or huge combustion chambers
pontiac used 63-7 cc chamber on the 426-400-389 motors and those were 13 to 1 on a 455
and 120+cc on the later 455s gave 7 to 1 like the M5J of a 72 455
there were a few in between heads BUT I just could not find any
only the #87 70 455 semi common heads were near the 90cc needed for a pump gas street motor
and every one who had them didnot want to sell them

the point being stick to chevys the parts are eazy to find and cheap

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Question wonder and be wierd
are you kind?

Everytime this subject comes up I go down to the garage and take a good long look at the 428 on the engine stand. Its complete with starter, alternator, water pump, 4 bbl and all.
Then I say to myself,, nooooooooo.

Maybe I should just get rid of it ??

As far as I know, all Pontiac V8 where the same dimensions externally, regardless of displacement. So any engine will likely present you with all the same problems.

quote Originally posted by Spoon: Everytime this subject comes up I go down to the garage and take a good long look at the 428 on the engine stand. Its complete with starter, alternator, water pump, 4 bbl and all. Then I say to myself,, nooooooooo. Maybe I should just get rid of it ??

What 428 is it? Is it complete or does it need a rebuild?

It would be fun to do, just to say you had done it, but I agree it's kind of a disappointing swap. I had a Pontiac 350 V8 and all I remember about it is that it barely got 12 miles to the gallon and probably didn't make over 100 hp.