Temporary engine swap - will it fit ?

It has been a bad year for my Pontiac - first the front took a hit, and just after the repair was completed (repaint only temporary, waiting for new bumper, but looking OK) the engine blew up.
The story is that the original engine gave up 4 years ago, and i completly rebuilded it. I had the block proffesionally bored 020, and the cranck was cut to 010 under.
Unfortunatly the machine shop (that is no longer in buissenes) made the fit to tight, and the engine was damaged during breakin. I did not realize it at the time, but it seems that a piston cracked back then, and the cylinder wall was cracked - this has now led to a broken rod.
After taking everything apart, i know what is needed to get it running again.
Cranck rod bearing needs grounding/bearings.
Block needs sleeve (crack is not all the way, so it could be fixed).
New piston & rod.
The twisting of the rod turned the piston, and the valves struck the piston - new valves.

This is all very expensive and time consuming.

Now it seems that someone has a 69' 400 engine to spare, and i may buy it for a resonable price. (i have not talked to the owner yet, but apparantly it came out of a 69 firebird that he bought for racing.

My question is : Could i install this engine as a temporary solution ?.

I would prefer to run it in front of the original Hydramatic.

Anyone know if the bolt pattern is the same - or even close ?

No, I dont think it will fit, because on your original combination the starter is mounted with two horizontal bolts to the transmission housing. The later Engines (65-up) has the starter mounted with two vertical bolts to the engine block. Try to find an engine up to -64, I think, or a -65-up with a 3-speed TH 400.

Thanks - i've read about the starter isssue, and i know that the early block won't work on a newer car, but i was not sure about the other way around... - i think that this engine comes with a TH400 - but then i will have to make a new driveshaft. I hoped to do it without making modifications to the original parts, since i want to be able to swap the original engine back in at a later time. I am lucky to have a very original car, and i try to avoid any permanent changes .

Hello again, try to put an ad at "www.classiccars.se", a source for classics and parts in Sweden. Southern Sweden is probably just an hour travel time for a Dane, and there is a couple of Pontiac guys in Skåne, I bought my -59 Bonnie there in 2007. Maybe I can watch for parts around where I live, I am located 80 km northeast Gothenburg. Good luck with your car, any 59 is a Beauty!

Hi Palle !

Thanks ! - I just left the workshop, after taking out the other pistons - bearings are all worn down (after max 2000 km), so something was done wrong when the engine ws rebuild. It seems the tolerance was too tight, and there is evidence that at least one bearing has spun
When i rebuild i am going to recheck everything myself before final assembly . I thought i could trust a well reputed engine builder that has been around since at least the 30ties - but apparently not.

I'm pretty sure about the block beeing repairable (with a sleeve), but i am not so sure about the cranck.

I live in Jutland, so Sweden is a few hours, and bridges, away, but having said that i don't mind a little drive if a good engine shows up !.

Finally some good news - and some bad...

I picked up my engine from the machineshop today (along with a 3k$ bill). The block was sleeved, and bored to 0.60. Decks reworked. cranck reworked. Everything looks nice.......
I brought along the heads for inspection, and was told that my small crack in one of the heads would be a problem. I was told that the best thing was to find a new head.
I am going to assemble the bottom end, but i now desperatly need a new (or rebuildable) head. As far as i can tell it needs to be a 59 head (because of the reverse flow cooling) - casting number 531395.

Does anyone know where to get one - or have a spare one sitting around - i am very interrested.

This is my prefered solution, but if i can't find one i wonder if newer heads could work ?. At the very least i will properbly have to change the cooling system.....

Christian.....1959 and 1960 only. If you find and use a 1960 head, make sure to use the coolant tube from inside the 1959 head. 1961 and later heads will fit the 1959 block, but you must use both along with an intake manifold from those years. You would also need to convert the block to non-reverse flow with a corresponding timing chain/coolant distribution cover from 1961 and later. 1958 heads would also work, but again you would need both. If I'm not mistaken the valve sizes are smaller than 1959. A 1960 head is identical to 1959, except for the coolant tube. My Catalina, for some reason unknown to me, has 1960 heads. Whoever did it had the foresight to reinstall the original tubes......John

This kind of post is exactly what I'm talking about when it comes to sharing information. I may or may not be able to always distinquish between fact or B.S. but I do appreciate the input. Thank you John! (BTW, I don't think your posts are B.S.!)

I can probably come up with a '60 , I cannot imagine what shipping would be though

CATBIRD : Thanks for all your help . This is exacty in line with the information i have been able to dig up - i need 59 or 60 heads. I was not sure about the 60' heads, so i am happy to hear that they will fit too.

I have spend some time looking into pin-stitching repair, and it looks like a plausible option - crack looks exactly like the one in this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4cGvYBb9Ag

Anyone hwo has tried this ?

However, as i mentioned i would still prefer a 'new' head.

FINFAN : I know that shipping will be fairly expensive, but i am still very interrested in the 60' heads. Can you tell me more about them ?.

Once again thanks - it has proven really difficult to find accurate info on these early pontiac engines. Most of the stuff out there only covers the later versions.

Time for a update !

I had a go at flamespray/hotbed welding. No such luck - the head failed the pressure test.
When i got the bad news, i went into e-bay mania mode, and stumbled on a complete 60' engine + trans in the Chicago area. 1000 $, unknown state. Unfortunatly it turned out to cost about 3000$ to get it home.
It has now arrived, and i have pulled the heads. After a bit of cleaning they will be off to the machine shop.
The bonus stuff is an original 4brl setup, including airfilter, servo pump, a 'heavy duty' (30A) generator, block and gearbox, etc.
Fingers crossed for passing the pressure test .

Well, rebuild complete, i finally got back on the road this summer - but after a few hundred miles it pulled 2 press in studs out, that i had to reinstall when rebuilding the heads. Luckily i installed polylock nuts (could not get the right setting with non adjustable), and they where held down by the valve cover. No permanent damage, but after trying with some locktite specialty products, no luck. As you properbly know they are hollow, and oils the ball/rocker.

I have found a set of screw in studs, and rockers from a later pontiac engine (a 455 i think), with pushrod oiling. I have read that this should fit my engine, the pushrod oiling replacing stud oiling, and after some fabrication i also have a tool to align the thread cutting tool, and cut thread the holes with 7/16. Looks OK, but i am still in doubt that the rockers fits - does anyone have experience with this ???. Any help is much appreciated.

I am using my cracked head, with the failed welding repair, for practice...

Well, the newer rockers don't fit - they are longer, maybe because of a different valve angle in the 59/60 heads ? . I cut threads into the head (7/16-14). Then i modified 2 BB Chevy studs, by cutting of 2/3 of the hex portion, and machined the shaft to fit the old rockerballs. I drilled a 1,5 mm hole in the original rockers, resembling the hole in the newer rockers. Oilflow seems fine.
With my alignment tool i cut the threads with the head in place, and cleaned the oilpassage by means of a vacuum cleaner on one hole, and a spray of brake cleaner through the other (I took long brakes between spraying a couple of times, since i feared that the vacuum cleaner would go kaboom . Then i installed the studs with locktite, an the original rockers with polylocks. So far i have left the other 14 studs original, but i do consider drilling oilholes in the remaining rockers, since it seems to improve the oiling of the rockerballs. So far it looks ok, but no testdrive yet, since we have snow and salt on the roades.

I think screw in studs are a must. Thats what my 59 has and I also have a set of 1962 heads with chevy intake valves and screw in studs. Its the only way to go