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350 1971-79
Pontiac V8 350 1971-79
Identify The Casting First — 350 1971-79 for Pontiac V8s
The 1971-79 350 is the long tail of the small-displacement Pontiac V8, built through the low-compression years on unleaded fuel. These are still D-port cast iron heads, but the castings changed, and Butler's listings group the 1971 heads such as 96, 7K3, 197 and 7F6 on a different valve length than the 1967-70 pieces.
A rebuild draws on Butler's cast iron head parts: Ferrea stainless valves in the length your casting takes, cast or bronze guides, seats, seals, springs matched to the cam, retainers, locks and shims. Identify the head by its number, not by the year on the car.
More About 350 1971-79
1. The 1971 Break
Pontiac changed heads for 1971, and the parts follow the casting rather than the displacement.
| A different valve length group | Butler's valve listings put the 1971 castings including 96, 7K3, 197 and 7F6 on the 4.980" valve length, alongside the 4X, 6X and 5C heads, rather than on the 5.095" and 5.110" lengths used by the 1967-70 group. |
| Read the number, not the year | a 1971-79 350 can turn up with more than one casting under the valve cover after fifty years of swaps. Pull a cover and find the number before you order anything. |
| Pushrods | the 350 stays in the longer pushrod group with the 400, 428 and 455, not with the 326, 389 and 421. |
2. What A Low-Compression Era Head Needs
| Exhaust seats | heads from the unleaded years are worth a hard look at the exhaust seats. Your machinist will tell you whether they need cutting or hardened inserts. |
| Guides | cast or bronze guides for Pontiac cast iron heads in 11/32". Bronze is the choice if the engine is going to see high spring pressure or a high rocker ratio. |
| Valves | Ferrea stainless in the length your casting takes. On the 4.980" group, the 1.77" exhaust is the common upgrade over the smaller factory exhaust valve. |
| Springs | rated around a 1.600" installed height for cast iron heads. Pick seat and open pressure against the cam, and check coil bind against your lift. |
3. Stock Or Stepped Up
Two people rebuild these heads for two different reasons.
| Putting it back the way it was | stock-size valves, stock-pressure springs, fresh guides and seals, and a valve job. Reliable, and the least machine work. |
| Waking it up | a larger exhaust valve, a performance cam and a matched spring package. Butler's cast iron Head Builder Kit covers this path by matching valves, springs, retainers, locks, seals and shims to your casting and your cam specs. |
Send us the casting number and your cam card. These heads are worth rebuilding, but only once you know which of them you actually have.
Not sure what your Pontiac needs?
Call our tech team at 866-762-7527. Tell us your engine, heads, car, and power goal, and we will put the parts together as one combination that works.