Top End Power Packages

Cylinder Heads / Top End Kits - Top End Power Packages

Complete top end packages to build more horsepower and torque for your Pontiac. We've taken the guesswork out and includes everything you need to swap those old factory heads, cam, intake, lifters and more.

Unleash the Monster: Pontiac Top End Power Packages from Butler Performance

 

For any performance enthusiast, the Top End of the engine—the cylinder heads, camshaft, and intake—is the primary determinant of horsepower and torque. Swapping out old, restrictive factory components for modern, high-flow parts is the single most effective way to wake up a classic Pontiac V8.

Butler Performance, drawing on decades of dyno-proven engine building, takes the guesswork out of this upgrade by offering meticulously matched Top End Power Packages.1 These comprehensive kits provide all the necessary, high-quality components engineered to work in perfect harmony, guaranteeing maximum power and reliability for any 350, 389 , 400, 421, 428, 455 Pontiac V8.

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Butler/ Edlebrock Top End Power Packages 450-600 HP
Butler Performance has built many performance engines over the last three decades. Each of these engines has the benefit of high-quality part combinations that have been engineered and tested in...More Details »

More About Top End Power Packages

The Problem Solved: No More Guesswork

 

Building a high-horsepower engine requires precise component matching. An improperly selected camshaft can choke an excellent set of heads, and a poorly designed intake manifold can limit the engine's RPM potential. Butler's Top End Packages eliminate this risk, providing a complete, tested recipe for performance.

 

These packages are built around high-performance aluminum cylinder heads, most commonly the renowned Edelbrock Performer RPM D-Port or Round Port castings, which are vastly superior to original cast iron heads.

 

Comprehensive Power Tiers

 

Butler Performance organizes its packages into distinct power tiers, allowing customers to choose a kit tailored to their existing bottom end and power goals:

Power Tier Horsepower Range Head Configuration Key Butler Upgrade Ideal Application
Street Performer HP/ lb-ft TQ Edelbrock Unported D-Port/Round Port Hydraulic Flat Tappet or Mild Hydraulic Roller Cam Excellent street manners, great vacuum, major torque boost.
Street/Strip Monster HP Butler CNC-Ported Edelbrock (e.g., ) Aggressive Hydraulic Roller Camshaft Weekend racer, heavily modified street car, incredible sound.
Max Effort / Race Butler CNC-Ported High-Flow Heads (e.g., ) Aggressive Hydraulic Roller or Solid Roller Camshaft Dedicated track use, maximum pump-gas performance.

 

What's Inside a Butler Top End Power Package?

 

These kits are truly "everything in a box," ensuring a builder doesn't get delayed by a missing bolt or unmatched component. A typical Butler Top End Package includes:

  • Cylinder Heads: Brand new, complete Edelbrock aluminum heads (D-Port or Round Port), often featuring Butler's own CNC porting for maximum flow and consistency in the higher-power tiers.

     

  • Intake Manifold: A matched aluminum intake manifold (often the Edelbrock Performer RPM) that is port-matched to the supplied heads, ensuring no flow restriction across the intake runners.

     

  • Camshaft and Lifters: A performance camshaft—either hydraulic flat tappet or Butler's exclusive Hydraulic Roller profiles—paired with high-quality lifters (like Butler Exclusive COMP/Johnson units) that are optimized for stability at high RPM.

  • Valvetrain Hardware: Everything required for a stable valvetrain, including:

    • Performance Timing Set: A double roller timing chain and billet gears for accuracy and durability.

       

    • Pushrods and Checker: A set of quality pushrods, often including an adjustable pushrod length checker to ensure perfect valvetrain geometry.

       

    • Roller Rocker Arms: Often recommended or included (e.g., ratio) to reduce friction and improve performance.

  • Gaskets and Fasteners: A complete set of high-quality ARP head bolts, intake bolts, and a full gasket set (including Butler's custom head gaskets) for a leak-free seal.

     

 

The True Benefit: Dyno-Proven Results

 

The primary benefit of choosing a Butler Top End Power Package is the decades of in-house dyno testing that underpins every combination. The published horsepower and torque numbers ( and torque being a common street result) are not estimates; they are proven figures from engines tested on the Butler engine dyno.

 
 

By supplying these perfectly matched kits, Butler Performance enables Pontiac enthusiasts to unlock modern power and reliability from their classic iron, transforming an old engine into a formidable street machine.