Tin Indian Performance - Pontiac Crank Mandrel Drive Systems

Our Pontiac Crank mandrel drives are custom CNC machined out of 6061 aluminum. The mandrel includes the following features:

Mandrel bolts directly to harmonic balancer - You use your stock crank bolt to bolt your harmonic balancer to your crank. You no longer need to use mandrel systems that use 5 to 6 inch balancer bolts. Your balancer is now reliably retained by a separate bolt! Some harmonic balancer manufactures will not warrantee their balancers if you use such a crank mandrel system.

Works with ALL Pontiac harmonic balancers with standard BBC or Pontiac 4 bolt patterns AND crank triggers! We also offer another mandrel that has the standard Pontiac 4 bolt pattern and the Fluiddampr 4 bolt pattern.

Dual pulley bolt pattern – has both conventional 4 bolt Pontiac pulley pattern and the 3 bolt big block Chevy bolt pattern. Comes with cap screws to fit both 3/8-16 for BBC pattern and 5/16-24 for the standard 4 bolt Pontiac pattern.

FULLY ADJUSTIBLE!! 4 different locating spacers help with belt alignment. We can also custom machine spacers for you based on your spacing requirements. - Call for details

The standard Pontiac crank mandrel drive system comes with the mandrel, 1 - 3 inch deep grove pulley, 4 alignment spacers, snout cap and bolt. 4 inch pulleys , gilmer pulleys, and additional spacer kits are also available separately. See below....

Want to run the TIP crank mandrel drive system and retain your stock 1969 and up lower crank pulley?

YOU CAN!!! Mandrel fits inside the stock pulley using the standard Pontiac 4 bolt pattern.

Madrels measure approximately 5.150" from the back mounting flange to the snout cap and the mandrel shaft is 1.5" in diameter.

We can also custom machine one of our mandrels to fit inside a March crank pulley or we can custom machine any height / length mandrel as well. Call for pricing and details!

We now have a Pontiac crank mandrel drive system that has both the standard 4 bolt Pontiac bolt pattern and the custom 4 bolt Fluiddampr bolt pattern. The kit comes with the same spacers and bolts as the standard Pontiac mandrel kit.

We offer four complete evacuation kits at Tin Indian Performance. One kit features the Aerospace Components Vacuum pump and the other three feature the Moroso pumps (3-vane, 4-vane, and 4-vane enhanced). All kits are designed to produce crank case vacuum improving ring seal, preventing blow by and leaks. The system also helps reduces intake charge contamination as well. A must have item on any high horsepower race engine.

The bracket is made from 6061 aluminum and works with the Moroso 22641 pumps. This bracket will bolt up to Pontiac heads with standard bolt hole locations (stock D port, Edelbrock Heads, KRE D ports, and KRE High Port heads) with NO modifications like other brands. Bracket comes with the correct bolts to attach it to the pump as well.

Engine Vacuum Baffle with -12 AN Fitting
The vacuum baffle is designed to reduce the amount of oil scavenged from the crankcase by the vacuum pump. The vacuum baffle is shielded on four sides and open on only one side. This Baffle is not a cure-all for engines that leak or have excessive blow-bye. Improper location of the pickup, poor oil drain back in heads, or an engine with excessive blow by or an engine that is not properly "sealed" can still pull excessive oil.

This tank is manufactured from 6061-T6/651 aluminum then color anodized throughout, combines an air/oil separator to reduce or eliminate engine oil scavenged into the vacuum pump AND an exhaust section to catch oil exhausted by the vacuum pump. In addition to separating the oil from the air drawn from the engine, the filter media within the tank will trap debris from worn or broken engine parts before it enters the vacuum pump. Drains are installed for the exhaust and the intake sides of the tank. (mass: 2.33lbs.)

These vacuum pumps are manufactured from billet aluminum and feature a precision-machined shaft, rotor, and bearings that will withstand the rigors of racing. They work by producing high crankcase vacuum, which increases power by improving ring seal, preventing blow by, and detonation. The pump also allows for the use of lower-tension piston rings for less friction. These positive pumps are much more consistent and effective than header-mounted evacuation systems. This pump uses -12 AN fittings. Pump mounting bracket is not included. Use part # TIP-002.

A vacuum pump with a winning edge.
These racing vacuum pumps are manufactured from billet aluminum and feature a precision-machined shaft, rotor, and bearings that will withstand the rigors of racing. They work by producing high crankcase vacuum, which increases power by improving ring seal, preventing blowby, and detonation. Allowing the use of lower-tension piston rings for less friction. These positive pumps are much more consistent and effective than header-mounted evacuation systems.

Manufactured from 6061-T6/651, aluminum, hard anodized and Teflon coated, this pump was designed to be small, light, reliable and efficient. Star's standard Pump will out flow and produce higher peak vacuum than any racing pump with a comparable chamber size. Star's intake and exhaust positions and internal porting are key to this pumps efficiency. The intake and exhaust ports are placed tangent to the rotor and are (internally) configured differently. While Star's competitors pumps are designed (and their efficiency compromised) to be run in either direction (cw/ccw) without changes, our pump must be disassembled and turned around. Our unique one piece shaft/rotor is proven to be lighter and more reliable than 2 piece (steel/aluminum) designs which are prone to fastener failure and key/keyway wear. The rotor bearings are mounted outside the pump chamber with an additional seal on each bearing. This additional seal is required to achieve maximum vacuum potential and to eliminate the grease in the bearings from being "sucked" into the pump. The pump housing , rotor and end cap have been hard anodized to eliminate wear then Teflon coated to reduce friction. All mating surfaces are o-ringed and secured with stainless hardware. Star's intake/exhaust plate can be configured for -12 AN or 3/4" dia. slip on fittings. In addition our regulator is mounted to this plate, eliminating the need to place (cut/weld) a regulator receptacle (bung) somewhere else on the engine. There are two major benefits to mounting our vacuum regulator directly to your pump. First, when the regulator set point is reached, ambient air is drawn directly into the pump helping it run cooler! And the other, by placing the regulator "outside" the crankcase area, the excess air the regulator is bypassing will no longer be passing thru the engine to the pump. It now flows directly into the pump, reducing the possibility of oil being scavenged from the engine. (mass: as shown with 36T aluminum pulley, reg. and AN fittings 1400g/3.08lbs.; with 36T composite pulley, reg. and AN fittings 1320g/2.91lbs.; with 24T composite pulley, reg. and AN fittings 1270g/2.80lbs.)

Moroso 4 -Vane Enhanced Design Vacuum Pump Aluminum, Black Anodized - pulley INCLUDED!

This pump comes with all of the hardware pictured above and allows for the most flexibility for adjustment when used with our Tin Indian Performance Crank Mandrel. Adjustment swing for the belt tension is a bit small at 1.7 inches. You just need to be fairly close with your initial belt length.

These vacuum pumps are manufactured from billet aluminum and feature a precision-machined shaft, rotor, and bearings that will withstand the rigors of racing. They work by producing high crankcase vacuum, which increases power by improving ring seal, preventing blow by, and detonation. The pump also allows for the use of lower-tension piston rings for less friction. These positive pumps are much more consistent and effective than header-mounted evacuation systems. This pump uses -12 AN fittings. This pump has a custom made Pontiac bracket included and the shaft provides 6 different mounting locations for the pump pulley.

This relief valve has an o-ring located at the bottom and a jam nut included for you to attach to your valve cover. The spring loaded valve allows you to control the amount of vacuum you create by simply tightening or loosening the valve.

We carry both 18 and 20 tooth Gilmer pulleys for our mandrel system. Please specify tooth count when ordering.

This panel mounted breather/separator can be used with dry or wet sump tanks. It features a filtered breather from K&N Filters, a drain valve and a - 12 AN fitting.

This is the mandrel spacer kit used on our Tin Indian Performance Pontiac Crank Mandrel. The kit includes 4 spacers. 2 are .375 wide and the other 2 are .755 wide.

These Pontiac steel core rubber neoprene valve cover gaskets are the best on the market. They measure .200” thick. The steel core maintains the shape of the gasket for improved sealing. Great for vac pump applications!

This kit was originally designed to work with our crank mandrel drive system. The system is extremely versatile and flexible giving the installer many options during installation. The alternator's drive pulley location can be adjusted simply by trimming the spacers. The bracket was designed to fit most Pontiac heads as well as most aftermarket heads (Kauffman D Port, Kauffman High Port, Edelbrock, etc.) The mounting bracket is made from stainless steel. Bolts and washers are also stainless steel.

A: You get what you pay for! The Ford style pumps don’t pull near the vacuum nor do they last as long as the Aeorspace or Moroso units.

A: Optimum speed is approximately 50% of the engine speed. (2 : 1 ratio). For applications below 8,000 RPM we recommend running the pump at 66 % ( 1.6 : 1 ratio). Using the 3 inch pulley provided with the standard Tin Indian Performance Crank Mandrel System will drive a vacuum pump with a 5 inch pulley at 60%. The 4 inch mandrel pulley would drive the pump at 80%.

A: We recommend attaching the pump to the front of the valve cover via a threaded bung. Our bung baffel helps with pulling excessive oil out as well. This should provide you with the best vacuum and best lubrication of your pump. The outlet of the pump should be attached to a catch can that can be periodically drained. Never attach you vacuum pump outlet to your dry sump tank or to an exhaust collector.

A: Most engine builders concur that maximum power gains are noticed in the 13” to 16” on a wet sump application. Street applications should be less and we normally recommend that you drive the pump a bit slower.