How to restore an inline6??

[ilovetara]

Has anyone tackled this yet? I am trying to decide to rebuild my 292 or just go find a 350 to rebuild. I have read many threads with pros and cons to both and my main concern is I don't want my long bed to be that much of a sleeper with the 6.

[2bits]

You can really get some power out of a 292, but some of the hi performance parts are pretty expensive (intake/headers) and some parts are getting difficult to find (power steering). You also have to deal witrh people jacking with you for having an inline too. A 350 would be easier as far as getting parts and stuff, but there is alot involved with the swap to a V8 itself that you will want to take into consideration (motor mount perches, etc). Sounds like you might be leaning toward a V8, you can build a 292 to scream though, and that will really blow people's minds too.

Off topic:
Is it me or have there been alot of inline 6 posts showing up lately! That is cool!

[bean]

I kept the 250 in my 69 stepside. Rebuilt to mostly stock specs. Runs great. This is a truck I just fart around in on weekends but i'm a big fan of the inlines. If you keep oil and plugs in them they last forever. Don't know if this answers your question.

[samwise68]

personally, i say keep the 292.

it's a torque monster, and a work horse. i have both a I6 and a V8, and granted, the 292 seized up from reasons unknown, but, i still love my 6's.

if you're willing to do work, making a 6 put out some decent power isn't all that difficult. it can just be expensive, unless you find the right deals.

when i was still buying 6 parts, i picked up a set of long tube headers for 60 bucks including shipping off EvilBay. then a 3x1 triple single Offenhauser intake for around 60 off of Inliners.org. so right there, around 120 bucks for two bolt ons that help it breathe better, which is always the issue with these engines.

andd...yea. sorry to be long winded.

basically, shop for deals, and limit it to bolt ons for simplicity.

you could find a 194 head, to bump compression.
or LP propane pistons to bump compression to 9:1. but...then you're talking more money, etc.

*cough* keep the six! *cough*.

-Sam.

P.S. if you haven't already, pickup Leo Santucci's power manual for the GM inline six. it's worth it's weight in gold as far as performance goes, plus touches on alot of good basic advice for a rebuild.

[ks147j111928]

check out cliffordperformance.net, got their header and intake for my 292, planning on a cam and MAYBE .030 over for total disp of 310 inches. That's why "My six ix bigger than your eight." The cam has 0.10 more lift than factory so there's much better breathing combined with the huge single plane intake and headers. Need a 500 cfm carb to replace that stompin' 1 barrel.
Besides, V8 swaps are so common... people usually don't know what the engine is if the cylinders are in a line. One dude asked me if it was a 300 engine from a F**D!! The nerve!

-Dan

[ilovetara]

Well I don't mind spending more to restore my original 6. My truck is a long bed and I just hope I can get enough power out of the 6. It had the original 4spd (high hump). Now how hard would it be to convert the tranny over to an automatic. keep in mind I am currently down to the frame and doing a complete rebuild.

[bad6772]

i love my 292 3 speed. it sees 150 200 miles a week.its in my 67lwb, has great power is so so on gas. now it doesnt have a ton of power but i can make it run hard . it passed just fine, and it will tear the he11 out of the right rear. id say keep it

[PanelDeland]

Big 6 fan here.If you want a 350 the n that would be the way to go because you will spend more$$ for less power in the 6.That said,when was the last time you saw a 6 at a car show that wasn't in a resto?It seems like the greatest engine ever built (the smallblock) has become the bellybutton of classics and rods of all types.

[retodd7711]

Several other members have gone with the six rebuild instead of v-8 and I've not heard any complaints. Deals on parts can be found it just takes some looking. I like it when I pop the hood and someone says "wow, it's still got the six cylinder, those are hard to find!" Plus a burnout from a six is just too cool

[ks147j111928]

Originally Posted by ilovetara

Well I don't mind spending more to restore my original 6. My truck is a long bed and I just hope I can get enough power out of the 6. It had the original 4spd (high hump). Now how hard would it be to convert the tranny over to an automatic. keep in mind I am currently down to the frame and doing a complete rebuild.

Mine's in a longbed also, 4x4 with the SM420 (granny trans), 31x10.5 tires and 3.73 gearing... you have to time the lights just right to keep rolling. It's fun to watch people's eyes get huge when they suddenly realize your 'old truck' isn't fast on the take-off. Bumper check!

Since yours is 2wd I bet you'll get plenty of oomph out of it. As for going automatic I'm not any sort of expert so I guess you'd need the auto trans x-member and different legnth drive shaft? Speedo cable? Low hump floor cover, or a Lokar auto floor shifter to keep the high hump? Just throwing this out there...

-Dan

[Drobny]

I'm also rebuilding a 292 l6
pat

dare to be diffrent

[2bits]

Yeah going auto isn't too much of a problem at all, just gathering the parts is all. My truck was a manual tranny and the PO did the swap, he actually cut the OEM crossmember out with a plasma cutter I guess that's one way to do it, at least you can't see the leftovers so I probably won't ever cut the rest of it out. You can keep your same radiator if you want and just get a tranny cooler. Oh and I have a 400 under the hump that fits just fine too.

As far as power goes, I just put a new carb on it a few minutes ago, and with my used, bone stock, 250 engine/ new 400 tranny, and highway gears in the rear, I just laid massive tread on the ground in the parking lot across the street. This is my second inline 6 in this truck and this engine has some miles on it but it is fine, the last engine had a bad compression ring but it was a VERY fresh rebuild and it would wrap up and lurch pretty hard shifting gears. I can't even imagine what a hopped up 292 could do...

['68OrangeSunshine]

I've built two 292s, so far. Once in '77 and again in '02 -'05. I spent about $1000 back in '77 and an undisclosed amount more recently. Money well spent. I like L6s, they last forever.
By the way, a 292 bored .030 over yeilds 296 actual cubic inches. At .060 over it's 301.

[cell]

If you aren't going for performance, rebuilding a 292 is pretty cheap. I had mine completely rebuilt for $800.

[ks147j111928]

Thanks for setting me straight, I'm not good at math and such. Maybe it was with a stroke? I mean like a .030 overbore and a...?? stroke that made the 310 inches? I have no idea but I'm going to do SOMEthing to my 292...

Dan

[DavesRide]

The only thing that ever took out any six I ever had was a cracked vacuum line from power-glide to the intake runner burning a hole it the rear piston creating quite a fog machine. A guy once asked me why I put a small block in it and he said that that same thing happened to his dad when he had it. The small block exchange finally found the cracked line. It was a 68 inline six with factory power-glide. A real treat to drive and low center hump.

[bhunt31]

I'm with everyone else on this one...build the 292. After 20 years in the auto repair and high performance area, I've found out one thing...if it's got a GM on it anywhere, you can make it run with the best of them...the old ones anyway. The 292 is very similar to the Wakashaw blocks in the late 40's and 50's Oliver 88 tractors. We built and pulled antique tractors for years and our engine of choice were the old Oliver 88s. There is a lot there to be played with. We had a 1/4 inch of stroke put in, .060 pistons, worked the head over massively, by the time we were done we were running stainless steel valves for a BBC, jesel roller rocker system, had to grind the block out to clear the lobes on the cam, and double valve springs for a BB Hemi. Grab you a book on high performance written by David Vizard and apply his SBC tricks to your 292, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Keep the 6, let 'er breath, make 'er scream.

P.s. I've seen a 292 run 10's in 1/4 in a 1/2 ton long bed pickup.

[Chevyman680063]

I like the 292. Don't get me wrong, I love the 350 but everyone puts them in their vehicles, because it's a great motor, but you can still get some real power out of that 292. It's all about how much money you want to spend though and what you really like more.

[streetstar]

Re-do the 292, or get a big block. Small blocks are excellent motors and i have had a few of them, but they are boring (if your building a DD, boring and reliable is ok) --- for a weekend toy, build something with a little "wow" factor when you pop the hood

Either a straight 6, or a fender to fender big block will do it

6's look awesome with a Clifford header and a Weber sidedraft carb arrangement, and dont forget a big 'ol finned valve cover