Post Your Straight Six Pics!

[Don Quixote]

Originally Posted by VWNate1

Whoops ! you're correct, tube headers often (not always) work better with fasteners on the ends .

It's still critical to tighten the whole mess from the center outwards, not any other way .

When the GM HEI was new they spec'd .065" on the spark plugs, we thought it was crazy but they started and ran so easily in the sub zero temps Down East....


The changed that after a few years but running .045" minimum is wise .

The only downside I've ever experienced is accelerated wear on the caps, rotors and wires......

The plugs proper wear a bit faster but no biggie .

I hope everyone here knows to never use platinum tipped spark plugs in older engines ! .

They run colder and cause fouling problems quite often .

I think that 1968 292 looks great ~ those who work and drive these old rigs daily (more common than most realize) know how sturdy they are and if you keep up on the routine HOT OIL & FILTER CHANGES the thinwall bores don't wear out much .

All through the 1960's and 1970's there were millions of GM products with thinwall (1963>) i6 engines that blew smoke and drank oil, this was caused by owner failure to properly maintain them .

The previous generations of GM i6 engines could be overhauled with massive (up to .016") taper in the cylinder yet run fine and not smoke .

@Dwyert : who knows ? maybe one day he'll tire of it and sell to you for an affordable price .

I couldn't agree with you more on the hot oil changes. I like to take mine up to 3000rpm for a few miles to clean it out some and most of the crap comes loose and out with the oil. I've blown up a few engines in my time but they were always clean when I tore into them.

There's a reason I love this site. The overall wealth of knowledge is astounding!

[Don Quixote]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

What Nate says may be true for stock cast iron exhaust manifolds, but threaded studs [3/8''-18 -- 3/8'' -24] with a nut and a support are necessary for steel tube headers. Otherwise they leak bad. I use a hardened steel rocker ball for a spacer. Works for me.

Cervantes was a Spanish Marine. He was captured by Barbary Pirates and held as a POW [slave] for 5 years until his folks and The Church paid his ransom. He started writing after he got back to Spain.

I like the rocker ball idea and my system is working well so I hesitate to make any changes. If it's not broken...

That said, I always thought Cervantes wrote don Quixote de la Mancha while he was in prison. Just the same, it was required reading in my Spanish class back in high school and it turned out to be one of my favorite books to this day.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by Don Quixote

I like the rocker ball idea and my system is working well so I hesitate to make any changes. If it's not broken...

That said, I always thought Cervantes wrote don Quixote de la Mancha while he was in prison. Just the same, it was required reading in my Spanish class back in high school and it turned out to be one of my favorite books to this day.

He may well have written Don Q in prison. He was later employed as a tax collector in Spain and discrepancies in his figures for 3 years back landed him in jail in 1597. I doubt if the Turks would have given him time or material to write as their prisoner.
I looked for a snap of that rocker ball in hole #1:
Looks like I can't find any pix. All I get are icons of little tan file folders.
EDIT: Here it is. First manifold hole in L6 head filled with a 3/8''-18 bolt and rocker arm half-ball as spreader securing a set of Clifford headers on my 292 L6. [Also a similar fastener at the end.]

[VWNate1]

Don't think I know much , the more I learn the more I realize how little I actually know .

Our Christmas present came early, on 12.19 we got dispossesed .

[Dwyert4]

I wish. Actually I think he's giving it to his son when he turns 16. That's one helluva present.

[Rwsmith66@yahoo.com]

Here is my Mercruiser marine motor fresh off,I mean out of the boat. My version of a IL6 conversion! And it's not for sail!!!

[Don Quixote]

Originally Posted by Rwsmith66@yahoo.com

Here is my Mercruiser marine motor fresh off,I mean out of the boat. My version of a IL6 conversion! And it's not for sail!!!

I was wondering if the big brake booster would clear the air cleaner. I'm assuming that is a 6". Where did you get the filter?

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by Rwsmith66@yahoo.com

Here is my Mercruiser marine motor fresh off,I mean out of the boat. My version of a IL6 conversion! And it's not for sail!!!

RW: Points or Pertronix?

[Grumpy old man]

Here's a factory L6 A/C Bracket on this 292

[Grumpy old man]

Here are a couple more 2-250's and another 292

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by Rwsmith66@yahoo.com

Here is my Mercruiser marine motor fresh off,I mean out of the boat. My version of a IL6 conversion! And it's not for sail!!!

That is hella cool!

[Shaky]

Originally Posted by Rwsmith66@yahoo.com

Here is my Mercruiser marine motor fresh off,I mean out of the boat. My version of a IL6 conversion! And it's not for sail!!!

So cool. I have the valve cover but I'm still on the lookout for a set of those side covers.

[JAV6]

Here is my daily driver, 1968 GMC 1500 with original 292, currently a work in progress. Kept having problems with the monojet so I finally jumped all in with a 4 barrel conversion. Learning a ton from these posts, thank you.

[Rwsmith66@yahoo.com]

The filter is 6.5 inches diameter .picked it up at O'Reilly's.It misses the booster by about a quarter inch.The breather top was the factory one for the Merc motor.

[Rwsmith66@yahoo.com]

Pertronix

[Don Quixote]

Good to know. I have the little booster and i always thought it was strange on a 3/4 ton but it's not broken so i haven't fixed it. When it does break, I'd like to put on a big booster but it's been hard to find both 6" or the 9" I need. It's hard around here to find any round air filter for that matter.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by Don Quixote

Good to know. I have the little booster and i always thought it was strange on a 3/4 ton but it's not broken so i haven't fixed it. When it does break, I'd like to put on a big booster but it's been hard to find both 6" or the 9" I need. It's hard around here to find any round air filter for that matter.

My 3/4T truck had the 9" booster from the factory.

[sharpmark]

this is my fully rebuilt 292 which will be started and have the cam run -in with 2-barrel holley and then have the supercharger put on.
will be building my own inlet manifold and exhaust headers.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by sharpmark

this is my fully rebuilt 292 which will be started and have the cam run -in with 2-barrel holley and then have the supercharger put on.
will be building my own inlet manifold and exhaust headers.

Nice set up. Kind of a retro looking generator. Not the usual 67-72 Delcotron alternator. What year is your truck?

[sharpmark]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

Nice set up. Kind of a retro looking generator. Not the usual 67-72 Delcotron alternator. What year is your truck?

69 but this is a bitsa motor and generator may be from v8. pickumup came in with 250 mtr in an when it died I found this mtr (very difficult) and got it fully reco'd.

[RichardJ]

bitsa ?

reco'd ?

Not everyone, including myself, does well with made-up texting language, especially half way around the world.

This would be a good time to remove the end locator pins at both ends of the head. They have the same threads as the other manifold mounting holes and would help in holding the extra weight of the blower.

Also a good time to see if the bottom of the block needs drilled for a bolt-up starter.
If you later decide on a mini-starter or even an automatic, you don't want to be drilling from underneath after the engine is installed.

[RichardJ]

Actually, reco'd is a closer fit to "recommended".
bitsa, meaning "back in the saddle again", oh wait, it's a British tv show, or in the urban dictionary, "A person of no fixed nationality". Not in a real dictionary.

I'm betting you made a guess at the meaning of both, but you didn't notice the pre-made header flange bolted to the head. He also stated he would be building his own EX headers.
The flanges look like the ones, Mr Hotrod 6 sells and are two-piece.

[VWNate1]

No ;

i'm old and have been in the Auto Trade since before this engine was built, I know what I'm talking about .

[sharpmark]

sorry about our lingo (language).
bitsa - bits an pieces from different things ( motors)
recoed -reconditioned.
VWNate1 was correct.
the inlet an exhaust flanges were plasma cut off my drawings I made off a gasket.
was looking at those end studs and will probably replace with bolts and the blower will definitely have more support then just the row of bolts.
thanks for the interest.

[RichardJ]

I used no bolts. Threaded studs are install in all manifold holes.
In this picture, not one nut has been installed and it's all resting in place. The original GM setup with only two studs, made it so difficult to get everything in place and the bolts started.

Your flanges look so similar to https://mrhotrod6.myshopify.com/prod...ant=1142523877 I thought it might be the same.