thanks for the replies. i am either going 200r or turbo 350 with a s10 4x4 rear end hence the concern with the added expenditure. i know not an easy swap but some earlier hamb postings drew the leather glove. I have never been one to step back from a challenge. complicated install yes, but I will not let an inanamte object get the better of me. especially with all the wonderful help, and jokes, I recieve on the hamb. thanks again. I will load up the block and take it to my local engine guru.
If you look around long enough and willing to drive, you can find a good deal on almost any engine, as for returning an engine when you buy something cash money, that deal is done, you got exactly what you payed for and puffery when selling stuff isn't illegal, I can't remember last time I saw a drop in 6 cyl or 8cyl for 400, maybe a smoking worn out 350 for 600 bucks, Anyways what year is this 292 and does it or did it have the integeral head 1980s? Those engines were the first smog years and from my experience the casting metal sucks especially the heads. Those cracks are to the outside of the engine and do touch water jackets but it will only leak to the outside of the engine which would still be a problem but leaking into oil or cylinder is way worse. You may be able to 6011 stick weld those cracks, or stitch it and run some form of stop leak just don't over do it. I would fix it, I also wouldn't spend a ton of money taking it to a machine shop, their just gonna tell you need a new block unless their a half way decent shop. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I don't know if cracks from head bolt holes can be repaired properly on an iron block.Pinning won't prevent the stress of re cracking when the bolts are tightened ??? Welding iron canbe tricky and will require machining afterwards... Best approach is to find a good block,they are out there. Different animal,but I was looking for a good 350 Chevy roller cam block.A million out there ,right? Instead of the guessing game looking at stuff for sale,I asked the machine shop to find one.No problem,a thermo cleaned,fully machined bare block was only 300 bucks. Ask around the machine shops,grease their palms a bit if necessary...Good luck!
If you check with the machine shop thay may have one someone didnt pick up that thay would sell for cheap.
That math adds up to 75000 miles. Your original post quoted 50000 miles. So the seller has two stories in two conversations-he's a liar. Your o/p said "the engine arrived" meaning it was shipped ? You never did tell us how far away this joker lives. Take it back and hang it over his car with a cherry picker and threaten to drop it unless he refunds your money. Is he a hamber? If so, report him.
He is not on the hamb I will limit used purchased items to people on the hamb or reputable shops. Maybe I need to forget the straight six coolness factor and get a v8
Only 2 hours away? I've driven farther to pick up many items of lesser importance. You should have picked up the engine in person, it would have been a good idea to insist on a protocol pending the acceptable condition of the engine.
I wouldn't worry about that man. Seriously, there are quite a few of these still out there and from my personal experience, I'd be willing to bet that many of them got parked after an intake gasket started causing problems. Just keep an eye out for a runner in a rig. Craigslist or word of mouth. If you ask around I'm sure you can find some goofy old mechanic that still has a couple 292 powered pickups to pull his fishing boat around, and he will know where most of the spare motors in the area are. I pulled my most recent one out of a field, got it running, and used it to haul all my stuff to Arizona for the winter and then back to Washington again. I never even pulled the head or oil pan. Less to over analyze. Remember man, if this were easy, everyone would do it.
There are good usable running engines out there for $400. Ive got a couple of 250 chevy six engines. still in the trucks. You can hear them run , antifreeze in the radiators. No smoke or blow by. holding good oil pressure. $350 exchange. Any engine thats not stuck can be test fired it dont gotta be in a vehicle to run. Ive set lots of engines on a tire on the ground and run a garden hose into the bottom hose connection on the water pump and fired them up. Ive also got a few rebuidable 292 blocks. Shipping is the problem. I sold some parts to a hamber last week for $60 including shipping. the package weighed 12 pounds and cost $44.60 ro ship. you can bet ill not do that no more times. Old Wolf
I don't think all the paperwork in the world is going to fix those cracks. If he won't take it back, he should at least refund half your money. Dave.
What some people post here and what is real life is two totally different things. 350 and an exchange doesn't equal 400.00, prices also depend alot on where you are, a 50's car/truck is gonna be a completely different price and condition in Arizona compared to Florida, your gonna pay double in Florida for less car. If the seller didnt know there was a crack he wasn't scamming you, unless the head was off its not an easy thing to see. I will also say that some peoples idea of a running engine could be on either side of the spectrum. People run the crap out of those 250/292's with cracks and leaks all over em. Ive taken a few apart, and an old 292/250 is gonna have cracks. The front bolts on these are torqued about 20 lbs less than all the other bolts which most people dont do properly. everybody always thinks their getting one up on someone. if you buy something and it seems like a steal your not lucky your just probably naive. I will also add cause its been posted a couple of times, dropping off an engine that you bought without seeing or now dont want, at some old guys house in shambles will probably end up with you being the one getting probably adjusted. at some point you need to pick a direction and head down it. These are old cars and old parts, they are gonna have problems jumping back and forth between 235, 292 or a v8 is gonna leave you with a pile of parts and not enough motivation/money to move forward. those cracks might not even leak. I would at least drill the end of the crack on the cracks that show on the outside and pin it. or give it shot as is. The crack that looks like its on the top surface, almost just looks like a casting defect and the head gasket should seal it. I can put together an engine pretty cheap, a good dependable engine costs about 2000.00. Now if you have skills and the know how, you can make the dollar amount smaller but your paying in labor and you can make it an even smaller amount by running good used parts. in the end its still 2000-1500. Dont get caught up in everyone screaming V8. my 235 keeps up with all my buddies 350's and seems to break a lot less too.
Whats the bottom of the engine look like rod bearings and main bearings? Thats gonna give you a better picture of how worn the engine is. rod bearings are around 50 for a set and a tad bit more for mains, most of the time the mains are in good shape. Just looked it up a felpro gasket set is 54.00 from rock auto, the victor rien set suck, just so you know.
Just found a couple 292s at PnP in San Jose. Probably same distance and cheaper. Bottom line is you have a bunch of people looking at pictures on the Internet analyzing what is wrong. They all are proficient in this stuff, BUT until some one checks it over in person and close up, no one will be able to tell you the true condition of this engine.
When looking for a 292 just remember they only came in the larger trucks so they got worked hard,it will be hard to find one that came from a truck that rusted apart before being beat to death.
that's fine with me , i'm not in the market for one....and it's only your's and the potential buyer's business. but for me i listen to my own advice
They came in3/4 ton trucks. My wife has a 1966 3/4 ton Pk. Her daddy bought it new in dec 1965. It came equipped with a 292 four speed 456 rear gears. I never got drove much because of poor fuel economy. still a good rust free body.
bottom end looks good and there is a good chance he had no idea about the cracks. i know you guys can not diagnose a picture but it is nice to get the feed back no the less. i will probably end up running the damn thing after drilling the cracks.
After losing approx $10K to a Hamb member be careful. I now look at their posts and refuse to deal with anyone under 50 meaningful posts. If it was me Id tell you to bugger off. You paid for a and recieved it - its over. Iits $400 for an old motor that didnt work out. Its not worth the grief. Part it out and move on.
good advice. I did buy a carb from someone that said it was a runner already and the throttle shafts were so worn that it would not idle and the throttle would stick. it was junk but atleast I was able to use the adapter and linkage. in his defense he refunded $50 that was a smidge over shipping.
If I was the seller, I'd offer to buy it back or give half the money back. I don't want anybody thinking I cheated them. I'd like to think most Hambers would try to work it out.
yeah that's how I feel it was advrtised as 50k and I asked him about that seeing as that's unheard of with the age of the motor. he assured me it had 50k.. when I presented him with the issues at hand now he says it was rebuilt at such and such miles. this was 50k ago. to me that means not a 50k motor but a 50k + such and such miles. am I flawed in my perception. granted I just to make it clear that I never intended to just drop the moter as is, I am a "go through it my self" kind of guy with slight napolionic tendencies when it comes to not doing the bear minimum. to hell with finances I just can not just put garbage parts, or top of the line for that matter in anyting. good old middle of the road performance.my disssfunction is now public.
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