Hi everyone, I'm new here, and I'm looking for some help putting my inline Chevy 292 back together. It's just a regular 292 in my Chevy c20 truck all taken apart and cleaned. I have all the parts, a rebuild kit and a Chiltons manual. Is there any advice out there as to where I should start? Thanks!
sure, clean it again, install the crank, then the rods and pistons, then the cam, oil pump, oil pan, head, pushrods, rockers, valve covers, distributor, manifolds, etc. If you have some specific questions, maybe we could be more helpful. Or if told us where you are, maybe someone could offer to help you make sure you're doing it right. There's a place in your profile settings to put your location.
Open this manual (http://oldcarmanualproject.com/manuals/Olds/1966/Chassis/06-Engine.pdf ) and follow it, it is for a 1966 Oldsmobile which used a 250 Chevrolet engine, which is the same as a 292. The only difference will be head bolt torque on the front, drivers side head bolt.
Have you... checked clearances? inspected parts like the oil pump? Measured bore taper? ring gap? piston to bore clearance? This can be done with a feeler and mash gauges. Do you have a piston installer.... sleeve type ....looks like a pipe joint. Do you have a torque wrench?
I'm unsure on a later 6 design so I'll post this as a question. Does a 1963 L6 need to have it's crank shaft clocked correctly so the cam can be installed with out interference?
Glad your asking . Just wondering your experience level. If you already have a rebuild kit does that include rings, bearings and pistons ? Did you mic or check any measurements first? Machine work? If you did not check cylinders ,crank and rod measurements or valve guides or seats you need to. Best advice is step back , find a friend or someone you know that can guide you throughout the process. A good trust worthy machine shop should be the next thing on your list.
If it is a manual transmission, be sure that you get access to the latest tech bulletins from GM about flywheel bolts loosening up and potential cracks around bolt holes.......back in the day. Also.....harmonic balancer upgrades ??.....I think my have been part of the same vibration induced issue. Getting old !!
Very true. A local Dirt track racer back in the 70s ran a 292 six and always had to retighten them even after a heat race. He said he tried everything and even welded them and they would still break the welds.
If you are going to replace the cam, you'll need to replace it with an actual cam core made for a 292 and not a 230 or 250, they don't interchange.
Once you are satisfied everything is clean, clean it again. Double check bearing clearances and ring gaps. Do not pull the bearing caps down with the bolts/studs. Tap them down with the handle of your hammer or a block of wood. Pay attention to torque and tightening patterns.. DON'T drop the camshaft. They break. You swear, and pay for another. EASY on the gasket sauce, especially RTV. It gets squeezed out and magically gets in oil passages.
Yes they do. I ran a 292 cam in a 250 because it had more lift and it was free. Just had to run an electric fuel pump because on the 292 they swapped the position of the fuel pump and the right side motor mount.
Re-read the post again, yes a 194, 230 or 250 can use a 292 cam but not vice versa. A 292 cam blank has rod clearance notches made into it, while the 194, 230 and 250 cam blank does not, because the 292 has almost 5/8" of an inch more stroke than a 250, and requires those notches in the cam blank. And using any of those cams in a 292 will cause severe connecting rod interference with the camshaft, and won't allow the engine to rotate. Also, using a 250 or 230 cam in a 292, because of the 292's much longer stroke, one of the connecting rods will hit the fuel pump cam lobe because it is also re-located. You can use a 292 cam in any of those other engines with no problem, but only a cam blank made for a 292 can be used in a 292. There are other components specific to a 292 that can swap with the smaller 6's, but some can and some can't or shouldn't be used just because they will bolt up.
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