Technical Is an OHC Pontiac straight 6 worth messing with?

a local ad came up for a Pontiac OHC straight 6
I have never messed with one and really don’t need it however I have been looking for a good 250 gm 6 for a project. I have found a good 250 very cheap but the OHC intrigues me.
Question is I have no clue on value or experience with the OHC
And is the added expense worth the effort.
Thanks.

 

The Pontiac OHC 6 shares the same bellhousing pattern as the BOP. Its not the same bell as a Chevy 250 engine. They are fast powerful engines.

 

It would definitely be something different, especially if you outfitted it as a "Sprint" motor. Those had a single 4-brl carb attached to it, and got some pretty stout HP numbers, if memory serves me.

Roger

 

So this would be a BOP bell?
Didn’t realize that. Thanks.

 

Just beware the parts that wear out and can't be replaced without finding another engine.

A friend has been tinkering with them for a while, I think he ended up with about half a dozen engines. He took the 400 out of an OT Pontiac, and put the six in it's place. But he's also adding modern technology to make it more powerful and driveable.

That pic of the back of the motor doesn't show the BOP bolt pattern very well, from above...a different view would be nice

 

Easy enough to get a manual bell for BOP, or put a 200-4R behind it, or a cheap BOP to Chevy adapter.

Run it!

 

The pics the owner have posted does not show an intake/exhaust set up on it. It does have an extra head.
The price is at 850. A big difference from the 250 Chevys I found. Even one free long block.
Gonna message the seller and find out what is all there with it.

 

A few years ago I had a 64 tempest with a 215(?) 6 cyl I thought very seriously about finding a ohc 6 cyl mill for. But my daughter decided wedding experiences were more important

 

Knew a guy who bought a sprint 6 4-speed 67 firebird, according to him it would run 7200 rpm without any problems. He said his had spent alot of time there.

Always wanted to play with one myself.

 

Opinion? I'd take the money and buy 3 of the Chevy 250's

 

My buddy from Regina Canada has one with five carbs on it. Been on the road for a few years and he has over 30 k on the clock. It's a kool ass motor.

 

Maybe not 3 but the free one is torn down and looks buildable. Guy bent a pushrod and thought he killed it. The OHC would need the same amount of work the free 250 would.
Might have just made my mind up

 

They're about $250 around here. I've used a bunch and sold a bunch. Even the 230

 

We had a 1965 215 tempest. I still have the engine someplace. It looks just like a chevy. mine has the chev bell pattern. was equipped with a dual pattern turbine 300 two speed trans. a OHC 6 or a BOP V8 would have fit the trans.

 

With a little work they will take a 292 Chev/GMC crank. Can come out a little over 300”. A friend had one and used some Mercedes parts in the cam follower area. Went 185 in my roadster with Hilborn style injection.

 

They were (are) good engines, however there is very little in the way of high performance, or for that matter even stock camshafts available. The cam rides directly on the aluminum head - no insert bearings. I believe there have been aftermarket solutions for that issue. I worked in the cam business in the 80’s and there were no cam castings available then and GMPD (General Motors Parts Division) no longer listed any engine components. To my knowledge they are pretty much fully orphaned by now. not trying to discourage anyone from using one of them, just offering that parts may still be a serious problem.

 

I'd snag it in a HEARTBEAT! There was 2 versons, standard was with a 1-bbl, SPRINT with a quadrajet, dual-outlet exhaust manifold, hotter cam. There was issues with cam and lifter wear, but a good cam grinder can restore them. Do a search on Inliners International STOCK engine forum, or start a new thread - a ton of info should turn up there... For power and eyewash, SWING!!! Good Luck, Tim

 

Very cool engine, but as Jim and Charlie pointed out, I’d be very afraid of finding parts.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Looks like an estate sale thing. The person posting it doesn’t know much about it other than a Wikipedia copy and paste for the info on the engine.
Going to contact to see if they can take a pic of the intake and carb set up.

 

It sure can't hurt to make an offer. Such a cool looking I6

 

Here is the best pic of it.
Looks like it had AC

 

Anthony, camcraft cams makes cams for that engine. If you can find a copy of January 2017 Hemmings Muscle Machines there was an article on building the ohc Pontiac 6. I wouldnt worry too much about no cam bearings it doesn't seem to bother most modern ohc engines running their camshafts right in their aluminum heads. I say build it. I have a buddy who used to have a Firebird with the engine and he wishes he still had it, says it was a great engine.

 

Aesthetics are a helluva lot better than a Chevy 250:

 

We will see how firm they are on the $
850 seems high from the responses here.

 

Aesthetically speaking, the engine won’t be seen much in my 57 step van.
But they are cool looking.

 

Plexiglass doghouse. It's the only answer.

 

we thought about that with colored LEDs

 

Here is another forum:

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=496

 

Little easier to see the concave dip between the top two bolts..I'd say yes, BOP pattern.
I never thought about what pattern they had but BOP sounds correct, as mentioned.

 

The current issue of Hot Rod has a build article on a Pontiac OHC 6.