Projects Best In-Line Motor for modification

Hello everyone, I have been toying around with building a rod with an inline motor. I have done some research and seems as though Packard and Buick straight 8's are popular and very cool, but they seem a tad pricey and parts may be hard to find. So I was thinking that the good ol' I6 would be the way to go. I am not tied to any specific brand so I was hoping I could get some opinions on which to go with.

I need something with good aftermarket support, parts availability, easy to find and (relatively) inexpensive to build. I am guessing this would be either Chevy 292 or Ford 300, however the 4.0L Jeep and Chrysler Slant 6 have some character.

As far as configuration, I am planning on either a 4bbl or multiple 2bbl carbs, headers, manual transmission, in a very light car.

So what do you say, I am currently researching the project so any suggestions would be very helpful.

Thanks

Matt

 

I think you've got it right there. Leo Santucci's book on the Chevy 292 covers what you need to make some real power with that engine.

The Frenchtown Flyer on here has done very well in racing the Ford 300, and I have heard Tom Langdon ( Inliner and retired GM engineer ) suggest that the 300 is actually the better motor to modify due to non-siamesed head ports and and equally strong bottom end.

Either one would be fine, and intakes, cams, and headers are readily available for both.

Later, Kinky6.

 

Look for posts by qparker.

Here's a poll by him.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=497074&highlight=292

Some of his posts have quite a bit of drama (some of it by me I'm afraid ) but if you pic through you can find some info on GM 6s. be forewarned that there are some claims of HP and torque that are a little unrealistic.
But I should be the first to not stand in the way of a dreamer.

I have a certain amount of respect for the 300 inch ford motor. I remember an econo rail back in the '70s that ran real fast on an inline 300. Granted it was a candidate for AA and there was a lot done to it but it did run.

Anyway check out his stuff for info on the GM 6s.

Too bad you couldn't get your hands on a Hudson Twin H with the export package. Now that was a hot 6.

 

Datsun inline 6 have good aftermarket, come with overdrive transmissions and are cheap. Jaguar would be neat too, if you're into that.

 

Admittedly I'm a chevy guy. I would pick the 250 chevy. In a roadster type rig, they are light and compact. sbc transmissions bolt up (read: cheap and readily available). And they bolt to sbc motor mount locations. It's not hard to get over 200hp and that will be plenty powerful in an under 2500# car. Otherwise I would go with the 300 ford just because I think the visuals of a crossflow engine are better.

 

Its not just the visuals that are better. A cross flow just breathes better.

In hot rodding it always has been and always will be form follows function.

No offense intended here.

 

I have always loved the pontiac OHC 6. They are pretty cheap and look awsome. the "sprint" package already came with a split exhaust and 4bbl so that may be what your looking for and they can really scream!

 

Hard to beat the Ford 300 for cheap availability (Ford made millions of them, and they are everywhere), reliabilty (it was a truck motor, and is built like one), and after market support. There are lots of intakes, headers, cams, etc available. The Ford 300 also has the same bellhousing as Windsor V8's, so your transmission choices are also endless. The 300 in my avatar was put into my slightly O/T Shop truck, and it runs circles around 302's. I put an Offy Intake, Headman Header, Holley 600 4 bbl, and a Comp 270 cam into it, and it runs great. There are also high comp pistons, and other internal parts available as well.

 

I'm buildin' a little 223.. but if I was goin' from a performance stand point instead of the I have one under the bench stand point it'd be a 300, a little Datsun/Nissan 6 would be cool though.. or for all out performance a Toyota 2jzgte (twin turbo'd DOHC)... I'd say if you wanted wild your best bet for performance would be the 2jz, or a 5.9L Cummins... but in a normal world a 300 Ford or a 4.0L Jeep mill would do the trick...

 

Hey, Pork, while the 300 is a twelve port, its actually not a "crossflow". My O/T '96 Volvo 2.9L is a 12 port crossflow, intake on one side, exhaust on the other.

The 300 ( or the 292, for that matter ) would be badass if it was a 12 port crossflow!

Just trying to keep the facts "inline".


Later, Kinky6

 

I think the aussies make a crossflow head for the 300. But yeah I always thought crossflow was intake on one side exhaust on the other.

 

You might be thinking about the 2V head for the Aussie 250, built from around 1970-76. It was a 12-port, but not a crossflow, and will swap onto the U.S. 144-250 with only very minor modifications ( shaving, pushrod length, etc. ); just about a bolt-on. But it won't fit the 240-300 six.

Later, Kinky6

 

Yup that's it my brother is a 144/170/200/250 nut and his holy grail is one of those heads.

 

A viable alternative if you want a little less cubic inches and a bit more exotic is the Ford 200 cubic inch Falcon six. There's an aluminum head available for that engine now that allows you to use different intakes and breathes amazingly well. Build one with that head, a double roller cam chain, an upgraded cam, slightly increased compression, headers, and a triple sidedraft Weber intake (or even just a four barrel) and you'd have a nice little package. It's possible to attach a T5 transmission to them with the proper bellhousing and adapter, or you can just use a toploader 4 speed.

Info on that engine is available in the forums over on the Fordsix website. Look for info in the 144-250 "Small Block" Six Performance section and the Aluminum Cylinder Head section. There's also great info in the HardCore Inline Tech section if that sort of thing interests you.

 

If you can't find a 292 I'd go that route. I'm working on installing this one in my '63 Chevy II.







more pics here: 63ChevyII.com

From what I've been told, it's not too tough to get 300 ft/lbs torque and 200 hp out of them.

 

Thanks for everyone's input. Sounds like everyone is coming back to the Chevy or Ford, Ford is in the lead.... I would love to use a Pontiac OHC but those are getting pretty rare. As far as Nissan/Jag/Cummins, I thought about those, but cost really comes into play as well as parts availability.

I have been leaning toward the Ford 300... as they say there is no replacement for displacement. And like FrozenMerc said they are everywhere.

I would be shooting for 300 - 350 hp on the initial project. Is this realistic without a blower/turbo or nitrous? And using off the shelf parts? I would imagine the head would need porting as well.

Thanks again for everyone's help... Like I said this is the very beginning and I appreciate everyone's knowledge.

 

you sould be happy with either motor good luck

 

I have no idea what they cost, but those all aluminum DOHC 4.5 liter Jag's are sweet. Maybe off topic, but the power to weight ratio's are amazing.

 

The current GM pickup has a I6 with DOHC and god old American Cubic inches. Looks cool and runs good. Altlas or Vortec engine 256 CID. I don't think they still make the 6. But maybe. Did in '09. Dennis Varney has one in his new streamliner

 

There are racers out there that have actually taken two Yates/cleveland style heads and made one awesome 300 6 head.
Obviously you don't do that kind of think in your back yard with common hand tools

 

Another vote for the Pontiac Sprint OHC, 4 barrel on a six cylinder that is factory stock.

 

HAY !

I know where you could get a Ford 4 speed , bellhouse, and clutch for that Ford 300...CHEAP ! And close to you! ...........................Cornpatch

 

I have done several Chev sixes. Dollar wise the 250 is the easiest and power is excellant. The 300 ford is the easiest in the big sixes. I have done these but I have not done a 292 chev. The slant six? Whats not to love. Cheap strong fast and fun.
Have built them turbo and normally aspirated multiple carb and four barrels. YEs bubbsa I know they have only four main bearing but you forgot to mention your beloved ford flathead has only three. Doesnt matter because no one and I do mean no one has a broken cranked slant six or a failure related to the four mains. It just does not happen. I squeeze mine as hard as it will go http://www.youtube.com/watch?(v=-RrGDPXOQtI&feature=related )as I have others before it. They just take a licking and keep on ticking. Why do you think they always use a slant six in the run the engine without water or oil adds?I have also done a jag six for a friend many years ago. They are good engine but I had trouble getting stuff back then. That said there is one sitting im my new rail right now in the shop. This one is a 3.6 Double overhead cam 24 valve deal. I also had ve a AMC six sitting outside the shop belonging to a friend. i have rebuilt several of these for general use but till now not for racing. They are also a good engine though and should perfom up to snuff. Dollar wise the slant 6 the ford 300 6 or the chev 250 will give you the best performance for your dollar if$$ are important. I would make the decision based on what it is going in.
Don

 

re- the six cyl ford heads, we got both here! the 2v with the 2 barrel and sepperate manifold AND the crossflow head (in both iron and alloy versions) our sixes were only 250ci though, i think we only got 300s in some trucks

 

Didn't I read somewhere that many (all?) slant 6s have a forged crank?

It has been a while but I remember something like that.

 

Thanks for the info Don, you have some wicked vehicles. Cornpatch informed me that you were the gentleman who wrote the Old Reliable book, hadn't realized that. I like your straight-forward approach to engine building keep up the good work.

 

Does anyone know if the aussie crossflow's will work on the 300? An alloy crossflow would be a great place to start, might be worth getting one shipped over.

 

You could go a little more exotic and do a BMW straight six. There are lots of them available around here, they have crossflow heads and great bearings. The M30 straight sixes have a normal distributor cap off the end of the cam shaft if you want to go neanderthal with it, and the heads already flow well.

 

Nope small six only...

 

Seems like the 250 Chevy is the SBC of the inline world, as far as parts and support go. I like my 250 just fine.