Technical CHEVY 292 INLINE 6

Does anyone know if a chevy 292 inline 6 is longer than a 235 inline 6? I'm trying to install the 292 in a 56 chevy that had a 235. The issue is the oil pan is hitting the tie rod and the rear crossmember. Thanks for the help.

 

yes it is. maybe 1-1/2" - 2". you will either have to recess the firewall, raise the engine or move the rad.

 

Back up for John T.

 

The length of the engine doesn't have much to do with the shape of the oil pan. Oil pan clearance is tight on those cars!

 

I placed a 292 in my 1940 Chevy Coupe. It was longer than the stock 216 by about 2.25". Used an Mustang II front end. I did not touch the radiator. Used short Water Pump and no fan. Running electric fan in front of radiator. No problem cooling. You might try UniSteer to clear the front of the motor on your 56.

 

This is correct^^^ I am not sure about the exact difference in length but most people move the radiator to he front of the core support to make enough room for one.

 

which 292?

 

The inline 6, I am not if Chevy made more then one model, I am guessing he means what they called the high torque 292 when I was a kid.

 

isn't the earlier 292 a different size than the later 292?

 

I don't think so, the early models are all I really have any experience with.

 

mine is a '82, i will get some measurements for the op.

 

As creative as most hot rod builders are with sheet metal fabrication, it would be relatively easy to reshape the oil pan to clear the cross member and steering linkage, if that's the main problem fitting the engine in place. You might also need to reshape the oil pump pickup tube, if the pick-up bottoms right in that part of the pan, but that seems like a relatively simple job too.

 

is called a ball peen hammer at my house.

 

I'm guessing you already know about the unique to the 292 six flywheel/flexplate issue, and the staggered engine mount unique to them also? Using the V-8 TriFive bellhousing for correct placement? Hurst used to make a dropped cross shaft for the TrFive suspensions, they come up on E-Bay once in a while. Other than that, it's modifing the pan. The radiator will need to be in the forward location of the radiator support, and may even need to be moved a little bit more forward; the 194-292 six family is longer than the 216-261 family of sixes. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

They are longer because they went to 7 mains with them instead of 4. Had to make room for the extra 3 main saddles.

 

my engine is 33.5" long from the front of the fan to the bell housing mounting surface. the front of the engine is 22"[ish] tall from the bottom of the pan to the top of the valve cover and that measurement extends back about 20", at which point the pan drops down 4 or 5 inches. if your pan is like mine there is no room to "dent" the pan without risk of making contact with the crank, in the front/shallow part of it.

 

Wondering what SIZE pusher fan you're using and what brand.
Thanks.

 

What I did to fit the 292 in my 41 was to drill out the plug welds that held the side radiator brackets to the radiator, move the radiator forward and rewelded the brackets. I have the mechanical fan and it all works very well.

 

I used a SPAL 16" Curved Blade Pusher Fan in front of the radiator.with a 170 thermostat switch. a little whiney when at a stop light be it really cools the motor. REMEMBER A ENGINE MOUNTED FAN WILL ROB YOU OF HP AND CAN BE OUT OF BALANCE IF BENT!

 

To avoid the side motor mount issue, I did this.


This is on a '37 but the '56 has the original 6 cylinder mounting holes. I think this might be a good option for the OP.

 

Where is the rear mount on the above (front mounted) six?? I would venture that it would be necessary to use bellhousing mounts as there is too much weight levering the engine/transmission apart with a rear (usual transmission) mount.

Cosmo

 

this is a 292 mounted in a 37 chevy

 

keep in mind that the 55 car engine bay is quite a bit longer than a 37 or a 41 or even a 54. The 235 water pump was changed in 55, to the long style.

292s are all the same length...unless maybe you have one with a bigger water pump, or the 3 groove front pulley, or something. Look at what pumps and dampers are available for it.

 

Thanks for the fan info.

 

Yep, I used a motor plate like a race car. The OP could likely use the original bell housing mounts from the '56.

 

Just happened to have a 292 with the pan off.
Tape measure from approximately rear face of block. Looks like the sump could be recontoured at least an inch to clear the crossmember and the front taper flattened to the height at the front main bearing.
Get Beaner's ball pien hammer!

 

how different are the 292 and 250 pans? The oil pump moved, didn't it?

 

I have never had a 250. The fuel pump moved, thus the non-symmetrical motor mounts. I believe the distributor and oil pump stayed in the same location.

 

I'll bet that pan came off a bigger truck equipped 292, NOT say a pickup truck. The 230-250 rear sumps have a more "rear sump" than that 292 pan. Course the 194 was strictly front sump, as were some of the 230, 250 engines in the Chevy II/Nova chassis. I say try a 250 pan, you may have to go with a 250 pickup also. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

I just looked on E-Bay, and other than the ridiculous prices, all the oil pans are different than that 292 pan; I still say it's off a bigger truck, and probably a higher capacity. Passenger/smaller trucks the sump is more rearward.

 

I don't think the 292 was ever offered in a passenger car. Pickups and bigger. I have no idea what this engine was in in it's previous life.