Is the late-sixties Chevrolet 250 cubic inch six a good motor? What hopup parts are available for it? I'll check Clifford too, I'm just curious if anybody's used them. I apologize as I've not read previous six-cylinder threads before, but a little more engine tech never hurt the board, right?
I've been researching them a bit as I'm slowly building one and here's what I found.The pistons are the same as 307 chev , so you can get a variety of configurations.The valve springs, valves,lifters are the same as SBC.Rockers are a 1.75: 1 ratio so you have to use them specifically.There are a number of cams available in hyd and mech grinds.Comp cams has a big section of stuff available for the 250.The heads to stay away from are the integral intake manifold , but some of those had split exhaust manifolds but they will only work with the integral head.I think Clifford has intakes and headers for the 250.
What's that carb, a 390cfm Holley? Those things are ridiculously priced! How bad would a 500cfm carb run on an engine of this size?
It is a 390 Holley. I bought the whole thing as you see here. Then, when I realized I really wanted a V8 again, I sold it.
Hey, Bigcheese, How close are you to Utica? You need to check out Tom Langdon, (www.stoveboltengineco.com) he's a retired GM driveline engineer, and a past president of Inliners International (www.inliners.org). He can supply parts for any build combo you need; he also has some nice cast iron headers for the newer sixes. While you're on the Inliners web page, do a search for Larry Page, aka Twisted6; he drag races these 250's down in Florida - would you believe three 4 barrels on a 250? Also, you might want to check out Leo Santucci's book, Chevrolet Inline Six-Cylinder Power Manual. That ought to get ya started up. Later, *****6
I like 'em. I've used the short stroke 250 and the killer torque machine, 292. The 250 is great for a lighter vehicle and buzzes like a sbc with HP in the higher rpm ranges with respectable torque. The 292 has ****o low rpm torque with HP falling off above 4000 rpm unless modified. Both of them have 7 [!] main bearings. Almost bullet proof reliability. Stovebolt Engineering and Clifford is definetely your ticket to modifications and high performance but be prrepared! You'll want to buy everything. I did an interesting little experiment a few years with a fuel mileage comparison between my kid's 250 chevy pickup and my 292 chevy pickup. Both pickups were almost identical..both black primer shortbox, stepside 1/2 tons. Mine was a 68 and his was a 69. Both had 3.73 rear gears but his had a standard 3 speed ****** and mine had an overdrive. We fueled up together in Omaha and headed east across I-80 toward Utah{!}....after about 200 miles, we pulled in for fuel and I just knew my 292 overdrive was gonna do a lot better than his screamin 250 with no O.D. Surprise! We both used exactly the same amount of fuel, right down to the tenths of a gallon. We both got a little over 17 MPG... 250= good.........responds well to basic hop-up procedures also. Gotta get it to breathe first. Head porting helps immensly. Compression at about 9 to 1 is fine. A factory HEI ignition helps alot too. Headers wake it up in the upper R's after the other mods..nice motors and easy to package in a hot rod. Light too.
I'm kinda partial to 'em! Got a 500cfm 4 barrel on this, but need to jet it down a little. Runs great. Pulls my too tall gearing (2.79) just fine!
I had a 250 in a 68 camaro that would lift the front wheels on launch back in 70/71. Whipped a lota V-8s in stoplight races. The trick was to get ahead then shut down before they learned you had no top end. 0 to 60 I whomped them all day. 60 to 100 took about a week tho... Huge torque lower in the band than the V-8's... I'd like to try that again today with the big GMC 6 and some valves that don't float over 4500RPM.
Funny, but I was thinking in terms of first-generation Camaros myself. I wondered if anybody had ever hopped up the stock inliner instead of swapping it out for an eight.
Actually, mine had a smallblock origionally. I put a piston out the side of the block at Firebird raceway and swapped in the 6 as it was the only available engine I could find in Boise on a Sunday and I was 300 miles from home. Once I got it in the car tho, we decided to play and see what we could get out of it.
Damn El Rio thats a helluva car you got there! I love chevy sixes. They are cheap, durable and resond well to modification. Leo Santucci wrote a great manual on making power with these engines. CHEVROLET INLINE SIX CYLINDER POWER MANUAL. you can get it thru Motorbooks, 1-800-826-6600. Let us know how it goes. Dave
Yeah, El Rio, I dig that "Roach Rod"; in the rough is just enough! Big Cheese, those first generation Camaros are just past the edge of traditional rodding, but the first 3 years are the only body styles that I ever liked on those. If I hadn't bought my '66 Mullet-stang Fastback, an early Camaro would have been the other choice. Hopped up 250", T5 trans, 4 wheel discs, improved handling. In the long run, the early Camaros are a lot easier to upgrade than the early six cyl. Mustangs. What the hell, do something different! "Ever have a little six in an old Camaro?" Later, *****6
I know the Camaros are a bit past it when it comes to trad rods, and I don't ordinarily mention my dirty little secret (my "hot rod" is a '68 Camaro convertible with a 327 and a four-speed). Being a Camaro enthusiast is what led me to the little 250 six and of course the guys on the Camaro boards don't even think of them unless they're into concourse restorations. I knew there was only one place to turn for the goods on hopping up an inliner- the HAMB! Speaking of "traditional" Camaros, however. My Dad swears up and down that he saw some '67s (Convertibles especially) subjected to the wide whites, fender skirts and dual antennae with pink streamers look back when they were new cars!!
I have a 60 C10 with a inline-6 not sure witch one. It has a 3 speed but it looks different form others I have seen. It is a lot longer aprox 4 feet in length? I am thinking about rebuilding it but my issue is highway speeds? I want to be able to drive the thing to car shows in other cities. Was wondering if anyone could help me identify the eng/trans? And if the highway speeds will kill it with high rpm?
Skirts, pink streamers!! Hey Dave either he was hanging out in the wrong part of town or was ah never mind
a 1960 would have the older design 235, the "new" 6s came out in 63, the 230 and 250, then the 292 in 1964. The truck probably has 3.90 rearend gears, you could probably drive 65 mph on the highway ok, but not faster than that. My son has the same drivetrain in his 59 chevy pickup, freshly rebuilt.
When I was just out of high school (summer of '78), one of my friends had a '67 Camaro, 250/3 speed. The local swap sheet had an ad for a Clifford 4bbl intake and carb and a pair of tubing headers for $100. We talked the guy down to $75, bought the stuff and installed it on his otherwise stock 250, and it felt like it picked up 50-60hp. What a difference!
A $150.00 swapmeet Eaton blower from a T-Bird supercoupe and a little effort made ny '58 Chev pickup run 12.70s on street tires. Engine is a blue printed 292 long block.The LT-1 that was there before ran 12.80s. Gemini EFI
I have a 250 chev built up and never used $2400 in receipts. I sell you for $1200. The engine has: new 307 pistons, rebuilt rods, rebuilt crank, comp cam and kit, Offy valve cover, chrome side covers, offy 3 one manifold, at leat 2 of the three rochester 1 brl carbs, belhousing , and 4 speed trany. e-mail me and I'l send you pictures.
I had a 2 door sedan 67 chevelle with a 250 in it. It ran really nice. I think they are a cool choice for a hot rod, based on my experience with it in a heavier car. There was a cute girl in the town I used to live in, that had a 67 chevy II, 2 door post, with a hopped up 250. That thing sounded and ran great. Probably my favorite chevy II's ever. I have an HEI distributer new (rebuilt I guess) in the box, for sale cheap, if you're interested. I have no use for it. Also a 500 cfm holley 2 barrel, new in the box.
Jalopy Jim, Is the 250 still for sale? Can you send some pictures to klberry212@yahoo.com? How about headers? Stock bore? Fuel pump or any other accessories?Who built the engine? Did you have it done or do it yourself? How much if you keep the 4 speed, and bell housing? Where is the engine located? What size cam? New timing gears as well? I am intrested. However i live in Wa. State. You can feel free to send me P.M. Have fun Slider
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