292 chevy questions

Just picked up an inline 292 with a big cam, offenhauser intake, 600 cfm quadra jet, HEI distributor, and hedman long tube headers. I have heard the 292s are reliable motors and easy to work on but im not sure what to expect out of the one I picked up as far as output goes. I paid 500 bucks for it so I was just wanting to know if anyone had any info on em.

P.S. not sure how big the cam is but the guy said it was taken out of the 58 chevy it was in because the owner didn't like how it idled. Owner said it sounded like a top fuel dragster, if that gives you any ideas.

 

You have two hundred and ninety two Chevy questions? That's a lot of questions!

 

You did what for how many jellybeans?

 

Now all you need is a lump ported head and you'll be in business!

 

Friend of mine had a borrowed telephone truck with a 292 in it. I rode in it once, it went fine for a 1-ton truck. He killed the head gasket hauling a car on a trailer back up over some mountain in the Catskills and to get home he'd go until it overheated and quit, let it cool, go until it overheated and quit, let it cool... it took like 12 hours to go what should have taken 3, but he got it home. (I forget if they kept putting water in it or not, they went past at least one lake, but it was part of the NYC water supply, so sticking an old anti-freeze jug in it might have been a bad thing).

 

Output as in HP? The estimates vary somewhat depending on what's really done and the amount of lies,but a moderate built 292 with a stock head might have 230 hp at 4500-5000 rpm and decent midrange torque.With a wild cam it might have more top end but no midrange.From what I hear the stock crank and rods are good for maybe 5500 rpm.

 

I would say 5 to 6 thousand horsepower based on the cam size. Theres no way of knowing just slap it in a car and enjoy it..too big of a cam can hurt you if the rest of the engine isnt built for it. It'll sound good though!

 

From the sounds of it, you got $500 worth of speed equipment on it, so you could have done much worse for your money. Concerning the cam....if the engine were in my garage, I'd pop the core plug behind the rear of the camshaft out and hope that there was some I.D. stamped on the end journal that I could use to get some specs from. "Sounded like a top fuel dragster" could mean that it's a really hot cam.....or that three of the lobes are worn round, or that it's got two burnt valves, or............

 

600 cfm quadra jet

Those are pretty rare...

 

It's not that hard to swap out the cam if the motor is still out on a stand.But for 500. bucks you still got you a deal.

 

And this has what to do with the question that was asked to start this thread?

Frank

 

Guy wanted to know if anyone had any info on 292s... I figured that had more to do with the topic than some of the other answers.

 

Maybe the top fuel sound was coming from uncorked headers?

They are suposed to be the best chevy inline of that era, power wise. But they are not RPM machines without some serious lower end work.

 

yeah i figured on it being a torque monster, not trying have a race car or anything. Im putting it in a 3/4 ton 50 gmc so i was just looking for an alternative to a small block that you see so much.

 

Well you can do a quick valve lash check. If you have more then a Zero Lash It may have a Mech. cam and not a Hyd cam. Most all daily drivers are hyd cams. This saves having to adjust the valves. Some people like myself don't mind doing that.I used to run a 586/607 Mech as my daily driver.

 

Sounds like a cool set up I have a nicely built 292 that I plan on on putting in my 56 Chevy 1/2 ton it has a cam by Crane a Carter 600 cfm on a Clifford manifold and Clifford Headers Im hoping it will be quite peppy for a truck Ive also picked up a 2004r 4 speed trans which might make highway driving a little more fun.......woo hoooo !!