Chevy 292 "where's the power?"

Just started running my newly built 292 in my 49 chevy panel truck. It's got an offenhauser intake, holley 390, stock exhaust manifold and an RV cam grind that was an option with the rebuild kit I ordered. After some fooling with the Holley I got rid of a flat spot off idle, had a set of headers on there but could not deal with the exhaust leaks so holding out for a cast iron set. After about a month of tooling around I just did a 250 mile trip and really unimpressed with how this thing takes hills and though I expected a lack of high end power it seems to max out at 60 mph. I've got a T5 installed out of an 83 camaro originally behind a 305 and a 4:10 12 bolt rear end originally matched up to the 292 out of a 69 c-10. I know the rear end is an issue for highway speed but why so slow on hills too? Timing is set at around 15 btdc and holley has mixtures screw turned out about two turns. Is it my drive train ratios? Restrictive exhuast? Also have a high pitch whine that seems to be coming from the tranny, only on hard acceleration. Lots of issues I know but anyone with 292 inline experience, advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

A friend of mine has a built 292 in his 37 Chevy and loves it. I don't know all the specs, but he has this book, http://www.amazon.com/Chevrolet-Inline-Six-Cylinder-Power-Manual/dp/1931128154 and this book, http://www.amazon.com/Chevrolet-Inline-Six-Cylinder-Power-Manual/dp/1931128278/ref=pd_sim_b_4. He also talks a lot to a guy named Mike Kirby who I think helped with the books. My friends Chevy scoots! It's backed by a 700r4 and we don't have much for hills here in Phoenix, so I can't help you there.

 

Wow, it seems like that machine should do better, the performance report you give matches my bone stock 292, but it is pushing a Grumman Kurbmaster all RV'd out!

Sorry I cant be much help, but I'll be watching, always looking for tips/info...

 

Try talking to the folks at www.inliners.org

also, Mr Langdon at www.stoveboltengineco.com

Regards:
Paul

 

what year 292 and what head did you use?

 

It should do WAY better than that. I had a bone stock one backed by a 3 speed in a 76 chevy van, and it ran better than most V8's of the day. Cruised easily at 70/75 all day long and hills were never an issue. I loved that motor/van.

 

Thanks for the feedback, I was feeling the same thing just from what I heard about these. Never ran one before. The block is from a 68 c-10, the head is off a 230, don't know where it came from just ran the casting numbers to find out. I did do the intake port head bolt boss removal, but idle's fine no intake leaks...slight exhaust leak that I think is coming from the manifold pre heat. I feel like the timing or carb aren't tuned in right for all the modifications. Vacuum is steady as a rock and reads about 17 at idle.

 

Bored .060 over...

 

I ran one bone stock in a '34 Chevy. It would cruise at any speed, never had issues with hills. I could take off in third gear (3 spd) with no major weirdness, a real torque monster. However, it was slow in acceleration, and had horrible gas mileage, about 12 mpg or so.

 

Here are a couple of 292's that are producing over 260 hp on an engine Dyno.
Normbc9

 

Are you sure its a 292 and not a 230?

 

wish i could help ya but i am not good at trouble shooting stuff like this. but i can tell you they can run lot better than that. i have a 292 i did a total rebuild on except for macine work. it has 262 cam, headers, edelbrock 500 carb, and clifford intake with heat and it loves hills. the stock ones i had would peter out around 3000 rpms but this one will jump to life on a hill at 3000 rpms. in the right hands i'm sure it could do even better as far as carb jetting and such.
mine has stock tranny and a later rear but it's still pretty low. so many changes in yours it's tough to figure out what is not up to par but keep at it and good luck.

 

Did you check to see if your vacuum and mechanical advance are working?

 

The high pitch whine is probably coming from your rear end.

 

^^^That sounded weird...

 

So with the intake boss removal, are you running lumps?
Also, headers will obviously work better than the stock single exhaust manifold. The big thing with 6's is air flow as those heads were not designed to flow much and sounds like it might be too restricted.

 

I was running a 390 on mine and it was pretty doggish...... switched to a 650.... it woke up......

 

I'm running headers, clifford intake, rv cam, and head work too....... with a 700r behind it...

 

It may be something wrong with your distributor. Try an HEI if you don't have one already. Hills are where they excell and will outrun V8 powered cars. One who knows.

 

'Where's the power"? From what I read and hear a mild 292 build will make 200 hp and a fair amount of torque.Put that engine in a 4000 pound vehicle and it will move out like a stock 283 4 barrel in an Impala,not too fast.
But it should climb hills nicely especially with the gears you have.So many variables,carb tuning is a good one. How about that RV cam? Was it degreed in during assembly? Many discussions on that. Get the cam timing off by 6-8 degrees and you got a dog for an engine.

 

That's what I'm thinking. The 390 is a tiny carburetor. Leave those turds to the poor NASCAR late model guys who have to run them. If it weren't for that rule, Holley would've stopped making that carb years ago. Put a 650 or even a 525 Edelbrock on it.

 

Thanks for the feedback, I'm gonna go over everything again sometime this week, I think that whine is coming from my rear end. I put a little more advance in it and adjusted the pump arm on the holley to start sooner and it seems to be doing a little better but still no hill killer. I'll report with any improvements.

 

If you do stick an H.E.I. in it, be aware that, since H.E.I.s all came in smog engines with EGR valves, they had a shitload of vacuum advance---way too much for a non-EGR engine. In stock form, it will probably give you detonation problems at cruising speeds. Either find an advance pod with less total advance, or do what I did and weld a small flat washer partway back along the arm's travel to limit it.

 

Put a 500 - 600 cfm carb on it and it will wake up.

Sell that 390 to a guy with a 4 banger.

 

I think that sounds like cam timing (late)
Do a 'positive stop' check for TDC, (remove plugs, insert a 3/8" wooden dowel 3" into #1 cylinder. Gently turn engine over by the damper/pulley until it stops. Mark the damper at the pointer with chalk.
Now hand turn engine the opposite way until it stops against the dowel; mark the damper at the pointer with the chalk.
Split the difference, check the timing mark. If it is not in the center of the two marks, permanently mark it with a notch (triangular file)
NOW proceed with cam timing check. (betcha the cam's retarded, probably 4 to 6 degrees)
Hope you find it, that 292 should be a chugger!

 

had a cam ground for my 250 (350 HP V8 grind on a 250 stick) ...well, really idled lumpy and sounded great but had no vacuum .or torq and real sad power....but did move the car for a couple years...cam went flat so I installed a cam from NAPA that was listed as a high mileage fuel saver cam....really woke things up....lots of torque and plenty of power for a six cylinder and about 20MPG...also had a Pertronix which made a big difference over the points dist...
I agree with Atwater Mike on your cam timing...that 292 oughta pull real hard

 

I used to race against 292's (with a Ford 300). My first thought was cam and/or cam timing, and not enough carb.
Put the header back on it. Check your cam timing. I wouldn't consider anything smaller than a 650 carb. Those engines need to turn lots of rpm, and they need to breathe.

 

How do you have the carb oriented , where are the priamarys ? , They should face the Valve cover , not in front like a V-8

 

Dirty -

First, make certain you have a 292.

If you don't know how to tell, the sure-fire way is to check the size (height) of the lifter covers on the side of the block. The 230/250s are 4" tall, while the 292s are 6" tall (width is the same). Believe me, there are LOTS of guys who think they have a '92 but don't.

Once you're sure of what you have, go to Amazon.com and order Leo Santuci's book on inline Chevies (I got mine there for less than $15). It's the 292 "bible" and will tell you all you need to know.

Good Luck!

 

Aside from the little smart ass in me wanting to ask "Can I have that 390 for my Craftsman lawnmower?" I agree with going above a 550 for a 300 cid engine. I think a 292 bored 60 over is a 301 or 302, I forgot. I'm paying attention to this thread for my 292 pu.

I'm also sitting here and remembering all the cam timing I've encountered. My first experience with a cam replacement was in my uncle's driveway. He had a 305 Impala ('84? Utah car) with a cam that went flat. His local chain store had a wiz kid fresh outta high school that knew his stuff. He dug around in that book of his, checking out all the specs. After 20 or 30 minutes he came out with a '86 350 cam that had what he wanted. When my uncle and I installed it, it ran so spunky it startled him. I returned to So Cal and called him a week or two later. He said that dang car was pulling Parley's Pass 5 mph faster and getting 21 mpg, up from the 16 or 17 on the hwy. If you know what you want, you can find a cam already made, there's no reason to go pay for a custom grind (which means some guy looks up the specs and finds a cam already out there and charges you for a 'custom' cam hahaha).

My HS shop teacher was a retired GM engineer. He told us (idiot teens in auto shop) that all the bolt on things in the aftermarket arena wouldn't do anything until we got the breathing settled. He told us that the cam grinders are forced to grind 'smog' specs. That means 4 degrees retarded cams. He told us to always get a 4 degree advanced timing chain and gear set to get it breathing right again.

I've enjoyed this thread immensely! I have a 292 I6 in my '64 C20 that I will rebuild soon. I think all the members input here is right on target

I'm subscribing to this thread so I can get emails when ppl post (Thread Tools in the red menu bar). I feel like I'm in shop class again, but with ppl with a brain! lol