Boy was I wrong! Finally got the donor vehicle torn down to the point I can pull the engine and got a good look through the hole in the block at the innards, #5 connecting rod is gonzo. Must of been one hell of a bang. The truck had been used to haul tuxedos, the driver must of been late for a wedding and cranked out about 5k rpm.
Ftyler, you mentioned your new short block was made in Mexico, apparently all later model 292s were made there. This particular block was made in Mexico too, I hope you have better luck.
Oh well, the way I see it I got a boat load of useable parts and I can use the engine and trans for a mock fit up and mods on my 42, so when I finally get a good engine it will drop right in.
