Hmmm. My machinist was the one that told me that small block chevy rods had the same size big end as a 292 crank. I don't personally know.
I have a set of big block rods...well, 6 out of 8. They're GM pink rods. But they're shorter than the 292 rods at 6.135". And my machinist said the big end is too large for a 292.
Okay, here's another idea. If the BOP rods are a little too small for a 292, why can't you have the 292's crank turned by a machine shop to match what your rods are? That's pretty routine actually. You can usually safely go about 0.030" undersized on a crankshaft. Would that do it for you?
Regarding the E85, it's a good idea, but runs better on either very high compression engines or with forced induction. I've got a 427 Vette with over 12:1 compression, solid roller cam, and completely maxed out. Problem is, it runs very expensive and hard to find race gas. High test isn't readily available anywhere anymore. I am thinking about converting that to E85 to take advantage of the 105 octane. It'll run cooler, cost half as much to fill up, can actually find places to fill up, and with that compression ratio, I can squeeze the power out of E85. Best thing is, I can always go back to race gas with just a 15 minute carb retune.
Good luck with your efforts on that. It's a good idea.
