The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop high torque 250?

Hey guys.

I have purchased a 86 C30 3+3 flatbed. I have a 250 6 and a sm465 that i want to put back in it. I will be driving daily and want to be able to pull a decent load through the hills if I need to. How do i go about building the 250 for torque and dependability? I am looking at the ranger overdrive splitter because I also want to be able to run with traffic on the highway and still get decent mileage.

The 250 isn't well known for being a torquey engine, even when purposely built as one. The 292 is a better candidate for that, and was used in many heavy duty trucks including the C60 series. You may be disappointed with the 250. Gear multiplication is nice, but it can't give you what isn't there to begin with.

Thanks 12 port. By the time I buy a 292 and have it rebuilt cost wise, I could buy a 6 liter vortec with low mileage and fuel injection. Would that be a better route to go?

The 250 is just fine for a 1/2 ton pickup for just driving around. The 250 just doesn't have enough torque. Get yourself a 292. My Dad was a mechanical contractor and owned many Chevrolet pickups, the guys that didn't haul much weight got a 250 and the plumbers trucks all came with a 292 and they did a good job, if they had to haul a big load of supplies to a jobsite they got the job done but it still labored pretty hard in hills.

Thanks 12 port. By the time I buy a 292 and have it rebuilt cost wise, I could buy a 6 liter vortec with low mileage and fuel injection. Would that be a better route to go?

stock iroc, Buy a 292 and put that in there, 6.liter does not have the torque that a 292 has. No computer to run the engine like the fuel injection would have to have..