The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Suggestions for 292 for DD.

I'm in the process of acquiring a '68 GMC that has no engine. I happen to have a '65 292 with just a few miles on a rebuild. At least that's the story from the guy I bought it from. All I really know for sure is that it has a new paint job so I'm taking the PO's word on the rebuild. I have a few bolt-on goodies that I'm going to put on; offenhauser intake and holly 390 4 bbl, and a stock agri dual exhaust manifold. I'll also change to HEI distrbutor. I've read that there are improvements to be made on the head by polishing, porting and changing to larger valves and there are bigger cams available but I don't have any experience with that stuff so I'm inclined to leave it alone for now. My goal is just to have a dependable truck and hope that it doesn't drink me out of house and home. It came with a S-10 5 speed but I plan to change to a MY06 transmission. Hopefully the OD will help quench the 292's thirst a little, the MY06 should be a little stouter than the T5. Anyway, sorry for the long story but I'm just wondering if anyone can make any suggestions for other improvements I can make before I install this into the truck. I'm not an engine guy so all advice will be appreciated.

Jeff

No real improvement can be done to the head and still keep the torque range down where it is now. With overdrive, the 292 will pull good at low rpm, can't say to much on fuel mileage, but most say the 292 doesn't do well. You can step up the cam very slightly which may help, but go to much and you move the hp and torque up the rpm range, thus making OD very sluggish. HEI is a good option. If the head needs a valve job, go ahead and put bigger exhaust valves in, but don't mess with it till its time, you will not gain enough to justify it. The bigger exhaust valves are standard small block parts, so they are cheap to add.

Leave it alone, put it in, drive it.

Pulled a race car trailer with a 68 Chevy pickup with a 292 in it and remember three things: made a killer pull truck engine, had an a/c unit that would freeze butt, and lastly it never found a gas station it didn't like to stop at.