The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks 292 budget upgrades

I have a stock 292 in my '66, and I was wondering if anyone know some cheap ways to get a little power boost out of it. I'm not looking to build it into an all out race engine but more power never hurts!

HEI or Petronix ignition and some good wires to start.

Replace the Model B with a Monojet.

RV cam, and replace the exhaust system (muffler).

Headers optional.

LG

The stock intake and exhaust manifolds are incredibly crappy.
Headers, for sure, and Offenhauser makes aluminum intakes for 2 or 3 1-bbl. carbs, as well as a 4-bbl. Cams are available, and higher-powered ignitions. Raising the compression ratio and various head porting techniques can be very beneficial, but only in conjunction with the other upgrades. 400hp is do-able!
Like anything else, how much you wanna spend?

I suggest that you buy Leo Santucci's book on these engines first, before you do anything.
http://www.amazon.com/Chevrolet-Inline-Six-Cylinder-Power-Manual/dp/1931128154

Leo's been a more than successful drag racer foro a lot of years with these engines.

Thanks k10 I'll try to get my hands on that book.
I'm on a very tight (college) budget so it doesn't look like I can afford an intake right now, but I'll look into headers... and I have an HEI ignition system from a later model 250 that I can move over. That engine also has a different carb on it (not sure which one) so I'll try to find out what it is and if it would help my 292. Other than that, cams and head work aren't really in the budget right now, but hopefully I will be able to slowly continue upgrading as I can afford parts.

if it's a later 250 with the one piece head /manifold i think they had a small 2 barrel carb. i personally would steer clear of that. if your 292 has the orig carb don't get rid of it. most rebuilt carbs are the smaller more plentiful earlier 250 ones. and , i personally, would at least look at a valve job/ adress old head before i put a higher lift cam in a old engine.

Speaking on the 250 head... I noticed a few posts about putting a 194 head on a 250 to boost the compression, due to the smaller combustion chamber of the 194 head. I'm fairly new to engine work, especially on straight six's. I was wondering if it's possible to put the head from my spare 250 onto my 292 to accomplish the same thing?

yes it will fit, but the combustion chamber isn't any smaller. the 230's are a little smaller i have been told and the 194's even smaller. if you go with one and later put in a higher lift can be sure to check for valve to piston clearance.

Thanks for the info, looks like my spare engine isn't going to be much of a parts donor....
If I do find a cheap enough 194 head, any idea roughly how much it costs to do the valves and any other work required for it to still flow etc?