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Hey fellas, I found a 292 I can put in my 66 C20 for 85 bucks. I'm going to rebuild it and want to know if you know of any good places to get a rebuild kit. I want it to be a good pulling motor. It needs to have ample torque and hp to pull a camper or trailer up a mountain pass at or near freeway speed(55-65). Any suggestions for a cam and any other special set up components? I currently have a 250 in it, with what I believe is a Muncie 4 spd(though I haven't positively identified it yet, the build sheet I have says it's code 4M20CL) and Eaton 10 bolt rear with 4.57 gears.I'm told the trans will mate to the 292, yes? I thought I saw something somewhere that said the small L6's had a different trans bolt pattern than the 292 and V-8's....but I really don't know, I'm just trying to find out what I need before I find out I need it when I don't have it and the engine doesn't fit. I'm also told the starter, distributor, fuel pump, water pump, and manifolds will cross over? I know the motor mounts will change, is there a bolt in kit to change from the 250 to the 292? Thanks, for your help on this.

The 292 and 250 are mostly the same other than engine hehight. Most of the 250 bits will go on to it. Do you know that the 292 actually needs to be rebuilt? They are pretty tough old motors.

I thought you had decided the current motor was a 230?

With the exception of the passenger side motor mount the big parts of this swap are all the same. Issues like throttle linkage might vary more year to year than motor to motor, so you may have to work that part out.

If the transmission works behind the 230/250 there should be no problem keeping it behind the 292.

The stuff you read about small L6's having a different bolt pattern than the 292 and V-8's refers to earlier motors. The 207/216/235/261 and GMC 228/248/270/302 share a bellhousing pattern that is different from the later six (230/250/292) and V-8 pattern.

Since the 292 was an option in your truck there probably isn't a 'kit' so to speak, but the parts are factory parts that you will need to find somewhere.

If we were having this discussion a year ago I would have suggested you call me, and I'd put you in touch with a friend who was junking a similar truck that had a 292 in it. You could have robbed all the bits and pieces off it, including a running 292, for about the same money this 292 will cost you. But he dragged what was left to the junk yard a year ago.

Yes, a 250 it is. I scraped the grease off the pad just behind the dist. and found the stamping there is SX which refers to a 250. I hadn't found that before, because I couldn't see it. The lady at the junkyard says it doesn't run, though she doesn't really know it's condition. All I've donr thus far is visually look it over to see anything blatantly wrong with it. I can't see anything, so I assume it'll turn over, though I can't say until I have it. Running or not I know it's worth 85 bucks, as long as it turns over smoothly.
As far as it's toughness, I don't dispute that. But I figure since I don't really know the condition, and can't until I put it in my truck, which I don't want to do twice, the price of a rebuild kit is chump change to give me the peace of mind while towing something with my family. Anyway, I'd also like to make some improvements while inside it, and clean it up since it's filthy right now. A clean engine is a happy engine.
As far as the rebuild goes(once I have it sometime next month) I'd like to increase the torque and breathing of the engine just a bit. Nothing massive. I figure I can keep the pistons if they're still fine, but I'll do rings, seals, gaskets, cam and valve train, bearings, intake and exhaust. The intake and exhaust are easy enough, but I'm not sure about 292 internals for increasing torque and hp. I don't know what it has and what's available for upgrading/modifying, and what's feasible. So that's where I'm at. I read the article that was put up on the site about the guy with the white chevy truck who rebuilt his 292, what he did seems a bit much for me, but I don't know. Thanks guys. Josh