The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 292 using 37 torque tube

hello guys and girls

i have a question i am hopeful to find a 292 inline 6 for my 38 truck but i was wondering what gearbox i would have to run as i am using a torque tube still and don't really want to change it.

the torque tube is out of a 37 sedan as is the gearbox i have currently if that helps.

any hints or tips or what i would need to do.

sorry if my question in kind of stupid still learning.

thank you all in advance

jeff

Lose the torque tube! You will gain better gears, better brakes, and have many more transmission options
Still if you have to use the torque tube, the one from the truck would be the best to use. It may be possible to use one of those stovebolt to automatic transmission adapters in reverse.

John

The 292's torque capability will overstress that running gear pretty quickly. My first job was at a shop where the owner had fitted a 56 model 265 V-8 into a 47 chevy coupe. The first time he wound it up and dropped the clutch, he blew the transmission's cluster gear out the bottom of the box. The 292 will out-torque the 265, so you'll have to be very careful not to destroy the trans and/or rear end with everyday driving, and never, ever use full throttle! A full-synchro Saginaw 3-speed and an open-driveline rear end would be a much wiser choice of drivetrain components.
Jerry

thanks guys appreciate your response

the only reason im using the torque tube is due to registration rules in aus if you keep it original you will have no issues but as soon as you change things you have to jump through so many hoops its not even fun and becomes rather $$$.

i have a 1 ton torque tube also would this be better? the reason i changed to the sedan one is that the ration was better and parts to modify are rare here.

would i be better off with a worked 235?

"would i be better off with a worked 235?"

I can't answer that question without knowing what your expectations are for your truck.

From what I've read so far, your truck is a cobbled up pile of parts. The torque tubes are all different lengths. That makes it very difficult to use one from another model as that may require you to move the engine forward or aft to mate up to the torque tube. Moving the engine forward puts it into the radiator, and moving it rearwards puts it in the firewall.

My reccomendation is to use an open drive rearend from a 55-62 chevy, or even a later chevy 4wd 12 bolt rear. You could then decide on a engine/transmission combination. The 235 is a good motor. The 292 is a better motor. The 235 would be an easier swap, and would work with the original transmission and torque tube, which I suspect are long gone.

Prewar trucks used the bellhousing to mount the clutch and brake pedals. A 1939-1959 gmc 6 or a 1937-1959 chevy 6 will all bolt up to the original bellhousing. Not sure if the GMC motors are available in OZ, but they are better than the chevy motors. They are also longer, so the radiator would have to be relocated forward. If I were in your shoes I would be looking for a 235 or 261 chevy motor to use with a 37-47 bellhousing. A 49-54 bellhousing will also bolt to the engine, and to the crossmember. The 49 and later bellhousings are setup with a standard Muncie bolt pattern, allowing the use of many transmissions like the t5,saginaw 4 speed, muncie 4 speed etc. The 49 and later bellhousings will not bolt up to your clutch and brake pedal assembly unless modified. Jim Carter and Buffalo enterprises sell a modified bellhousing to accept a more modern transmission.

If using a 292, you might be able to use the original bellhousing and rear motor mounts with the 292 with one of these plates. http://www.transmissionadapters.com/Chev%20235%20six%20cylinder%20to%20Chev%20V8%20Style.htm

That would allow you to bolt the brake and clutch pedals up like original and let you use all of your original clutch linkages. this would locate your 292 a little bit forward, but the bellhousing would be in the exact same position the factory put it. You would have to fabricate your own front or side mounts for the 292.

I'm not 100% certain this will work. The 292 flywheel may have to be spaced back, and there may be problems with the starter fitting. A 1955-1959 chevy or gmc 12 volt stomp starter may bolt up and allow you to continue using the stomp start.

I am guessing here, as I have never done the swap.
John

actually i have all the original drive line from the 1 ton and the only parts that are not from the 38 truck is the tube and gearbox. and they were removed as the diff ratios in the 1 ton were worse then the sedan.

so i wouldn't call it a "cobbled up pile of parts"

as for what i am looking for is a nice truck to drive around and have fun not racing or drags hah. so noting stressful.

at a later date i do plan to replace the tube but to get it on the road i have to keep it original then once its running and on the road with all paperwork i can change it, that's why i am asking about the 292 fitting with a tube as i have to run that for a short time then will be changing it once its got the OK..

i know it sounds stupid but welcome to aus where you cant drive a car unless you pay them more than the car costs to build if its not original.

thanks again.....

jeff

I believe the 1-ton running gear will probably be strong enough to handle the 292 if you don't get rowdy with it. One thing in your favor is that the 292 is a 7 main bearing engine with much better RPM capability that the 235- - - -it will run longer, with less damage, revved up a little than a 216 or 235 would. The adapter plate idea to mate the 292 with the early bellhousing is a good option, if you can get the flywheel, clutch, etc. to mate to the earlier transmission. Have fun!
Jerry

Sounds like California!
Don't take this the wrong way, but swapping the engine out is not keeping it "original". I would suspect that if the powers that be are concerned about the drivetrain being original, that would include the engine. Best would be either to get the original engine running to get the registration done, or go ahead and to the alterations to get what the final outcome you're looking for and deal with the DMV then.

so i wouldn't call it a "cobbled up pile of parts"

I wasn't trying to insult you. I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to torque tubes, so I try to avoid them. You mention original, and you mention 292, and that open drive won't work for inspection. Are you sure the 292 will pass inspection? I'm not trying to ride you. I'm just trying to understand from across the Pacific. This sounds like a very neat project, and I would like to follow your progress.

Cheers
John

Bill, what do you have against California, the land of fruits and nuts? Before you ask, I'm definetely a NUT!

thanks guys appreciate the responses

as for the whole original thing the 292 will be close enough for the authorities to pass as we have a 14% rule where you can go up 14% size/power from the engine the car with originally came out with.

john no offense was taken and im glad your adding your input as it helps me see it in a different light.

thanks again guys. the main reason i didn't want to use one of the 216 i have resting in the garden is due to the oil system as i keep hearing bad things.

thanks again

jeff

Jeff, if that is a '37 Chevy car rear end you are using the 3.55 gear set from a '50-'54 powerglide equipped car will fit as a simple "drop in" gear change. I just completed that conversion on my '36 Chevy pickup using a '37 car rear end.

"Bill, what do you have against California, the land of fruits and nuts? Before you ask, I'm definetely a NUT!"

Bigbadswingdaddy, you've got to admit that Coastal Northern California is a very (being politically correct) "unique" region of the country, don't you?

I'll admit nothing!

lies just admit it!!! haha

thanks for the info Yar looks like i have another part to look for

Helpes, get your hands on all the rear ends you can find and take out of them the spacer washers that go between the front pinion bearing and the machined shoulder in the axle housing. Those spacers were used in various thicknesses to adjust the fore-aft depth of the pinion mesh in the ring gear. Two of the spacers are used and varying their combined thickness provides the fore-aft pinion adjustment. The side to side ring gear adjustment is provided by the carrier bearing adjustment nuts.

To set up the gear tooth contact pattern get some titanium white paint from an art supply store and smear some on the ring gear teeth. Then rotate the driveshaft backward and forward to get the "drive" and "coast" gear tooth contact patterns and check the "backlash" (clearance) between the ring gear and pinion with a dial indicator. Then adjust the pinion spacer thickness and side to side location of ring gear carrier to center the contact pattern and get the backlash into the specified range any you're done!