I posted the following on HAMB and one of the Senior Members posted back the following: "You might sign up on the Inliners International or the Stovebolters websites and find out if someone in the Madison or Milwaukee area would want to partner with your troop on the project. They foot the parts and machining bill and get the finished engine for a project, while they give your troop info and demonstrations about the inline engines."

Would this interest anyone? I know that of the group of 9 boys that worked on the merit badge that there were a couple budding mechanics or at least they showed a lot more interest than the others and think it would be pretty cool to have them assemble a motor and hear it run, I just don't have the funds to make it happen.



Here is my post:
I have a 69 Chevy straight 6 that was given to our Boy Scout troop so the boys could tear it apart as part of the Auto Maintenance merit badge. The boys tore it down and the motor looks good with only one cylinder that has a couple scratches. Now here is my dilemma, do I give it an old school hone job, put a new set of rings and bearings in it and try to get it running and try to sell it or do I leave it apart and sell it, or just junk it? Problem is I don't really want to spend money on something that I won't be able to get my money back out of, since I will have to foot the bill for this if I can't find anyone to donate parts and maybe some shop labor. Is there anyone out there that still buys these motors? I see a couple for sale, but looks like there's not a lot of interested buyers out there. I kinda think it would be cool for the boys to put it back together and hear it run, but on the other hand, I don't want to waste parts on something that I may end up having to scrap in the end. Any thoughts?

If you're not planning on keeping the engine and just want to give the the chance to put it back together I'd order a re-ring kit from northern auto parts
http://www.northernautoparts.com/ProductDetail.cfm?ProductId=3026

I'm sure you'd be able to sell it and recover the cost of the re-ring kit (roughly $100.00). Most individuals that would buy it would want it either stock or have plans for specific mods. In my opinion asking roughly 100.00 for an engine that runs but needs to be rebuilt is a fair price,

If you go and rebuild it properly you will have to invest a large amount of money into it. The chances of recovering the amount invested if that is done is not very likely. (Its real easy to invest 3000 or more in an inline).

If you just want them to hear it run buy some rings, plasta-gauge, a head gasket,and a tube of gasket maker. Check the bearings with the plasta-guage and if they are not too loose use them. This is if you have not already removed them. Yuo can buy bearings pretty cheap on eBay. Clean it up and put it together. With compression, fuel, and spark you can make it run. Don't put a lot of money is something that will have to be redone any way. Make sure the boys know this is just an exercise and not a rebuild. When you go to sell it be sure the buyer knows what was done. It will make a difference when you sell if the engine is a 230, 250, or 292.

MEASURE THE CYLINDER BORES....... YOU,LL FIND OUT THAT IT NEEDS BOREING ESPECIALLY THE 2 FRONT CYLINDERS. COMMON IN THESE ENGINES. TEACH EM RIGHT NOT JACK LEGGING

How do I tell if it's a 230, 250 or 292? It has flattop pistons with valve reliefs it that helps at all? Is the only difference the stroke?

It sounds like a 230 with only the valve reliefs. The 230 and 250 only had a stroke difference. 3.53 for the 250. Tom

HOW ARE YOU GONNA TEACH THESE BOY SCOUTS IF YOU DONT KNOW YOURSELF ?

You don't need to yell This is why he is asking questions so he will know.

As to engine identification so far it does sound like a 230, still possibly a 250. The difference between the 230/250/292 is the stroke. To accommodate the stroke on the 292 the block is almost 2 inches taller. The 292 side covers are 6 inches high vs 4 inches for the 230/250. Good luck with your project.

Larry

An educated man is one who realizes he doesn't know everything. There is no reason on earth that an adult can not learn alongside young people. It is a great teaching tool. Children are not put off by not knowing, it is the state of their being. Most will jump at a chance to be involved on a more equal basis. After all adults are no smarter than children they only have had more experiences from which they have hopefully learned. Nothing turns them off faster than a pompous ass.

After all adults are no smarter than children they only have had more experiences from which they have hopefully learned

Very important!!!

I found a link to a site that broke down the serial no stamped on the pad by the distributor and it looks like this is a 230 w/3spd. Thanks for the responses.

ONCE AGAIN I HAve " bad eyes " thats the reason for the caps !!!!! one day you will to. it comes with age. and to teach you need experience or you should be a student like we all have been and some still are. EARS OPEN,EYES OPEN,MIND OPEN,MOUTH SHUT UNLESS ASKING A RELIVENT QUESTION PERTAINNING TO TASK AT HAND. AND WISE MEN STILL ASK TO LORD FOR KNOLEDGE.

Yea, I was only a teacher for 32 years. I guess I just never got the hang of it. Since the students were the reason I was there I found most of their questions were relevant. If I didn't know the answer we would try to find them. After all you can not hope to teach a child all they will need to know in their life but you can teach them to search for answers. You can also teach them that when someone tells them to open their mind and shut their mouth it is so they won't taste the BS they are about to be fed.

"open their minds and shut their mouth" most of todays youth dont really want to learn anything worth wild there foolish in there minds and makes me wonder why if they have teachers who pollute there minds with foolish things like....

"I wonder if God created man because he was disappointed in the monkey?"

why even think of such foolishness. look at what taking GOD out of our schools has made and done and just think its just kickin in good. glad I,am a old man and wont see what this world is heading to.
JMO
BOB

getting old sucks. it makes us grumpy. suggest you check casting numbers section on this site to find out what you really have. i would get the kids really involved in some money raising projects , throw a 250 crank and pistons in that motor , build an engine test stand and let them hear the results of all their hard work. there must be a machine shop in your area that would give your kids a deal.

Growing old is all that is required . . . growing up is entirely optional!!!

don`t want any part of any arguement. just trying to be helpful. no, you will not make a profit from the sale of that inline, but who knows you might uncover a gearhead just waiting for this chance to show himself. i`ve done something like this a few times
with senior projects etc. and maybe half say thank you, but it`s the other half that make it worthwhile

sorry didnt mean to be a old grumpy fart. i really like kids and want the best for all of them and teach em in my shop every time i get a chance. I was a scout and if you was closer I,d help you all out as i have the spirience,tools and shop.

Bob, You do have a point that kids today are not interested in the same stuff and many don't seem to be interested in anything. It makes it more important to teach the ones you can. And, if they can be taught to be Inliners.........

Hey Bob you can always help me out instead I'm close enough and youngish.... Although I feel older and older every day and I am going to need all the help I can get when I rebuild my chevy 250 in the months to come!!

NO PROBLEM,I,AM HAPPY TO HELP ANYBODY I CAN LORD KNOWS I,VE BEEN HELPED A BUNCH. BEEN DOING CHEVY 6'S FOR 35+ YRS

Do you have a machine shop? I would love to come lick your brain and if you do engine work it sure would he nice to have someone I trust and who knows what they are doing on an L6 do the work for me. And I'm sure you could teach me about a million things and I always love to learn. You're only about a 5-6 hour drive from me so it would be well worth the trip.

"lick your brain"....? Eww. I think we have a zombie amongst us

NOT ANY LONGER BUT A MACHINEIST FRIEND OF MINE HAS ONE ABOUT 15 MINUTES FROM MY SHOP. HE'S DONE WORK FOR ME FOR 35 YRS. CHEVY 6'S ARE VERY SIMPLE ENGINES TO WORK ON AND REMAN IF YOU HAVE A GOOD CORE TO START WITH. CRACKED HEADS AND WORN OUT BLOCKS ARE COMMON WITH 1ST TEARDOWN.I STILL HAVE SOME PARTS LEFT FOR THESE ENGINES.YOUR LOCATION SAYS OREGON I,AM IN TENNESSEE....???
BOB

I need to update it I live just outside Nashville now.