Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines Engines and manifolds

I was just curious what years Chevy inlines started with the integral intake manifold and what's the general opinion of this design? Is it better than the seperate intake and head? Is one easier to modify thatn the other and what are the pros and cons of either set up? I know these are a lot of questions but my 64 needs an engine badly and I'm not sure what I want for it. Thanks!

The integral head design came out in 1975.Famous for cracking.Too hard to modify to get any power of it.Buy an older motor,or buy one with the integral head and toss the head and use Your old one.Few dress up goodies for the integral six.
Try to get a 292 Chevy six.Some if I remember right came from the factory with about 170 horsepower according to the Hollander Exchange Manual.Others on this site can better help You,as I like the older 235 and 261 engines more and know much more about them.
EvilDr235

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Two types of people drive old cars.Rich people because they want to and poor people because they have to.
Remember EvilDr235 has a cure for Your sixness.

Depending on the model, they started in 74 through 76. There was an early design that used a 1-barrel carb, and a later design that used a progressive 2-barrel. Both engines used the exact same block as the non-integral head motors, and they only came in the 250 CI displacement. Both cars and 1/2-ton trucks used them. They made a little bit more power and got a little bit better gas mileage than the non-integral head.

The downside to the design is that if the engine is run too hot, the heads crack pretty easily. And there are a lot of cracked heads out there still installed on engines laying around in backyards because they were pulled out after they overheated and didn't then run right.

The engines are usually good for cores on the shortblock assembly, and that's about it. If you know of one that runs good, then it might be worth a try, but personally I wouldn't use it.

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David
newbie #4153

Thanks for the info guys. I have come across a 4-bolt 350 block from an 86 or so truck. I have lots of v8 parts so I think maybe I might go with the 350. I also have a T-5 tranny from an 84 v6 firebird, does anyone know how well this T-5 will hold up behind a v8? I really want the 5-speed, I'm just not sure what I can put in front of it with out tearing it up. Thanks again for the other info and any you can give me on this new one!!

From everything I have read and heard, the T5's will not take much abuse or power. I've read numerous threads of people breaking the T5's behind a mild V8. They just weren't meant to handle the power. I've been thinking about a T5 behind my 250, but I'm just kinda unsure right now. My instructor's father put a T5 behind his inline and it's worked fine for him. He's older though and is really easy on it. You might want to check out the "Tech Tips" section listed on the menu at the left of your screen. They have an article about T5 swaps in there. Hope this helps. John.

So would the 250 in my 1979 caprice have an integral head or a non integral one?

Tatao,

If your car was made in the US, then it should have an integral head. If it was made in Mexico or further south, it could have either the integral or non-integral (old-style). You can tell the difference by looking at the intake and exhaust manifolds where they connect to the head. The old style uses bolts, studs and a gasket to connect the parts. The integral head is all cast as one unit. To put it simpler, if the chunk of cast iron that your carburetor sits on is the same piece of cast iron as the head, then it's an integral head. If you can unbolt that chunk of iron from the head, then it's an old syle non-integral.

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David
newbie #4153