Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines Engine Swap - 350 and 292

I have two engines, a 350 with and 4000 miles and a 292 with about 30. I have some issues to work out with the 292 still, but I'm hoping with the distributor and new harmonic balancer I picked up I'll be able to sort those out.

https://www.inliners.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=16335&fpart=1


I have a 63 Nova and a 66 C-10. The 350 is currently in the c-10. The 292 is in another truck. Once it is running well, I plan on pulling the 292 and selling the truck.

My question is, should the 292 go into the truck or the nova? I was stuck on the idea of putting the 292 in the nova, but I wonder if it'd be much easier to put it in the truck. The truck will be my daily driver - I just picked up a t5 for it. Originally I was thinking that the 292 would get better gas mileage than the 350, but from what I have been hearing I'll probably get around 10 or 12, which isn't much better than the 350.

I realize that there will be issues with putting the 350 in the nova, but at least those 'problems' are well documented and it has been done many times.

I've kinda outlined the issues I'll have with the nova and the 292. Here is whats been done to the engine and the 'research I've done.

I've been collecting stuff/planning for the last couple of years to do this install. I'm wondering who out there has done this and if they have any tips.

This is what I've collected thus far:

• 292 (.30 over)
• Holley 390CFM 4 barrel carb
• offy intake,
• stovebolt cast iron headers
• petronix or hei igintion (have both)

Theodore Griffith(a member here) put a 292 in his 64 chevelle. Most of the pics below are from his install.

Passenger side engine mount - heres what I want to do:






When using this as a solution, you have to run an electric fuel pump, not sure what to use though...

The 292 block is taller than the other L6 blocks. This can be a problem when you put a 4 barrel carb on. I've picked up a gn snorkel and plan on doing this:


The 292 oil pan will not clear the steering linkage. I plan on using a 250 rear sump pan and 'dimpling' it to clear the linkage ([URL="http://www.t6racing.org/id9.html"]thanks to twisted6 for the help and pic[/URL]).


I believe I will have to drill the block to mount the starter. I have the [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Chevrolet-Inline-Six-Cylinder-Power-Manual/dp/1931128154"]Leo Santucci book[/URL], so I have a template to do this.

I am a little worried about cooling and fan/radiator clearance. I have a new two groove harmonic balancer to replace the 3 groove. I'm not sure what fan to use. If I use the one on it, I think it will hit the radiator (big blades, needs fan spacer to clear harmonic balancer). I wonder if the fan/radiator combo that came stock in my nova will be enough to cool the engine. Any ideas?

I think thats it for now. Am I missing anything?

To put the 350 in the nova, I'll need a special oil pan and pickup and v8 motor mounts and springs (I have some already).

Re: hood clearance, the 292 fits in my Biscayne pretty well with an Edelbrock ProFlo air filter...total height on it is barely 2.25". By tight I mean that I had to remove the 1" carb spacer because the support structure under the hood dented the metal mesh on the filter

If your goal is better fuel economy and want to stay with a carb, you will be further ahead using a Q-Jet than a holley. The reason is the Q-Jet uses a jet and variable primary needle. So you set the power primary mix using the primary jet and then set your cruise mixture by varing the primary needle (big dia.) size.

Before I yanked my 292 out of my '51 GMC I was running a 600 holley, full length headers, mild comp cam and lump port heads. The fuel mileage sucked at 12-13 mpg with an 700R4 and 3:50 rear gears. Personally I think the 292 is not the best choice if you want mileage.

Alternative go TBI.

I'm worried about the hood clearance in the Nova. I bought a carb adapter so that I can turn the carb 90 degrees to make setting up the carb linkage easier. I wonder if I'll even be able to use it.

I've been hearing bad things about mileage in 292. 10-12 seems to be the norm. I don't know anything about carb or fuel injection. From what I've been reading, if I'm going to learn one, it might as well be fuel injection.

Theres a guy on another site running an LS1 with a 200r4 in his 67 nova wagon. He gets 26 mpg on the freeway if he keeps it to a reasonalble speed and with no AC. It'd be hard to beat that I think with a six.

My opinion


If you wanna be different, the 292 in the nova sure is a cool idea.


If you want mpg and like the LS1 idea, not the LS1 price tag, a cheaper alternative would be a GM 4.8 or 5.3, same engine family, bone stock are known for respectable mpg in fullsize trucks and the 5.3 responds real well to simple modifications. (LS1tech.com) Its crazy, you have these production cars (trans ams, corvettes) running aroung with LS1 engines, making 300+hp getting 30+mpg highway, who said you couldnt have it both ways?


There are a few things to consider when installing the LS engine in the nova but as youd guess, its well documented, like the old SBC's.


Have fun.

There is a member here (Bruce I believe) that has one in a 2nd gen nova. Twisted6 knows someone that has one in a 64. I'm just wondering if it'd be worth the work. Then again if I put the 350 in the nova and the 292 in the truck, I'll be doing 2 engine swaps instead of one.

And you will spend MORE to put the V8 in. Because not only do the motor mounts need to be change SO DO the Frame Mounts. Because they are different. In the 62-67 ChevyII there are L6 Frame Mounts and V8 frame mounts. With the 292 you Only need to fab the Passanger mount.Swap oil pans and Do your exhaust and your Done.

Larry,

What are your thoughts on hood clearance? I *think* I have the other issues under control.

A thin air cleaner is what my buddy used on his when he had the 292 in his 64 with a stock hood.And at one time i think?? he had a small DIA filter but was a little thicker.SO DIA is something else you need to watch as well becuase of the body/hood line curve.The 292 is only 1 3/4 inchs taller.You also need to KEEP Carb spacers to a min.Because that will have a effect on the Air to hood clearances to.

Thanks Larry. The only spacer I think I'm going to use is the one I got from you (to turn the carb sideways)

I've been focusing on the body/interior of the Nova since December. I have a nova show tomorrow and after that I am going to focus on getting that engine ready. I'm not quite done with the interior, but I need to take a break form working on it. Looks good from a distance though:



before pic:

Here is my input on your options. I am biased towards the 292 in the Chevy II as a small block in Chevy II is boring....

A thin air cleaner will work on a Chevy II with a 292. On my 66 I ran an Edelbrock carb and no spacer on a Clifford with the 4 barrel adapter. An Offy would likely work a little better clearance wise.

Notice on the engine mount you pictured, there is no provision for a mechanical fuel pump. You can either go to an electric pump or use a stock right mount with the top bolt hole elongated and weld a new "tab" on the subframe to use the stock pieces.

The stock 63 radiator should be ok if you do not get stuck in traffic on a super hot day. I believe the 65-67 6 cyl radiator is a little wider; you can probably get someone to donate one.It will allow a little more water capacity. As far as the fan, each combination is different; worse case you can go with an electric. I have a custom two core that we had built since the fan went into the stock radiator on my 66. It gave enough room for the fan and clearance with a fluid dampner.You can have it for the cost of shipping if you want it.
If you want easy and have the money for the kit, putting a 350 in the Chevy II will take no fabrication and the truck will be a drop in. If you want something you will not see at every show or dragstrip and are not opposed to doing a little welding, go for the 292 in the car.

Hi Bruce,

Thanks for the input(again).

Do you have any close up pics of the 'tab on the subframe?' I have the pics you send me a while ago through the nova site, but it is hard to see what you did.

I'm pretty sure that I will go with the 292 in the nova.

The exhaust on the nova right now is about to fall off. If I take the nova in with the 194 installed and have them do my exhaust, will there be any issues when I install the 292, due to the extra height?

I will be using the stovebolt headers and while the 194 is installed, I will be using the stock intake and carb. Will I have an issues without installing heat for the intake?

Does anyone have any thoughts on my exhaust question? I have an event I'd like to take the nova to on the 20th. If the exhaust will be ok with the engine swap, I'd like to do it later this week.

The exhaust will be 1 3/4 shorter,Now depending how it has
been mounted It may? Or May not? be a issue. If there is enough play in the system.

Do you think I should wait then?

63ChevyII, I would wait. When I did my swap, I did it with the stock exhaust manifold and cut the pipe and put a "shade tree" patch pipe with some clamps to extend the legnth till I was able to switch to headers. When I made the switch to headers, I just used some flex pipe to some glasspacks temporarily till I got to the exhaust shop. That might not be something you would want to do if you are going to show it, unless of course you don't mind. I wouldn't mind. People have to realize it's work in progress..

Hi Ted,

Good to hear from you.
As far as showing it... I don't really show it, and I don't mind doing the 'shade tree' stuff to get by

It looks like the exhaust is about to break where the pipe goes into the muffler (it's sagging too). I just hope it doesn't break on me while I'm one the road.

Any tips on what I could do to strengthen it up to get me by for a couple of more months?

Coat hangers.

you know, it might come to that

Please send me your email address again as I probably deleted it during a massive "spring" cleaning. I took some shots from a couple of different angles that may help.

In case mileage is still a factor in your thinking, my combo (63 Biscayne, lowered about 5", with 292, Edelbrock 600CFM carb and lump port head, stock 3 spd trans making 65MPH about 2600RPM) is getting an avg 17.3 MPG. That includes sitting/crawling in rush hour traffic. Plus, I'm still dialing in the carb!

Thanks Bruce, email is on the way. I'll post the pics here if it's ok, so others can see them.

Thanks. You're on the HAMB right? This info and your avatar seem familiar.

Sure am, but certainly seemed pertinent to the conversation here, too!