Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines 292 block

hello everybody I am new poster I have been reading for a year or so I truely do love the I6 I have two at the time both are stock.292 /230. I first learned about I6's from my grandfather in the North Ga Mountains. He had a 48 chevy 2 ton with a 216 i think and a 58 1/2 ton apache with a 235, he also drove a school bus all over those mountains for 39 years. he also had a 76 f-150 4x4 with a 300 I6 ford. He told me one day when he was about 89 years old I qoute him " I got more respect for a cheverolet six cylinder than any other engine there are " coming from a man who spent his entire life behind a engine of some sort from the model A Ford strip down in the thirties all the way to 2005 before he quit driving. in his later years he he mostly drove his ford tractor around his farm. I believe in my heart HE knew a thing or two. MY question is this my 292 has cracks around the freeze plugs just like LEO Santucci book said. can this be fixed for a reliable street engine with 4bl carb/lump port head/small cam/ it is for a 72 chevy 4x4 a torque monster of sort? any advise is greatly appreciated. Oh yeah would like to be interviewd as a possible member to the organization.
thank you again AMS

Welcome, It sounds like your grandfather was bent on making an inliner out of you. I thank him for that. I wouldn't chose to start an engine project with a cracked block. If I already had a built one that cracked I might try to repair it. I've seen a couple of articles on crack repair that seemed to fix some blocks,Ford flatheads, that I would have tossed. If your cracks are to the outside and wouldn't leak into the oil it may be worth a try. How hard are 292s to come by there? Good luck, Beater

Thank you for the insight , I really do not know how hard it will be to find another 292 but maybe not too hard. I do not know if the cracks oare to the outside or not will find out monday when I pick it up a the machine shop where it was cleaned on a good note today me and my two boys Austin and Aaron 15 and 13 swapped a out a 307 v8 for a 230 I6 you should have seen there faces when we fired it up and idle it down low smooth as a sewing machine!! looks like we might have two more I6 boys on the way.

thanks again AMS .

That's what it's all about! Those boys have something they will remember for the rest of their lives. It is fun to listen to my sons discussing our automotive adventures, even the misadventures.