Originally Posted by VWNate1 (Post 8108434)

#1 :

For those who don't know, 'Rocinante' was Don Quixote's horse when he was Tilting (means attacking with a long spear) at windmills ~ learning the ins and outs of older engines and their proper tuning is often analogous to tilting at windmills .

Anyway, back on point :

I had to open my spark plugs up to .070" on one old 292 (1976 GMC C2500) before the plugs would stop getting oil fouled, after that it "flew" (the test guy's actual amazed word) through the stringent California smog test .

It also ran *perfectly* although it consumed a quart of oil every 300 miles.....

Didn't hardly leak a drop after I finished with it, no visible smoke either . I didn't use Chinese ignition parts for obvious reasons .

If you take some time you'll find dist. caps and rotors with brass contacts, these out last the aluminum ones by far .

Remember : dielectric grease in the wire ends ! . any green on a plug wire end means it's kaput ~ don't waste time trying to clean it .

Each and every plug wire should be checked with a test light, it either passes 12 volts of current or it's bad .

InLine engines often have manifold to head sealing issues, the Dealer training taught us to loosely assemble the two manifolds then offer them up to the cylinder head and start all he bolts, studs and so on, begin tightening the manifold to head bolts from the _center_ then moving outwards, one left, one right and so on ~ the idea is to even draw the manifold assy. the head .

After they're all tight go back and tighten the intake to exhaust pinch bolts .

This should help .

Get rid of those end bolts ! .

I use grade 8 only, I find it too easy to strip or break the grade 5 ones .

I also use mostly old, original hardware I collect off "junk" engines at my local junk yards ~ turned in core engines often have very good stuff on them .

Clean and de rust then re use .

Originally Posted by VWNate1 (Post 8109103)

I hope everyone here knows to never use platinum tipped spark plugs in older engines ! .

They run colder and cause fouling problems quite often .

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine (Post 8108749)

What Nate says may be true for stock cast iron exhaust manifolds, but threaded studs [3/8''-18 -- 3/8'' -24] with a nut and a support are necessary for steel tube headers. Otherwise they leak bad. I use a hardened steel rocker ball for a spacer. Works for me.

Cervantes was a Spanish Marine. He was captured by Barbary Pirates and held as a POW [slave] for 5 years until his folks and The Church paid his ransom. He started writing after he got back to Spain.

Originally Posted by VWNate1 (Post 8109103)

Whoops ! you're correct, tube headers often (not always) work better with fasteners on the ends .

It's still critical to tighten the whole mess from the center outwards, not any other way .

When the GM HEI was new they spec'd .065" on the spark plugs, we thought it was crazy but they started and ran so easily in the sub zero temps Down East....


The changed that after a few years but running .045" minimum is wise .

The only downside I've ever experienced is accelerated wear on the caps, rotors and wires......

The plugs proper wear a bit faster but no biggie .

I hope everyone here knows to never use platinum tipped spark plugs in older engines ! .

They run colder and cause fouling problems quite often .

I think that 1968 292 looks great ~ those who work and drive these old rigs daily (more common than most realize) know how sturdy they are and if you keep up on the routine HOT OIL & FILTER CHANGES the thinwall bores don't wear out much .

All through the 1960's and 1970's there were millions of GM products with thinwall (1963>) i6 engines that blew smoke and drank oil, this was caused by owner failure to properly maintain them .

The previous generations of GM i6 engines could be overhauled with massive (up to .016") taper in the cylinder yet run fine and not smoke .

@Dwyert : who knows ? maybe one day he'll tire of it and sell to you for an affordable price .

Originally Posted by IRQVET (Post 8109400)

No I did not know that, but you could write a book with everything I don't know. If only we could travel back in time back to when I was 18. Then and only then did I feel like I knew everything.

:D

Thanks for the tip.

Originally Posted by Don Quixote (Post 8109597)

I like the rocker ball idea and my system is working well so I hesitate to make any changes. If it's not broken...

That said, I always thought Cervantes wrote don Quixote de la Mancha while he was in prison. Just the same, it was required reading in my Spanish class back in high school and it turned out to be one of my favorite books to this day.

Originally Posted by Rwsmith66@yahoo.com (Post 8161681)

Here is my Mercruiser marine motor fresh off,I mean out of the boat. My version of a IL6 conversion! And it's not for sail!!!

Originally Posted by Rwsmith66@yahoo.com (Post 8161681)

Here is my Mercruiser marine motor fresh off,I mean out of the boat. My version of a IL6 conversion! And it's not for sail!!!

Originally Posted by Rwsmith66@yahoo.com (Post 8161681)

Here is my Mercruiser marine motor fresh off,I mean out of the boat. My version of a IL6 conversion! And it's not for sail!!!

Originally Posted by Don Quixote (Post 8161788)

Good to know. I have the little booster and i always thought it was strange on a 3/4 ton but it's not broken so i haven't fixed it. When it does break, I'd like to put on a big booster but it's been hard to find both 6" or the 9" I need. It's hard around here to find any round air filter for that matter.

Originally Posted by sharpmark (Post 8162834)

this is my fully rebuilt 292 which will be started and have the cam run -in with 2-barrel holley and then have the supercharger put on.
will be building my own inlet manifold and exhaust headers.

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine (Post 8162879)

Nice set up. Kind of a retro looking generator. Not the usual 67-72 Delcotron alternator. What year is your truck?