cilinderhead question

[rustbucket79]

Did the cracked 292 actually leak?

[canuc]

You need a serviceable low cr head with end accessory bolt holes and perimeter valve cover bolts to be stock for a 79 350 , your 292 is a high cr off-road perf head . Is your inspection just visual of does it have to pass the sniff test numbers for the car ?

[Belgian1979]

Did the cracked 292 actually leak?

No it did not leak at the time. I fear that the rust since then has done further damage to them, especially the valve guides.

[Belgian1979]

You need a serviceable low cr head with end accessory bolt holes and perimeter valve cover bolts to be stock for a 79 350 , your 292 is a high cr off-road perf head . Is your inspection just visual of does it have to pass the sniff test numbers for the car ?

In principle it needs to have every original emissions equipment. Some of that which was originally mounted was not required at the time (1979) in Belgium, so there is some things that can be discussed.

[Belgian1979]

Found a guy that had some spare heads lying around. Says no cracks, so lets hope it is any good. These are the 882 smog castings. It'll allow me to mount a factory style intake and carb on it. The factory intake was not fitting th exhaust ports on my Dart heads.

I was also looking on Summit for some heads but these guys do not seem to have anything in stock anymore these days. Everything is special order now and it takes months.
Seems to be that way with a lot of parts houses these days.

[PRH]

The factory intake was not fitting th exhaust ports on my Dart heads.

I doubt the factory intake would fit the exhaust ports on any heads.

[Belgian1979]

The factory intake was not fitting th exhaust ports on my Dart heads.

I doubt the factory intake would fit the exhaust ports on any heads.

Correct, obviously that should have been intake port...

[canuc]

Belgian hope those are serviceable cores , they'd be perfect for your stock appearing rebuild , you could have working egr if needed . Do you need cats in the exhaust ? I Read your L82 cam thread , I'll answer here that for what your doing I'd just use a common stock 350 rebuild cam usually has a 274 pt number . With low cr a stock qjet and your 195 thermostat you should be in good shape to pass a smog inspection .

[Belgian1979]

Well, so far nothing was said about the exhaust and for 1979 these were not required here. But if it's original on the car, I assume they can interpret it whichever way they want. If so, I might even need to install a stock exhaust.

Yes, I hope these will work. It would solve most of the problem.
I now have the block, rods with pistons, heads coming my way, an original L82 intake and a Rochester Q-jet. Probably still need the assorted 'emissions' equipment.
All in all it's going to be costly no matter what. Most of this is going to be lying in the garage until the next inspection will have to take place and that is not speaking of the work involved to pull the current engine and install the 'dummy'.

[Walter R. Malik]

Hi,

For the slam together motor I need to make, I require a set of heads. The original engine used to have the 292 turbo heads but one of these had a crack between 2 valves and it has been lying and gathering dust ever since. The guy I sent them out to at the time said it wasn't worth the risk as the changes were high it would crack further and into the water jacket.

So I need a pair of basic heads in good condition to slam the motor together. I already look into the used market here but there are equal risks to these not really being in a useable condition.

What would be a good option to replace my old 292 heads on a budget? What was the actual port size on the 292 heads?

There was never any vehicle from General Motors with a small block Chevy engine which came originally with 292 heads, (or any angle spark plug heads). There is nothing else like the 292's.
Use 1 of those and get an angle plug 492 for the other side.

[rustbucket79]

Since the angle plug 492 was an over the counter offering only, I would surmise they would be even harder to find than a 292 casting. I’ve seen 1 pair of the angle 492’s in my 30+ year career in the engine industry.

[Walter R. Malik]

Since the angle plug 492 was an over the counter offering only, I would surmise they would be even harder to find than a 292 casting. I’ve seen 1 pair of the angle 492’s in my 30+ year career in the engine industry.

I guess you don't know very much about the availability of cast iron small block Chevy heads; the 292 heads were only offered over the counter and only with angled spark plug machining. They probably had less than a 100th the amount of what the production of 492's were. The 492's came machined from General Motors for either angle or straight spark plugs and a decent cylinder head machinist can change 'em either way.

The angle plug 492's were even plentiful in the late 70's and 80's.

[Belgian1979]

Hi,

For the slam together motor I need to make, I require a set of heads. The original engine used to have the 292 turbo heads but one of these had a crack between 2 valves and it has been lying and gathering dust ever since. The guy I sent them out to at the time said it wasn't worth the risk as the changes were high it would crack further and into the water jacket.

So I need a pair of basic heads in good condition to slam the motor together. I already look into the used market here but there are equal risks to these not really being in a useable condition.

What would be a good option to replace my old 292 heads on a budget? What was the actual port size on the 292 heads?

There was never any vehicle from General Motors with a small block Chevy engine which came originally with 292 heads, (or any angle spark plug heads). There is nothing else like the 292's.
Use 1 of those and get an angle plug 492 for the other side.

I know the car was owned by a Chevrolet dealer here so I can imagine he could get hold of these heads in one way or another or at least knew about them. Must add they worked quite well on the engine.
I believe the 292 had another advantage over the 492 in the sense the plug is located even higher to work with domed pistons.

It's not my plan to use the engine continously. I just need to get it together to pass the test. The heads I have coming my way now are relatively cheap and hopefully I can use them as is without any additional work.

[Walter R. Malik]

Hi,

For the slam together motor I need to make, I require a set of heads. The original engine used to have the 292 turbo heads but one of these had a crack between 2 valves and it has been lying and gathering dust ever since. The guy I sent them out to at the time said it wasn't worth the risk as the changes were high it would crack further and into the water jacket.

So I need a pair of basic heads in good condition to slam the motor together. I already look into the used market here but there are equal risks to these not really being in a useable condition.

What would be a good option to replace my old 292 heads on a budget? What was the actual port size on the 292 heads?

There was never any vehicle from General Motors with a small block Chevy engine which came originally with 292 heads, (or any angle spark plug heads). There is nothing else like the 292's.
Use 1 of those and get an angle plug 492 for the other side.

I know the car was owned by a Chevrolet dealer here so I can imagine he could get hold of these heads in one way or another or at least knew about them. Must add they worked quite well on the engine.
I believe the 292 had another advantage over the 492 in the sense the plug is located even higher to work with domed pistons.

It's not my plan to use the engine continously. I just need to get it together to pass the test. The heads I have coming my way now are relatively cheap and hopefully I can use them as is without any additional work.

All the Chevrolet produced iron heads with angled spark plug machining were in the same location; even the later iron Bow-Tie heads.
The straight spark plug machining entered the chamber in a lower location.

If you were in the States, I am looking at a pair of angled plug 492's about 40 feet across the room; using one as a door prop. In the late 80's with the influx of aluminum heads, these became dinosaurs.

[Belgian1979]

There was never any vehicle from General Motors with a small block Chevy engine which came originally with 292 heads, (or any angle spark plug heads). There is nothing else like the 292's.
Use 1 of those and get an angle plug 492 for the other side.

I know the car was owned by a Chevrolet dealer here so I can imagine he could get hold of these heads in one way or another or at least knew about them. Must add they worked quite well on the engine.
I believe the 292 had another advantage over the 492 in the sense the plug is located even higher to work with domed pistons.

It's not my plan to use the engine continously. I just need to get it together to pass the test. The heads I have coming my way now are relatively cheap and hopefully I can use them as is without any additional work.

All the Chevrolet produced iron heads with angled spark plug machining were in the same location; even the later iron Bow-Tie heads.
The straight spark plug machining entered the chamber in a lower location.

If you were in the States, I am looking at a pair of angled plug 492's about 40 feet across the room; using one as a door prop. In the late 80's with the influx of aluminum heads, these became dinosaurs.

Hi Walter, thanks. I'll yet have to receive the heads that I found. If these are no good, I might need to take you up on sending it over to me (I know this is not the most interesting thing with an iron head).