Hey,
I was thinking that it would be really cool to build an inline 6 with a turbo. It seems like the plumbing would be a lot easier than a V8.

The thing is, all I know is Chevy V8s. What year and size inline 6 would you use to build a turbo monster for a street car?

Try this link; www.cliffordperformance.com (http://www.cliffordperformance.com) They are the inline performance gurus.

Well, Chevy, of course!!

I say this tongue in cheek b/c back in the old days a 308 Hudson Hornet flathead six was a motor to be dealt with, (somebody has even b&s'ed one out to something like 355 inches!!), as was the 261 and 302 Gimmy sixes! And don't forget the modern 230, 250 and 292 Chevy sixes too.

Try this link on the Wayne 12 port head.

http://www.reutimannracing.com/images/12porthead.htm

I'm glad you dare to be different!!

Good luck and tell us how it turns out.

pdq67

PS., there is a new book out at Barnes and Noble on hotrodding the straight six motors so you may want to get a copy from them.

And once you hear a split exhaust manifold six with a pair of Smitty glasspacks on it going up and down the rpm range, you wll NEVER forget it!!

Thinking about one now brings goosebumps up the back of the neck!!

To get you started I suggest you purchase this book: Chevrolet Inline Six-Cylinder, Power Manual by Leo Santucci. It is currently in print and even stocked on the shelves of Barnes & Noble bookstores if there is one near you.

On the back cover of that book is a picture of a turbo inline six '50 Chevy that ran a 10.02 e.t. @ 131 mph! There are some other turbo inline six engine combos inside the book.

Trivia: Did you know that the first turbo "kit" for the Chevy inline six was marketed in 1949, the Besasie-Chevrolet turbocharger.

Not many are run any more, but I have always loved the sweet sounding exhaust note of a high revving inline six at the drags, not at all like the raspy sound of a V6.

Thomas

Ditto on Santucci's book!! pdq67

your on the right track. i have a 65 elco with a 292 truck motor. you'll have to make one of the motor mount bases. these motors produce lots of torque because of the 4.120 stroke which is bigger than any other stock chevy of any kind. i'm currently working on turboing mine also. give me a shout maybe i can help you. tom

Cool Tom,

I bought Santucci's book. Pretty cool. It looks like there is a lot of custom work that needs to be done. Will I end up spending a lot of extra money on an inline 6 compared to a standard V8 SBC?

What size turbo do you think is best? Also, I want to fuel inject it. I have done EFI before, and I think it will actually be easier to tune the turbo with EFI.

How tall does this motor sit compared to a V8? If I build a custom intake plenum, will it have to be off to the side?

What about length? Will I be able to fit a radiator and an intercooler in front of this thing?

Also, what's the best way to find one of these motors, and which year would you use?

I dont know if your were only considering gm engines but the chrysler slant 6 is suposed to be bullit proof.

Too bad you are clear out in CO. I have an in-line six out of a 67 camaro sitting in my garage. It has less than 100K on it and was running when removed. I am getting ready to take it to the dump.

Troy.

A turbo'd six? I like your style!
I would suggest the Chevy inline six rather than the Chrysler slant six. The Chevy had 7 bearings to the Chrysler's 4; had counter rotating gear drive for the cam rather than a stretchable timing chain. The inline six is naturally smooth with nice even firing pulses, plus it has an abundance of low end torque. It takes a bit to get them to rev (turbocharger?). Go with a 250 if you don't want motor mount problems with the different location on the 292. Use a pre '75 250 head with the detachable manifold for obvious reasons (also was used on 292s through 1988). A smaller combustion chamber was used on the puny 194 six ('62 - '67) in order to maintain the compression ratio. It will raise your compression if used on a larger displacement; whether you actually want that when turbocharging is debatable. 1962 - 1969 heads used washers with the spark plugs, 1970-on used tapered seat plugs without washers.

Dimensions on the six (Length/width/height) based on as installed equipment:
33 / 16 / 24". Compare that to a small block V8 at 28 / 25 / 22". The big block is 30 / 28 / 22". I would say that if the guy running the 292 six in the '65 El Camino doesn't have height clearance problems then you're o.k. (the 292 is taller than the rest).

Before the days when the Chevy small block ruled the earth, hot big sixes were desirable (Hudson, GMC...). You asked if it would be expensive to do up a six, when compared to a small block Chevy. Every other engine in the world is expensive to hop up, when compared to a small block (& big block) Chevy.

Here's another link you can check out in your quest: http://www.stoveboltengineco.com/index1.htm

Good luck and go for it!

I know I'll get flamed for this, but here goes. graemlins/clonk.gif

If you really want a stout turbo inline 6, do as someone else is doing with their Chevelle and stuff a 2JZ-GTE out of a 93-98 Turbo Supra in there. I can't seem to find his website right now unfortunately.

The 2JZ's have bottom ends built like tanks, the head flows a LOT, and there are a ton of go-fast parts available. There are quite a few people getting nearly 1000hp out of the STOCK bottom end on those things, and if you go aftermarket, even more. There are quite a few making 1000+ RWHP, and Titan Motorsports has ran 167+ mph in the 1/4 mile with their Supra on drag radials.

Don't expect your typical V8 powerband though. With a big single setup (T78+) don't expect much in the way of power below 4500-5000rpm. But as soon as it spools, you had better hope you've got it pointed straight.

Those engines are a truly awesome piece of work.

It will cost you a few bucks though.

Troy

Or the new Chevy truck six banger out of a late model wreck that has the DOHC's on the head!!

What are they 275hp or so stock and with vvt on the exhaust side??

But let's get real here, a 250 or a 292 will do you nicely. YOU can if you really want to do this cheap!!!

1. Braze on two extra one barrel cast-iron intake manifold flanges right at each end corner of a two piece's intake to create trip's!! You have to rework three stock carb's to get linkage to fit but this stuff really works great if done right!!!

2. Cut the stock exhaust manifold in two right behind the base of the carb. Braze plugs in each half and on the shorter rear half, braze a down-comer flange to create a split manifold exhaust!!

Add a 1/2 or 3/4 race cam that an old-timer cam grinder will know what is and you will be ready to run with the mild V-8's of today, EASY!! Imho....

This was how it was done when I was a kid when we flat didn't have any money much less good speed parts around to buy!!

pdq67

PS., nowadays you can buy true tube split headers as well as true four barrel intakes and thre duece ones to keep from having to shade-tree this stuff like used to to be done when I was a kid by the local small town Blacksmith..

Originally posted by pdq67:
Or the new Chevy truck six banger out of a late model wreck that has the DOHC's on the head!!A turbo Vortec 4200 inline 6 would be cool. GM did that with their new Typhoon concept a year or so ago. If I recall the pikes peak guys were getting ~700hp out of that mill with turbos.

Jameel, didn't you used to be here the Phoenix area? Mesa maybe?

I'm going to be in Springs Monday and Tuesday, if you see this shoot ne an email with your phone #, I'll give you a ring while I'm there.

tmoble [at] eathlink daught net <--you can figure that out, right?

Hey Tom,

Yep, same guy. I moved to Colorado. Hope I'm not too late. I'll send you a note. I should be in the phone book too.

JQ

Actually the newer Chevy 6 actually sounds very intriguing. The Toyota does too.

I am really into fuel injection and figuring out newer technology. The variable valve timing on the Chevy is very cool too.

I'd love to figure out how to convert the Chevy to a turbo set up. It seems like getting a computer to handle cam timing and the turbo might be a big challenge. Does anyone know of any web sites where they are swapping these new Chevy 6s?

as far as the turbo goes for a 292 what i'm looking at is a turbonetics 62-1. there is room for an intercooler. as far as an intake goes use a clifford intake and add your fuel injection bungs. a trottle body from many stock vehicles would work also. the 292 fit under my hood fine. i did have to make a remote air filter box. the 292 is extremely torquey and works great with overdrive in my 65 mino. the sound it produces presently is like nothing you have heard before. there's something about split exhaust on an inline that produces a nice rapping sound. to have the correct sound though both pipes have to exit in the same location. tom

I work for Lexus, and see the 2JZ motor all the time out in the shop, i am good friends with lots of the techs. The 2JZ motor comes in the IS300 and GS300. We actually had a kid grenade one about a month ago. We almost never see that so it is quite interesting. He dropped an exhaust valve in the number 4 cylinder. Problem was he kept on reving the **** out of it and it blew up. Piston was in pieces. Required a new short block and head. Knowing that these motors are bullet proof i asked one of the techs who pit crews for a top alcohol dragster. "What does it take to do this?" His response, "well.. about 11 or 12 thousand RPM" Those motors are really impressive.

Daniel

Jameel,
I would vote for the old GMC 302" six banger, if you can find one. I think Arias has started producing heads for this engine again. Another interesting inline six is the OHC six that Pontiac had in the late 1960's.
A Chevelle with a Lexus engine?? Uuggh, what next!!??

the 302 jimmy motor would be hard to setup in the engine bay. it would also be harder to find and to get parts for. the 292 is common and easy to get parts for. i second the idea of not putting in a other brand motor. the gm motors will easily mate to any drivetrain you desire. the newer vortec motor would be harder to mate to early transmisions.

Yeah, i feel you engineguy. I am only encouraging his creativity. Personally i would never think of putting one of those in a chevelle. It would just be wrong in my mind. Oh well though. Now find me a really tiny light car like an old vette or something more along those lines, i wouldn't feel as bad.

Daniel

Im voting either the vortec 4200 or the supra 3.0L. The supras are insane, 1000hp on a stock 3.0L I6 just isen't right, but they do it time and time again. Theres a reason that car is king of the imports smile.gif

The vortec 4200 is drive by wire, so that might be interesting, but all in all its a sweet motor with lots of potential. GM put a turbo on its 3.5L I5 and made 315hp & torque.

I have seen a couple of dirt limited late models running pretty quick with inline sixes. One was a 302 Jimmy one was a 300ci Ford. They make a sweet sound with open exhaust.

I built a nice 302 Jimmy a couple years ago. Things are huge. It took two strong guys to pick up the head and set it on the block. It had a cleaned up head, aluminum intake with Holley 4-bbl, cast iron header. Went in a 52 Chevy coupe, it ran good and tons of torque. The 302 Jimmy's are very old and not at all like a modern engine. I wouldn't recommend getting into one unless for straight nostalgia perposes, like this guy I worked with.

Sorry, Jameel, missd you on the note, never got one from you. I got back from the Springs about midnight last night. It was a very fast trip, just stayed long enough to sleep and load up the stuff I went for.

Tom

Tom

Thanks for the info.

Tom, I sent you a note but it got kicked back to me or did not go thru.

Maybe I'll look you up next time I'm in PHX.

Engineguy, you beat me to it. I was just about to mention the pontiac inline six. It is basically the chevy inline six with an overhead cam instead of cam in block. Pontiac actually designed it by using the chevy bottom end and developing a ohc head for it. There were a couple of different versions of it and it varied in displacement through the years of production. The higher output ones were called the sprint 6 and had a 4 barrel carb different heads (i believe) and a hotter cam. It may actually use the chevy bolt pattern for the trans, but I am not 100% sure on that.
High Performance Pontiac had a feature on someone about a year ago that put a paxton s/c on his sprint 6 in a 68 firebird, The heads were mildly ported and was making a little over 400 hp and plenty of torque on pump gas and that was with just 4 or 5 pounds of boost. Ultimately he plans to bring it up to 10 pounds or so of boost.

The Poncho Sprint H-O six-banger had factory split's already on it beside's the four barrel Q-Jet carb.!!

And I feel for you Stikman33 with respect to your suggestion of using the great foreign motor but you have to realize we are USA motorheads, that's all..

But I have to admit that I would love to get my hands on one of them 241" Toyota Hemi's that are almost an exact knock-off of a '53/'54 Dodge Super Red Ram hemi motor!!!

I wished I woulda never sold my '57, 392 Chrysler Hemi years ago for $40 that I grabbed on to for $25 at a bone-y -- er, Recycling Center back about '70 or so...

pdq67

Originally posted by Gokou:
I know I'll get flamed for this, but here goes. graemlins/clonk.gif

If you really want a stout turbo inline 6, do as someone else is doing with their Chevelle and stuff a 2JZ-GTE out of a 93-98 Turbo Supra in there. If this is the same inline-6 out of a pre-1999 Toyota LandCruiser, you're right. They make mighty power, and Toyota Racing Development even has parts for these beasts.

Funny how some of the import engines look so much like American engines. Have you ever seen the straight six engine in an early (1970's) Landcruiser? The thing looks exactly like a Chev six banger. So close that is appears that the Chev valve cover would bolt on!
Now, why is it that the current versions of these imports are kicking out butts in IRL racing? Hopefully all of you young gearheads are working hard, studying math and physics and will go on to engineer new (American) powerplants of the future.

Just read a similar topic (Pontiac board). There were some pics of a supercharged OHC 6.
http://sprint69.tripod.com/sprint69sohcfirebird/id16.html

I once had a 68 Tempest, with the overhead valved, q-jet, factory buckets and console,
beat it to death, but would it scream when properly tuned and shifted with in an inch of it's life, traded it for a 70 scout graemlins/clonk.gif

Hey engineguy.. that toyota 6 is a direct copy.. people use chevy distributors in em. Been told the head gasket is the same except for 1 hole. Hard to believe that was allowed.

Originally posted by engineguy:
Funny how some of the import engines look so much like American engines. Have you ever seen the straight six engine in an early (1970's) Landcruiser? The thing looks exactly like a Chev six banger. If I'm not mistaken, I think that the inline six engines in the 1970's-era LandCruisers *were* US motors manufactured under license.

I thought that the FJ70 series of LandCruisers usd Ford or AMC small block V8s, but I could be wrong. graemlins/clonk.gif

We used to install Chev small block engines in Landcruisers in the 1970's. All of the ones I ever saw had the inline 6 cylinder engine. This is the first I have heard about a licensing agreement, guess anything is possible. However, as I recall all of the fasteners on the Landcruiser inline engine were metric and the engine was very slightly different from the Chev six.