Cutaway inline-6

[NYEngineer]

When I was a kid, my mom drove a '65 Pontiac Tempest convertible with a 230" inline six with a Powerglide. Car was excellent. I remember her going to the gas station and asking for two dollars worth of regular. Our other family car was a 69 Charger with a 383 and a four speed. That always got ten dollars of high test.

I used to always get Ford vans with 300 inch sixes in them. I had one we put over 300,000 miles on and never had the head off.


When I was 18 or 19 I worked in a machine shop in a boat yard where we built all sorts of stroker big block chevys. I made a cutaway for display at the boat show. Cutting the block was pretty insane. The valve covers and timing chain were child's play in comparison.

 

[JTK]

Love to see those old displays!

My first car was a 1979 Ford Granada 2dr with an inline 6 and 3spd auto. I don't recall what displacement it was, but it actually had decent power even with the lawnmower sized single barrel carburetor.

Also had a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer with the I6. Liked the engine.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Number_35
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: andyd
The neatest thing about the Chevy I-6 was you could stand inside the engine bay in most of its applications.

Ain't that the truth. I had a 74 Chevy Suburban with a three on the tree and the 250 I-6. I would climb in the engine bay and sit on a fender well to tune it up. Such a great and simple to work on engine. I still love my Ford 300 I-6.

Wow, I bet you didn't win too many drag races with that! That must have set some sort of power-to-weight inverse record. I had a '71 Biscayne with the 250 and a Powerglide, and it was not exactly fast off the line. The 3-speed manual must have helped, though.


LOL you got that right! I converted the Surburban from a three on the tree to a Hurst floor shifter when the column linkage wore out. That land yacht got closed to 20 mpg on the highway believe it or not. For the size and weight it moved OK. I wasn't setting any land speed records or towing 10K LB loads with it, but it got the job done. It went well over 140K on the original clutch when I finally sold it. Long Island traffic wasn't quite as bad back then, but I was still pretty impressed the clutch was problem free for all those miles and was showing no signs of any problems. I worked that truck pretty hard.

IIRC it had a 3.73 Posi or LSD [whatever they called it then] differential, which got the job done.

 

[Number_35]

Originally Posted By: NYEngineer
When I was a kid, my mom drove a '65 Pontiac Tempest convertible with a 230" inline six with a Powerglide. Car was excellent. I remember her going to the gas station and asking for two dollars worth of regular. Our other family car was a 69 Charger with a 383 and a four speed. That always got ten dollars of high test.

In '64 my dad bought a '61 Tempest with a 4-banger, I think the 189 (which was a Buick V8 cut in half) and a Powerglide. This was his first automatic. It was a weird car, with the engine in the front and tranny in the back, connected by a flexible driveshaft that GM called a 'torque tube'. It was probably not that bad a car, but Dad was not at all mechanical so all of his cars, all used, seemed to give him trouble.

It was followed by a '63 Chev wagon in '68, and then a '67 Chrysler Newport in '72. The Chrysler was an excellent car, and went like stink with the 383 2-bbl and TorqueFlite tranny. He owned it for about 15 years, and it needed a couple of tranny rebuilds, but the engine was still good approaching 200K miles at the end when he gave it to a neighbour.

 

[Number_35]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: Number_35
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: andyd
The neatest thing about the Chevy I-6 was you could stand inside the engine bay in most of its applications.

Ain't that the truth. I had a 74 Chevy Suburban with a three on the tree and the 250 I-6. I would climb in the engine bay and sit on a fender well to tune it up. Such a great and simple to work on engine. I still love my Ford 300 I-6.

Wow, I bet you didn't win too many drag races with that! That must have set some sort of power-to-weight inverse record. I had a '71 Biscayne with the 250 and a Powerglide, and it was not exactly fast off the line. The 3-speed manual must have helped, though.


LOL you got that right! I converted the Surburban from a three on the tree to a Hurst floor shifter when the column linkage wore out. That land yacht got closed to 20 mpg on the highway believe it or not. For the size and weight it moved OK. I wasn't setting any land speed records or towing 10K LB loads with it, but it got the job done. It went well over 140K on the original clutch when I finally sold it. Long Island traffic wasn't quite as bad back then, but I was still pretty impressed the clutch was problem free for all those miles and was showing no signs of any problems. I worked that truck pretty hard.

IIRC it had a 3.73 Posi or LSD [whatever they called it then] differential, which got the job done.

I would love to have your Suburban - inline-6 w/ manual tranny and posi! That's just about my dream vehicle. The column to floor conversion was not uncommon; in the winter my '63 3-in-the-tree Biscayne used to jam in 2nd gear.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Number_35

I would love to have your Suburban - inline-6 w/ manual tranny and posi! That's just about my dream vehicle. The column to floor conversion was not uncommon; in the winter my '63 3-in-the-tree Biscayne used to jam in 2nd gear.


I wish I had that truck today too. 2WD with the Posi rear was great in the snow too.

The conversion from column to the floor was relatively easy, and common as you said. It was a good fix for when the linkage and bushings bought the farm. The only downside was that big living room sofa of a bench seat lost the three seating capacity because someone would have to sit with their legs next to or around [no way on my watch] the shifter.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: Kira
Trav: Had the Visible V8 too. Got the Visible horse for my friend's grandson. He better like it.

V_P: Had a '76 Nova with the same engine too. Swiss watch.
One day I noticed a piece of broken spring hanging from an arm on the carb.
Helpful kid at a Chevy dealer looked at the piece (I had removed it and took it in) and silently went to the bin and fetched it.
It was a spring-in-a-spring for $2.72.
Installed them and nothing changed. Still ran like a Swiss watch.

Those cars were involved in the GM "Different Motors in Different Cars" scandal / suit / settlement.
My Chevy had a T-200 (European snow removal application transmission) installed.
The reverse piston cracked which lessened the car's ability to go in reverse. Forward gears were uneffected.
So a friend installed a T-400 in its place. A happy event that was.
Replaced a U-joint and balanced the drive shaft and I got a new car out of the deal. What a car.

No A/C, 25 gallon tank, odd, bright red plastic interior with hard, perforated headliner, screaming hot heater, crank windows, a rear windshield defroster fan (same part my Dad's '66 Olds 98 had), low rear end such that I could push parked cars with it.


My car had the really red vinyl bench seats...they were so weird!
One time I can remember when the old man really should have popped me one good was when I came back from painting houses on summer break from college and he started getting on me for smearing house paint from my pants onto the red seats. He meticulously scraped the paint off the seats and then yelled at me more on the porch for not taking care of a good car like that.
I was in a crummy mood after a tough day of painting and yelled back, "Good car?!?!? Cmon, that thing is a POS!!!"
Dad made a move like was going to slug me, then backed off and stormed into the house screaming, "GO BUY YOURSELF A BETTER ONE!!!"
I deserved to get punched, I was being a punk and he was doing me a big favor by letting me use his car to earn money for school. The really funny thing was I ended up choosing the Nova over two Comets/Mavericks when he gave me my choice as a college graduation present!

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted By: Number_35
In '64 my dad bought a '61 Tempest with a 4-banger, I think the 189 (which was a Buick V8 cut in half) and a Powerglide. This was his first automatic. It was a weird car, with the engine in the front and tranny in the back, connected by a flexible driveshaft that GM called a 'torque tube'. ...
No, it was half a Pontiac 389 V8. True about the speedometer-cable driveshaft. My aunt and her preacher husband had one, their first and only "small" car. After losing control of it a couple of times, they went back to buying full-size Oldsmobiles.

 

[Number_35]

Originally Posted By: Virtus_Probi
Originally Posted By: Kira
Trav: Had the Visible V8 too. Got the Visible horse for my friend's grandson. He better like it.

V_P: Had a '76 Nova with the same engine too. Swiss watch.
One day I noticed a piece of broken spring hanging from an arm on the carb.
Helpful kid at a Chevy dealer looked at the piece (I had removed it and took it in) and silently went to the bin and fetched it.
It was a spring-in-a-spring for $2.72.
Installed them and nothing changed. Still ran like a Swiss watch.

Those cars were involved in the GM "Different Motors in Different Cars" scandal / suit / settlement.
My Chevy had a T-200 (European snow removal application transmission) installed.
The reverse piston cracked which lessened the car's ability to go in reverse. Forward gears were uneffected.
So a friend installed a T-400 in its place. A happy event that was.
Replaced a U-joint and balanced the drive shaft and I got a new car out of the deal. What a car.

No A/C, 25 gallon tank, odd, bright red plastic interior with hard, perforated headliner, screaming hot heater, crank windows, a rear windshield defroster fan (same part my Dad's '66 Olds 98 had), low rear end such that I could push parked cars with it.


My car had the really red vinyl bench seats...they were so weird!
One time I can remember when the old man really should have popped me one good was when I came back from painting houses on summer break from college and he started getting on me for smearing house paint from my pants onto the red seats. He meticulously scraped the paint off the seats and then yelled at me more on the porch for not taking care of a good car like that.
I was in a crummy mood after a tough day of painting and yelled back, "Good car?!?!? Cmon, that thing is a POS!!!"
Dad made a move like was going to slug me, then backed off and stormed into the house screaming, "GO BUY YOURSELF A BETTER ONE!!!"
I deserved to get punched, I was being a punk and he was doing me a big favor by letting me use his car to earn money for school. The really funny thing was I ended up choosing the Nova over two Comets/Mavericks when he gave me my choice as a college graduation present!

From '75 to '77 I worked part-time for a newspaper while in college. We had several company cars (a '71 or so Toyota Corolla 1200 w/ Toyoglide 2-speed automatic, and a Mercury Comet w/ a 302) and, in the Fall of '76, got two new ones - a red Ford Maverick w/ a 302, and a yellow Chevy Nova w/ a 250. Almost everyone preferred the Nova for its superior ride and handling, which trumped the Comet's extra horses. So, good choice regarding your graduation present!

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted By: JTK

My first car was a 1979 Ford Granada 2dr with an inline 6 and 3spd auto. I don't recall what displacement it was, but it actually had decent power even with the lawnmower sized single barrel carburetor.


That would be 200 cubic inches.

I turbocharged a 1981 vintage 200,
bone stock.....
with the single 1-bbl Holley carb as a "blow through" ....
1.125" venturi is definitely "lawnmower sized" - - - -

But I still ran high 12's in the 1/4 mile with it.

 

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted By: NYEngineer
When I was a kid, my mom drove a '65 Pontiac Tempest convertible with a 230" inline six with a Powerglide.


It would of had a Super Turbine 300 2-speed automatic, Commonly mistaken for a Powerglide. There were VERY FEW Aluminum Powerglides used behind BOP engines & that was late 60's-early 70's.

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: JTK

My first car was a 1979 Ford Granada 2dr with an inline 6 and 3spd auto. I don't recall what displacement it was, ...


That would be 200 cubic inches.
...
That would be 250 cubic inches. Granadas were a lot heavier than earlier Fords that used the 200 cubic-inch version.

When I was testing cars, we tested a 1975 (first year) Grenada 250, which distinguished itself by scoring only 16 mpg at a steady 60 mph cruise, and a 0-60 of near 20 seconds. Mid-70s engines were amazingly inefficient. By '79, they'd improved somewhat, as manufactureres learned to tune engines to take advantage of catalytic converters that first appeared (on most models) in '75.

 

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted By: Number_35

The TH200 trannies were in the news here in the late 70s - the off-the-record story from someone @ GM was that the tranny had been designed specifically for the Chevette, and to save money GM was using it in larger cars, where it didn't stand up to extra load.


I doubt it was built specifically for the Chevette.....Just a lighter more efficient trans to replace the TH250.

The TH200's biggest issue was the Throttle Valve getting stuck & causing either High Line Pressure (Breaking hard parts) or Low Line Pressure (Burning Frictions) I always thought of them as GM's version of the Chrysler A904.

When built properly with TH200C/200-4R parts & a reinforced Forward Drum/Input Shaft, They can handle a 3000 pound car that runs low 10's in the 1/4 mile.

 

[NYEngineer]

Originally Posted By: clinebarger
Originally Posted By: NYEngineer
When I was a kid, my mom drove a '65 Pontiac Tempest convertible with a 230" inline six with a Powerglide.


It would of had a Super Turbine 300 2-speed automatic, Commonly mistaken for a Powerglide. There were VERY FEW Aluminum Powerglides used behind BOP engines & that was late 60's-early 70's.


Gotcha. It was a two speed. When my brother got his license, he was buzzin' that poor little six up the parkway and it held first until almost 70 mph when you kept your foot in it. He called me stuck on the side of the road. I got there and found the number one rod had come off and blew the fuel pump off the side of the block. We fixed it with a 327 Chevy with Dart heads, a Turbo 350 and a 12 bolt. That rear was a golden find. The 65 Chevelle width was rare. He still has the car today. Needs a restoration.

 

[Silk]

Originally Posted By: Number_35
I remember that the Toyota Crowns had a straight-six. Per Wiki, these were available in 2.0 l (1988 cc), 2.3 l (2253 cc), and 2.6 l (2563 cc). I only ever saw the 2.6 l here. Was this family of engines based on a Chevy? The 2.6 l would be c. 156 in^3.


The Landcruiser engine, it was a full sideplate and a knock off of the old Chev 6.

 

[Shannow]

How small did you guys go in the 6s ?

Ford had a 144, 170, 200, 221, and then the 250 (and apparently a 188)

Holden went 149, 179. 161, 186, 138, 173 202 (odd order is that there was a small and large displacement 6 moving through the model years)

(can mod a ford 221 crank to make a 235 Holden).

 

[Silk]

Standard Triumph got their 6 down to 1600cc in the Vitesse. Not a fan of small 6's...they have no bottom end, and you have to rev the snot out of them to go nowhere. But then I like the smaller Holdens, I was never a fan of the 202, it lost the sweet running of say the 161.

 

[Shannow]

My first two holdens were a 138, and a 161...you are right, so sweet running.
Built a 186 for the LJ. steel crank, Yella Terr head, 23/60 cam, headers, and tripple 1-3/4 SUs...loved in, and it would rev.

Ended up in 202s, with UC Toranas, and they always felt like they would fly apart at 4,500RPM (had two engines with pistons (2, or 5) fall apart...3.25" stroke and 5.25" rods were not kind to skirts), but decent pistons and balancer, and starfire rods I could get them to rev...even if they didn't sound good doing it).

My 202 XU-1 was a dissapointement...maybe the strombergs, maybe the 202, but never went quite like my 186.

Wish I still had it to be disappointed with, as they are worth bucks now.

 

[Silk]

The 179 had the worst rep..no5 piston. Taxi drivers would buy a 179 Premier for the trim level, and put a 161 in it. Triumph made their 6 by adding a couple of cylinders to a 4 cyl, and made a nice engine out of it...Holden chopped a couple of cyls off a 6, and made a horror of a 4 cyl engine. A GM inline 6 we won't hear much about here is the Vauxhall. Really nice powerful engines of classic GM design - a PB Velox was a 100mph car that would clean up any 6 on NZ roads.

 

[Shannow]

the old backfire (starfire) 4 ... had one of those...absolute dog.

They had to put the XU-1 rods in it, which then meant that when we were messing with hot sixes, we'd put the 4 cylinder rods in the sixes.

Ahh, them were the days...I've been offered a heap of 186s for $350...have nothing to do with them, but the nostalgia is there.