@tarussell more inline people are coming out of the woodwork. I like my 300 in my f150, it's a good driving engine.
CK5
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The $50 F250
- Thread starter 78K30
- Start date
Looking at the past two replies apparently we’re not alone in our love of the old inlines. My first truck was an 81 C10 250 and 3 speed column shift manual. Wish I had that truck back just like it was when it came home
Ooooo freshly rebuilt...
classifieds.ksl.com
1984 GM 250 Inline 6 | Engine Part | KSL Classifieds
$500 1984 GM 250 Inline 6 in Sandy, UT on KSL Classifieds. View a wide selection of Engine Part and other great items on KSL Classifieds.
Wow I never knew they had a 3 on the tree in the 80s?
A good running in-line motor definitely gives a different driving experience with the narrow down low power band.
My favorite engine is them large cubic inch GM “rat” motors but I’m putt’n some effort into this 292/K30 project and not trying to make something it’s not nor was ever designed to be.
It’s all about understanding where these type of engines make great torque and improving on it when possible.
Well the week sure slipped away from me, and the red mist kinda descended when someone decided to bid me up. But hopefully by Labor Day weekend I’m driving the old 78 K20 drive around with its new powerplant. Turns out the combine engine uses a standard truck flywheel and pilot bushing which is handy. I’ll have to take it all back off so I didn’t bother cleaning the paint off the friction surface.
Next up on the F250 project was bumper fab so the rear didnt look so goofy.
Sliced a couple chunks out of the 6” C channel and dropped this hunk of square tube in for the main beam to hold the outriggers and the bumper top/work bench.
Left side outrigger on. Welded the tube to the jack itself then slid it inside the main beam. It’s held in by a single bolt, but the weight is carried by the two tubes engaging each other by 6” of overlap
Passenger side telescopes out for those times when lifting off the side of the truck. Didn’t have a long enough chunk so I had to weld two pieces together. I need to pull them out and grind them down slightly, it’s a bit stiff to slide out.
Bench vise mount for the used 6” off my company truck. Probaby shouldn’t have even made it removable, I haven’t pulled the mount out since I put it on when this pic was taken last spring. It has a single 1/2” bolt that keeps it from walking off.
Next up was the top. I debated making it heavier but this is also just a 3/4 ton truck so and it’s got plenty of support so I went with 1/4” that the local steel supplier cut to side on their plasma table. Drilled a bunch of holes in the front part of the plate and plug welded it to the outrigger tube. The rear is stitched to the rear most bumper tube.
In primer
And painted. Not in these pics is the retainer latch for the outrigger that slides. Can see the mount for it in the above picture.
Overall this project went way better than I initially planned. Definitely some farmer fab compared to some of the works of art on here. But it’s been great to me this year. Many projects got done on this bumper over the course of 2025. Also used it to push start my old international straight truck when the battery was dead, overall very happy with how it turned out.
Sliced a couple chunks out of the 6” C channel and dropped this hunk of square tube in for the main beam to hold the outriggers and the bumper top/work bench.
Left side outrigger on. Welded the tube to the jack itself then slid it inside the main beam. It’s held in by a single bolt, but the weight is carried by the two tubes engaging each other by 6” of overlap
Passenger side telescopes out for those times when lifting off the side of the truck. Didn’t have a long enough chunk so I had to weld two pieces together. I need to pull them out and grind them down slightly, it’s a bit stiff to slide out.
Bench vise mount for the used 6” off my company truck. Probaby shouldn’t have even made it removable, I haven’t pulled the mount out since I put it on when this pic was taken last spring. It has a single 1/2” bolt that keeps it from walking off.
Next up was the top. I debated making it heavier but this is also just a 3/4 ton truck so and it’s got plenty of support so I went with 1/4” that the local steel supplier cut to side on their plasma table. Drilled a bunch of holes in the front part of the plate and plug welded it to the outrigger tube. The rear is stitched to the rear most bumper tube.
In primer
And painted. Not in these pics is the retainer latch for the outrigger that slides. Can see the mount for it in the above picture.
Overall this project went way better than I initially planned. Definitely some farmer fab compared to some of the works of art on here. But it’s been great to me this year. Many projects got done on this bumper over the course of 2025. Also used it to push start my old international straight truck when the battery was dead, overall very happy with how it turned out.
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Next task on the list, power to the crane. Handy thing about this old autocrane is it just needs 12v power no PTO and hydraulic lines needed.
Stuffed a Napa group 31 deep cycle battery in the crane stand, fits like a glove. Had to weld a couple straps under it for support as well as make a mount for the disconnect switch.
Originally I had planned to use the disconnect in the above picture to have the crane run off the truck battery, group 31, or both (which would allow the truck to charge the crane battery). That would work fine but also leave the possibility that the starting battery could be left in use and possibly get drained which I didn’t want. So to Amazon I went for this 500 amp smart battery isolator, now mounted to the battery tray support.
22’ of 2/0 battery cable covered in a heat shrink abrasion sleeve. The sleeve was one solid piece and getting it slid over 22’ of cable took me quite a time and many words. But I prevailed
Cable ran from the isolator to the crane battery with the engine running. Also visible is the two gauges for the airbags which have since been deleted due to them leaking off bag pressure.
This was another one of those projects I was very happy with once it was done. It keeps things simple for anyone to use and that’s important because part of this trucks mission is to have a service truck available to dad when I’m away in the company rig.
Stuffed a Napa group 31 deep cycle battery in the crane stand, fits like a glove. Had to weld a couple straps under it for support as well as make a mount for the disconnect switch.
Originally I had planned to use the disconnect in the above picture to have the crane run off the truck battery, group 31, or both (which would allow the truck to charge the crane battery). That would work fine but also leave the possibility that the starting battery could be left in use and possibly get drained which I didn’t want. So to Amazon I went for this 500 amp smart battery isolator, now mounted to the battery tray support.
22’ of 2/0 battery cable covered in a heat shrink abrasion sleeve. The sleeve was one solid piece and getting it slid over 22’ of cable took me quite a time and many words. But I prevailed
Cable ran from the isolator to the crane battery with the engine running. Also visible is the two gauges for the airbags which have since been deleted due to them leaking off bag pressure.
This was another one of those projects I was very happy with once it was done. It keeps things simple for anyone to use and that’s important because part of this trucks mission is to have a service truck available to dad when I’m away in the company rig.
Two points of interest that might benefit you on your “new” power plant are the flywheel is specific to a 292 application because of the two additional dowel pins on the crank flange that are not used on other GM motors - a regular 168 tooth internally balanced truck flywheel could be swapped in if you had it machined for the extra dowel holes.
The other thing is that exhaust manifold very well could be a rare large outlet 3-bolt flange - there are small diameter outlet 3-bolt manifolds but the larger ones usually came on medium duty trucks ( C40,50 & 60’s ) and forklifts, ag equipment and other industrial applications.
This manifold is highly sought after with most of the 250/292 freaks ( I mean enthusiasts ) out there so keep that in mind as it’s a piece of junkyard gold.
Thank you that’s some very good information! I thought the dowels were odd as I’d never seen them before. I believe the engine is a 76 casting date but I haven’t researched too close into that part of it.
The manifold sadly has some quite large cracks in it and the one flange bolt hole isn’t intact. I’d figured on buying a header but I’ve got a friend that can repair it if I’d ask. Hearing that maybe I’ll have to ask
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I know it’s a Ferd build, but you should check out Vice Grip Garage’s build he did on a 300ci. If memory serves me correctly I believe he did a cam and lifters with efi. Ended up making solid power and great torque.
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I’ve pondered it, I’ve been considering getting a different intake and running a Holley EFI setup on it just for drivability sake. I’ve pondered cams as well, but I’m also weird and like my engines to run perfectly as factory intended and do know enough about aftermarket cams. Although with this truck simple is also desirable so a good carb wouldn’t hurt. I’d actually go as far as removing the NV4500 and putting the SM465 back in if it wasn’t for the driveshafts already being made for the 4500. Will also need to find some 4.10 geared axles as I’m currently at 3.73. Or go 4.56 since I’ve got overdrive. Kinda undecided yet
