Gentlemen...I am a retired Service Director from Cadillac.....I did extensive armature drag racing Mopar Hemi engines in B/ MP in the 70's....Enough about me............I "bumped" into this six cylinder build and I am ASTOUNDED at what you can get out of a small cubic inch motor like this. Any enthusiast can see this was a "no holds barred money motor.".............. I LOVED the cam sensor idea. Thank you !! You have a new fan here in New Jersey ! God bless !
Powernation made a Ford 300 six and put a turbo on it and it made over 500 horsepower with just one turbo. Go check it out on there channel it's a white painted motor with turbo
How fun would that be, to have the money, resources and time to be able to fabricate and design one of a kind parts to modernize a classic engine, with new technology. I can see why the guy still wants to come to work everyday!
this is by far 1 of the coolest and most beautiful engines builds I have seen in a long time. All of us engine builders and or engine enthusiasts have soo much to learn from these artist and if we don't get with builders and learn this lost art of designing, fabricating, and building engines like these artists engine builders will be gone and these techniques will be lost forever. us younger builders tend to only look at the future and the next fad coming, which I am guilty of as well but we forget where hot rodding came from and what it takes to truly call yourself an engine builder and not just another parts installer. Thank you very much for the video and please keep em coming.
Even in the old days the right work made those six's evil. Heard a story once a guy showed up with one to a circle track full of V8's. They ended up wrecking the guy out cause he was fucking charging up to the front like a bat out of hell.
Amazing machine! In 1959 (19 Y0), I rebuilt a 1949 straight-six with scored cylinders. It had to be bored out to .60 over to clean up the scoring. This wasn't a performance build, just to put a better engine in a '46 Chevy PU. As I recall, it had splash oil pickups on the rod bearings; I installed them correctly the first time. It was too tight to starter-crank and I had to hand-crank it for several minutes to get it to run. Fortunately, the oil flow was sufficient to keep it from seizing. It was a blast finding the parts and a wonder it ran the first time.
Power nation did a similar build on an old ford six that was used as a power plant for a city weed abatement sprayer or some such. It came to them outputting like 80 HP. Left them putting out north of 500 HP.
This is hands down one of the coolest engine builds ever. Probably the most unique straight 6 I've ever seen. And I've seen a ton of BMW and Toyota builds haha
I'm telling you man, stories about builds like these are why I LOVE this channel. You cover some seriously outrageous builds. I'd REALLY love to see a high horsepower Y-block build.
@@user-wu4fg7tc9y Why not? Have you seen the kind of horsepower these boys are building today? If the builder is worth his salt, reliability will be there ...how long? PM and you can have a lot of fun.
@@TheHorsepowerMonster If the ENGINE OIL PUMP belt breaks how fast do you need to shut off the engine to avoid locking it up due to oil starvation ? I would also like to know if you have done any engine rebuilds on the old INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER 304 & 345 or 392 engines in the IH Scouts ?
Holy Crap ! This guy is half Artist & Half Engineer. I raced Superbikes for a couple decades and know the difference between parts changers & True engine builders. This guy is engine builders engine builder.
Now this is an amazing build. A lot of ground breaking tech compared to back then, and on a motor that parts aren't ever so readily available or existent, this really stands out to me.
You can get these at any junkyard for pennies. Now doing what they did to it did not cost pennies. I have seen cheap builds getting a reliable 350-400hp with cheap piston, and internal upgrades, and a large diesel turbo. I think most of the builds were about 2200 dollars. I would like to do an inline 6 build for industrial machines I have, but I live somewhere the roads are a sheet of ice half the year so we don't really do hotrods. I am more into 2 cycle stuff where we are just making toys, and we all drive electric cars. Small engines are easy to tinker with, cheap, and just as fun. This was an incredible build with tight tolerances. My first inline 6 I got for 150 bucks. I changed the Head gasket at 15yo, and did upgrades, and it fired up the first crank. The build they did could easily do 700hp if you push it. I like their build philosophy at keeping it at 4600RPM- makes that build bulletproof. That thing will make reliable HP for as long as you can still get fuel for it.
Keith is like the "Uncle" that everyone wants and needs! What a Gentleman and a Scholar! The man knows what he is doing and one can tell, he definitely has the talent and passion for it! It shows, in his works of art! Keep 'em comin' "Uncle Keith!" :)
It's wonderful to see engine masters work on 'one-off' designs. It demonstrates a level of skill and ingenuity that you just don't see with current engines and hoards of available, aftermarket parts.
This is by far the most incredible engine build I have seen. You always seem to get all the fine details in there, which makes the videos shine in my opinion.
@@TheHorsepowerMonster i have a wonderful for Keith Dorton could a carbonated engine be turned into a Fuel injection 💉 system with out the distributor hi 👋 from 🇨🇦 #YSW
Wow I had a 76 elco with the 250 cube straight 6 We ditched the carter for a high flow twin Weber, cut and welded and made a dually with 2x twin Webers (down drafts) and changed out stock cam for a “town and country” grind with solid instead of hydraulic lifters. We then fitted a custom made tube extractor manifolds and that few mods changed that Elco into a reasonable sleeper in 78. As students at the time it was a labour of love by my father and friends that we made a plan because there was no issue with money. Theres only an issue with money if you got some. We didnt have any. I was working 4 jobs to pay my tuition. So the Elco was an old sleeper in the true sense of the word. Scratch mods sounds about right cause we scratched around to do anything. And while the Elco was being worked on everytime, we resorted to mans ancient transport- boot 🥾 power... But it was a hoot Loved that car. Sold it with 325,000 miles on it and the motor had never been opened for repair work. Enjoyed this, wish i had 525 hp back then, not sure if there was anything that would have caught me(with the 3 speed stick shift) Keep on keeping on
The torque from that beast is just awesome. Talk about a tire shredder. You are absolutely right in that this dude is an engine builder. Seeing a problem and solving it is what separates the true mechanics and engine builders from the parts changers.
There's no torque "Curve", that's a torque plateau. A Torque Hoodoo. Someone will ask you about the power band and the owner will just say YES. I wonder how good it'll be for towing, or even what mileage it'll get- that engine's gotta be super efficient now. Totally agree with Kieth about making odd one-off and custom stuff. Before electrics take over, we are giving gas the greatest send-off possible- The LS has made huge power a breeze, cheap machining tools are everywhere (both from classic American cast iron to slave-built Chinese stuff) and information and help is literally a forum away. Thanks so much for showing us all this cool stuff HM!
Bite your tongue...electric cars suck unless it's a hybrid. Two stroke supercharged diesels ARE STILL the most efficient power plants. Been working for the Electromotive since the 50s and they only carry a bare minimum of battery.👍 The EPA is in the back pocket of industry, we should be getting a minimum of 100mpg if the EPA were really doing it's job...Old tech and the new 👍
@@MrPaige222 I'm not a rotary guy so grain of salt, but rotaries have terrible problems making NOx and other oxides because they burn so hot- and oxides are what you get with a hot burn. The renesis had to avoid that with a unique air intake design that partially strangled them.
@@girthquake1413 I'm right there with you. I have little to no respect for that particular engine. I understand the tiny displacement in regards to the horsepower output, but it comes at such a huge cost in reliability and fuel economy. No thanks. It's no wonder an RX8 is practically worthless
10psi and 600lb/ft of torque?! Can we just take a moment to appreciate that a 1950s block and crank with a performance head designed in the same era is making what even LS guys dream about nowadays? The amount of little details to squeeze all that thump out of this lump is truly mind boggling.
@@bigredc222 Precisely!!! They were designed to get things moving and not intended for rpm. The rotating mass of the the crankshaft and it's length are a testament to that! Beautiful build and master craftsman.
@@bigredc222 , We built a Chevy 292 inline 6 a bunch of years back, we used 302 chevy pistons in it, once we got it warmed up when it idled it sounded like a two stroke engine, lol, we had a lot of fun in our free time at the machine shop.
Unbelievable! That torque coming on right off the get go and not really having to spin it up much would be a lot of fun on the street. I built a 4.0 liter for a 66 rambler that was nothing close but made good power considering it was never meant to make much power. Nice work and I would love to just be in the shop with this guy to learn from the greats. Not many left and getting fewer every year.
Keith has probably forgotten more than most know!! The "this is what separates a true builder from an assembler" reference is right on point!! Awesome video thanks bud 🤙🤘🔥
Any time you get Holley to pay you to design a sbc intake, and the. Pay you a licensing fee for each unit sold.. you know a lil something about something! 😉
Most of technology he used didn’t exist when he started building engines. I see a man who has learned continuously throughout his career. I like it when guys don’t get set in their ways to the point of getting passed over by the times we live in.
The best part of watching this is that Keith is so freaking HUMBLE. He's obviously not difficult to work with and eager to keep challenging himself as well. Would hire him in a nanosecond.
You couldn't be more right on your comment. I've assembled some engines in my lifetime, but I am absolutely no engine builder. When I had my 709 wheel horsepower 1.8L B18C5 engine built for my Civic, I had it assembled by a well-known machine shop and engine builder. I paid them to balance, machine, and assemble the long block, and I assembled the head, turbo, and all of the other components so that I knew the hard part was done properly.
Stovebolts are quite simply 1/4 by 20 UNC bolts. Virtually universally used by cast iron stove manufacturers back in the day.FWIW, what we now call UNC was an engineering standard adopted by the US Navy in the late 19th Century. Stovebolt Chevy engines use 1/4 by 20 fasteners as a default on valve cover and lifter covers and I believe the pan as well. Hardware store bolts can serve,but the GM bolts were better material than that.
My Dad - who was born in 1917 and grew up familiar with these 1927 < up engines - said that the fact that the flimsy cover for the oil pump itself was held on with these low strength, low precision machine screws was astonishing to mechanics used to engines having more precise and more expensive construction. What you have to realize is that only truck and racing car engines had pressure-lubed connecting rod journals back then. Typically a splasher hooked under one rod bolt swung down and splashed oil everywhere inside the engine and some found it's way through a hole or two holes in the side of the big end of the rod to lube the crankpin. If you ever work on one of the very old design Wisconsin THD or TJD upright twin cylinder industrial engines you will see a much shorter splasher formed as part of the con rod cap - with an oil feed hole right above it. The camshaft on those engines ran a simple vertical plunger-pump that picked up oil from the bottom of the pan and lifted it into small elevated troughs positioned so the short splashers could make contact with that oil. That vertical plunger pump just lifted oil a few inches - there was no pressure as such. It's bore was made half in the block and half was a piece of tin bent into a half-pipe with ears. Stove bolt machine screws were good enough to hold the tin cover/half-the-plunger-bore to the cast iron block. (Surprising experienced mechanics of the day. Hey Model T Fords used the oil splash off THE FLYWHEEL DIPPING IN THE BACK OF THE OIL PAN, and finding it's way by sheer chance into a FUNNEL AND PIECE OF COPPER TUBING to gravity - lube THE MAIN CRANKSHAFT BEARINGS. Compared to that - the Chevy Six was much more modern !
@@patrickshaw8595 been a while since I've been in one of these , but if I recall correctly the dipper was a funnel that caught oil and forced it into the crank oil galleries . If oil was cold then it was to thick to be forced into the galleries , if you over revved it then the oil in the pan didn't have time to flow into the channel created by the dipper and it ran dry
Thanks for the awesome video. I love the Chevy inline 6. I'm building a 292 with 6-71 blower, 2 Quick fuel 650 DP, Ryan Falconer V-12 head (aluminum crossflow 340I 220E), Crower billet crank, cam and rods, girdled and doweled mains, 5 stage dry sump and Electromotive direct fire coil over ignition. Going to keep it down to 1000 HP. It's going in my 53 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup with a Tremec 5 speed. I have electric P/S and an electric A/C compressor. I'm looking for 8.50 in the 1320. It's nice to see I'm not alone in my madness. I know 3 other guys running a little north of 1000 HP in their 292's, 2 with turbos and 1 with a blower. Thank you for your time.
@@billallen4793 hell yeah Bill I'm a Wyoming native run with the neighbors run that way you know where to get parts... 70 mi into town to get parts or quarter mile over the hill to the ol heads tractor....
When I was in High school ...the 60s...I had a friend who had a 39 Chevy...with a built 6cyl. It started as a GMC truck engine and took 4yrs to build. He did everything to it that was known in those days...balanced, blue printed, ported/polished head, big cam...and probably more that I didn't know about. Then he put headers and three 2bl carbs to top it off. It was the baddest car around. It beat anything and everything that came along. It was awesome! So I love seeing build like this one.
That GMC 6 was probably either a 270 or a 302. Yes, INLINE GMC 302-6. These were popular with rodders in the 50s! A company called WAYNE even made a cross flow head for them!
I could listen to Keith talk about engine building all day. What an absolute legend! I'll die a happy man if I even get close to the skill that man has in his little finger.
I have been watching this channel for a while now. I don't know how many videos I have watched. I do know that this man working on this engine is a genius. Not all of these smart features does he thinks of, but I bet he thinks of most of them. This man should be put into an engine builders Hall of Fame.
Impressive! Thats a lot to ask for that old chevy, but like what was said, this is what separated the true builders from the assemblers. Coming from a background in this stuff, this is an excellent build. Genius!
I don't know If u guys already know It, but here in Brazil this engine is a beast. The most used motor in Drag Racing. In fact, the most used one is the 250-S Chevy, a "smaller" 292, but there are a Lot of people who uses the crankshaft from the 292 on the 250 to make a stroker. We havent had a great amount of v8 around here, most because our polution/environmet politics, so, at low cost, this is the best thing u can get! Anyway, im just saying this because here in Brazil, because of everything i told, there is a LOT of aftermarket products, upgrade parts, etc etc. U guys should search for some of Brazilian projects and learn a few things and what upgrade parts we have here to sell. We kinda already made everything u can magine with this engine, some can reach +2000 horsepower.
Decided to share this because u said in the video about the lack of aftermarket upgrade parts for this engine. Not trying to brag about our projects, just sharing info. 🤜🤛 I would love to see more inline six Chevy in the US
I love the builds Keith does and this one is no different, my favorite was the V8 block turned into a V6 and he plugged the rear cylinder holes, he's the best engine builder too me but i may be biased since I live minutes from his shop.
This is the first time I've seen the man. I'm 62 years old, and I completely agree with you. Most people with his abilities are rather difficult to be around. I could hang out with him all day just to watch and listen
It really is an art! He had to make colors that didn't exist and still made a cohesive working canvas to paint on! Pure delight to see the finished art in capable hands!
Wow , that's incredible , just gobsmacked by the absolute perfection and creative genius of this builder. My goodness, that's well worthy of a Sema or on display with Jay Leno's on permanent displayed front and center . Please make sure to follow-up on this masterpiece
I'd give anything to have the 4.9 in my Econoline built up, I saw powerblock get 500 HP from one they built with a single turbo, not that I need that much power, I'd just like to have something to show off a bit, my 73 never reached show potential, it was a work in progress but was totaled out in an accident, I lost a fortune due to it being marked a no fault accident. I love the sound of a straight six engine, along with their durability.
Finally!!! Finally someone does a beautiful restoration on that old Suburban, and they get the wheels/tires right, instead of jacking the truck up even higher and putting on ridiculously big in diameter and ridiculously wide off-road tires with white lettering, like so many people can't resist. Nice job!!! :)
That's some serious old dude knowledge and some serious Ingenuity that has been lost to time more of us need to be able to learn to do these things if we're going to be able to keep our passions of driving things fast going. I appreciate the hell out of this video I love the story and I love to see what people are doing in the world thank you for putting it out there
I am always drawn to one of a kind engine builds. Especially if they are typically unloved/unsupported in the aftermarket. The Ford 300 and GM Atlas engines immediately come to mind. Straight 6s always have a place in my heart.
Amazing. I had a hot rod engine specialist rebuild the 230 ci straight 6 in my 67 Chev pu, several years ago. In doing the rebuild he explained to me some of the problems, such as the combustion chamber in that old 230. He proposed some ideas for increasing performance, but, as with many people. At the time, expenses were a limiting factor. I wish I could have let him make some of the mods he proposed, but it was not to be. He might have come up with 250 HP out of that 230. That would have been fun. As it turned out, he provided me with a very competent running nearly stock engine, but it provided many years of running. My son "inherited" the pickup which did not outlast the engine. Last I heard he was pulling that engine for another application. I always thought a lot of the Chev straight six, but never imagined a 500 HP version. Cool video!! Wonderful imaginations, and amazing technical abilities. Thanks.
Exactly what I was thinking, only four mains plus that huge center double counter weight kind of bothered me but I guess at 5000 RPMs it won’t be too unhappy.
My dad and I ran into a guy that was in Modesto CA for graffiti night( this was in late 80s before the city ruined it) he had a bucket t roadster. But instead of the usual small block, it had a Mopar slant six. Had a decent cam and a set of dual fours. It was of course all motor. Which I prefer anyway.
this is what separates this channel from any guy with a junky ls, that engine was made just because it can be done instead of just using a stroker sbc. Congratulations that engine is truly unique
A 100 year old straight 6 cylinder making that kind of torque and horsepower is freaking amazing. This man is an engine building genius. Can't wait to see the finished suburban. The owner sunk some serious $$$$ in this
What a great idea! The ingenuity in this build is at the top of the tree for quality and professionalism! Yet again you’ve put together a great video that never fails to impress anyone who watches it! Thanks again HPM!! Love it!!!
I've always been partial to the Chevy flat 6. Would love to try one in a twin turbo variety. This straight 6 is insane. The main bearing trick scares me however. I'd never have the guts to do that.
These engines have done some impressive things in the vintage engine categories at Bonneville. However, none of that takes away from how awesome this build is.
Gentlemen...I am a retired Service Director from Cadillac.....I did extensive armature drag racing Mopar Hemi engines in B/ MP in the 70's....Enough about me............I "bumped" into this six cylinder build and I am ASTOUNDED at what you can get out of a small cubic inch motor like this. Any enthusiast can see this was a "no holds barred money motor.".............. I LOVED the cam sensor idea. Thank you !! You have a new fan here in New Jersey ! God bless !
It is impressive that this engine is putting out 588 ft pounds tq at 3700 rpm.
What kinda times did u turn in that Hemi in your B/MP class?
Powernation made a Ford 300 six and put a turbo on it and it made over 500 horsepower with just one turbo. Go check it out on there channel it's a white painted motor with turbo
@@bradleymadosh911
😂🎉😢😮😅@@bradleymadosh911
Keith is a true engine builder. Anyone can slap together parts and make them work. What he made is art.
Man you are absolutely right the man is a mastrr at what he does best and thats to create ,,my hat is off to him
I am amazed at his engine building skills and insight that he has.
How fun would that be, to have the money, resources and time to be able to fabricate and design one of a kind parts to modernize a classic engine, with new technology. I can see why the guy still wants to come to work everyday!
How tragically ironic that with age , it is time that becomes the more precious resource.
What a great opportunity to get the knowledge made available 🙏🏼
No doubt
@@jamessharp9790 So true !
These inlines are so awesome. It's a shame that so many one offs have to be made.
this is by far 1 of the coolest and most beautiful engines builds I have seen in a long time. All of us engine builders and or engine enthusiasts have soo much to learn from these artist and if we don't get with builders and learn this lost art of designing, fabricating, and building engines like these artists engine builders will be gone and these techniques will be lost forever. us younger builders tend to only look at the future and the next fad coming, which I am guilty of as well but we forget where hot rodding came from and what it takes to truly call yourself an engine builder and not just another parts installer. Thank you very much for the video and please keep em coming.
That torque "curve" is unbelievably straight. Such fine workmanship by a master builder!
Even in the old days the right work made those six's evil. Heard a story once a guy showed up with one to a circle track full of V8's. They ended up wrecking the guy out cause he was fucking charging up to the front like a bat out of hell.
@@jr540123
The GMC 302" ruled back in the day; add a Wayne head and you were good to go....
I was thinking the exact same thing
That's a I-6 for ya'. Smooth as silk FAT torque, brought to you by Chevrolet.
@@rgroove1970 That thing is wild. I've never seen a car bounce the front tires down the whole stretch and not look scary as shit the whole way.
Amazing machine! In 1959 (19 Y0), I rebuilt a 1949 straight-six with scored cylinders. It had to be bored out to .60 over to clean up the scoring. This wasn't a performance build, just to put a better engine in a '46 Chevy PU. As I recall, it had splash oil pickups on the rod bearings; I installed them correctly the first time. It was too tight to starter-crank and I had to hand-crank it for several minutes to get it to run. Fortunately, the oil flow was sufficient to keep it from seizing. It was a blast finding the parts and a wonder it ran the first time.
I just love straight 6 engines build ups. And this one is definitely my favorite. What an absolutely gem.
sorry but that sounds like Arse sure awesome expensive setup but my old junkyard pick a part $50 crossflow ford 4.2 made 600hp ate 8 year ago.
@@altruismfirst6489 You are full of shit are your eyes brown?
Power nation did a similar build on an old ford six that was used as a power plant for a city weed abatement sprayer or some such.
It came to them outputting like 80 HP. Left them putting out north of 500 HP.
This is hands down one of the coolest engine builds ever. Probably the most unique straight 6 I've ever seen. And I've seen a ton of BMW and Toyota builds haha
I'm telling you man, stories about builds like these are why I LOVE this channel. You cover some seriously outrageous builds. I'd REALLY love to see a high horsepower Y-block build.
Thanks a lot!
fun? yes. reliable? 🤷
@@user-wu4fg7tc9y Why not? Have you seen the kind of horsepower these boys are building today? If the builder is worth his salt, reliability will be there ...how long? PM and you can have a lot of fun.
@@charlesangell_bulmtl well fair enough, but the more you fuck with an engine the less reliable overall right? talking every day drivers tho
@@TheHorsepowerMonster If the ENGINE OIL PUMP belt breaks how fast do you need to shut off the engine to avoid locking it up due to oil starvation ? I would also like to know if you have done any engine rebuilds on the old INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER 304 & 345 or 392 engines in the IH Scouts ?
I am beyond happy, that someone actually built one of these! :D
Holy Crap !
This guy is half Artist & Half Engineer.
I raced Superbikes for a couple decades and know the difference between parts changers & True engine builders.
This guy is engine builders engine builder.
THAT IS A NICE PEACE OF ENGINE ART! WHAT A FINISH. LOST FOR WORDS. A beautiful Engine!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now this is an amazing build. A lot of ground breaking tech compared to back then, and on a motor that parts aren't ever so readily available or existent, this really stands out to me.
You can get these at any junkyard for pennies. Now doing what they did to it did not cost pennies. I have seen cheap builds getting a reliable 350-400hp with cheap piston, and internal upgrades, and a large diesel turbo. I think most of the builds were about 2200 dollars. I would like to do an inline 6 build for industrial machines I have, but I live somewhere the roads are a sheet of ice half the year so we don't really do hotrods. I am more into 2 cycle stuff where we are just making toys, and we all drive electric cars. Small engines are easy to tinker with, cheap, and just as fun. This was an incredible build with tight tolerances. My first inline 6 I got for 150 bucks. I changed the Head gasket at 15yo, and did upgrades, and it fired up the first crank. The build they did could easily do 700hp if you push it. I like their build philosophy at keeping it at 4600RPM- makes that build bulletproof. That thing will make reliable HP for as long as you can still get fuel for it.
OMG. Not really enough words to describe the uniqueness of this build, and of course the talent of the men at the shop !
Man! You guys ARE engine builders. You've practically redesigned and fabricated 90% of the old straight 6. Awesome job.
Keith is like the "Uncle" that everyone wants and needs! What a Gentleman and a Scholar! The man knows what he is doing and one can tell, he definitely has the talent and passion for it! It shows, in his works of art! Keep 'em comin' "Uncle Keith!" :)
I could only daydream about how cool it would be to learn from someone like that. Awesome.
It's wonderful to see engine masters work on 'one-off' designs. It demonstrates a level of skill and ingenuity that you just don't see with current engines and hoards of available, aftermarket parts.
This is by far the most incredible engine build I have seen. You always seem to get all the fine details in there, which makes the videos shine in my opinion.
Hey, thanks a lot!
Very well said and well deserved comment. You did a fantastic job not only showcasing the engine, but Keith himself.
@@TheHorsepowerMonster i have a wonderful for Keith Dorton could a carbonated engine be turned into a Fuel injection 💉 system with out the distributor hi 👋 from 🇨🇦 #YSW
This isn't just an engine build.. this is an engineering master piece!
This is hands down the best engine channel on UA-cam.
That's a big compliment. Thanks a lot!
That truck will pull the same with or without a trailer. Masterpiece.
Wow
I had a 76 elco with the 250 cube straight 6
We ditched the carter for a high flow twin Weber, cut and welded and made a dually with 2x twin Webers (down drafts) and changed out stock cam for a “town and country” grind with solid instead of hydraulic lifters. We then fitted a custom made tube extractor manifolds and that few mods changed that Elco into a reasonable sleeper in 78.
As students at the time it was a labour of love by my father and friends that we made a plan because there was no issue with money. Theres only an issue with money if you got some.
We didnt have any. I was working 4 jobs to pay my tuition.
So the Elco was an old sleeper in the true sense of the word. Scratch mods sounds about right cause we scratched around to do anything.
And while the Elco was being worked on everytime, we resorted to mans ancient transport- boot 🥾 power...
But it was a hoot
Loved that car. Sold it with 325,000 miles on it and the motor had never been opened for repair work.
Enjoyed this, wish i had 525 hp back then, not sure if there was anything that would have caught me(with the 3 speed stick shift)
Keep on keeping on
The torque from that beast is just awesome. Talk about a tire shredder. You are absolutely right in that this dude is an engine builder. Seeing a problem and solving it is what separates the true mechanics and engine builders from the parts changers.
There's no torque "Curve", that's a torque plateau. A Torque Hoodoo. Someone will ask you about the power band and the owner will just say YES. I wonder how good it'll be for towing, or even what mileage it'll get- that engine's gotta be super efficient now.
Totally agree with Kieth about making odd one-off and custom stuff. Before electrics take over, we are giving gas the greatest send-off possible- The LS has made huge power a breeze, cheap machining tools are everywhere (both from classic American cast iron to slave-built Chinese stuff) and information and help is literally a forum away. Thanks so much for showing us all this cool stuff HM!
Bite your tongue...electric cars suck unless it's a hybrid. Two stroke supercharged diesels ARE STILL the most efficient power plants. Been working for the Electromotive since the 50s and they only carry a bare minimum of battery.👍 The EPA is in the back pocket of industry, we should be getting a minimum of 100mpg if the EPA were really doing it's job...Old tech and the new 👍
@@charlesangell_bulmtl okay boomer
But if they're so efficient, why are rx8s such gas hogs? Could ot have something to do with low torque?
@@MrPaige222 I'm not a rotary guy so grain of salt, but rotaries have terrible problems making NOx and other oxides because they burn so hot- and oxides are what you get with a hot burn. The renesis had to avoid that with a unique air intake design that partially strangled them.
@@girthquake1413
I'm right there with you. I have little to no respect for that particular engine. I understand the tiny displacement in regards to the horsepower output, but it comes at such a huge cost in reliability and fuel economy. No thanks. It's no wonder an RX8 is practically worthless
This is the kind of stuff I enjoy watching . Taking OLD engines , and really tricking them with new stuff . THANK YOU FOR THE VIDEO .
The old 235 and 261 are very underated engines I have owned and built several they are a lot tougher than many think .
I simply cannot believe how beautiful this build is! This man is one smart cookie.
That aluminum Wayne head, is a game changer for the straight 6...very nice set-up.
I started working as a mechanic and wound up doing it for 15 years. It can be kind of addictive.
10psi and 600lb/ft of torque?! Can we just take a moment to appreciate that a 1950s block and crank with a performance head designed in the same era is making what even LS guys dream about nowadays? The amount of little details to squeeze all that thump out of this lump is truly mind boggling.
These Builders are our worlds Best, I hope we Never half to miss them. God Bless these Builders.
Man love that flat as a table torque curve, it’ll be interesting to see the finished rig once it’s completed. Super nice build guys.
@R K its not a v8 that are known to low end torque its a straight 6.
Straight sixes have always been known for having torque, that's why they worked good in work trucks.
@@bigredc222 Precisely!!! They were designed to get things moving and not intended for rpm. The rotating mass of the the crankshaft and it's length are a testament to that! Beautiful build and master craftsman.
@@bigredc222 ,
We built a Chevy 292 inline 6 a bunch of years back, we used 302 chevy pistons in it, once we got it warmed up when it idled it sounded like a two stroke engine, lol, we had a lot of fun in our free time at the machine shop.
Unbelievable! That torque coming on right off the get go and not really having to spin it up much would be a lot of fun on the street. I built a 4.0 liter for a 66 rambler that was nothing close but made good power considering it was never meant to make much power. Nice work and I would love to just be in the shop with this guy to learn from the greats. Not many left and getting fewer every year.
Keith has probably forgotten more than most know!! The "this is what separates a true builder from an assembler" reference is right on point!! Awesome video thanks bud 🤙🤘🔥
Any time you get Holley to pay you to design a sbc intake, and the. Pay you a licensing fee for each unit sold.. you know a lil something about something! 😉
Most of technology he used didn’t exist when he started building engines. I see a man who has learned continuously throughout his career. I like it when guys don’t get set in their ways to the point of getting passed over by the times we live in.
The best part of watching this is that Keith is so freaking HUMBLE. He's obviously not difficult to work with and eager to keep challenging himself as well.
Would hire him in a nanosecond.
You couldn't be more right on your comment. I've assembled some engines in my lifetime, but I am absolutely no engine builder. When I had my 709 wheel horsepower 1.8L B18C5 engine built for my Civic, I had it assembled by a well-known machine shop and engine builder. I paid them to balance, machine, and assemble the long block, and I assembled the head, turbo, and all of the other components so that I knew the hard part was done properly.
Truly the godfather of engine builds. Genius. Impeccable work. Pa, keep kicking ass. One love. MA-
Stovebolts are quite simply 1/4 by 20 UNC bolts. Virtually universally used by cast iron stove manufacturers back in the day.FWIW, what we now call UNC was an engineering standard adopted by the US Navy in the late 19th Century.
Stovebolt Chevy engines use 1/4 by 20 fasteners as a default on valve cover and lifter covers and I believe the pan as well. Hardware store bolts can serve,but the GM bolts were better material than that.
My Dad - who was born in 1917 and grew up familiar with these 1927 < up engines - said that the fact that the flimsy cover for the oil pump itself was held on with these low strength, low precision machine screws was astonishing to mechanics used to engines having more precise and more expensive construction.
What you have to realize is that only truck and racing car engines had pressure-lubed connecting rod journals back then. Typically a splasher hooked under one rod bolt swung down and splashed oil everywhere inside the engine and some found it's way through a hole or two holes in the side of the big end of the rod to lube the crankpin. If you ever work on one of the very old design Wisconsin THD or TJD upright twin cylinder industrial engines you will see a much shorter splasher formed as part of the con rod cap - with an oil feed hole right above it.
The camshaft on those engines ran a simple vertical plunger-pump that picked up oil from the bottom of the pan and lifted it into small elevated troughs positioned so the short splashers could make contact with that oil.
That vertical plunger pump just lifted oil a few inches - there was no pressure as such. It's bore was made half in the block and half was a piece of tin bent into a half-pipe with ears. Stove bolt machine screws were good enough to hold the tin cover/half-the-plunger-bore to the cast iron block. (Surprising experienced mechanics of the day.
Hey Model T Fords used the oil splash off THE FLYWHEEL DIPPING IN THE BACK OF THE OIL PAN, and finding it's way by sheer chance into a FUNNEL AND PIECE OF COPPER TUBING to gravity - lube THE MAIN CRANKSHAFT BEARINGS.
Compared to that - the Chevy Six was much more modern !
@@patrickshaw8595 been a while since I've been in one of these , but if I recall correctly the dipper was a funnel that caught oil and forced it into the crank oil galleries . If oil was cold then it was to thick to be forced into the galleries , if you over revved it then the oil in the pan didn't have time to flow into the channel created by the dipper and it ran dry
Man the sound of turbos never gets old! What an amazing accomplishment they've pulled off, such an amazing build!
This is the best engine building channel on UA-cam.Without a doubt can't wait till the next video.
Wow! Thanks very much!
Brilliant. Very well crafted. 1950's auto engineers would be floored by this.
Awsome!! The old school builders are master wizards in engines and create monster Engines!!
Thanks for the awesome video. I love the Chevy inline 6. I'm building a 292 with 6-71 blower, 2 Quick fuel 650 DP, Ryan Falconer V-12 head (aluminum crossflow 340I 220E), Crower billet crank, cam and rods, girdled and doweled mains, 5 stage dry sump and Electromotive direct fire coil over ignition. Going to keep it down to 1000 HP. It's going in my 53 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup with a Tremec 5 speed. I have electric P/S and an electric A/C compressor. I'm looking for 8.50 in the 1320. It's nice to see I'm not alone in my madness. I know 3 other guys running a little north of 1000 HP in their 292's, 2 with turbos and 1 with a blower. Thank you for your time.
Sounds like a fun build! Thanks for watching
Good luck, I hope it works.
SWEET!...from Wyoming USA 🇺🇸 🤠
@@billallen4793 hell yeah Bill I'm a Wyoming native run with the neighbors run that way you know where to get parts... 70 mi into town to get parts or quarter mile over the hill to the ol heads tractor....
@@babydaddy1930 you still living here?
When I was in High school ...the 60s...I had a friend who had a 39 Chevy...with a built 6cyl. It started as a GMC truck engine and took 4yrs to build. He did everything to it that was known in those days...balanced, blue printed, ported/polished head, big cam...and probably more that I didn't know about. Then he put headers and three 2bl carbs to top it off. It was the baddest car around. It beat anything and everything that came along. It was awesome! So I love seeing build like this one.
That GMC 6 was probably either a 270 or a 302. Yes, INLINE GMC 302-6. These were popular with rodders in the 50s! A company called WAYNE even made a cross flow head for them!
I could listen to Keith talk about engine building all day. What an absolute legend! I'll die a happy man if I even get close to the skill that man has in his little finger.
This man has likely forgotten more then we are ever likely to know.
I have been watching this channel for a while now. I don't know how many videos I have watched. I do know that this man working on this engine is a genius. Not all of these smart features does he thinks of, but I bet he thinks of most of them. This man should be put into an engine builders Hall of Fame.
Impressive! Thats a lot to ask for that old chevy, but like what was said, this is what separated the true builders from the assemblers. Coming from a background in this stuff, this is an excellent build. Genius!
I don't know If u guys already know It, but here in Brazil this engine is a beast. The most used motor in Drag Racing. In fact, the most used one is the 250-S Chevy, a "smaller" 292, but there are a Lot of people who uses the crankshaft from the 292 on the 250 to make a stroker. We havent had a great amount of v8 around here, most because our polution/environmet politics, so, at low cost, this is the best thing u can get! Anyway, im just saying this because here in Brazil, because of everything i told, there is a LOT of aftermarket products, upgrade parts, etc etc. U guys should search for some of Brazilian projects and learn a few things and what upgrade parts we have here to sell. We kinda already made everything u can magine with this engine, some can reach +2000 horsepower.
Decided to share this because u said in the video about the lack of aftermarket upgrade parts for this engine. Not trying to brag about our projects, just sharing info. 🤜🤛 I would love to see more inline six Chevy in the US
Keith is world class brilliant,one of the best there is or ever was....
Deep respect for the engineering of this project.
It probably has more preparation time than building time.
I love the builds Keith does and this one is no different, my favorite was the V8 block turned into a V6 and he plugged the rear cylinder holes, he's the best engine builder too me but i may be biased since I live minutes from his shop.
This is the first time I've seen the man. I'm 62 years old, and I completely agree with you. Most people with his abilities are rather difficult to be around. I could hang out with him all day just to watch and listen
That's some incredible power for such humble beginnings from nearly 100 years ago.
This is what hot rodding is all about. Great vid
Thank you!
I really hope that air filter setup isn't permanent....
It really is an art! He had to make colors that didn't exist and still made a cohesive working canvas to paint on! Pure delight to see the finished art in capable hands!
I couldn't be more impressed if it went into outterspace. Just wow. Had to watch twice.
Idk about that, ask that dude from star trek. 😉
@@leinadalan He's as old as this engine design and both still boldly going!
Wow , that's incredible , just gobsmacked by the absolute perfection and creative genius of this builder. My goodness, that's well worthy of a Sema or on display with Jay Leno's on permanent displayed front and center . Please make sure to follow-up on this masterpiece
That man is a certified genius! I cannot believe his abilities!
Amazing work!
Beautiful engineering to an ancient engine design to bring in into the 21st century - respect!
I'd give anything to have the 4.9 in my Econoline built up, I saw powerblock get 500 HP from one they built with a single turbo, not that I need that much power, I'd just like to have something to show off a bit, my 73 never reached show potential, it was a work in progress but was totaled out in an accident, I lost a fortune due to it being marked a no fault accident. I love the sound of a straight six engine, along with their durability.
Finally!!! Finally someone does a beautiful restoration on that old Suburban, and they get the wheels/tires right, instead of jacking the truck up even higher and putting on ridiculously big in diameter and ridiculously wide off-road tires with white lettering, like so many people can't resist. Nice job!!! :)
WOW! this is great. My first engine I rebuilt was a 235 CID. in 1966. Love this.
This engine is beautiful. The use of updated technology on a very old engine usually makes an interesting combination.
Awesome build! I love unique, off-the-wall engines like this👍👍👍
That's my favourite engine build on here.
Cool, thanks!
Wow the attention to detail. Even the accessories on the front look perfect.
Fascinated by straight six builds.
That engine is straight art work.
Thank you so much for sharing !
Cheers
That's some serious old dude knowledge and some serious Ingenuity that has been lost to time more of us need to be able to learn to do these things if we're going to be able to keep our passions of driving things fast going. I appreciate the hell out of this video I love the story and I love to see what people are doing in the world thank you for putting it out there
Sure he knows a lot of the past, and he did not get where he is without anticipating, adapting and embracing modernity and the future.
This is the most impressive engine build that I've ever seen (including Smokey Yunicks) in over 50 years of enthusiast reading. Wow~
What an awesome build! Such a great example of craftsmanship! Looking forward to the next one!
Everything is based off the builder's opinion and i appreciate the narrator pointing out points of interest that could be problems.
I just love that old school sounds you are such an awesome inspiration to us all
I am always drawn to one of a kind engine builds. Especially if they are typically unloved/unsupported in the aftermarket. The Ford 300 and GM Atlas engines immediately come to mind. Straight 6s always have a place in my heart.
Incredible how nice it looks, it's a piece of art, and the sound is like music. What an awesome build!
I appreciate the old engine, but an Atlas 4200 would look so sexy set up like this!
That's awesome! Love the non mainstream custom builds!
Amazing. I had a hot rod engine specialist rebuild the 230 ci straight 6 in my 67 Chev pu, several years ago. In doing the rebuild he explained to me some of the problems, such as the combustion chamber in that old 230. He proposed some ideas for increasing performance, but, as with many people. At the time, expenses were a limiting factor. I wish I could have let him make some of the mods he proposed, but it was not to be. He might have come up with 250 HP out of that 230. That would have been fun. As it turned out, he provided me with a very competent running nearly stock engine, but it provided many years of running. My son "inherited" the pickup which did not outlast the engine. Last I heard he was pulling that engine for another application. I always thought a lot of the Chev straight six, but never imagined a 500 HP version. Cool video!! Wonderful imaginations, and amazing technical abilities. Thanks.
Very impressive, especially with just a 4 main crank. Later GM in-line 6s, and the Le Mans winning Jaguar XK engines all used 7 mains.
Exactly what I was thinking, only four mains plus that huge center double counter weight kind of bothered me but I guess at 5000 RPMs it won’t be too unhappy.
My dad and I ran into a guy that was in Modesto CA for graffiti night( this was in late 80s before the city ruined it) he had a bucket t roadster. But instead of the usual small block, it had a Mopar slant six. Had a decent cam and a set of dual fours. It was of course all motor. Which I prefer anyway.
this is what separates this channel from any guy with a junky ls, that engine was made just because it can be done instead of just using a stroker sbc. Congratulations that engine is truly unique
A 100 year old straight 6 cylinder making that kind of torque and horsepower is freaking amazing. This man is an engine building genius. Can't wait to see the finished suburban. The owner sunk some serious $$$$ in this
I wonder if anyone from the 50s that designed those engines would have thought it would someday be producing 500+ horsepower.
Super! From concept, background, history, and tech, through to a pull in one video!
Wow, way to go Keith! This engine is an absolute work of art with all of the custom pieces and your touches on it.
It’s good to see proper engineering is still alive. Awesome 🦴🦴🦴
KUDOS TO A TRUE INNOVATOR AND EXPERT ENGINE BUILDER. 👍✌
This was a very impressive build. My absolute favorite so far.
thanks!
Impressive, we need more true engineers like this!
Man I love seeing these oddball engines! I had no idea this existed
Cool to see people still keeping the olded six's alive. I've been running an old aussie GM inline six with a single turbo for close to 20 years
Awesome build! Makes me want to do an overhead cam Packard straight 8!
People with money sure do incredible things
What a great idea! The ingenuity in this build is at the top of the tree for quality and professionalism!
Yet again you’ve put together a great video that never fails to impress anyone who watches it!
Thanks again HPM!! Love it!!!
I've always been partial to the Chevy flat 6. Would love to try one in a twin turbo variety. This straight 6 is insane. The main bearing trick scares me however. I'd never have the guts to do that.
These engines have done some impressive things in the vintage engine categories at Bonneville. However, none of that takes away from how awesome this build is.
This isn't just an engine build.. this is an engineering master piece!. This isn't just an engine build.. this is an engineering master piece!.
What a fascinating build story...enthralling to the end. Most enjoyable watch indeed 👌
Thank you very much, and thanks for watching!
Ive never seen such incredible craftsmanship.
This is mind boggling! 😳
Wow! Such incredible engineering! 😮
I’ve put together a few engines but this is a wholenuther level. Mechanical masterpiece!
Wow, this is old 6 next level ,, great build for sure.
This is a really cool build. Not just another LS. All the work arounds are genius.