| Production | 1962 - 2001 |
|---|---|
| Displacement | 194 cu in (3.2 L) 230 cu in (3.8 L) 250 cu in (4.1 L) 292 cu in (4.8 L) |
| Cylinder bore | 3.563 in (90.5 mm) 3.875 in (98.4 mm) 3.875 in (98.4 mm) 3.875 in (98.4 mm) |
| Piston stroke |
3.250 in (82.6 mm) 4.120 in (104.6 mm) |
| Valvetrain | OHV |
| Cooling system | Water-cooled |
| Length | 32.5 in (830 mm) |
Chevrolet's third-generation inline six was introduced in 1962 (two years after rival Chrysler introduced its Slant Six), and was produced through 1988. Although the exterior dimensions were similar to the previous stovebolts, this generation was lighter and had a different cast-in bell housing pattern. Manual transmission bellhousings, automatics, and starter motors became interchangeable with both small block and big block Chevrolet V8s.
There were other major differences: The Gen-3 crankshafts had 7 main bearings (increased from 4). The 230 reduced stroke to 3.25" from the comparable 235 design's 3.9375". The combustion chamber changed to a conventional wedge design much like the V8. The harmonic damper gained cast-in pulley provisions. Air-conditioned vehicles had a stamped-steel pulley bolted up front. Stamped and stud-mounted rocker arms were introduced, similar to the V8, and the ratio was close to the one used in the Chevrolet GEN IV big block (1.75:1 ratio) rather than the shaft-mounted earlier rockers at 1.477:1.
The first use was in the newly introduced 1962 Chevy II; the following year, Chevrolet passenger cars adopted it (alongside Checker Marathons since 1965) and used this powerplant until 1977 (1979 for Camaros, Novas, and full size Chevys). Chevrolet/GMC trucks, which previously used the stovebolts (235 and 261), also used some members of this family from 1963 through 1984, as did Pontiac in 1964 and 1965. A 153-cubic-inch inline-4 version of this engine was offered in the Chevy II/Nova line through the 1970 model year. After several years of steadily declining sales (just 3,900 units in the 1972 model year), the straight six was dropped from Chevrolet's full-sized cars for 1973, for the first time since 1928; it would be restored in 1977. Sidenote: the base six cost about US$334 less than a V8, and weighed some 188 lb (85 kg) less.
By the mid-1970s, the compact V-design (e.g. Buick 231) led to inline six engines being phased out in passenger cars, but they continued to be installed in trucks and vans until 1988.
Overseas, the third generation of the inline six was mass-produced in Brazil. It was used in the Chevrolet Opala from 1969 (230) to 1992 (250). It was already used in light trucks as the A and Chevrolet Veraneio. The Brazilian version of the GMT400 – the Brazilian Chevrolet Silverado – is powered with a 4.1 instead of the Vortec 4300 V6. These inline sixes and their four-cylinder siblings were converted for marine usage by Mercruiser and Volvo Penta, and also used in stationary applications (such as power generation) and in Clark forklifts.
Read more about this topic: Chevrolet Straight-6 Engine
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