Does anyone know of a good way to ID if a 235 has hydraulic lifters ? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Check valve lash at the rockers. Solids are adjusted with clearance, hydraulics are adjusted with no clearance.
Easiest way is to check the engine i.d. numbers - the ones stamped on the pad by the distributor, and the date code cast into the side of the block. Post them on here and we can help you i.d. your engine.
Is there any additional indicators ? The engine is not in a car and I'd prefer multiple identifiers . I don't want to assume the valves were/ are adjusted properly . Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
That would be great thanks . The seller says it's out of a '60 belair , but I'm trying to be sure of what I'm buying . Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
If it is out of a '60 Bel air then it has hydraulic lifters. Easy way to verify his info is to look at the date code that is cast onto the block, just above the starter, to the left of the distributor. It should say something like "CON4", and then a 4-digit cast sequence - the first character is a letter indicating the month produced (A = Jan, B = Feb, etc.) the next 2 digits are the day of the month, and the last character is the year code, which if it's a 1960 would be a "0". Also note the engine I.D. number that is stamped onto the pad just left of the distributor - post it on here - it might yield more info.
Pull the rocker cover. Feel all the rockers for play. If none, compress a few of the closed valve rockers down into the lifter. If they compress, they're hydraulic. So many of these engines have been apart so many times, it's a gamble to go by the codes unless the history of the engine is known.
Here's the info Stamped by the dizzy is F0527B Casting mark by the starter is what looks like E 25 0 Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
A friend had a local machine shop rebuild the 235 engine on his orig 54 straight stick Chev. This engine had solid lifters since it had a stick shift. The shop replaced the cam & lifters with hydraulics. The lifters would not pump up. Investigation showed the lifter bosses in the block were not drilled to feed oil to the lifters, with solid lifters there was no need to feed oil to the lifters. The cam & lifters were replaced with solids & the engine has run perfectly ever since. Anyone ever heard of this?
The comments below refer to Chevy 235" passenger cars. Initially, hydraulic lifters went with '50 to '55 235" PowerGlide equipped cars. '56 and '57's all had hydraulic lifters. On the above listed models, hydraulic lifters were fed oil, via pipes located within the lifter area compartment. But, from '58 to '62, every 235" block was drilled for and had hydraulic lifters, in passenger cars.
47streamliner; your engine is a 1960 passenger car (and I think it came with a PG transmission) and for sure had hydraulics when it came from the factory. Not likely someone converted it to a solid cam and lifters but it is possible. If you go over to stovebolt.com and do a search for hydraulic lifters, you'll find a few different ways to determine which lifters you have for sure.
Yup it sounds right because when I went to pick it up it came with a "bonus " power glide attached to it . Guy said it was in his heated garage for the last 5-6 years and ran well before that . The plan is to clean it up and find a t5 for it before I swap it into my '50 Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
So in doing a quick inventory of what I'm going to replace , clean , fix on the 235 I found something the seems odd . The 4th spark plug ( if counting from the firewall forward ) has what appears to be an adaptor on the plug hole . Per the PO the engine was pulled from a running car. Do all have the adaptor thing ? Left is what I would expect and the right is the odd little adaptor Anyone seen this before ? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Meaning there's an issue with the cylinder and it kept fouling plugs. Then this was put in to "fix" the issue ? Or Is this a common item that was used as a gimmicky type thing ? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I started a thread called " calling stovebolts, big bolts and small" There is some good info there, but I can clearly see there is missing some info do any of you care to contribute to that? That thing in the spark plug hole, can I be a cheap fix (temporary fix of a permanent natur), for a strip/mangled spark plug hole? Bu if it was mine, I would pull the head, get a 261 head gasket, drill stem holes, fill bores with diesel, to check ring seal and lube the bores before start up. And go and check the Stovebolt thread, loads of good info
Anti fouler installed could be as simple as bad valve stem seals. But it could be much worse. I'd pull the head.
Bore wear, and cylinder ridge. You're going to ring it, right ? Save yourself some grief and do it all while it's out. Top end only repairs on early Chev sixes usually cause what you now have - an attempt to stop oil consumption after a valve grind only ...
I pulled the valve cover and there is I noticeable amount of oil pooled in the spring seat for that particular cylinder . Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
If it were you what all would you do while it's out of the car ? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
OK ... head's off. If it's cracked in # 2, 3, 4, or 5 chamber, you can usually see it. It's going to the machine shop to be magnafluxed, etc., so they'll find any flaws after hot tanking. Pull the lifters & mark. While you pull the pan, look down the bores for scoring or top parts of pistons missing. Get the pan off, look on the cam side of the rods for the factory numbering & anything that has turned blue. If still marked 1 thru 6, that's good. Pull oil pump & piping. If you have a ridge reamer, use it, then push out the pistons. Protect the shaft. Pull main caps & lift out the crank. Pull the 2 screws behind cam gear & pull shaft. If gear is fiber, add aluminum gear to your parts list. Knock out every core plug & remove all fittings ... cam bearings come out next. Haul the pieces to the machine shop & tank everything. Then decide how you want the rebuild to perform when done, & start shopping.
Really wasn't looking / wanting do a rebuild . What does it cost on average for parts , etc I had talked to someone that put a corvette cam , push rods and valve springs in his 235 Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Nobody WANTS to ... what you're going to find sometimes surprises you, especially with a 65 year old engine. Maybe yours will be one of the exceptions that doesn't need everything. Since you don't know what you need or want, prices are difficult to quote. 261'' truck & Corvette - same cam.
Without disassembly a compression test or better yet a leak down test would be a good start. Hopefully the compression is decent.I've put umbrella type stem seals on really loose valve guides and got several thousand miles on an engine that really needed a rebuild. Not saying it's right but I was younger and had no money.
The intention was to do a tune up ,change some gaskets , rebuild the carb and run it . I really don't have the cash to throw $800-1000+ at a rebuild . At this point I might be better off selling my turbo 350 , the power glide that came with this 235 and putting it into a T5 to go behind my 216 that is under powered but runs good . I already have the rear end out of a 56 belair and the Walton engineering trans cross member . This is sort of a bummer Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
You have to remember that these ole cars are very unpredictable, regarding costs to repair and / or maintain. Your probable best bet now is to find another cylinder head ..... with the valve train, install it and move forward. "848" heads are a good choice.
It has the 848 head on it . Guess I'll start digging around on it and see if it has any glaring issues Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app