I picked up a 1960 235 in Boyd last year that was really only good for the block, crank, and head. $200. The head (848) was cracked but found a place in Grand Prairie that fixed it up and put hardened seats in for $400. Had the block bored and everything balanced, new pistons, etc for right at $2k. I had the machine shop guy build the short block since he had it all there. I bought a cam through a shady vendor but it did come from Delta. I haven't fired it up yet but hopefully will get it running in the next couple of months. A little expensive? Probably! Do I mind? Nahhh...it's what I wanted to do and should last longer than I'll be around. Building the car to give to my grandson when he is old enough to drive....he is 18 months old next month.
stupid question where abouts do you live? i may be pulling the engine from my truck im in north east Pa Sent from my SM-G935V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Go to that forum that I showed you the link to in my earlier post. Go to the 1947-1954 forum and find a guy whose handle is "Coilover". His name is Evan and he runs a LONG time custom/hot rod/fab shop in Texas. He works on a LOT of AD trucks. I'd be willing to bet he has a couple of 235 laying around. He's always putting V8's into those things. Really nice guy too. You may have to join the Forum in order to leave him PM and he's not on the computer all that much but he will get back to you. I think he's been doing this for 40 or more years. He's in his 70's now and a wealth of knowledge. I drove 5 hours each way for my free engine but then I do like to drive. Andy
Me too. Got a '56 for free and sold it to a friend a couple years later for $125. Bought my present engine rebuilt for $450 and the guy threw in a Saginaw 3 speed. Put 105 k miles on the engine still pulling strong.
Andy, he replied. missed out one by 2 weeks, but he is trying to track him down. He also had another lead. Thanks again
Tore into my 235 last night, carbon build up on head/valve/pistons, must have been a mosquito sprayer before the car was parked. Going to try and pop out some pistons this weekend. Question- lifters had cup like pieces on top, in which several pulled up and out when pulling pushrods. Is that normal?
could be the taller solids. post a pic. probably worth keeping we have real problems finding lifters today
You have some good advice about pistons and rings. For bearings check the crank surface it should be smooth with no scratches deep enough to catch your fingernail. Bearings should be gray, if worn down to the copper they are no good. You can check clearance with Plastigauge. If clearance is within spec and they look good you can reuse them. If you have a micrometer check the shaft in 3 places to find out if they are oval. But for a farm boy overhaul you can dispense with this. If you need new bearings check with a micrometer if possible. Polish the throws with crocus cloth and a leather boot lace. Before you hot rod guys get the heebie jeebies we are talking about a cheap overhaul of a pickup truck that will not be driven over 50MPH. Not rebuilding a racing engine to go 200MPH
After further review, they are hydrolic lifters in which the retainer clips are missing. Have gotten 3 lifters out so far, a lot of buildup on them. About to say screw it, bite the bullet, and just do a complete rebuild.....it's just money right? If I'm going do it, might as well do it right!!
Am retiring next Octoberish and likely getting out of this Marxist hell-hole of Kalifornia and move to Texas in the Allen area. Probably too late for you but I have a complete 235 taken out of a running car that should be plug and run ready.
Think it would be a good investment to bring it with you. Cheapest running, actually runs, is going from 700-1200 bucks around here. I'm sure there will be someone like me needing one then.
Stay away from early 235's full pressure or not. They have shimmed mains and are tough to make not leak. 56 -up are the best. 848 head is the best too. Good luck.
There is a difference from early to later 235 water pump placement,early uses a pump with a plate mounted on the front of the block,later blocks have a water pump in the block, this makes the fan about 3 inches lower, that most likely won't match your radiator, but there is an adapter plate that can be bought that allows the early pump to work on a newer block, but you have to drill and tap two holes in the block to mount it, it comes with complete instructios. Chevs of the 40's has it and I would think others also.
Good to know, I have the newer 235 with the pump in the block. Pulled the flywheel and bell housing last night, I'm surprised there are no marks on the crank or flywheel(since timing mark on fw) for reassembling. Did I miss something?
Flywheel will only go back on the crank in one position. The hydraulic lifter 235's are not desirable from what I have heard. They lack sufficient oil pressure to activate the lifters from what I am told. Glad Evan got back to you. Be patient with him and call him every now and then. Guarantee it will be worth your while as he will soon have a customer with a good running 235 that he wants pulled in favor of a SBC. Evan has a BUSY custom fab/hot rod shop and he has a ton of connections. Did you post a thread on the forum like I told you? Not in the parts wanted section, but in the main forum. Andy
Chiro- Talked to a guy Evan put me on, thinking about pulling his in Oct, so will stay in touch with him. Yes, put ads in both sections. Rmonty- it's a 60 block, pressured
I'm with Atwater Mike and Rusty - pull the head and pan, see what you have. It might be way better then you think! Over the span of 40 years, I've built a few for my '53 truck and '57 car, without breaking the bank - lucked into good engines to build CHEAP, and have taken in orphan engines for free! LOVE these ol' turds, but they are NOT a cheap build if you throw the book at them... Put the head up on blocks on your bench, squirt some PB Blaster inside each port, look for any seepage around each valve. Valve lapping coumpound and a 3/8 drill motor MIGHT be enough to restore the valve seal. Use umbrella-style seals for better oil control, if a shop doesn't grind the valves. If the guides are worn, knurling will get you by cheaper than bronze guide liners. PASS on hard seats and exhaust valves - unless the engine will be in a daily driver. A cracked head might be pretty obvious if a combustion chamber is really clean, but RUSTY! Might be easier to repair a couple cracks than locating a crack-free head. Depends... Before pulling the rods and crank out, check the bearing clearances with GREEN Plastigauge. If the rods check at .003" or less, I'd reuse them, save $50. If the mains check no more than .004" reuse them and also save $100! If you see copper on any bearing, it is DONE - replace it. Polishing the journals for new bearings can be done at home with 400 grit wet-n-dry and WD-40, but a machine shop has the advantage of turning the crank in a lathe. The old bearings will have the undersizes ( or STD.) marked on the back side, above the parting line. IF you are lucky enough that the cylinders are only at a .020" overbore, use .030" rings to keep the ring gaps at a minium - just be sure to check the gaps for each ring, carefully file and debur them if they are too tight. If the bores are at .040 or larger, order the same size as the pistons to be safe. Before using a ridge-reamer, use a feeler gauge and a finger nail to help determine how heavy the ridge is, after cleaning the carbon off. Use a ball-hone to break the glaze as Mike mentioned. Inspect the oil pump for obvious wear on the gears and cover. If a .010" feeler gauge can fit between the gears, backlash is excessive. If a .005" feeler gauge can fit between the drive gear and the housing, look into a rebuild kit. The gasket between the cover and housing is CRITICAL - correct thickness shoule be no more than .009" thick for good pressure. CHECK the gasket thickness!!! I've seen gaskets in overhaul sets with much thicker gaksets! I used one as a pattern to make my own from a file folder that mic'ed around .008" thick - worked like a charm for my last build. Tom Langdon (Stovebolt Engine Co.) might have GM gaskets left. The above clearance specs are guidelines from my MOTOR manual, as my factory manual doesn't dicuss any specs. If you need an oil pump, PM me. I think I have a couple decent ones from bad blocks, as they are around $100 new. If the cam has a fiber gear, replace it with an aluminum one from a new timing gear set - not a matter of if, but WHEN it will fail! IMO, few things wake these engines up like a good 3/4 or RV grind on the cam. I LIKE the concept of a dual-pattern cam, with less duration for the intakes, more for the exhaust valves ( to help the crappy exhaust ports ) like Tom Langdon's 'Bulldog' cam (254 intake, 264 exhaust IIR). Schneider Cams (San Diego) does well too, charges around $100 to regrind your core. Use SOLID lifters, as current hydrolic lifters seem to be problematic - won't stay quiet without frequent adjusting. Remove ALL the freeze plugs and the coolant drain plug ( driver's-side lower rear corner of the block), check for excessive rust deposits. Bust the crap out any way you can from the water jackets. Also remove the cam plug and the oil galley plug for cleaning the oil passages - keep them around to match the correct size replacements. I have more tips, but this should get you started. If you can, post pics here of your progress, as we all LOVE pictures! Feel free to PM me with any questions. Good Luck, Tim
Rod caps, no copper showing, no groves on crank, 4 of the 6 all look the same. Figured I would look at other 2 when I get the plasti gauge
Main bearing and crank. Will ck others if you think it's necessary to ck clearances with plasti gauge?
My only fear of not doing a complete build would be all the "burnt oil reminence" clogging galleries and or restricting oil flow
As dirty & hot as it's been, the journals look better than most, so far. A couple throws look toasted in the pic. What are the sizes under the bearing inserts ? Time to rule out the "Engine Eddie" $99 OH.
If you haven't done it before there is a trick to fitting piston rings. Put the ring in the cylinder, square it up by pushing it down with a piston, deep enough to be in an unworn area. Measure with a feeler gauge. To file a ring, clamp a fine file in a vice and bring the ring to the file. Hold the ring in both hands so the gap is square to the file, and file it a bit then check the gap again. A little too big of a gap is no problem, too small of a gap could be a big problem.
Well, it's been awhile. I have rebuilt the 235, dropped it in, finally got my short shaft water pump, and went to drive balancer on.....next problem. Using the 235 balancer, it's much larger in diameter than the 216 and is hitting the front motor mount. I loosened the bolts and jacked motor up, can get it to clear, but will have to install 3/8" worth of shims. Shim it or Is there another option other than going to side motor mounts to frame.
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