I had to replace the 235 in my '46 2-ton this summer. I put in a running 216 that I could get my hands on quickly. I want to go back to the 235 because that's what the truck is supposed to have.
The 235 developed a bad knock which turned out to be the #4 rod bearing. It chewed up the crank journal pretty bad.
I have made a deal to buy a parts truck that is supposed to have a good crank in it. One of my ideas is to see if I can assemble one good engine from the two.
The other idea is to buy a 1954 235 and rebuild that.
The truck works for a living, hauling heavy loads in the hills of western Massachusetts. I put on one or two thousand miles a year. I plan to put in the two-speed rear end out of the parts truck as well to help on the hills.
Now the question: which way should I go? Fix a babited 235 on the cheap, or spend extra $ (which I don't really have) on a newer engine?