Hello, I'm Rick Brown, new to Stovebolt and haven't done much more than oil changes for decades. I bought a 1950 3/4 ton Chevy truck with a 235 head on a 261 block. It has overheating problems, after reading many posts I know there could be a lot reasons for overheating with the main one being the proper holes weren't drilled in the 235 head when the engine was rebuilt. Is there a way to figure out if the holes where drilled without taking the head off? The temperature difference between the head and block averages around 16 degrees, i.e., 200 head and 184 block.
After reading about the 261 engine and its unique thermostat, I figured that maybe that could be part of my problem, so I ordered a 261 thermostat. The thermostat housing appears to be for a 235 thermostat, the 261 is larger. Will the 235/261 combination work properly without the 261 thermostat? Or do I need to find a 261 thermostat housing? If so, will it work properly on a 235 head?
Also I'm not confident the radiator and fans, original and added electric, are cooling effectively, average deference between top outlet and bottom inlet is about 4 degrees.
Thank you.
