The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 Car or Truck (or does it matter?)

We recently picked up a 1952 Chevy 3100. Didn't know anything about the engine until it was home and started researching. The casting number is 3738307 which I have found indicates a 235 from 1958-1962. During this time, it appears that casting number was used on trucks from 1958-1959. Is there a difference between the truck version of this casting and the car? Any other ways that I can identify what I have?

I'm trying to replace the fuel pump and when I look up the part, I see cross references for different vehicles. I need to buy an manual for the engine as well as ordering parts in the future. Any other way I can identify where this engine came from?

Here is a picture of the fuel pump that I pulled...

Fuel pump

Post the numer stampped on the pad just behind the distributor

Someone will be able to tell you from that s/n

Will do. Don't have that on me at the moment, but I will get it in an hour or so.

Ok, it's either

FIOIIA

or

F1011A

So, from looking here it's a 1958-1960 passenger car 235? I am assuming the "A" is for passenger car and "J" would have been for the truck. And ours is a 4 speed but have no clue where that may have came from if "A" implies a three speed.

If this is the case, are there any other codes to pinpoint the year?

And then back to the main question, what are the differences between the passenger car version and the truck version of the 235?

What you have would be F1011A. It was not unusual to see an "I" in the stamping code used as a "1". It breaks down as a Flint produced Passenger engine, built on November 10. Another thing to check to pin the year is the block casting date, which would be found on the passenger side of the engine, near the starter. That date is usually a bit earlier than the assembly date, but should be within the same year.

The car 235's had hydraulic lifters and the truck versions had solid lifters.

Do I have to remove the starter to find the block casting date?

No, you should be able to see it with the starter in place. You may want to shine a flashlight in there to make things easier to read. The will be two different numbers, one with a month/day/year format, the other will say something along the lines a "CON 1". The second one is the number of the line the block was cast on.

Some where in time the front motor mount changed. So if it is in your 52 truck that has been addressed.The fuel pump is the same except for the inlet and outlet routing. So I just get the truck one cause it fits and lines up with the fuel lines. I no longer run vacuum wipers so I get the "cheap" pump. Car engine has hydraulic lifters so that is cool. Only need to know when they get changed and are mostly set and forget. If you have had no issues with the starter and flywheel then you have a matched set. Either 6 volt starter and a 6 volt flywheel or the same for 12 volt. Again no real issue there just replace what you have when needed. If you have the straight vacuum advance then that is for the truck as well. Looks like a truck fuel pump to me. Follow what the others have advised and get the right year for the engine. Keep it all in a notebook and keep that with the truck. That way you will only have to do this one time. Enjoy!

Thank you! We have had some issues with the starter/flywheel. Sometimes the it will engage and turn over the motor with no issues. Other times, it "grinds" making that same noise you hear when you try to start a motor that is already running. I was going to try to pull the starter to see if there was any thing that looked "odd" (don't know what exactly I would be looking for) and in doing so, hopefully see the date stamp on the block. From pictures I have seen of where it's located, the starter is blocking where it would be.

It sounds to me like your starter/flywheel problem is your ring gear on the flywheel, your engine has a tendency to stop in the same place, therefore it is started in the same place on the flywheel, after 50 or so years the teeth on the ring gear will start to wear and then will not fully engage with the starter drive gear, if you turn the engine over by hand past the wear points it should engage the starter, the cure is simple replace the ring gear, the process is a bit of a PITA, you will have to drop the transmission, remove the clutch and the flywheel. Keep in mind that you may have a six volt starter and flywheel on your truck, there is a difference from 6 volt and 12 volt when it comes to starters and flywheels.

I think if someone has not mentioned it that the car motor had a fiber cam gear and the truck had an alumumin cam gear.

Thanks. We are going to try to pull the starter this weekend to undercover the date stamp on the motor as well as determine what may be causing the grinding.

Ok, we pulled the starter and the date stamp says J 8 7. Now I can't seem to find the site that tells you how to read this. Any help?

F1011A engine serial number
F = Flint MI
10 = Oct
11 = 11th
A = car 235 with a 3-speed transmission
It would have hydraulic lifters, if 1958

J 8 7 block date code
J = 10 = November
7 = 1957

3738307 block casting code
Would be 235 used in 1958-60 cars and trucks (and could have had been used with hydraulic or mechanical cam/lifters)

Maybe that block was also available late in 1957?

Similar combination of codes were found in this other discussion board.

I thought I remember seeing somewhere that the second position was the year. That would make more sense making it a 58 which lines up with the casting numbers.

Chev Nut Chevgene)is an expert: the date code is interpreted as Month Day Year. That convention was used on later V-8s, too.

Being a late in the year casting date for 57 it could be a 58.
The way to tell if it is a 58 would be if it has center side mount provisions, 57 did not.

How would I identify this?

New car models typically come out in Sept of the PREVIOUS calender year. So a 1960 model vehicle could have a motor from Sept-Dec 1959.

Thanks. That makes sense.