The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop I'm in trouble: 235 build

Hello, hopping for some suggestions on where to start. I've traded my 55 pickup for a 52 belair. She's a sweet ride and went through a recent build about 10k miles ago. Heard some internal clunking and eveloped an oil leak so I put her on the rack to investigate. Found broken motor mount bolts, sheared bolts in the transmission adapter plate and the worst- metal in the oil. Still wrapping my head around it all so looking for suggestions where to start. The builder put a 55 235 on the original powerglide so I was told. Was a fresh build and no suspect noise on top end, otherwise runs strong. My wrenching skills are less than I'd like- but I've built numerous motorcycles so not totally green. Including some pics of her. My buddy suggested possibly removing the motor, and only reworking lower (crank job?) but again, I've only built motorcycles so not sure I'm up for the task or what to expect. Figured I'd ask for some tips before deciding. Thanks in advance
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You traded a truck for a car? Shame on you! 😤

lol I have a 52 pickup in the works

Metal in the oil is very bad news, especially on a fresh rebuild. I'd suggest a complete teardown to a bare block, find the source of the metallic contamination, and build it back up from scratch. The missing/broken bolts tell me all I need to know about the original builder- - - -stay FAR away from that guy!
Jerry

A 1955 235 does not need an adaptor to work with the original Powerglide transmission. I can't imagine a 235 having enough to power to shear any bolts. Does still have the original torque tube?

Wrong! There's a ring-shaped part about 2" thick that mates the PG trans to the stovebolt block. Want to see some pictures of it?
Jerry

Right! We must have a different idea of what an adapter is.

Sounds to me like a difference in interpretations regarding what is an adapter and what is the "flywheel" housing needed for Powerglide.

The 2" ring is, I think, clearly visible in this illustration. Was it not almost an "integral" part with any Powerglide that was sold with a high-pressure 235 engine?

In a lot of years of growing up around a shop that specialized in repairing automatic transmissions in the 1950's, I never saw a rebuilt Powerglide sold with the mounting ring attached- - - -that always stayed with the engine. My father was the first man in Nashville Tennessee to repair automatics, starting about the time I was born in 1946. There was a similar, but different-shaped ring that adapted the same cast iron case transmission to the 265 and 283 V8's.

I've got a splash-oiler 216 with a Powerglide on it sitting about 100 feet from where I'm typing this. It's got an adapter ring. There's another one sitting in a 1950 Bel Air Powerglide 2 door hardtop coupe, the first year of production. Same thing. Want some pictures?
Jerry

I cannot find a good photo of a 1952 or earlier (low-pressure) 235/Powerglide combination - a ring might not have been used with them?

I think this is a 50-52 low-pressure 235 with a Powerglide transmission. The "adapter" ring is not apparent, but the image is not a good angle on the transmission.

This supposedly the 1958 Powerglide to 235 adapter.

I think this is the same plate - listed for 50-57 235/Powerglide

Here is a GM illustration of a 1950 low-pressure 235 w/Powerglide - the plate is again not obvious in this earlier photo.

Thank you for your responses, my lack of experience showing in terminology. The picture of the blue flame you provided illustrates the "adaptor"- for my lack of better terms- between the block/oil pan and the transmission. If you notice there are 5/16x2" or so bolts that go from behind the block IN TO the tranny. One is visible in the picture. Where the bell housing bolts go forward into block, these go backward from engine to transmission. The one I still in there cannot be removed without removing oil pan if that helps. The motor is an oiler (55) and the transmission is the 2 speed auto that you manually shift.

A friend of mine has a '61 235 he pulled out of a project for 350 swap. He thinks it's rebuilt and never been run, will sell it to me at a good price. I'm wondering if it would be wiser to bench test it then swap and have a running car while I rebuild my old motor? or might it be best to remove my motor and build it being down for who knows how long...

Honestly I could not be sure. It was down to frame at one point and so many new parts were placed. Probably not from torque (though she is peppy and I won't lie about my driving habits. May slow down for a while after this). I wonder if maybe just not tight enough after build and punching it too much? IDK

GRP #0.683 Housing cast # 3836601, part # 3717218
Same type of intermediate housing as Hydra-Matic trans. Illustration

We're getting sidetracked here. You've got a noisy engine that's making metal- - - -yank that thing out and do a full teardown and inspection before it starts spitting rods out the side of the block!
Jerry

Thanks Jerry and all. I am studying my manual now, looking for crane and heavy duty engine stand. I'm going to try to pull her next week and see what all needs to be done. I already have a ton of questions i'm searching from pulling it as a whole unit to best stand mounting practice, I know they are heavy. And that's just getting to it, let alone find what I'm looking for (though I am guessing an issue with crank/bearing)

The stovebolt engine is long and heavy, so don't cut corners when buying a stand. The ones with 4 wheels are much safer and more stable than the 3-wheel T-shaped type, and take ALL the stuff off the back of the block (even that PG mounting ring) before bolting the engine up to the stand. I use a piece of 1/2" X 2" steel flat bar about 18" long bolted across the two upper bellhousing bolt holes to let the upper arms of an engine stand spread out a little, and shim the lower arms out 1/2" with flat washers to keep the engine level. Position the round pivot pipe a few inches above the centerline of the crankshaft to avoid a dangerous top-heavy flop when turning the engine over to remove the oil pan.
Jerry