The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 1952 ton and half with 250 engine

This thread may have been beaten alive but its been awhile so hopefully someone can help me. What all would I be getting into if I wanted to put in a newer 250 or 292 engine into a 1952 chevy ton and half truck. It now has a 216 and you can pick up a newer 6cyl very reasonable and would make for a better runner in my opinion (more highway friendly). Would it pair up with my original bellhousing thanks for any info!!!

No, it will not match the bellhousing. You'll need a 1954 or later crossmember at the bellhousing position, a V8 bellhousing from 55-forward, and an aftermarket front crossmember to match up to the mid-engine motor mount position. A 292 has offset front mounts- - - -230 and 250 engine mounts are in the same location as a small block V8 in relation to the bellhousing. The later engine is slightly longer- - - -you might have to move the radiator forward. If you have a SM-420 4 speed now with an open driveline, the trans and driveshaft(s) will require little, if any modifications. The exhaust system will have to be reworked to fit the later manifold. So will the throttle linkage.
Jerry

Okay thanks! I dont know if it would be worth all the trouble or not?! Thanks for all the great information!

A 54-62 235 or 261 is almost a bolt-in fit with only a few minor changes needed. 54 and early 55 engines even have the water pump in a similar location as a 216, but later model engines can use a pump relocation plate sold by a longtime member of this forum. Virtually everything else is a bolt-in swap, and the 261 in particular makes a huge difference in performance.
Jerry

The later 235’s, have quite a bit more HP than the 216’s. The VIN plate on my ‘52 3100 shows it came with 85 HP. Mine is a ‘59 and has 135 HP. Thats a 37% increase in HP and I bet that extra 50 Horses added a bit of zip to the ole gal.

As far as highway friendly, you need to lower the final gear ratio either by changing to a transmission that has overdrive gears or changing the rear end gearing, or both. There are many threads on this subject. A popular change for transmissions is a T5. Do a search on “T5”. Also a simpler less expensive change would be to change the existing gears in the rear to 3.55:1. That would enable you to keep the torque tube. There was just a thread on this subject. https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthread...ssful-3-55-installation.html#Post1337083

Phil, he's got a big bolt- - - -a 1 1/2 ton with a T-5 isn't a good combination, and there aren't any higher ratio rear end gears available for the big rigs. It's got an open driveline already. A swap to a later model complete rear end with a higher ratio is the only viable option for better highway speed. Most of today's stovebolters would have cardiac arrest if they saw the way the big rigs used to be driven- - - -fully loaded, and wide open all day long! They kept up with traffic that way, but the engines didn't last very long.
Jerry

Your right, I thought the title of the thread said “1952 half ton with 250 engine”. A bit of dyslexia I think. Well the 235 is still a good option!

Haha lots of good info thanks guys!! I'll keep my eyes open for a later model 235 or 261! I'll run my old 216 until something crazy happens! Lol

If you don't mind learning to use two shifters, there's always the option of installing an auxiliary transmission ("Brownie") in the driveline. Most of them are 3 speeds- - -under/direct/overdrive which turns your 4 speed into a 12 speed and gives you a higher gear for highway speeds when running without a load.
Jerry

When you find a 'Brownie' make sure to get the shift lever and associated linkeage, the rods themselves are easily made from water pipe, etc.

Ed

With a little creative machining, a 3 speed transmission turned backwards can be adapted to become a direct/over auxiliary transmission, using only the 2nd. and high gear shift linkage. The nice part of doing that modification is that both gears have synchronizers, not crash box gearing like a regular Brownie. A simple straight forward/back shift lever is all that's needed in the cab. For low-torque applications like a 3/4 ton or 1 ton rig, the 3 speed is plenty strong to handle the power. I'd be a little reluctant to use it on a bigger rig.
Jerry

Surely I'm a bit biased having driven a two-stick for several decades now but you'd have something unique as well as faster on the hiway. Oh, and BTW you can maintain much better speed on hills by splitting the main box, e.g. pulling a 5% grade in third and overdrive at 35 MPH rather than just third at about 28 MPH. At a recent ATHS chapter show there was a tandem axle 46 Chev with a three-speed brownie. Guys were crawling all over it. It was a beautiful restoration. Sitting next to it was an equally nice 359 Peterbilt that was all but ignored.

Ford tandem dump trucks through at least the mid sixties used a 5831A Spicer that has suitable ratios. Grig has one also that I believe he got out of a GMC. The A models have a 24% under drive and a 17% overdirve; at least mine does and it's stamped on the ID plate.