The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Maybe im a dummy or just too young but...

I have a 1950 gmc 100. Came with a 216 and the block broke. Went on the endless search for a full pressure 235 and came up short. In the process i left a message for a guy i found on the internet (i think his name was tom langdon?). So i wasnt able to find a 235 and i bought and started to build a 283 v8. During the build i get a call from the machine shop that machined my 283 and the old man tells me that he just pulled a full pressure 235 out of some old truck that he put a v8 in. So im like hells ya ill take that and ill even pay you to build it for me (the machine shop is more or less a dad and sons and granddaughters that all drag race and build race cars) so i convince my wife that i need something to put the 283 in and she took the bait and now i have a 55 belair. So uesterday i get a call from the guy i left the message with. He just says hey i dont check my messages very often (like 2 months) but anyways i was wondering if you found a 235. And im like oh ya... found one. Hes all is it a gmc or a chevy?? Im like i dunno... its gm arent they all the same? And he just starts laughing and hes all... no, they arent. Im like what you talking about? He starts telling me all the reasons why it wont fit but all im thinking is i need to find out what i just bought. Buuut the guy that is building it is busy drag racing. So.... exactly how screwed could i potentially be?

A 1950 USA GMC 100 came with a 228 engine.

A Canadian 1950 GMC came with a 216 engine.

If your GMC has/had a 216 engine mounted in it, you should be easily able to mount a 235 (or, 261) in it.

You can get a 235 engine to work on a 1950 USA GMC frame - maybe someone will confirm/correct, and explain how/why?

Well they didn't come with 283's either. So you must have been prepared to do some fab work and find drivetrain parts. This will be no different and maybe easier. The drag racer family will be very good at fabbing up whatever you need. (motor mounts, etc). The gurus here will advise what transmission/bell housing/driveshaft issues you may have. I think the 228 was a longer motor, so you may end up with a larger space between fan and radiator.

A 55 didn't come with a 283 either. But that's OK. Good ol' motor.

So I'm like all, I can believe someone talks like you type, but I have never seen anyone actually type how you probably talk.
At first I was like all annoyed and what not, then I found myself entertained.
For that, I thank you.
Good luck with whatever you end up doing. Plenty of guys on this site will be willing to help you along the way.

Yepper. 265, 283, 327, all run like demon on fire and dependable. It doesn't hurt that parts are easy to find either.

I get out of breath just reading a post like that. Toss in a little punctuation and a paragraph or two occasionally!
Jerry

Johnny 814 I like your posts so good to hear the clamour it takes to get something done. Others growling around sound like my english teacher !!! LOL . Keep-us posted when you roll 'er thru !!!

Tiny Have a pile of 265,283,327 stuff I keep handy too,along with 216,235,235later,261,also 848 heads. Just put hard seats in a 216 head from the neighbors for my 48 dump truck,good to have a pile there too !!

All small block GMC 6 cyl. engines are longer than Chevys, until the ‘63 194, 230, 250, 292 engines came out.

GMC engines start the SN with the displacement, I. e. 228xxxx, right side, stamped on machined pad behind the distributor.

Ed

Estimate relative engine length: number of cylinders in 1 bank × bore pitch, + 1 rod width if 2 banks (use 1.00" for rod width if unknown). Actual length will vary based on bell housing design, accessory drive, etc.

Types in size order, smallest first:
V4: 2 × pitch + 1 rod
V6: 3 × pitch + 1 rod
L4: 4 × pitch
V8: 4 × pitch + 1 rod
L5: 5 × pitch
V10: 5 × pitch + 1 rod
L6: 6 × pitch
V12: 6 × pitch + 1 rod

So I will ask the next question that may be helpful to the op which is does anyone know how to determine whether a 50 GMC is USA or Canadian built?

Does it have an ID plate on the door jamb?

The OP hasn't been on site since the thread was started.

Man, I totally missed that, lol.

Leave it to fixite7 to drag up an old post. Seems to take delight in making us all think!

I think it was a test!
Fred

I'm like confused man????

Maybe we need an “Idiot Light” that pops up and flashes (like those annoying pop up adds) when a thread is older than thirty days! LOL. I’ve fallen into that trap more than once, but on the bright side, It does keep us entertained!

Yeah, it seems many find us after they have rushed into something, thrashed around a bit and then finally find us and want help getting untangled ...

And also why it is good to be patient with them when they do. Calm them ... we're friends here ... put the credit card down and back away from it ... nice and easy ...