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Interesting 235 teardown video...had a couple of odd issues

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I watched this today. When it came up on my youtube feed I got a little smile 👍 Im looking forward to the next video on it.

More than that. It’s a 56 block. So it was a retrofit. First issue. Someone installed the drilled head bolt used when installing a later 59-63 block and using 58 and earlier head and rockers. So that was wrong. In fact, when he takes apart the rocker arms you can see the centered groove. If the builder actually installed the plug in the block that goes along with the drilled bolt, even worse.

Then there was the mistake with the main bearing, one shell at .030 and the other half at .020. Someone was not paying attention.

56 was first year for precision bearings. So no shims. That and while his parts book suggested shims, no dice. No shims after 55.

Earlier bearings would be wrong for that motor. His part book suggested the bearings were all the same starting 40s through 63. Not so. I think those bearings were wrong, which is why they did not fit in the saddles well and why so much wear at the dowel. Without looking at the bearings, may very well have been early bearings in a late block.

Rope seal. 56 was first year for neoprene seal. So that was wrong.

Pal nuts on the rods. Pal nuts were not used in 56. That, and apparently the hardware was not in the best of shape and so instead of getting some replacement hardware, just reused the worn out stuff.

Cheap valves, polished the stems, a discredited practice 30 years ago or better. Should have honed the guides for clearance if they need it.

Dirty behind the baffle and I will bet no pulling of the galley plugs and cleaning of all the passages.

No decking. Should have taken even just a little cut. I have built quite a few of these motors over the years, not one deck was ever good enough to leave alone.

Myself, I don’t like the umbrella seals. That head had umbrella seals and the stock O-rings. Not real great. Too much oil control. I have been using PC seals for over 40 years. But I have always used them with bronze guide liners. Never with cast iron guides. Glad he is going with the more modern pc seals.

What a shame. On the other hand, could have been way worse.

I have a 55 235 in the shop right now that had a slight knock on acceleration. I removed the pan and tapped the rod caps with a dead blow. Numbers 3 and 5 moved so I removed the caps and the bearings were standard bearings. The crank was stamped R & M .020. Took the rest of the rod caps off and they were all marked .020. The crankshaft wear on numbers 3 and 5 I believe has ruined this crankshaft. Maybe a little plasti-gauge might have prevented this from being run like this. But there is also a few other things that were done wrong on the overhaul also.

I am totally and completely a backyard/driveway hacker. But I have rebuilt quite a few of these motors over the last 40 plus years in that backyard/ driveway, lol. The thing the old machinists told me when I was rebuilding my first motor all these years ago now was that I did not necessarily need a lot of fancy tools to rebuild the motor, a couple of tried and true oldies (old style ring compressor, ring expander, plastiguage and a torque wrench) would do the trick. But what I did need, absolutely and no question, was to be careful and observant, have the correct parts on hand, lubricate everything, and clean clean clean. With that, I would have a excellent chance at a running rebuilt motor. And all these years later, it has held true.

On that poor motor, someone was just not being careful