Can some one ID this engine for me that I am looking to buy. It decodes, I think, to a 1954 Chevy 235. But one site said 235 first series. And one person said that it was a Babbitt pounder because it has the Acorn Valve cover. So can any one tell me if this is a full pressure engine or a splash system before I buy it. Thanks so much!!
Never trust the serial number. They are many times restamped on replacement engines.
I have a 1958 235 with a serial number indicating it's a 1956. I also have a 216 with a serial number indicating it's a 1947, but the date code cast behind the starter indicates it's a 1950 engine.
The Date Code (circled in red on the attached pic - too fuzzy when zoomed up to read) will tell you when it was cast. The code consists of a Letter indicating the month, followed by the day of the month, then one more number indicating the last digit of the year. For instance the 235 I have has a date code of B 24 8, indicating February 24 1958.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Decodes to June 9 1954. I believe the 54-55 235's were spray oilers. So that one wouldn't be a full pressure engine. [on edit] The 54 and 55 Vehicle Info Kits say the 235's were full pressure lubricated.
Last edited by klhansen; 11/01/20245:13 AM. Reason: corrected info
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
If it's a spray oiler 235, it will have the sheet metal oil distributor plate on the driver's side center of the block. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
This pic shows the oil distributor plate. This is a 216, but it would be the same on a spray oiler 235.
Looking at the 54 and 55.1 vehicle info kits, they indicate that the 235's were full pressure in both those model years.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Another change- - - - -mid-year 1955- - - -the shape of the oil pan rail on the passenger's side got a slight offset at the middle of the block to clear a larger oil pump- - - -the Melling M-45 or the OEM GM equivalent. There were also a couple of variations of the pump pickup screen and the baffles in the oil pan. I'm trying to help a local machine shop sort out some of those differences because an engine they're rebuilding has a Swiss cheese oil pan bottom. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
What everybody else said, plus here's a bit more. Yes, definitely a full pressure 235, not a splash oiler. The block casting number 3835911 in my reference material indicates used in 1953-55 Powerglide equipped passenger cars with a hydraulic cam. The head casting number 3835913 indicates 1954-55 with 4 bolt valve cover mounting and small temp sender port. Your pictured serial number 0745244F54Y decodes as:
0745244 = the 744,244th engine from the production line F = Flint Engine Plant 54 = 1954 model year Y = Passenger car 235 equipped with Powerglide transmission(all such engines came with hydraulic cam and lifters)
On the 2 "Acorn" nut valve cover, many 4 bolt heads were converted to that style with a few simple parts for looks or to make it look like an earlier engine. If you look closely at a zoomed in version of your pic below, you can see the valve bolt hole casting bumps along the edge of the valve cover. You can also see the head casting number 3835913.
As I am currently running the same 1954 235 out of a passenger car in my Grandpa's truck, I can attest to the info on this particular engine. Great thing about this engine is the water pump is still in the high-mount location best for our AD series trucks, so no modifications needed to relocate that for better cooling that is needed using the later 235s!
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
What everybody else said, plus here's a bit more. Yes, definitely a full pressure 235, not a splash oiler. The block casting number 3835911 in my reference material indicates used in 1953-55 Powerglide equipped passenger cars with a hydraulic cam. The head casting number 3835913 indicates 1954-55 with 4 bolt valve cover mounting and small temp sender port. Your pictured serial number 0745244F54Y decodes as:
0745244 = the 744,244th engine from the production line F = Flint Engine Plant 54 = 1954 model year Y = Passenger car 235 equipped with Powerglide transmission(all such engines came with hydraulic cam and lifters)
On the 2 "Acorn" nut valve cover, many 4 bolt heads were converted to that style with a few simple parts for looks or to make it look like an earlier engine. If you look closely at a zoomed in version of your pic below, you can see the valve bolt hole casting bumps along the edge of the valve cover. You can also see the head casting number 3835913.
As I am currently running the same 1954 235 out of a passenger car in my Grandpa's truck, I can attest to the info on this particular engine. Great thing about this engine is the water pump is still in the high-mount location best for our AD series trucks, so no modifications needed to relocate that for better cooling that is needed using the later 235s!
You were 100% right! I took the valve cover off and there was holes for screws for the original 235 Valve cover. Someone did convert the valve cover to accept the acorn nut style as you mentioned.
John, Just curious, but why would you want to change out the head? If your original '54 235 head is good, I don't think the swap to an 848 head is going to net you much improvement over the existing one. Plus IIRC, you will have to deal with changes to the head/valve train oiling system which may be more of a headache than you want. Others with more experience and knowledge on the two heads and potential gains from a swap will surely chime in soon.
PS - Glad you cleared up the detail on the valve cover.
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
Other than having a little more compression, the 848 head doesn't offer any real improvement over the original head. You can equal the later head's compression ratio by milling .090" off the original head and recessing the intake valves the same distance. That's important to shroud the edges of the valves from the flame front that travels across the head every time a spark plug fires. Hotrodders were doing that in the late 1950's to avoid having to buy a new 848 head. It still works. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
John, Just curious, but why would you want to change out the head? If your original '54 235 head is good, I don't think the swap to an 848 head is going to net you much improvement over the existing one. Plus IIRC, you will have to deal with changes to the head/valve train oiling system which may be more of a headache than you want. Others with more experience and knowledge on the two heads and potential gains from a swap will surely chime in soon.
PS - Glad you cleared up the detail on the valve cover.
I read somewhere that an 848 head was better. But the guy at the machine shop told me pretty much the same thing you and Hotrod Lincoln described. He said as long as there were no issues with the head on the truck he wouldn't mess with changing it out.
