The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop First 235 build

Hello all,
I am in the Kansas City area and my project truck (56 3100 with 261) is in central Arkansas. Not complaining, it's just the situation I am in. So wanting something to tinker with here, I gambled and bought a 235 engine for $200. I should take posession of it this weekend. I have wanted to try my hand a rebuilding an engine so I'm pretty stoked to do the tear down. Of course its a gamble so I'm not getting worked up to do the rebuild in the event its a bad block or head.

Currently its in a late 40s- early 50s truck and apears to have come from a 58-62 car (a guess based on breather and valve cover)

Acording to the seller it is "stuck".
From the photos you can tell that at some point someone robbed the carburetor and the points/condenser.

Once I take possession I will post the casting #s
At present the only number I have is for the head 3836848

As I progress I will post pics.

Hey Chris - Just from the pics you have, the center fill valve cover indicates it's likely '60-'62. The air cleaner is definitely a passenger car unit. But neither of those are definitive as they could have been swapped from another engine, just like this engine found it's way into the AD truck.

Looking forward to future pics and info to try and help with identification.

Is there something wrong with the 261?

With pistons for a Ford 223 cubic inch six, and a stroke increase to 4 1/8 inches, that 235 can become a 255 cubic inch engine. It requires a little creative machining, but the cost isn't a lot more than a full rebuild to stock dimensions. The 261 can approach 300 cubic inches with similar modifications.
Jerry

Gdads51,
At this time its all assumptions, speculation and wishfull thinking. Is it frozen or seized, untouched or bored over .060”, hydraulic or solid lifters? I will send pics of the block #s as soon as I get the engine.

Jon G,
the 261 is good and runs fine. It and my 56 3100 are in Arkansas and I'm in Kansas city. I work on it when I go down for visits.

I have wanted to try my hand a rebuilding an engine for several years and the 235 was the right price. A learn as I go type of project, I can do here in KC. If all works out well and I rebuild the 235, then naturally I will have to find another project to put the 235 in.

Jerry,
Thank you for the recomendations.

Well no engine this weekend. Bummer.

In the meantime I have read through the 261build in the tech section, re read the attatche book, reviewed the engine section in my 55-59 chevy truck manual and the engine section in my 49-54 chevy pasenger car manual. And of course reading posts here on the Forum. Additionally I have been watching will it start and rebuild videos on the 235.

So, if you are going to rebuild an engine is there a benifit to getting it to run prior to tear down?
I understand it has to rotate to make removal of the flywheel and bell housing easier but is there a benifit to hearing it run?

Also what is the difference between an overhaul and a rebuild?
As I understand it. An overhaul is when you replace bearings, seals and rings but do not do any machine work. A rebuild involves machine work, and close to new everything.
Or at this date have the terms become interchangeable?


Chris

Back in the dark ages (the 1950s) when I started tinkering with engines as a preteen kid hanging around Dad's auto shop, they did a lot of what was known as an "in the frame rebuild". The cylinder head and oil pan got removed, the wear ridge at the top of the cylinders got reamed away, and the cylinders got a quick hone job, the pistons got new rings, the valves were reground, and the Babbit-lined connecting rods got "adjusted" to the proper oil clearance by removing a shim or two, and everything got reassembled. That procedure could be done a time or two before the taper wear in the cylinders required a rebore job and oversize pistons. Sometimes, cylinders actually got bored with the engine still in the frame, and a portable crankshaft grinder could be set up to get the crankshaft round again for undersize rod bearings. More often, a rebore and crankshaft regrind was done after the engine was removed and torn down for a major overhaul. By the time an engine had 50K miles or so, it was not uncommon for it to have received one, or maybe two in frame repairs, and possibly a valve job in between ring and rod bearing jobs. Prior to the advent of "positive crankshaft ventilation" (PCV) systems, engines ate a lot of dirt, and rings and rod bearings wore out quickly from abrasive damage. Blowby combustion gas from worn piston rings also mixed with humidity and formed acids that ate away at bearings, etc. Metallurgy was also not the best, resulting in rapid engine wear. Some of the stovebolt engines we tinker with have probably been "rebuilt" multiple times.

About the only advantage I can see to doing an engine run before an overhaul is the ability to do a crankcase flush- - - - -fill the engine with inexpensive oil like Walmart "house brand" non detergent 30 weight, add 3 or 4 quarts of Diesel fuel so the crankshaft and rods dip down into the overfilled crankcase, and run the engine at a fast idle for 30 minutes or so. The crankshaft and rods will splash the diluted oil around like the agitator in a washing machine, and dislodge years' worth of sludge and dirt. That makes cleanup during a rebuild a lot easier. DO NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE OR PUT ANY LOAD ON THE ENGINE! Drain the oil while it's still hot.
Jerry

Thanks Jerry,
Sounds like the mechanics back then had it down to an artform. A lot of lost knowledge and techniques.

Chris

The absolute worst phrase I can think of is "There's an app for that!" Some things like the accumulated knowledge of several generations of master mechanics and hands-on experience just can't be condensed down into a few keystrokes on a computer!
Jerry

I have never downloaded an application to my phone in my entire life.

I agree.
I think the only way to capture that type of knowledge would be through an aprentice program.
Chris