The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Engine sizes

I'm hoping one of the stovebolt historians can help me out.

I have a 1951 3/4 ton. My GM restoration pack tells me that it originally came with a 216 engine and it does not even mention the 235 as an option. The truck now has a 235, but it's an old, splash-oil 235, so the engine swap must have been done fairly early in the truck's life (I don't think anyone would have upgraded by putting in an old splash-oil engine once the full-pressure models came out).

So, my questions are:

Was the 235 offered as an option in 1951?

and

What year was the fully-oiled 235 first offered?

The 235 was offered as an option in '51. I don't remember what trucks, but I'm thinking it was 1-1/2 ton and up. The first full pressure 235's came in '53 PowerGlide equipped cars, and in all applications in '54.

Hi Thirlwell,

Was looking though some of the stuff on Old Online Chevy Manuals and all I could find were references to 216 engines in the 1951 trucks.

Look in the links section of Stovebolt. Might be something there.

As fab51 mentioned, I recall reading somewhere that the 235 was an option for some models. If you post the engine serial number which is located just behind the distributor, someone here can tell you if it is for your model year.
The serial number should begin with something like JBA JBM BJCA BJCM JCD JCQ JAD JDA JEA or JEM.

Now waiting for the 1948 - 1951 Truck Shop Manual to arrive in the mail. Will check that hopefully soon.

Thirlwell,

As stated above by Fab51, the "low-pressure" 235 engine was available on large trucks from 1941/1942 through 1953. The high-pressure 235 truck engine (first used on the 1953 car with Powerglide automatic transmission) was used on trucks from 1954-1962.

I will check my shop manuals tonight to see what size 1951 trucks had the 235 as an option.

Your logic about (I don't think anyone would have upgraded by putting in an old splash-oil engine once the full-pressure models came out) agrees with my observations and experiences, unless a free (or almost free) engine was available.

If someone had an old truck with a blown original engine, and needed any replacement engine to get an outdated truck back on the road (at a low cost or for free), and a low-pressure 235 was available at a good price, the low-pressure engine would be put in without a thought about looking/paying for a high-pressure 235/261 (or considering to use a 216, which could be had a low cost or for free).

By the early 70's, high pressure 235s/261s were readily available from salvage yards at reasonable prices ($50-$100 - prices that I paid at that time). Nonetheless, I also put cheaper/free low pressure engines into fiends trucks - the price was right and the labor was cheap (a meal and a siz pack).

As khardy stated, post the engine serial number (stamped into the ledge behind the distributor) and/or the block casting number (I think it is behind the upper right side of the starter) and it might be a little easier to guess the year/size of the truck from which the 235 came.

Tim

The low pressure 235 was only an option in the big trucks, not the pickups.

From at least 1948-1952 (I do not have a 1953 book),

216.5 engine was the only engine available on 1/2 ton through 1 ton trucks (3100-3900 series)

216.5 engine was standard on 1 1/2 ton trucks (4100-4500 series)
235.5 engine was optional on 1 1/2 ton trucks (4100-4500 series)

235.5 engine was standard on 2 ton trucks

Thanks for all the help, guys. You've confirmed what I suspected all along.

My truck was converted to a fire truck and I suspect that the engine upgrade happened during that conversion. I'm just trying to figure out when that conversion might have happened. It seems like it was probably in the truck's first couple of years of life, possibly even right after it was delivered.

Anyway, I'm constantly amazed and delighted with the number and quality of the responses on the Stovebolt forums. I can't thank you guys enough for taking the time to respond to my questions.

It could be that when the 216 died they installed whatever used engine was closest and could be had for a reasonable cost.

Thirlwell,
how did you determine that is was a 235? Do the numbers tell you that?