The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk define: stovebolt

Hi everyone,

new to the board. someone told me i have 'stovebolt fever.' tried to figure out where the term came from, but no luck. can anyone tell me?


btw... I am from the North east (NH). Moved to souther california and went car crazy. I don't know much about cars, but trying to learn. Alwasy been a big fan of older cars/trucks, but they're kinda hard to come by back east.

Stovebolts refer to the bolts on the chevy engine.

check out the FAQ 63 and you'll understand the disease, but there ain't no cure

Bill

speaking of bolts.

when I unbolted the tranny from the engine, it looked like someone was mixing and matching bolts. What is the correct size for these? 3/8, 16 grove, ??? long??

Welcome to the 'Bolt.

If you found your way in here, its true... you have Stovebolt fever!

were these bolts actually used in stoves or do they look like those that were?


other than here or over at inliners I've figured out that there are too many people intersted talking about inlines. I am frequently on hotrod.com, but there are only about 2 people there that help me with my posts...

63 - a "stove bolt" was originally a machine screw of a certain configuration which had a unique-to-it thread size - it has now come to mean any machine screw w/ a full length thread and round, oval or flat head - because of the slotted, rounded head, the early I6 bolts [not 'really' stove bolts] looked just like 'stove bolts' - some stoves may have used the same sizes, but it was just the resemblence that earned the early GM engines the originally derisive nickname, and we 'moderns' have transferred that nickname to meaning any old Chevy or GMC engine, or in the case of this forum, to any pre-72 GM truck

there's a few folks on the jalopy journal's H.A.M.B. forum that are into the inline's, tho more the odd makes and mostly rodding them - lotsa folks here to help, tho I haven't seen much about yer 194

Bill

welcome to the bolt ,,, nice place to hang out and learn stuff....regards..Fred

B O L T S

"Stove bolts ( above ) are less precisely made than machine bolts. They are made with either flat or round slotted heads and may have threads extending over the full length of the body, over part of the body, or over most of the body. They are generally used with square nuts and applied metal to metal, wood to wood, or wood to metal. If flatheaded, they are countersunk. If roundheaded, they are drawn flush to the surface. (Code: SB; Name: Manufacturers Stove Bolt Standard Thread)

In 1929, Chevy became a "Six at the Price of Four" by switching to the overhead-valve engine, since lovingly enshrined as the "Stovebolt", because of its large, quarter-inch slotted head bolts. Also sometimes known affectionnately as the "Cast-Iron Wonder", it grew from 194 cid and 50 bhp to 216.5 cid and 85 bhp by 1937, when it was completely redesigned. In 1955, higher compression and internal changes brought the venerable Blue Flame to 123 bhp."

"In their April '94 issue, "Collectible Automobile" magazine selected this motor as one of the American "Ten Best Engines" ever produced: "Simple in the extreme, it set the standard for "Use it and abuse it" reliability that Americans (and Canadians...) still expect in cars"."

http://www.rustychevy.com/stovebolt%20six.htm

thanks for the info everyone.

anyone know?

Not meaning to be picky, but.... tclederman has a few things a little mixed up. First Chevrolet did not switch to overhead valves, they have always been OHV since the first one in 1911 when they bought out Little Motor Co. and re badged them as Chevrolets. The 4 lasted from 1911 to 1928, when the 6 for the price of a 4 was started, it was a 194 cu. in. 3 main bearing engine and it grew to 207 cu. in. The 1937 redesign went to 4 mains and the 216.5 cu. in. was started. The 235 came in 1941 based on the 216 engine, the 235 was redesigned in 1953 and was continued until 1962. The 7 main bearing engines 194, 230, 250, and 292 continued in various models, cars and trucks until the mid 80's, they then did away completely with the I6 design and went to a V6. Then the new 4.2 I6 twin cam engine went back to the inline design and continues to date. I'm a member of the VCCA and Inliners clubs, we like/love the old 3 and 4 main I6 engines.

Not meaning to be picky, either, but...Chevman32 is correct, but,...

The articles I quoted were referring to the switch from a 4 cylinder engine to a 6 cylinder engine (as Chevy ads stated, "Valve-in-Head, Ahead in Value"), not a switch to a OHV engine (he stated THE OHV engine, meaning THE OHV 6 cylinder engine).

It was, I think, the 194ci engine (and its replacements) that brought forth the name "Stove Bolt Six".

Are you sure that all chevys since 1911 have been OHV? Maybe the inline engines, but I was looking at a 1917 V8 at the Chickasha, OK swapmeet a couple years ago and it sure looked like a flathead to me. Yes, chevy did make a V8 engine in the mid teens.

i'm kinda confused on what motors where in chevys now because i thought that the 235 did not come until 55 2nd series so i thought every thing before had a 216.5 i'm just wondering what motor would my dads 1946 Chevy stylemaster have? (i know its a car) and i don't remember removing any "stove bolts" off it, the valve cover had the two long studs with the nuts that go on top of the vavle cover to hold it on
Nate

Thanks for the help everyone.

Welcome to the 'bolt

Best kind of fever to have

Sabrina

"Yesterday you could'nt SPELL stovebolt and today you are one."

Welcome aboard

Cliff59

MT,

Here\'s your "Basic Pile of Bolts."



Peg

Stovebolt:(n) a very expensive hobby

I was trying to get this on the stovebolt lic topper post where a question was asked about what is a stove bolt,, I screwed it up,, did email the guy that it was posted in this section,,,,Fred

Thanks Fred, I also made a note in the greasey spoon.

OldIron, there were two different 235s. One was a bigger 216 for medium-duty trucks (these tended to return to ore while Eisenhawer was president (if not Truman...). The full-pressure 235 came about in cars and trucks around '54-'55.1.

My '46 2 ton has the original splash oil 235 in it.. and she's got balls the size of brass church bells.

Wih it in 1st gear, there ain't nothing you can't pull, drag, or load.. of course you aren't going to get anywhere fast.

With a few tons of crap in the back, going up a steep grade, it sounds like a WWII tank.. man I love it!!

I6 FOREVER!!!!!

Old Iron,

I would bet, unless someone changed it at some point, your 46 Stylemaster had a 216. I don't believe they ever used the early 235's in anything but trucks.

I've owned 3 1946 sedans and all of them were 216's. I currently own a 1946 1/2 ton w/a 216 and a 1952 1/2 ton w/an early 235 (that came from a 1948 2.5 ton truck).

Visually, looking at an early 235, you'd probably never know the difference between it and the 216. The difference as I understand it was in the stroke.

The only visual difference I've ever heard of was some of the early 235's had 235 stamped on the oil pan. I say some, as I'm I don't believe they all had the imprint on the pan.

Both engines had the valve cover with the two nuts you described. They also had the side cover that extended up and around the spark plugs.

Stovebolts are more than just a name of an engine that GM made. Stovebolt is the name we give ourselves as a Monogram, a way of life. Stovebolt is a name that we share with ourselves and others showing the Love we have for owning and maintaining OLD Chevy/GMC Trucks.

"hows that"

Cliff59

Thanks cliff, thats the best answer I wanted to hear.

Slotted Panhead 1/4x20 machine screw that was used to hold many early stoves and Chevy's, not just trucks, together.

SO WHERE"S THE BEEF? :confused:

Bruce your killing me man! where is the beef? the Beef?
I am from TEXAS and we are the home of "Bull" I mean beef.

cliff59

Cliff59 that was in reference to the recent discussion that V8 powered trucks are not genuine stovebolts. I for one don't agree and your input was good advice for driving this point home especially on this site. Outlook such as this is to be expected more on the VCCA site not THE Stovebolt page.

I just want to thank everyone who contributed to this topic. I too am fairly new member and reading all of the posts gave me a greater incite into the meaning of the term "Stovebolt" then just reading the FAQ posting.