The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 for a 235 on a COE

I'm thinking this is the best place to post this question, but if not I'll move it over to the Big Bolt forum.

I have a '46 Chevy 2 Ton COE with a stuck engine and a 4 on the floor. I have worked on the engine for quite some time using Kroil, and Engine Release and it is still stuck. Recently I got it clean enough to determine this engnie is a 1950 235 (obviously not original).

So here's the interesting part, I have another engine that is a 1954 Chevy 235 out of a 3/4 T pickup with the 4 on the floor and turns freely. (I believe this is a full pressure engine.) I am looking to pull the stuck engine out of the COE and put in the '54 that turns over. Since both are 4 on the floor will the bell houseing (clutch housing) be the same for both engines and bolt up to the COE transmission?

In other words when I go to pull the engine can I swap the engine AND bell housing from the '54 and put it in the '46 COE and have it bolt right in so I don't have to mess with the clutch and flywheel?

Thanks,
Chevman

The '54 235 would be a full pressure motor and the pickup version is the same length as the earlier motor. I'd call that '54 motor a good choice.

Since you have a '50 motor in the truck now, are you sure you have the original bellhousing and transmission in the truck now?

The later transmission is different both where it meets the bellhousing and inside. If you have the original transmission in the truck, and want to keep it, you need to stay with the original bellhousing. The early transmission does not have synchos and has a little lever on the shifter to allow shifting into reverse.

RustedNuts put an SM420 in his early GMC COE, he may come along and be able to tell you more about what that takes.

How'd I miss this one?

As mentioned the 235 would be a direct swap. Youll need to relocate the oil filter as it wont fit with the updraft manifold setup. If you want to use the old non synchro tranny you need nothing more then swap out the engine only and keep the bellhousing from the COE.

There is a difference in the bellhousing as the old one should have a 3 bolted pivot bar on the drivers side for the clutch fork. The sm420 wont fit the pattern on the old bellhousing.

You have a bit more work if you want to swap to the sm420. Its fairly easy, but time consuming. Check out most of my pictures on my photobucket account. I have a section in there where I kept the photos of my swap. There is roughly an 1 to 2" difference in length of the driveshafts also, meaning the sm420 is a longer transmission.

I believe Chevy used a crossmember instead of the mounts seen in my pictures of my GMC, so that may complicate matters to.

Hope that helps, Jeff

Thanks for the advice guys!
Chevman