The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 1956-235 to 1958-235?

The project nears completion! Everything has come together as planned. (sorta) The open road calls and it's time to upgrade the 1956-hydraulic 235 with a fresh engine. Not that it's in that bad shape but a fresh rebuilt will give me some peace-of-mind on a couple cross-country trips that I intend to make. I plan on keeping my 56 core.

The problem is that the closest I can come to it in a rebuilt, is a 1958-235, Blk #3738306/3764476 with an 848 head. It is a hydraulic engine that is listed for a 1958 Biscayne.

My questions for the experts are:

1. Will this engine bolt in using the single front mount? The mfgr shows the 58 engine with "front mount(s)".

2. Will I be able to switch the front plate from my 56 engine? Are all 235's drilled for front plates?

3. Will my early footstart bellhousing and 216 6-volt flywheel bolt up.

4. What other problems might I encounter?

Please feel free to point out any problems that you might be aware of. I would really hate to sink money into an engine that wouldn't interchange. Thanks in advance.

Hy Fla54Chevy3100, all the parts you mentioned should interchange perfectly. Off hand I can't think of any problems you might encounter, if you use all the stuff from the 56 engine I think it will drop right in place, hope that helps.

You can use the front plate from the 56 but you have to pull the camshaft to get the plate off and in your case that would apply to both engines. There's also a gasket behind the plate so scraping and sealing are involved as well as valvetrain disassembly. Much easier to drill the 2 holes in the 58 plate than change them IMHO. If you want square holes as original drill the 4 corners with a 1/8" bit, drill 7/16" on center and then file the rest.

Curt B.

Thanks guys,

Drilling the plate under the front sounds like the most common sense way to go. I just need to verify that the rebuilder (Recon) has the plate under the front. Can't imagine that it would be an item left off as I'm sure it would figure into setting up the cam alignment/timing gears/cover. I just don't want to put out the bucks for an engine that will wind up decorating a corner in my shop.

I also noted that the distributor rotation in the 58 was counter-clockwise as opposed to clockwise in the 56.....haven't quite figured that out but they both use the same distributor so there can't be a whole lot of problems.

I've already got the adaptor plate water pump and understand my 139 tooth 6v foot-stomper flywheel will transfer. I think I'm "good to go".

Thanks again