The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 rebuild costs

hello guys

quick question found a engine for sale that been rebuilt that i was thinking of getting but i am not sure if the pice is right.

i need to get it to the importers at carson CA some how :P

professionally built completly ,all new parts,oversized cam,pistons,rods,head.Intake,exhaust,side plate and other parts have been ceramic coated..
Never been started.Also have many extra parts too.This motor will make your classic scream with the orginal look.I had this built for a 50"s project i had but unable to finish..
Have over $4000 in receipts will sell for $3500
360-577-7475 longview wa

http://images.craigslist.org/3n13o23l15Y65O45R2b3r1e2b3a745b5f139b.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/3n63k03of5O45X55S3b3r84c669c1e2531a32.jpg

what do you guys think?

thanks and sorry if its a dum question

jeff

I would insist on some moe detailed photos and copies of the rebuild receipts before spending anywhere near that amount of money on somebody else's rebuilt engine. It's priced at least twice as much as a normal rebuild, and all that chrome doesn't make it run a bit better! What do you intend to do with the engine once you have it in hand?

A well-built 235 without any radical modifications should cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $2,000.00 (US) and give the rebuilder a reasonable profit. Shipping would be extra, obviously. I've got a friend in New Zealand who wants me to visit him and assemble a spare engine for his 1924 Dodge truck while I'm there. He's offering free room and board, and some excellent hunting and fishing opportunities as an added incentive if I decide to take him up on his invitation! It's pretty tempting, particularly since I'm due to retire from the public school system in a couple of months!
Jerry

I wouldn't pay the full price of a rebuild unless they rebuilt it for me and for me to see.

Hey Jerry, your allowed to retire from the school system but not from the Stovebolt! Congratulations on your up and coming retirement.

I just had a 235 rebuilt for my self and it cost almost $3,000 all inclusive but i also got a warrantee on all parts and labor for 1 year if I install the engine and 3 years if the shop installed it for me.

PS...I like the manifold set up on that engine...I was thinking of that too but I am not sure I want to spend the extra for it.

I had my 54/235 rebuilt in June 2006 for $2300.00 with the hardened seats and bored 20 over.

thank you guys

ive decided not to get it seems to risky.

but while i have this thread open i wanted to ask what should i look for in a 235? age parts?

being so far away and not being able to inspect dose not help but not much choice at current other than importing one .

also if anyone knows some one selling a 235 and wouldn't mind helping me out with shipping to carson CA it would be appreciated or just point me in a direction.

sorry for the dum questions steep learning curve for me

thank you all

jeff

OK, I'm going to assume you plan to use the engine in the '38 truck you have mentioned in previous posts, right? Using a 235 would involve a lot less work and adapting than the 292 you mentioned previously. Here's something to consider- - - - -anything a 235 will do, a 261 will do better, and they bolt into the same places, a very simple swap into an engine bay formerly occupied by a 216. There's "no replacement for displacement" so taking advantage of the biggest engine available that's a virtual bolt-in makes sense. Our intrepid host John has a 261 available as a rebuildable core engine (See the "Truck parts for sale" forum) and I'm sure he would probably make you a good deal on it. Once it arrives, you could build it to your own specifications, and be right there to supervise the buildup.

261's have lots of room for reboring, so even if the cylinder walls are rusty the block will still be usable. The racers used to rebore them 1/8" oversize (0.125") and still get reliable performance. The only car the flathead V-8's we ran in a pair of 46 Ford coupes in the early 1960's had any trouble outrunning on a 1/4 mile oval was a 52 Chevy coupe with a bored-out 261 in it. Of course, our engines had about 255 cubic inches, and his was over 270!
Jerry

thank you for your response Jerry its appreciated.

is it hard to find parts for a 261?

I am glad i have the original 235 in my 54 but soon after it came back from the overhaul the man that does most i my work remember he had a 261 in that back room of his shop that we could have used. there was nothing wrong with my 235 but it needed freshened up. oh well.

its like that in the end i just want something reliable and that will work with the 37 torque tube i am using be it s 235 or 261 both seem like fun and sound great

The only major differences in the 235 and 261 is the bore size- - - -3 3/4" instead of 3 9/16". The crankshaft and other internal parts are the same as the 235. The cylinder head has extra holes in it to allow for coolant flow past the "siamesed" cylinders- - -no gaps between them, but a 235 head can be used by drilling some small holes, using the 261 head gasket as a drilling template. The hot setup is an "848" cylinder head (last 3 numbers of the casting code) off a late-model 235, with higher compression. The later-model 261's can also be set up for full-flow oil filtering, another plus to using that engine. It takes a pretty knowledgeable observer to see the differences in appearance in the 235 and the 261, so you end up with a sort of "sleeper", more performance than a first glance indicates.
Jerry

I actually purchased a 261 when both the seller and I thought it was a 235. Here in Canada, they were used a lot in our Pontiacs and are not that difficult to find. The long block cost me $100 and about $2300 for a full rebuild.

You will definitely want to use the water pump adapter plate for your swap. That really makes it easier.

hello all

thank you so much you have all been really helpful.

truckernix

how dose that make it easier?

thanks

jeff