The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 1941 235 to 1954 235. Part interchangability.

Hello, I've got a 1941 1.5 ton. The engine was froze so I pulled the head and discovered the #1 cylinder was rusted and couldn't be reasonably salvaged. I got a line on a 1954 full oil pressure 235 that was "running" when it came out of a 1/2 ton. It still has the bell housing attached. My question is this, are the bell housings/clutches interchangeable? I had already planned on up-grading to 12 volt and key start-up. Will all my linkage bolt to the new bell housing? Are there any modifications that need to be done, or any fabrication? I've had several classic autos, but, this is my first attempt at a semi-complete restoration. Any input would be greatly appreciated.[/b][b]

Hy 1fletch, the 41 and 54 bellhousings have different tranny mounting patterns, and different engine mounting surfaces/angles, but they can be interchanged. A 12 volt flywheel has a different number of teeth on the ring gear than a 6 volt flywheel, so other than using a car 6 volt solenoid starter, you would have to change to a 12 volt flywheel. Your 41 flywheel probably has a clutch retained by 9 bolts, and I believe the 12 volt flywheels are drilled for a 6 bolt clutch retention pattern. Swapping stuff back and forth to make the new engine work in the old truck is doable, but it depends just how you want to equip the old truck, how much to swap. Hope that helps.

Wow, what have I got myself into? With everything you said in mind, can I mount my, (1941), bell housing onto the 1954 235? I could keep the starter system, ie; foot engaged starter coupled with the new 12 volt system and utilize all other linkage. Would this be a workable, relatively simple solution? Oh, I forgot to mention that I have no marketable mechanical skills. Just the ability to read coupled with ample time and some tools. thanx

Hy 1fletch, yes you can mount the 41 bellhousing to the 54 engine, your flywheel and clutch should also interchange if I remember correctly. You could also run your 6 volt starter on 12 volts, that won't hurt the starter, as long as you keep the engine in a good state of tune so you don't have to crank the engine excesively to get it to start. One tip, you must remove the flywheel/clutch before you attempt to remove the bellhousing, there are two bellhousing bolts behind the flywheel, hope that helps.

hey shark, will do. i can't thank you enough for your help. i will report back with my progress and include a couple of pictures.

thanx again

marc

ah, i found it! i knew someone spoke to this bell housing removal problem. how do i get the flywheel off if i can't turn it? it's been froze for over 30 years. i will completely disassemble the engine if necessary. thanx for your initial response. i'm not very good at this, but i am persistent. thanx, marc

Is your engine dis-assembled at all yet?

Are you sure the crank/pistons themselves are what is frozen, and not just some or all of the valves?

If not, remove the valve cover, and then remove the rocker-arm assembly... If the rocker-arms are not in place trying to move the valves as the crank moves, you may be able to turn the engine. I reccomend you remove the rocker arm assembly carefully so you can remember how to put it back together.

You may find that the crank turns so easily once the valves are not needing to move, that the engine may not be much a lost cause as you thought. Ken Crenweldge from this site saved me an unbelievable amount of work, by suggesting I soak my valves for a day or two in Marvel Mystery oil. Got my stuck valves completely unstuck and the engine runs great now. While waiting for them to soak and free up, I took off the rocker arm assembly to check how free the crank rotation was and make sure I didnt have any other problems, and without the valves opening and closing to create compression, the crank and pistons would spin easily, like a wheel. Several rotations on a single easy push.

Squirt Marvel Mystery Oil into the cylinders through the spark plug holes, as well as soaking the valves from the top. Some of the MMO will wick it's way up and help free the valves from the inside. But, it will also work on the rings/pistons to help free those up.

Unless you know that there is rust/corrosion inside the pistons and crankshaft/bearings, that old 235 might easily be coaxed back to life with some very simple treatments/fixes...

Since you've already removed the engine, though, all you may want to do is free it up enough to turn the flywheel.

Good luck either way.

Keith

Hey I did the same thing what you are doing I swaped my 235 for a 54 235. I used the fly wheel and clutch of the 54 because the clutch you know is 11 inch instead of 10 3/4. I used my 41 bell housing with no problems. Check out my link below my name and you can see what was done. Maybe it will help you out a bit.

hey keith

i'm sorry i didn't respond to this after you took the time to write it. i just saw it. in any event, the engine is out, and almost completely disassembled. it couldn't be salvaged. there was severe pitting on the deck of the block around the number 1 cylinder. that was the piston that was froze with rust. after examining the motor, (to the best of my ability), i believe that the rust was a secondary problem and occurred during it's 40 years of sitting. the cylinders were free of any obvious damage, the rocker arms and valves where intact, and all the bearings were in place and appeared serviceable. either the block and/or head was cracked and the rancher gave up on it. it's funny, he, (the rancher), didn't give up with out a fight. there were very few nuts, bolts, and screws that either matched, or were unmolested. it would appear that ranchers of that period would attempt to fix ANYTHING! i picked up a 1954 235 that ran when it was pulled out of the truck is was in to be replaced with a small block V8. i have learned here that it is a very good upgrade for those of us on a budget.

again, that you for taking your time to share your expertise with me. i'm sure the information you provided will come in handy in the future.

i look forward to talking with you again.

~marc