The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Head Bolts for a 235

Does anyone know where these can be found? I managed to lose one of mine last weekend. My experience with other engines is that they're not something you'll find at the hardware store. I may go to a boneyard tomorrow and pull one out of a wreck but I wanted to know if they can be more easily had elsewhere. I'd like to try to start this engine tomorrow, if possible. If I do pull one out of a wreck, will any 235 do? My truck is a 56 1/2 ton.

216s and 235s use the same head bolts.

Can anyone tell me which head bolts have the holes drilled in them for oil flow? I've read about them in some old posts but haven't seen a diagram or explanation of where these particular bolts are located.

Only certain head/block combinations need the drilled head bolt. It's located in the center hole on the passenger's side, and the bolt has a slot in the top resembling one for a big common-blade screwdriver. Early-production heads have an oil line feeding the rocker arms, while later ones use a drilled oil passageway in the block and a corresponding one in the head. Certain combinations use the drilled bolt to complete the oil circuit to the rocker arms.
Jerry

This LINK has a good explanation.
Here is a Picture of a correct bolt.

That is great information. Thanks for posting. It seems my engine did not have the drilled bolt, then. Will a 1/2-13 grade 8 bolt from a hardware store work? If not, it's off to the boneyard.

If you go to a parts yard to get the bolts out of an engine, make sure it is a 18-bolt head; or, if you find a 15-bolt head (216 or earlier 235), get your eighten bolts (two different sizes of bolts) from two engines.

If you can find the correct length, I see no reason a grade 8 bolt would not work.

Whatever company took over the old "Dorman" automotive hardware brand has head bolts listed for a lot of engines. Not sure about stovebolts, though. A really good FLAPS or a professional rebuilder should have access to their products.
Jerry

Just got back from the boneyard. Lots of old Mopars there but no 235s. My local Fastenal has the grade eight bolts at the right length so I think I'll try one and see how it works.

Well the grade eight 1/2-13 X 4 1/2 worked like it was meant to be there. It slipped right in and I torqued it down with the rest of them, so it seems like this is an option for those of you who wind up missing the odd head bolt.

That is great information. I am becoming a real fan of that store. I picked up a nice sheet of 18 gauge there. I would have never thought about going there for that bolt.

My engine showed up from the machine shop with a missing main cap bolt. Went down to fastenal and got a grade 8 bolt. No problems. I wouldn't hesitate to do the same for the head.

On a 216,235 0r 261? Other than the rear main, the main caps are only located by the shoulder near the top of the bolt.Without the proper bolt the main cap can fret around and might cause a bearing failure.

On a 235 rear main, one of the 4 was missing.

If you want a chevy bolt, call Jim Carter. I'll bet he has one.

To make certain, your bolt purchase from Fastenal completed your set, but you didn't have a modified bolt?
Red flag went up... I would think you need one at the location mentioned in the other posts.
Did I mis-read that?
Jerry

What I understood from reading old posts was that it was used in early inline sixes (before '56) and then to accommodate oil flow when a head from one engine was used with the block of another (later years).

Your 56 engine will not need one.