The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop 235 machinability

Hello everyone
I've got a 54 3600 with the original 235 and want to give the engine some hotrod mods like higher compression maybe a cam and/or bigger valves.

I am wondering if anyone has done this instead of going for the crate engine.

Thanks
Randy

Randy,

Welcome to Stovebolt.com.

By "crate engine", you are most likely referring to a GM 350 engine?

Hundreds, if not thousands, of Stovebolters have "enhanced" their 216/235/261 engines.

Try searching on some key words and you will get thousands of "hits"

Here are some upgrades to your generation of 235. Some require significant engine work and others are bolt-ons.

1. Dual exhaust (search on the word Fenton or on dual exhaust)

2. Improved cam - the simplest/cheapest is most likely a cam for a 261 (you should get new lifter with a new cam). Many people go for more modified-lift cams - they are readily available from several vendors.

3. Increased carburetion to match your "new" engine. A larger single carb is easier, but people who like bling go for 2,3,5 carbs (and often do not match those carbs to what the engine can use).

4. Change your head to the common "848" head (1956-1963 casting code 3836848). This is a higher compression head compared to one on the 54 (maybe an increase from 7.5 to 8.25, if you use the right valves/springs/rotators).

Other people will post other ideas.

Gettin ready to pull mine for a rebuild soon. Gonna bore it .40 over, shave and port the head, and maybe shave the block. Also doing an RV cam. Got a dual carb Fenton intake and header for it as well.

I have a '54 block bored .60 over, milled the head and did a port and polish, have a dual carb set-up but will be changing it over to a corvette intake tripple side draft (with harley davidson carbs) fenton headers, a mild 3/4 race cam from patrick's and a dual point ditributer.

Thomas

Porting the siamese head to improve flow is easier said than done which a flowbench will verify. I'm slowly getting around to uploading pictures that vanished with the demise of Webshots and now have section views of the head showing wall thicknesses here.

I have a 55.1 235 bored .60. Replaced original head with "848" head off a 56 235. Offy dual intake with water heat and Carter Weber carbs purchsed from Tom Langdon (Stovebolt Engine Company). Fenton cast iron headers. HEI distributor also purchased from Tom Langdon. I purchased a mild cam upgrade and lifters from Patricks. I couldn't be happier with the way it runs. Very responsive. It is everything I had hoped for.

Grant

Anyone familiar with the 235 2nd edition 1954 Corvette cam. From what I read it picked up almost 15 horse. Was wondering if that would be an easier swap then some of the other cam shafts yall have talked about.

If I'm not mistaken, the Corvette camshaft is the same as what you would find in a 261. The Corvette also had a split exhaust and tri-carb.

themmer, have you done the 3 carb set up I was thinking the same thing. I'm putting a 270 gmc in a 31 chevy pickup and thought the 3 side drafts would be cool. I've been shopping for Harley cv carbs but can't seem to find any good buys on them.
Jay D

Will side-draft carburetors interfere with you 31 pickup's steering column. I assume the 31 truck has a transmission with a floor shifter?

Here's a discussion (with pics) of 3xCV carbs on a 235.

tclederman, thanks for the discussion thread. the steering column is ok, but the jimmy is a couple inches longer so the rear carb is going to be close to the fire wall. I have to build my manifold so I may need to dog leg the end carbs in to the center a little.

I'm still working on the tripple setup. I have the carb mounting figured out and need to get some throttle shafts made as I want to run soild linkage instead of using cables. I will try and get some new pictures taken with the carb mounted on the intake.

Thomas