The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Preparing for a 235 switch

I managed to snag a 235 here in Sweden to replace (hopefully temporarily) my cracked 216 with an oil consumption problem. It comes from a 53 panel truck in which the current owner is planting a new 350. He bought the panel truck recently, it was running fine. The previous seller before this one claims he has rebuilt the engine. Judging from the casting numbers it might be original to the truck - 3701946 is a 235 from 1953. I am having some problems deciphering the serial number on the block, though. It starts with the prefix HAA followed by a string of numbers.
New 235
Other side
I hope these pictures work. I haven't had the greatest luck before.
I am not sure what I think of the auto choke. I like the level of personal control that comes from the manual choke.
I am not at all sure how to deal with the extra flange on the exhaust manifold. And it is chromed. It seems that someone simply welded on an extra flange, for a double exhaust system. I will stick with the original exhaust, but can I just cut the extra flange off and weld the hole shut? Would the exhaust and intake manifolds from the 216 bolt on to the 235?
I would seem that the motor has been somewhat modernized. Shouldn't this older 235 still have the oil line passing from the oil pump through the block? Whatever the case, I am glad for whatever internal improvements that PO has made.
I will need to use the current tranny from my truck, but it leaks like a sieve. Will I need seals both at the front and the back? There are about 68,000 miles on the truck.
Despite all its current problems it runs great at the moment. I hope it runs as well with the new motor.
Karl

There is no seal in the front. Do not overfill it or fluid can run out when it is parked faceing downhill.

If the transmission is used with an enclosed driveshaft, there is no seal front or back. Not sure why the tranny would be leaking excessively, unless it is overfull.
The engine appears to be a splash version of the 235 engine. It has the little plate on the lower block on the driver's side. 1953 engine, it should be good for 105 hp and around 200 lb/ft of torque. I believe the line passes through the block under where that little cover is at.

John

I would think you could just bolt a plate over the extra exhaust outlet on the manifold. Not sure about the 216 intake/exhaust. I believe the intake on the 216 has smaller holes where it mounts to the block. I've heard them talk of using special "stepped" rings to use 216 intake manifold on a 235 on here.
John

Thanks for the ideas on the engine. The 235 sure looks different from the 216 of the same year.

I've not gotten into one of these trannys before, but doesn't the driveshaft pass through some kind of oakie bushing that could be letting gear oil run out. It sure does leak, sitting still in the garage. How is it even possible to overfill a 3-speed tranny?
Karl

The seal that you are talking about stops the transmission oil from going down the torque tube into the rearend.

The motor is the low pressure version with the modern head. There is no oil line going through the block. The rocker arm feed comes from a tapped hole above the rear camshaft bearing.

I am confused (not an uncommon situation for me).

HAA is the engine serial number prefix for a 1950 216 car engine? Maybe this is an earlier code placed on a replacement engine?

Why would it have an oil distributor if it does not have the oil line going through the block?

The block casting code is for a 1953 truck 235?

Karl, does it have an 18 bolt head (1953 or later) or 15 bolt head (37-52)?

If the manifold was split correctly there is a plate welded into it to separate the forward 3 cylinders from the aft 3.

Yeah I was looking at the picture trying to see if there was evidence of a blocking plate in the manifold. They may have cut the slot in from behind to insert the plate though......
John

Yeah you've got all sort of sealing at the ball at the back of trhe transmission. You have a cork seal in the retainer for the ball itself, another seal that screws on to the end of the ball where it passes over the torque tube and also as you said the okie bushing and seal inside the torque tube.
Usually if it is the okie seal, the oil level keeps increasing in the differential, then it get over full.

John

Tim,
there was a change in 1950 to the 235 US engine and a similar 216 engine in Canada. Although it was still a low pressure version, the feed to the rocker arm was taken off the rear cam shaft bearing supply. Here is the explanation in the 1950/51 manual. Oil Supply to the Rocker Arm Have a look at Figure 5 and the paragraph directly about the figure. You see the oil distributor still exists but it does not feed the rocker arm.

The engine being discussed here is the 1953 235 which had evolved a little further and used the more modern head but still had a low pressure oiling system.

If I'm not mistaken I believe the stick car and 235 truck used the same engine, at least block and head.


This will have the 18 bolt head.

I am sorry to say, you're right about the exhaust manifold, Cletis. Who'd a thunk they did it right! There is a plate seemingly welded up the inside of the original exhaust outlet. The ex manifold itself does not look original, since it has been chromed. But I can see the welded shut holes where the heat riser shaft used to pass through. I wonder how I could modify this manifold back to an original single exhaust. There aren't a lot of inline parts lying around Sweden.

The casting numbers confuse me too. More to the point, the casting numbers of the block and head are consistent with a 1953 low-pressure 235. The prefix HAA on the engine serial number is a problem. There is another line of code above the serial number in the same position, harder to read. It seems to be - CER 647. It doesn't matter much anywhooo, the motor should drop right in my truck, no worries even about the water pump.

Thanks for all the advice, guys, this site is great

One more thing. I expect that since both the motor and the tranny are coming out to take them out as a unit - after having pulled off the fenders and grill, radiator, and so forth. I've got a good lift. I would rather split the tranny and motor later when removed. Is this not a good idea?

Karl