GarageStudios Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 All, i will be starting the cleanup and restoration (on any parts need replacing) on my replacement engine. The original was a 216 GM. I was able to find an engine (running) and had it installed before I dismantled the car... She runs nice... its been 4 years since I last started her up... I need some advice as this is new territory for me.. First, what should I do to test start her? Or should I wait and make sure I have all the parts cleaned, replaced if needed and inspected... Can anyone give me links on where to find items for this engine. I have the codes, I believe it's called a 235 Thiftmaster... Unsure though.. i know now that the temperature sensor, and a spring is missing.. I have extra manifolds and carbs etc.. I have 2 bell housings and 2 transmissions... All I would need help with is a parts list.? To make sure I have all the items to build her again.. any and all advice welcomed and appreciated... Thanking you in advance... Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cahartley Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 I know what I'd do......DO do actually....... Check for spark, give it the gas and start it........after oil check and all that stuff. You COULD tear the engine half to pieces and find nothing or hear it run and find out if there's a problem. If it was running well 4 years ago there's no reason it won't now. Those 235's are tough, TOUGH, engines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted April 24, 2016 Share Posted April 24, 2016 It's all according. You should at least replace the rear main seal while the engine is out of the car. Those things always leak. With the pan off you could check the bearings with plastigage and inspect the crank journals for wear. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarageStudios Posted April 24, 2016 Author Share Posted April 24, 2016 14 minutes ago, Rusty_OToole said: It's all according. You should at least replace the rear main seal while the engine is out of the car. Those things always leak. With the pan off you could check the bearings with plastigage and inspect the crank journals for wear. Thanks Rusty.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarageStudios Posted May 6, 2016 Author Share Posted May 6, 2016 (edited) Members... I may be wrong on my engine ?? so, I decided to clean her up, and inspect before a fire up.. I was told good practice - in doing so, I removed the header cover (sorry if I use wrong terminology) The engine has 2 bolts on top, a sign of a 216? I removed the cover, and checked to see if I could find a serial number... and I did, according to a casting library this is a 216 header... am I correct? I will try and find the bottom casting to verify, but the body of the shell, shows signs of a 235? Can there be 2 different builds here?? thanks Edited May 6, 2016 by CDN224 added pics (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterc9 Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 That looks like an old babbit engine ,216 or 235 . 1953 or older .Babbit engine means it has poured babbit bearings rather than removable insert type bearings. You can tell it's a babbit engine by the three bolt oil filter block off plate in the second from last picture. You can also tell by the two nut valve cover. There should be a number stamped in the block near the distributor base. Post that number and some one here will be able to identify the year model and displacement of your engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Simmons Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 I have to agree with misterc9 it has all the earmarks of a 216 although some of the early 235's were long side-plate on the distributor side. The bell housing is out of a pickup truck(wide trans mount pattern) and it has been converted from a floor starter(holes in the upper bell housing) to a button or key. The front timing plate mount says '40-'50 passenger car mount while the mount on the trans and the rear trans shaft cover say pickup. Then of course there is the crankshaft pulley single old wide vee belt and the still usable hand crank ears. Do you know what this came out of ? The old 216's as well as the 235's were really good engines and would take a lot of abuse just not a lot of high rpm's. The later versions with a full oil pressure crankshaft oiling system and insert rod and main bearings were even better. On the whole I'm thinking it's a 216. I also agree with Rusty replace the seals at both ends of the motor while you have all this great open air access. Good Luck to you on your project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMPARTSMAN Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 (edited) '53 Powerglide transmission equipped and all 54's had four 1/4-20 screws holding the valve cover to the head. 53 manual transmissions and earlier had the center bolts. 53 manual transmission were not full pressure lubrication engines, they used dippers for conn rod lubrication. 53 Powerglide and all 54's were full pressure lubrication engines. The casting date on the head, C 9 1, March 9 1951. Guessing here but I think the casting number being a 38XXXXX is not a '41 casting number, those were in the 36XXXXX range IIRC but I could be wrong as I no longer have my 1929-1954 parts catalog to use for guesstimate referencing. Edited May 11, 2016 by GMPARTSMAN (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarageStudios Posted May 21, 2016 Author Share Posted May 21, 2016 (edited) On Saturday, May 07, 2016 at 8:25 PM, misterc9 said: That looks like an old babbit engine ,216 or 235 . 1953 or older .Babbit engine means it has poured babbit bearings rather than removable insert type bearings. You can tell it's a babbit engine by the three bolt oil filter block off plate in the second from last picture. You can also tell by the two nut valve cover. There should be a number stamped in the block near the distributor base. Post that number and some one here will be able to identify the year model and displacement of your engine. Hello... I found a block number under the dirt... Says 48 with a 9 then followed by 3835309. Can someone help verify the block please.. Edited May 21, 2016 by CDN224 Added pic (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Simmons Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 I found my Chevy parts book today and ran the numbers you posted and I am a bit confused. Could you post the complete engine number with any letters that is on the flat spot next to the distributor? If so I can most likely tell you exactly what you have. Chevy started making 235's in '41 and they were almost identical in looks to the 216 until '54. So the serial number is one of the factors in naming this thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Simmons Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 Chevy parts book says group 0.033 cylinder block cast number 3835309 is '41thru'49 235cu. in. also says group 0.269 cylinder head cast number 3835517 is 216cu. in. head '50thru'53. This is why you serial number is needed. At this point I'm leaning toward a 216cu.in. engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarageStudios Posted May 22, 2016 Author Share Posted May 22, 2016 (edited) 22 hours ago, Mark Simmons said: Chevy parts book says group 0.033 cylinder block cast number 3835309 is '41thru'49 235cu. in. also says group 0.269 cylinder head cast number 3835517 is 216cu. in. head '50thru'53. This is why you serial number is needed. At this point I'm leaning toward a 216cu.in. engine. Serial number found on block .. DEA65058 As well the serial number of the head is 070 DEA65058 Edited May 22, 2016 by CDN224 Sn (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Simmons Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 According to the Chevy parts book the prefix DEA is a second design 235 block 1946 vintage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarageStudios Posted May 23, 2016 Author Share Posted May 23, 2016 2 hours ago, Mark Simmons said: According to the Chevy parts book the prefix DEA is a second design 235 block 1946 vintage. Thanks Mark, with this info, I was able to search for some gaskets, misc replacement parts and they came up exact match... I am greatly thankful.. This now makes it so much easier to do the repairs.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fredsaad Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 Hello I am From Brazil I would like to identify if my 1950 chevy truck engine is correct. if not, what is wrong. is a 216 ou 235 CID? HBM147698 - means TONAWANDA 216 CID 3835309 - means 42-49 325 CID. I have a frankenstein? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Simmons Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Fredsaad-- From the pictures of the motor looks like a later "235" cu in motor. Give away points are the short side plate over the lifters and the flat valve cover with 4 screws to hold it down. These were easily adapted into these trucks with the parts needed off the old motor they were replacing. Most if not all the parts were direct bolt on. You got more hp and a superior oiling system with these motors. This particular "235" ran from '54 thru '62 in both cars and trucks so parts are still relatively easily come by. I've done this swap many times and and always with good results. No cobbled up job here, looks to me like you have a good looking good running truck. Nice it has the chrome accessories. Sorry I don't have my books close by so I could date your motor closer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fredsaad Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Follow more photos. My doubt is this 48 stamped on the engine block. Is it possible to be an engine from 1954 to 1962? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 2 hours ago, fredsaad said: My doubt is this 48 stamped on the engine block. Note.... this "48" is NOT stamped it is a casting number, it is not an engine number, it is a casting number. Many times people confuse cast (raised numbers/letters right in the engine block/head) with stamped (numbers/letters stamped into the metal with a punch) on a machined flat surface. See HBM 147 698 in post #15 as an example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fredsaad Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 1 hour ago, Tinindian said: Note.... this "48" is NOT stamped it is a casting number, it is not an engine number, it is a casting number. Many times people confuse cast (raised numbers/letters right in the engine block/head) with stamped (numbers/letters stamped into the metal with a punch) on a machined flat surface. See HBM 147 698 in post #15 as an example. thanks for the answer My doubt is about the post # 9, because has a photo similar to my engine, but is a 235 block 1946 vintage. My car is a 1950 and the engine number HBM 147 698 is correctly indicated for this year. On the post #16 Mark Simmons said that looks like a 235 from 54 to 62. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 The engine in post #17 is an early engine. You can tell by the wide (deep) side cover. The cover goes right to the top of the block. On the later engine the side cover stops below the spark plugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterc9 Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 (edited) The engine in post #17 looks like a babbit engine with the tall side cover. It also has the four screw later valve cover. These two things don't normally go together. Maybe the valve cover was adapted on somehow. Edited October 5, 2017 by misterc9 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 Perhaps it is a later head on an earlier block? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fredsaad Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 Iooking at the picture. I can see that Manifold has a follow number 3835527, so indicate a 1950 head to a 216 cubic inches. and the other number, 3835309 is a 1948 or 1949 block. to a 235 cubic inches. I think the old engine original has broken and the new one was placed. is it possible? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Simmons Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 Okay I'm back but without my books. The 2nd set of photos show a long side plate motor. Making it earlier than a '53 powerglide motor and definitely not a '54-62 235. Possibly a 216 or early 235 long side plate motor. If memory serves the old long side plate motors weather 216 or 235 had timing marks on the flywheel with the indicator above the starter. Yes I do know of people who swapped heads 235 newer to 235 older but not to 216. Also the 235 blocks from '53 powerglide through the '62 had different mounting options cast on them. I'll make a note to get my books, hopefully this week. They should narrow this whole thing down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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