I picked up my new 52 Chevy Ute last week after the long boat ride and importing hassles. I need to get some good pictures and start a post for the car. But for now having trouble figuring out the engine in this car. It doesn't run, but supposedly fires on starting fluid. Remember this car came from Australia, so all of the searching I have done is providing little info as it has differences from US produced engines. Here is what I can determine: a) It is a 235 by the shorter side cover that stops under the head. Note the head is the top 2 bolt mounting valve cover instead of the 4 perimeter bolts. b) The head casting number is 3701887, which I found one reference as being a 53 truck low pressure 235. c) Engine casting number is 5843350, and this casting number is located at the front of the engine forward of the fuel pump. d) Engine stamped number rear of the distributor is R755325. Sorry pic is upside down on the numbers. One reference I found indicated an R engine code was used in 54 truck 235. The engine does not have any of the US-based casting numbers or other stuff located around the dipstick and distributor. It is just smooth casting in that area. So you guys that are much higher knowledge on 216/235 help me out please. I haven't pulled the starter to check for any casting dates that are located on the block behind it. Probably need to do that to get better info on the engine production date. What do you think I actually have here? Low pressure 235 or full pressure 235? I am most likely not going to run this engine, as leaning to V8 swap of some sort. However I do intend to try and fire it up and at least be able to assess condition. This engine certainly has some different locations and numbers than the typical old Chevy 6 made in US does. Thanks for any help!
In case you don't get the answer here, though I doubt that will happen!, try Chevy talk. You may find someone there with the info you need. https://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/portal/index.php?
I'd say you're right about it being a low pressure 235 truck engine looking at head casting number. "R" is for right hand drive, all my Chevy blocks from RHD vehicles have it.
There were truck 235s that were low pressure, 'Glide cars got full oil pressure in '53. Being a Ute it it probably a 'truck' 235. Check under/behind/below the exhaust manifold to exhaust pipe joint. On the side of the block there there is an oil distribution plate on dipper engines, held on with three screws. Full pressure engines will just have the smooth oil gallery casting down the length of the block. Truck 235s are a 'combo' of 216 and 235 bits.
That looks like one I had (and just sold), which had the "old" style head (2 mounting studs for the valve cover), and the short sideplate like yours. The low pressure 235 truck motors (here in Australia) had the long sideplate. A photo of the carb side of the engine, down low, will help. A lot of the early stuff we got here was made/cast in Canadia, so may be a little different to the U.S. stuff. Good luck with your ute!
Maybe this paragraph might help. Seeing the head casting number points towards a 53 truck engine. Maybe check how many head bolts you have under the valve cover. One more thing, would the oil pressure gauge give any clues as to the identity? 1953 was an odd/transition year for 235 engines. In all earlier years, the 216/235 engines had low-pressure lubrication and they all had 15 head bolts and a 2-bolt valve cover. In 1953, the Powerglide equipped cars (and Corvette) had high-pressure lubrication 235 engines with 18 head bolts (as used in all later 235/261 engines) and 2-bolt valve cover. To add to this confusion, the 1953 truck 235 had 18 head bolts still had low-pressure lubrication and had the 2-bolt valve cover.
My Holden book is currently packed away due to downsizing, however when I locate it I can check that engine # to determine it's origins etc. Car would be originally CKD from Canada with body built here by GMH.
Just went and took a picture of the area I think you were describing. I don't see any bolt on plate. In the third pic below you can see the oil pressure line coming off that oil galley. So maybe it is a full pressure 235??? Here is front of engine looking to rear: Here is the rear looking forward view behind the exhaust manifold. This is the lower part of the engine left side
Success, had wife help and fired the engine up. No bad noises and seems to be fairly smooth. All leading to this might be a good condition engine. Be a nice backup for my 37 Chevy Ute, which has a low pressure 216; although it runs very nice with low miles since rebuilt with insert bearings instead of babbit. Further question, if this 52 Ute engine is a full pressure engine, what oil pressure do they run? Since wife was inside and I was under the hood I could not see what the oil pressure was. Only ran for about 5 seconds at a time on gas squirted down carb. The Ute dash gage has 0-30 for oil pressure, although understand the original engine would have been a low pressure version since it's a 52 model.
I’d say “full pressure” lubrication (oil pressure to rods via drilled crankshaft with insert rod bearings).
If you fill the float bowl (if you didn't before) with your squirter you should be able to get in and run it for about 30 seconds or a bit longer.
You will know if it is a full pressure engine, if it gets above about 15psi cold. Should run around 40 PSI. It should peg the old gauge. The babbit splasher would run at aboutt 5-10 PSI on a good day, hot engine.
My bet is that it is a '53 motor - full pressure 235, 18 bolt head. I have had them like this out here. In 54 GM went to the 4 bolt valve cover.
That's a good eye Squirrel, and it would seem to add credibility for the 53 date. It looks like "_ 20 3" where the _ is not able to read in that pic. Thanks to all for the help, it appears that this may be a cast in 53 full pressure 235. My next plan is to pull the valve cover and count the head bolts to see if 18 or 15. Also will do a little more to run the engine longer and get better idea of the condition once warmed up a bit. HAMB comes through again!
Removed valve cover, 18 head bolts. Real nice and clean inside. Also tried to get better picture of the block casting date. Might be a J for month code? Hard to tell for sure. Head casting date is actually outside the valve cover and looks like "F _ 3". Further confirmation of being a 53 engine. Sent from dumb operator on a smart phone
Quick additional information. Had engine running for longer period of time. Pegs the oil pressure gauge. Probably ran for 10 minutes total. Warmed up enough to verify still pegs oil gauge at hot idle. Just a little valvetrain ticking, nothing serious. Happy to find out the engine is a full pressure version. Sent from dumb operator on a smart phone
That valve train ticking should be normal. Your engine has solid lifters which will have some lash between the rocker arm and the valve.
Looks like it, congrats! FWIW, the oil gauge in my Powerglide car is a 60Psi unit. Before you go adjusting valve train, dump in some Seafoam or like cleaner into the sump to aid in removing varnish and gunk. Might just be a slightly sticky valve or rocker and not an adjustment issue. And post pics of the UTE, don't get to see those too often.
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