how much better is a 250 over a 230 i-6???

hey gang, my 235 in my 53 is a leaky turd..runs okay but want to move up to a better oiling, quicker to get parts fer kinda motor... so my question....got a bud who has [ we think to be] a 230 that was pulled [by me 13years ago] out of ta 66 chevy truck w/ 6000 org miles.. well, that wasnt a question should i use it with the s-10 t-5 and rear, or should i try and find a 250??? want to update whole drivetran for safety and reliablity fer me wife and kiddies.. maybe take some long trips...hear ya could put a 250 crank in the 230 to make it a 250... just need pointed in the right line fer the whole damn drivline....by the way i got 8 bucks to spent so whats the cheapest route?? all help will be greeted with an 'atta boy' and a beer if yer in my bar sometime!!!! breeder

 

230s and 250s share cranks i believe, they are just differnt bores?

basicly the same motor as a 250, but the saying is, there is no replacement for displacement...

 

No, it's the opposite--both have a 3.875 bore, but the 230 has a 3.25 stroke, while the 250 stroke is 3.53.

 

soooo, what yer sayin is??? just fresh up the 230, or throw a 250 crank in the 230, or throw it away and get a 250?? what problems are there in the install of this with the t-5 and the rear???

 

Shouldn't be too hard to install it, pretend it's a small block V8, the mounts should be in the same place (***uming you have the mount brackets that fit on the engine)

I don't see any reason to go chasing after a 250 right now....get the 230 in there and running and then keep your eye out for a 292 if you want to go faster.

 

i just want to not get ran over on the road and have the reliablilty of somethin more updated.. 230 will work fine fer that???what about the t-5 mate??easy or not??

 

The back of a 230 looks just like the back of a 60s-70s small block V8....so it should be not too difficult if you can find a T5 from a V8 car, although most of these will be tilted since they're from 82-92 Camaros.

 

Use the 230.
Install electronic ignition and headers.
Install a 390 cfm four barrel if you can.
You will have a nice dependable package that will have more hp than the 235.
r

 

I'm with squirrel on this one, ***uming the 230 is cheap. Once you get the 230 in there, the 250 is a direct bolt in. Exactly the same size. Might as well be driving it.

As for the t-5 swap, it's also really easy. I'm putting an S10 T5 behind a 250 in a '64 C10, and I've managed to drag it out over several months, but that's due to distance and an attack of real life, not because of any real difficulty in the swap. You can even use your stock clutch setup if you use your original bellhousing.

The short version is that you'll need a new clutch package, you'll need to drill the transmission to bellhousing mount holes out to 1/2" (they're metric), you'll need to shorten your driveshaft, and you'll need to make a crossmember. If you had the 3-speed, you'll need a longer speedo cable. You may also need to mount the transmission back just a touch (1/16" or so) to keep the input shaft splines from hitting the pilot bushing, but that seems to vary from person to person. Just mock it up before you install the clutch.

 

yep. 75 bucks...using the s-10 rear is a good idea?? heard you need a 4 wheel drive rear end for gears/ and size.. that true or wil a 2 wheel drive work???

 

Breeder- I believe the 4 wd is wide enough and the 2wd is not.....

 

The 230 will serve ya well...better than the old 235 could ever hope to!

For ultimate "weld the hood shut" reliabitliy, I would rob the HEI distributor out of a mid/late 70s era 250 as mentioned above, and if you really wanna have a 'no worries' engine, take the cylinder head from a lates 70s 250 with the intake manifold cast into it. GM did this to cure vacuum leak problems around the older bolt-on intakes and they work like a charm

If you can find a Holley economaster replacement 1v carb, you will get much better power and mileage from it than the stock Rochester carb will ever deliver, but the stock carb properly rebuilt will do just fine, too.

Them 194, 230 and 250 engines are as close to indestructable as you can get! I've had eight cars with those engines in them and never hurt one! I even TRIED to blow two of them up, but they held in there! For reliability's sake, you just can't do any better!

Be forewarned, though, I considered putting one in my old 49, and also my old 52 Chevy, and I was told that they are a little longer than the Stovebolt sixes, but it IS possible. I've seen a couple 49-54 Chevys running the 250 six using Camaro/Firebird subframes grafted onto the stock frames, but with a little work, I know you can install your 230 into the stock frame.

When you're finished, you should have a car that will take you anywhere, and the motor will probably outlive YOU! It won't be a race car, but it won't be any slower than it is now, either!

 

will my headers work off the 235 or do i need new ones??

 

all the parts are different on the 235 series and the 230/250/292 series...sorry!

 

DAM, DAM
oil well, just havta get new ones.. thanks. breeder

 

Dur. I read 66 Chevy truck in your first post and totally spaced on the fact that you're installing in a '53 (car I ***ume).

That how-to list in my post is for a '64 truck. Like has already been said 230/250 is longer than the 235 and no parts interchange. The T5 would still bolt right up, but you may not be able to reuse your old bellhousing. Also already been said, but you'd need the 4x4 rear. The 2wd is too narrow. I've heard something about the stud pattern or backspacing being a bit different on the S10 rear, but I can't remember the details. May want to check into that.

Sorry to repeat what everybody's already said, but I'd hate to give the wrong impression with my earlier post.

 

i should have made that more clear...yep, its a car...im tryin to get it runnin better. dist troubles i think..the damn car leaks every fliud known to man.. so i figger id just swap the damn drivline out and make it safe fer the kids.. but, then i went and blew 3 grand on this last week..now im back to broke till the next heist,,i mean robbery,,****,,,umm..gotta go

 

Well, the difference between the 230 and 250's are the stroke, and piston compression height. Stroke: 230=3.250 --- 250=3.530 Piston compression height: 230=1.795 --- 250=1.655

Therefore, if you change the crankshaft, you'll have to change the pistons.

The bore size (3.875) is the same in 230-292's, and the rod length (5.700) is the same for the 230 and 250's.

There have been plenty of people put the L6 (194-250) low deck engines in those cars, but the 292 is a bit more work, since the deck height is 1.75 taller. However, it can be done.

Good luck !

-Aaron

 

Bell housing is tilted not the Transmission. Four front bolts are same pattern most other chevy trannies. rear mount needs a wedge shaped insert.

 

Both will last forever but the 250 is smoother with its counterweighted crankshaft. 283 pistons will work in the 230 and 307 pistons work in the 250. Later model heads have hardened seats. Most of the 250's have a funky 2 barrel carb that can be a pain in the ***.
Pete

 

As far as I know, the 2bbl integral heads only showed up on the '78-'84 trucks. Vacuum leak problems be damned, use an earlier head with a removable intake, and you can run duals, triples, or a 4bbl. If you find a 194 head, it will make around 10:1 on a 250 with stock pistons.

 

I think he meant the tailshaft/gearshift. Camaro shifters are angled to the side instead of sitting straight up and down. You can bolt on an S10 tailshaft to fix it. Direct swap, and it'll move the shifter farther forward to clear the bench seat.

 

S10 rear axles are metric...the bolt patterns are VERY close to the standard 5 on 4.75" Chevy pattern, and most Chevy wheels will fit, but the studs are metric thread, so you will need the appropriate lug nuts.

A Camaro/Firebird/Nova rear axle, or one from a 55-57 Chevy, Olds or Pontiac makes a good choice for 49-54 Chevys, in addition to a few Ford and Mopar offerings if you wanted to go that way!

The 230 will accept transmissions/bellhousings that fit small block Chevys, so your ****** choices are plentifull, to say the least!

I know lots of people don't like the uncoventional look of the integral head castings off the later 250 engines, but these heads have hardened valve seats for unleaded fuel (something your 230 head does not have) and they won't produce random vacuum leaks. With a good Rochester or Holley (better yet!) 1v carb and HEI distributor from a 70s era 250, the motor will run smooth as silk for YEARS to come!

The best part is that people give these motors (and parts for them) away!

Use what you save on engines and parts to buy a decent ****** and rear axle and you'll be very happy with the end result!!

 

man this site is great!!!it would take years and tons of trial and error to learn what this place can in a day!!! im guessin if i use a t5 trans out of an s10 there would be quite a good bit of fab to keep it a 3 on the tree!!! big floor shifter here we come!!!!! breeder

 

I know they are not race engines, but what kind of power did they put out? (the 230 that is) My 34 chev has a 230 from a mid 60's truck. The motor's been bored .060 over, 3x1 progressive intake, with some headers, and I'm just curious as what to expect. Thanks.

 

Myself I'd go with the earlier head without the intregal intake. There were a few million of them on the road and if you can't put an engine together without it having vacuum leaks sell your tool box and quit working on things like this. When I ran my regular repair shop I must have rebuilt and installed at least 50 of these engines and not ONE ever came back with a vacuum leak. Besides with the older head you can step up to a dual or triple carb intake with just an afternoons work. These engines really respond to a mild cam and extra carburation so that's something you might want to consider after you get the package runnning.

Frank

 

Well written! And so prudent, too! The guy is looking for a RELIABLE engine to serve him and his family on TODAY'S gasoline on a TIGHT BUDGET. Good job recommending multiple carbs and a head not designed for use with unleaded fuel! That should add some expense and complexity to it for him!

I was offering a low buck, sensible way to put the 230 into service on today's gasoline. I'm sure a good 250 integral head and HEI distributor could be had for free or damn close to it...but maybe you have an old style 230 or 250 head in your museum with hardened valve seats already installed and a tripple carb intake and three new carbs plus linkage, air cleaners and fuel block to donate to the cause? Then you can lend your expert tuning abilities to the project and make sure it runs perfectly forever...just like in your Glory Days?

Damn...you ALWAYS gotta be such an ***HOLE???

 

How about this for low buck...if he's got a 230, he's already got a cylinder head and intake manifold. Run it as is, and as money and knowledge become available, the intake and exhaust can be changed---or is that too logical?

 

That deffinitely works as well. I just get tired of the same old high-and-mighty know-it-all playing the jerk all the time...his condescending tone gets old after a while, and yes it pisses me off!

Thankfully, he's the exception rather than the rule! Guys like you and Squirrel present good info in a much more pleasant fashion...I try to, but then old Wise-*** pipes up again and gets under my skin!

I was outlining a plan that could be executed for very little cash and would be reliable for a long time to come....as long as the motor isn't in the car yet, I figured it'd be a good time to swap heads and ignition and put new gaskets into it, along with freeze plugs and some fresh paint. A 'do it once and do it right' type of deal if long term reliability in a low buck family fun vehicle were the primary goals.

But you present a faster and even lower dollar alternative, as well as a calming effect!

Thanks!

 

Was the 230 available in the trucks? I thought it was just 250 and 292?

Just asking how do you know it's a 230? Have you looked at the casting numbers or?