Bought a used complete 235, no compression in any of the cylinders, pb blast/marvels did not work on freeing up the rings. On a tight budget, so have engine rebuilt (long block) for 1700.00 or try just replacing the rings ( honing cylinders) and getting a valve job? Reasoning, still don't know if ****** or rearend are any good. Original motor that came with the truck had a cracked block and head.
Just gonna throw this out there, be patient and keep your eyes peeled. I cant believe you couldnt find a good running 235 nearby for a couple hundred bucks.
X2 on above, my uncle picked up a good 235 for $400 that ran great, the guy was V8ing his 55 but since it has issues, why not remove the head and measure the cylinders if they are in spec, hone and re-ring check the crank and head and rock that thing
You will never know what's wrong on the inside by looking at the outside. You can always use a ridge reamer and pull the pistons out. Hone it with dimgle berry hone and replace rings, inserts and mains. Unless your inspection finds major wear or problems. A lot of valves only need to be honed by hand to seat. Of course, common sense is your best guide. Some need fresh parts and machine work. I have done more with less, until sometimes I feel like I can do anything with nothing. I once saw that in a place where conditions were so primitive I took it to be the truth. I have been there myself. The great motivator is not wanting to walk. There's something about vehicle that you make run that is just downright inspiring. It makes you want to go places and see things.
Yes, it is that decease that most of us on the forum have, buy old cars/trucks, fix them up, and either keep or sell. lol Will clean it up from the outside first, then start tearing into her. Going off the casting numbers and breather on valve cover, its a 59/60 235 that came out of a car(due to side mtr mounts) still attached. Std trans bell housing attached. If block was bored, would pistons be stamped .000 over like they do now? Where would be the best place to buy just the rings? If bearing show no signs of heavy wear, still replace them? Your definition of "Inserts"? Replace Rod bearings? If valve seals are old and hard, go with valve job? I'm not quite attached to the truck, although the story of obtaining it is quite the story, but don't want to get to upside down on it in the event I keep hitting costly roadblocks and have to just sale it taking a loss.
Its crazy how much the machine work cost for the 6 vs an 8, simply crazy. I did fix the door latches last night on the truck, so felt a little more attached to the truck,
Considered a newer 6 and also a V8, but then I'm looking a possibly having to still rebuild a motor and ******, change out the rear end, and then get a drive shaft made. all that being said, current set up is still questionable and cost of the 235 build aint that bad.
That's what I hear, but search CL down in Texas, either cheap and not running/no history or running for 800-1200
craigslist is mostly a rip off on 235s most people dont know what they are. They just wrote that ad because someone told them it was a 235. Hot rod shops, car club buddies, ch***is shops, tri five owners, any 4 door car likely had more 6s than V-8s, pick ups had a ton of them and they never had too many miles. Keep yopur eyes peeled and they are out there. $200 should buy you a good running 235. You may have to take it out of the donor but what the hell, at least you will score a good one
IF you decide to overhaul, here is a practical operation that's served me well over the years. (1955-2015) Great results, cast iron rings. Cheap and dependable. Pull the head, s****e piston. Yes, it will be stamped if oversize. (bore can and should be measured with a caliper, it will tell you the value from standard specs.) Pull oil pan, remove ridge w/ridge reamer, remove pistons. IF there are no scorings in cyl. walls, then proceed to next important NO-$$$ (free) step. Pull the top (compression) ring off piston, place in cyl. just BELOW ring ridge. (1/2" down from block surface) Make sure ring is level, (square it up with bare piston, (rings removed) push piston in 'upside down'. Measure with feeler gauge(s) the gap in the ring. Write it down! Now, with the piston (upside down again) push the ring down toward the bottom of the cylinder, (about 3.5" will do). Now reach down with the feeler gauge(s) and measure inside the gap of the ring. The value will be less than at the top, from wear...(cylinder taper) Now, subtract the bottom reading from the top reading; this will give a difference in thousandths of an inch. Divide the difference by 3. (this is a close-enough way to get diameter of cyl. wear...Actual factor (pi) is 3-1/7, or 22/7, or 3.1416. But 3 is close enough) Now, if the difference from bottom to top was .024" or less, (.024 divided by 3+.008") it is safe to re-ring. Ignore the next guy that posts, "YOU NEED A 3-POINT BORE GAUGE!" You don't. Or you wouldn't be honing-and-re-ringing! If .008" or less, hone cylinders with ball hone in an electric drill, in a cross hatch. (up and down while honing, at lowest RPM.) Just enough to rid cylinders of glaze; resist temptation to 'bore the cylinder'! Just clean it up, like 'rough satin'. Grant piston ring engineers deduced that .008" taper was quite safe to re-ring, (around 1930) and it's still true. HOWEVER, most machinists will argue the point. (itchy boring bar fingers...hungry wallets added) Some internet sites are lousy with armchair machinists that say "NO TAPER!" They are full of the same thing as what's floating thru cyberspace. Just be sure to follow piston ring mfr's gap specs to the letter.
I have 3 good Running Pressure oiled 235's and one non pressure Oiled 235 laying here and like 5 216's all for sale. We usually get 500.00-750.00 for non pressure oiled and for the pressure oiled ones we get $1200.00 for a known good runner.
You never know, if you try posting a wanted to buy add on craigs list, or look on some of the forums for a engine, you might find a good one pretty cheap. Just kinda common for people to pull them and replace with a v8, then they are stuck with a good 6 that nobody wants to buy, and to good to toss in the iron pile. Got a couple of them out in the shed, to far away to do you any good though.
That price is if you supply a pressure oiled core. We put a $750.00 core value on the pressure oiled engines. Sent from my XT1585 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
We have too many as well, but have built 5 in the past couple years. They aren't quite as popular as the model A engines we do though. Sent from my XT1585 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
couple months ago I advertised this truck for $600, 235 chevy grandpa rebuilt, never did tighten the valve cover down, was still adjusting the valves., starts and runs awesome, drove it in the yard and parked it couple months ago. No smoke or engine noise. Not one bite to buy the truck ..... is no longer for sale now. Also have another rebuilt 235 in the shed, completely rebuilt, junked the dump truck it was in. Just no interest in them when advertised.
And I bet if 51truc showed up with some C notes and was a nice guy and would give it a good home I think the 235 would have traded hands for less than the asking price and had 2 satisfied people.
I would have been happy as a lark!! and yes, I'm a nice guy!! But hey, I'm expanding my knowledge, having fun, its just my wallet that's hurting....lol
I live 60 miles from Los_Control and can verify that around this area 235 runners don't usually bring a lot of money. 30 years ago the hop farmers bought up every one out of the wrecking yards that was in good shape because they had fleets of cut down 1-1/2 ton AD Chevy trucks to haul hops out of the fields with but now they use trailers for the most part. I'd do what A****erMike suggested and pull the thing down and see what you have. It may be that the rings are just stuck to the point they won't go out and seal against the cylinder walls and it may be that the thing is so damned wore out that the pistons were changing holes the last time it ran. Find out how worn it is or what is bad and go from there. Worse case you have some core parts to sell and move on. Best case you buy a rering kit with rings, rod bearings, main bearings and a gasket set and do a ring and bearing job on it and it's probably good for another 60K. As for machine work, What Sch****e Engines quoted is at the absolute high end of the spectrum. He has his market that will pay that though Here where I live it would be a lot less just because of the labor costs. But prices vary here too and the guy who does a lot of race work is higher and the guy who does a lot of work for farmers is lower. Same quality of work but different market, expenses and clientele. Parts: Check rock auto https://www.rockauto.com/ Plug in 1959 Chevrolet Biscayne with a 235 and the parts list will show up. They usually give several options and price options. Also the parts numbers work for searching for a better price. It looks like you can get rings, rod bearings, main bearings and a full gasket set for about 200 bucks though. O'Reilly's just totally screwed up their online parts search trying to modernize it and what used to be the easiest one to hunt parts on is now a mess. Still I'd price check with them as sometimes they keep the others honest. Another source is www.northernautoparts.com They usually beat the snot out of people on rering kits for 350 Chevys but I am not sure what they have for a 235
Apreciate the help! I think I'm falling for ole betsi , new radiator, mst cylinder, and wheel cylinders came in today from C Ind... Front/rear mounts yesterday from Auto Zone..and bought a used chrome grill for 50.00 bucks off CL today. Just need to focus on the motor...focus....yea right
Find a Chevy truck forum for the years 1955 and up. Ask if anybody is or has pulled a good running 235 in favor of putting a V8 in their truck. I did this about 8 years ago and a guy answered my forum question the next day and said, "Please come take it out of my shop. Nobody wants to buy it. It's been sitting in my heated shop for 4 years. It's YOURS for FREE and I'll even help you load it". I was there the next day. The motor is still in my truck, runs great, blows no smoke. 235's can be had REALLY cheap or even FREE if you're looking in the right place. Try this link...and click on the 1955-1959 forum https://talk.cl***icparts.com/ Andy
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