I have the original six in my Chevy Bel Air hard top. Rather than rebuild the original motor I was told the newer motors with full oil pressure are better. I was told that a 1962 six motor would be the latest and would be an exact fit because I want to keep the Fenton dual intake, carbs and exhaust and many other new parts from my old six. Anybody have any advice on this? Seems to me I could get the newer motor then rebuild it so it would be an out and in exchange? Thanks for any help or suggestions. Al
You don't need to swap engines, Al. The passenger-car 235 came out in '53, and had insert bearings, but no full-pressure oiling. But fully pressure-lubricated 235s were introduced in '54. So there's not much difference between a '54 235 and a '62 235...though I heard somebody saying the later engines have bigger valves maybe?...not sure about that. I would stick with the engine you've got. Good luck with your Chevy. P.S. - Patrick's can answer all of your questions, and their catalog is worth getting just for the info. In case you weren't aware, there are online forums just for the GM sixes. Search "stovebolt" and "inliners". And of course, plenty of discussions here in the past.
I'd keep the 54 in there, too. I put a 58 in my 54 and the small details that were different were a pain. Different water pump and fan. Motor mounts in the wrong place, by just enough to be a pain and require adapter plates. Had to flip the radiator to the other side of the rad support to clear the fan and pump. Had to trim the inner hood structure to clear the moved radiator.
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