OK, upon further review of the Stovebolt in my '52 coupe I'm confused as to the CID. Maybe some of you more experienced inliners can help me out, this one's my first(ahhhhhhhh, how cute!) Here's the deal: 1952 Chevy Business Coupe stock manual 3spd tranny I pulled the intake and exhaust manifolds last weekend and installed some Fenton Headers. When I went to install the intake manifold heat plate kit(which runs from the two threaded holes in the headers) it didn't fit. I bought this kit specifically for the '49-'52 216 intake. I took some measurements and the intake is most certainly off of a 235 (the stud-holes are closer together). It also has the three compression rings that hold the intake intake in place, which I was told might only apply to the 235 as well. Long story short, what do ya think I'm running??? Is there any way of telling short of trying to find all the numbers? And if that's the only way, is there a website or something that I can reference??? THANKS!
quick way to tell...if the side cover over the pushrods only covers the block, it's a 235. If it covers the head as well as the block, it's a 216. Look at the numbers stamped on the block by the distributor, and the casting numbers that are partly hidden by the starter. We should be able to figure out what it is from those. Be sure to include the casting date code from the starter area of the block, it will be a letter followed by two or three numbers.
looks like a 235. http://www.geocities.com/david_fruits/image/dcp_1552.jpg thats my 54 235. not pretty but it runs. you need the right intake/exhaust for it to be right, although it CAN be made to work, its better to have the right stuff,
It looks like an early 235, judging by the head. Those numbers would sure help figure out just what it is.
there's at least two places to look up the casting number on the block and one to look up the engine codes. My 235 I didn't find the pad with the serial and engine code right away - it was covered in so much crap it just looked like a lump. Behind the distributor, it's machined out maybe 1/2" by 3" below the bottom of the side cover. Scrape it off and there's the code. The casting number is ahead of the distributor and hard to miss in big 3/4" tall cast numerals. Those will track the motor down. I knew by my casting that it was a 55-57 block and the code told me '56 passenger car.
What squirrel said about valve covers....; as far as the The ring-dowells in the ports go, they're in all of them, all the way back including the 1929 194cid, just different sizes.
So how did the header install go? Much grinding to do? And I might be interested in buying that little heat plate chingas as I am running a 216...... Ted
Hey Ted! The header install wasn't tooooo bad, but it's a TIGHT fit and I mean TIGHT! Had to lose my parking break and death-wheel off the bracket it used to live on(bye bye). A little grinding on the front header for bolt clearence issues, but they seem to barely, barely clear the motor mount, so no cutting/welding took place there. Then I drove her home from my friend's shop with open headers which was pretty fun... and loud. Going to the muffler shop early next week. As far as the heat plate kit thingy goes, my buddy's TIG welding the wrong holes up and drilling new ones in the correct spots, so I'm gonna hang on to it and put it to use.
if you want to find casting numbers to find exactly what year .........go to inliners.org.......you can find out what block and head from what year you have .........
Although, I used an early aluminum valve cover on my later '58 head just by putting the long studs through the rocker stands and using the early gasket, so don't rule anything out until you run the casting numbers.
I wasn't looking at the valve cover, I was looking at the head, in the spark plug area. The early 235 heads are more bulged out there, the later ones have deeper holes in them around the plugs and you can see the pushrod and headbolt hole outlines. here's a 58 head
Yeah, I'm back and still a bit confused. The head casting #, according to online sources, make it a 216 head and it does have the two stud valve cover like a 216, but the push-rod side cover ONLY COVERS THE BLOCK, NOT THE HEAD!!! and the code I ran off of the plate by the starter/dipstick (started w/KAQ) doesn't match up exactly to anything I could find online... WTF??? Is it possible this is an early, early, early 235 or something? (here's the link to the pic, so's you don't have to scroll up) http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=161378&d=1139521043
There were truck 235 engines made back in the 1940s. The early 50s powerglide 235 engines, which were similar inside to the 216 but externally different, had a head that looked like the one in your car. Look for the casting date code at the back of the block, kind of hiding behind the starter motor, should be a letter and 2 or 3 digits, the last digit is the last digit of the year the block was cast. Did you see this page? not quite complete, but it's a start.
Call Patrick's. They can tell you quickly, over the phone, how to EXACTLY I.D. your motor. No fuss, no muss. By the way, I have installed a lot of Fentons and aftermarket intakes on these engines and from my experience, it is almost always necessary to grind on both the exhaust and intake manifolds to get both to work together (be careful, those castings aren't real thick!). Also, lose the exhaust heat and go with hot water heat for the intake manifold (if you run it at all; forgot to look where you live). The exhaust heat is more trouble than it's worth. Hot water heat takes a little more time to install but works much better and will keep working better in the long run.
OK. Now we know you have a 235 because of the side plate. So to tell if it's an early babbit pounder 235 or a later pressure 235 look at the pic below & if your engine has the funky shaped plate on the block (circled) it's a babbit pounder. If not it's a full pressure 235. Hope this helps. Billy
Ah, the funky plate is there.... she's a "pounder", which is fine for now, I'm on the hunt for a full-oiler, no hurry though, mine's running like a top.
it's pretty obvious to me that it's a babbit 235, just from the appearance of the head. So, I guess now that you know that, it doesn't matter what it came out of....
3769716 is my block number. According to a number list that was posted on another thread (see picture) it is a 58-62 235 babbit. It has a 1956 head on it according to the numbers. My engine does not have the kidney shaped tin cover on the block. Did GM have babbit pounders after 1953? I have conflicting info...
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