Technical 235 Chevrolet Reliability/Modern Upgrades?

I just re-saw some Roadkill episodes, and with them in mind, if they can make a junk yard truck run, and a 'cuda drag race, it should be possible to make an descent Stovebolt be more then reliable with a new carb or a set, new small HEI/Mallory dual point, new oil and filter, and a new clutch.

And new 4bbl on a Clifford manifold, or a 2x1 bbl on a modern manifold should out profits any used FI!!
That's how I would do it.

The weber 32/34 (sold stateside as an Edelbrock) should also be a good match, but could be a little low on the CFM, but for a stocker it should work.

 

That's the Weber 32/36, and it is sold stateside as the Weber 32/36.

It's too small forva 235. If a Weber is desired, a 38/38 would be better.

 

My brother's old Volvo got one of those Webers...least reliable carb I've ever dealt with.

 

It was the one I meant. The Ford guy love them. I worked on them on a couple V6 181 Essex, even street racers/track days like them so I thought the 38 would fine for a mild/stock 235. They are fairly easy to install and relative to setup with jets. There was an Edelbrock version of the weber, but I thought It would be a better match for US sized cars.

What Volvo? They got a good rep over here, and are way easy to set up the DCOE and give good fuel economy.

 

replace the original SUs on a 544.

 

That model Weber was made under license by Holley for Pinto, Vega etc and is sometimes known as a Holley Weber

 

What's wrong with a Rochester B? As long as the throttle shaft isn't worn, and the top isn't warped, they are actually very reliable. You can pull them apart on the side of the road with a screwdriver and wrench, not that I ever needed to in the 16 years I drove my 235 as a daily driver. Overhaul the stock parts properly and they won't give any trouble.

 

The raven drove a stock 235 for probably 70 or 80K in his AD truck. it was his daily summer and winter. The only mods were an electronic distributer. It was not overhauled before we put it in the truck, nor even cleaned it was a crusty oily mess just like it was when he brought it home from the junk yard.

There is really nothing you can do to one to make it reliable except to drive it. They are a gutless wonder but they are like a Timex watch, they take a lickin and keep on tickin.

 

LOL, Especially in a 4000 Pound wagon, will go from 0 to 60... eventually.

 

some one tried to improve the 402 in my 71 truck. and the hardened valve seat came out and the valve head popped off and destroyed the engine. You don't need hard seats. Just hard valves and a good three angle valve job. Ive been running unleaded gas in old engines for years. I add a quart of diesel to every tank of gas. Just add a converted HEI and a PCV and tune the engine up really well.

 

I have no experience with Rochester. But I can by a large margin of safety tell that half of the stuff we get over here, a not always the best US of A can offer, it's often be beaten and broken, after being farm truck for years or an low down DD, or a victim of not so idle hands who don't the delicate nature of a 40+ year carb.

But I bet there are some good old carbs, but over here most of them is good cores.

That why I surgested to look in to new ones.

 

I now, right.? The @raven beat his old 235 like a rented mule. He wasn't winning any drag races with it but I'll bet it would have held its own on the long course @ B-Ville. I lolly gagged on the way to Joplin one year and had to run the pusher in the 5K RPM range for at least 5 miles to catch him. He would run it as fast as it would carry him in 5th gear and it would do that all day every day.

I don't run hard seats in anything that didn't come that way. Never had a problem either.

With the price of diesel (if you are not farmer) these days it is almost cheaper and certainly easier to dump a can of Bardahl top oil in the tank. It will cushion the valves well enough.

Depending on age a lot of these old motors came from a time when lead was only in premium gas. I think that was what top oil was originally created for was cushioning the valves when you were running cheap gas.

 

I would be more worried about getting some better gears in the rear end and maybe a different trans before doing anything else,my 37 P/u has a stock 57 235 hooked to a T-5 and 3.55 gears and now can play on the highway.

 

My dad drove his stock 235 18 miles one way to work every day for 20 years. Drove 65 on the highway.
Used straight grade Texaco Havoline 30 w in the summer and 20 w in the winter. Did one valve job.
My brother drove a 58 1/2 ton with a 235 3 speed and came from Detroit to Az and towed a Monte Carlo on a tow dolly back to Michigan over the rockies. He put over a 100K on that truck before he put a 283 in it.
One of the best engines Chevrolet ever made .