I am on the hunt for complete rebuildable 235 for my '55 Bel Air.

I found one that is from a truck. Other than maybe the water pump are there any other differences?

Thank you

Hi Larry . . .

Based on your post from mid-May earlier this year your '55 came with a straight six. So you can reuse all of the accessories and mounts from your car to adapt the truck block. While Chevy used a different bell house and transmission on trucks versus cars a '55 235 block can be universally swapped between truck and car applications.

regards,
stock49

There is one rub here. In 55 there were two different versions of the 235. One for cars with manual transmission, and another for cars with auto transmission. The blocks for the stick cars came with solid lifters and the blocks were not machined/drilled for hydraulic lifters. The blocks for the auto trans cars came with hydraulic lifters. So while you can run hydraulic or solid lifters in a block that was originally machined for hydraulic lifters, you cannot use hydraulic lifters in a block that was originally a manual trans motor. This distinction ended in 55 and for 56 and up, all passenger car motors came with hydraulic lifters. That being said, to my knowledge, all trucks with 235 or 261 motors came with stick transmission so solid lifters and no hydraulic lifters. Your earlier post noted that comp cams had ground you a hydraulic profile cam and lifters so while you can use the truck motor, you can't use your cam and lifters.

The above notwithstanding, you should get the casting date from the block in the truck and the Alfa numeric stamping from the distributor pad and post back and maybe we can sort out exactly what block you have.

I was under the impression that '53 was the transition year and come '54 all 235 engines used the new design for top oiling:

with both hydraulic and solid lifters designed with an indented annulus to allow oil to flow up top to the rockers. The truck division did drag its feet in '53 shipping the 216 for one last year. But I am unaware of them clinging to old design 235 into '54 let alone into '55.

But now that I look at my notes on lifter interchange - the milk bottle style lifter was used through '55:


To your point the lifter style from the truck block will dictate options on the build.

Thanks for the help.

I just went to ask for the numbers off the block and the engne was sold.

For now the hunt continues.

It looks like I should just avoid a truck block.

55 was last year for distinction. The standard shift blocks were not drilled for the hydraulic lifters. Top oiling was from the back cam bearing via a steel tube behind the side cover for late 54 (the early production 55 blocks) through 58 (not sure about 53-54 production power glides as I have never messed with them, they may have the same rocker oiling method). In 59, the oiling system was altered again to provide a direct passage from the main oil galley up to the head eliminating the steel tube behind the side cover. The orifice in the head feeding the rockers was also enlarged, the rocker connector was pinched off (more pressure and volume) and the groove inside each of the rockers was offset (no longer intersecting the dribble hole like on the 55-58 rockers) to make use of the higher volume and pressure without the higher pressure and volume spitting beyond the rockers and valve springs.

I don't know if you should avoid a truck block. One reason to use mechanical lifters is the problem that seems to plague the new manufactured hydraulic lifters, some of them have a nasty habit of collapsing shorty after break in. for Hydraulics, you want to find some nos GM or rnos aftermarket that are 25 years old or older. Otherwise, have the cam reground for mechanical lifters there is no issue with the new manufactured mechanical lifters. BTW, the mechanical cam does not need nearly as much in the way of valve adjustments as you might hear. Once set, they stay pretty good and only need a periodic adjustment.