Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines New toy 62 Bel Air with 235 engine....(pic heavy)

Hey guys, been very busy over the summer with work and what-not.
Last week I picked up this new toy locally.
1962 Chevy Bel Air 4 door.
My wife and I just put on the new tires/rims.
Rocket Racing Velocity rims & BFGoodrich G-force tires.
Front: 17"x7" rims with 225/50/17 tires.
Rear: 17"x8" rims with 255/45/17 tires.






The interior is pretty much shot.

The car was not running so first thing I did was pull the plugs, put some "marvel mystery oil" in all the cylinders.
Next day I went out and "hand" turned over the engine.
The following day I drained all the nasty fuel out.
Put in: new plugs, fuel pump, fuel line, & inline fuel filter.

Managed to get her running.... but noticed a "clacking" sound under the front of the valve cover and shut it down.

Next day I pull the valve cover and find this:



And this:



Yep, both the broken rocker and the very nicely "wankered" push rod (another push rod was slightly bent also) were because of stuck valves.
I have freed up the valves so that part is taken care of.

Below are the rocker arm assemblies:




Now here is my QUEST.
I can't seem to find a replacement rocker for the broken off one.
Rocker shaft diamater = .801
Rocker inside diamater = .802

I went to my local machine shop and they have a pile of rocker arms...even sent me home with a replacement (before I had the assembly torn down) and come to find out it measures out at .795 I.D.

So doing some research it seems that the 216 and 235 are not the same or....... ?

Below is a picture of my rocker arm and you can see there are bronze bushings in them:


Big pic below of the entire set to show that they are all like this:


So, whats your opinion for those that are in the "know" on these 235's ?

I'll be totally honest with you all, "this is the first 235 I have ever owned".

Thanks for any help guys.

FWIW here are 2 pics of the rocker arm stands for cyl 4,5, & 6 all cleand up and put back together:




Sincerely,
Stu

Can't help you out.
Just want to post a comment.

Nice ride!

Thank you Sir.

Here is a pic I was fooling around with in photo-shop.

my '64 chevrolet Master parts book (covers '62 235s) only shows casting numbers-no dimensions. The book says '50-'62 intake L casting # 3764485; exhaust L casting # 33764487; intake R casting # 3764486; exhaust R casting #3764488. All the 216s are different part numbers than the 235s so maybe you were given a 216 rocker. As with a lot of things, later could mean "bigger" diameter rockers and shafts.

In your bottom-most picture, the end rocker has a Square outline with an "M" in it--that may be an old Mellings logo-they made cams, oil pumps and a lot of engine parts-rocker could be a replacement part--235s with bad oil changing records could gall rockers and their shafts from sludge clogging oiling to the rocker shaft necessitating replacements within their lifetime.

Thats alot of scrap iron to be towed around with a lowly 235! Is it a stick or a PowerGlide (may be the first year for an aluminum PowerGlide-either '62 or '63. Does it have an alternator or a generator- I think the factory a/c cars had the first alternators, "sweatbacks" were stuck with the last of the generators, in '63 all had alternators. Good straight body and trim!

I used to have a 62 Impala with a BBC in it. Wish I still had that car, it was really ahead of its time as far as looks and style.

pnc, thanks for those #'s I'll see if I can dig up something.
Yes 2 speed slip'n slide with a generator.
I found this on youtube lastnight swapping out the Gen. for an Alt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II-WP6sBCXU

CNCDude, no more BBC's for me, I have crossed over to the dark-side with the LS engines.
Looks/style, heck ya, love the lines on this ol'girl.

Thanks all,
Stu

So, if you look at the groove inside the rocker you can see it does not intersect the oil bleed hole. This means this is the correct rocker for a 59 up 235 ( the oil system was changed in I think 59 to make it a little more of a pressurized system). So, you need a number 5 rocker for 59 and up 235. I just checked my box of used rockers and don't have a 59 up, just 55-57, but at any rate that is what you need, 5 with an offset grove.

mdonohue05,
understood on the # 5 and 59 and up with the offset grove.

To your knowledge are the rocker arm shaft and the I.D. of the rocker shaft not interchangable with the 58 and older assemblies ?

Here are a few pictures from today... BIG pics






Thank you Sir,
Stu

That's an interesting question. I always assumed that the 55-63 shafts were all the same size. I say this because a few years ago I bought a pair of nos sealed power shafts and thought I remembered them as being interchangeable.

From what I found out today, yes the rocker shafts are interchangable.
The rockers are different from 59-62

Seems my rocker assebly's have been rebuilt.
Rocker shafts hard chromed.
Rocker arms bushed.

This whould be why I was having issues finding parts.

I did however get it all squared away and was able to order the correct intake rocker for the # 1 cylinder.

Now just have to find someone who can bush it to my rocker shaft..... :-(

I'm looking at these 235 rocker bushing that are .875 press fit and finished ID of .796. This leaves us a .o79 difference or roughly a .040 wall thickness. You could hone them to .802 and I wouldn't worry. I got my bushing off of ebay and they were cheap. I thing you have repair bushing in the rockers but I are not a chevy expert. Any machine shop should be able to ream and bush a couple of rockers for you. If the valves were tight and the rocker were repaired it might even have a over size rocker shaft. Again a good machine shop should be able to give you this information. Hope this helps.

Rocker arm rebuilders unlimited is still in business in California, they can likely help you out.

mdon,
yes Sir.
Here is their link: http://www.rockerarms.com/pages/rebuild.html

I have not contacted them as of yet, I'm going to wait until I have my replacement rocker arm in hand.

Thanks,
Stu

Why wait, see if you can send them the broken rocker and have them rebuild just a new rocker to the same spec as the broken one. They may very well have the no. 5 on hand

Yep... couldn't take it... had to call.
I ordered a new rocker on Monday from a different company, I didn't know about R.A.U. till after I had already ordered it.
Once the new rocker arm is here I'll be sending down my rocker shaft, the broken rocker arm and the new rocker arm.

Guy I spoke to at Rocker Arms Unlimited seemed pretty cool.

Will keep everyone in the loop.

L8R,
Stu

Rocker arm shafts sent Rocker Arms Unlimited today.

Decided to take the lifer/pushrod inspection plate off tonight.
Looks like a good thing I did....
Here are a couple of pictures of my Hydraulic Lifters.





The top piece where the push rod sits into...was just laying in the small valley next to the lifter.

Looks like I better replace them all.

L8R,
Stu

Nice looking '62. I have had a few 235s, a great engine. I had 2 in '62 Chevys. One was a Biscayne 4 door with a powerglide. The other was a dark blue Bel Air bubble top with a 3 speed stick on the column. It also had 2 carbs and splits. That was back in the late '60s to early '70s. Without a doubt, wherever that car is now, it is probably a documented all original restored 409/409 4 speed. It sure was a fun car with the warmed over 6 though.

Tom

Looks like the retaining clip popped. You should go back and look for the clip. Some folks have taken the lifters apart, cleaned them up and put them back in the motor (imperative to put each lifter back in the hole it came out of). I myself have never done that so others here might be able to weigh in and I would imagine some here may have an old lifter to scrounge a new clip from. What I have done is replace lifters with new lifters on an old cam, you have to use cam lube, EOS or some other cam breakin oil, and broke the new lifters in just like a new cam. If you go this route, try to find new hydraulic lifters that are either nos or rnos like 20 or better years old. The new one that are sold have a somewhat checkered history with failure and collapsing. A friend of mine has a machine shop and rebuilt a 54 power glide 235 with new lifters for a customer of his. Had to pull that motor three time because of the lifters collapsing. I gave him a set of nos gm and no more problems.

mdonohue05,
the clip for some reason did let go.
But it's still in the lifter seen here on the left & right sides:



I have a lifter on order from Napa.
I also pulled out the other 11 lifters one at a time and placed them in a make-shift tray in the order they are suppose to go back in, and are all soaking in Marvel Mystery oil at this time.

Thanks,
Stu

If one failed, I would replace the whole set. It looks like there were two brands in there anyhow, implying that that may not have been the first occurrence of lifter failure. One of those spring clips can sure mess up your oil pump right now. I'd sleep better. Just sayun'.

Ok guys good news.
If you remember I sent out my rocker arm assembly on Friday the 27th.
That following Monday(30th) Gary @ Rocker Arms Unlimited http://www.rockerarms.com/pages/rebuild.html called me and said they received the package, it was all done and ready to be shipped back to me.
Wed. Oct. 2nd I had the assembly back in my hands.
Here it is all put back together:


Here she is actually running like a top with a bunch of new parts:


I can't say enough about the awesome service the guys at Rocker Arms Unlimited did for me.
I am not affiliated to them what so ever, just very happy with their work/help.

L8R,
Stu

They did a set for me a couple of years ago and I was treated perfectly. Don't feel obligated to answer this, but it has been a while since I have had a set redone by them, how expensive were they?

Lets put it this way.... I should have sent them the assembly right away and not try to source the pieces myself and waste a bunch of time.
Under a Benjamin including return shipping.
They even checked all the other parts to make sure everything was "up-to-snuf".

Would I do it again... heck ya.

Edited to add some new pictures after her first time out on the road in over 7 years under her own power.

Been driving this ol'girl a bunch of times here with the weather still nice.
This picture was taken at the Wa. State Veterans Cemetery.


L8R,
Stu

Nice ride!