Lesson on straight 6 chev engines.

[butchlambert]

First off, I installed a 261 truck engine in my 50 chev. It replaced a 216 babbitt rod engine. It did have a 235 head as it gave it a little more compression. It had a McGurk cam. I also had the 54 Corvette factory exhaust manifolds that were for dual exhaust. The ill fated trade of my first rifle was for a home made single 4 barrel manifold. It ended up being a POS.
Chev. had the 235 with full pressure oiling in I believe 1950, but only on the Powerglide equipped cars. The 235 became standard in 1954.
An L head motor was considered a flathead. If Chev had them it would have been in the 20s or 30s.
You have to be old like me to have seen and remembered these things.

 

[JRS]

Funny Butch Brings back memories. I had a 53 Henry J that a couple of friends and I raced on the drag strip. We started out by putting the 235 Chevy in it. Melling cam and Fenton header. I still have the header hanging on a wall in my garage. Ended up with a 401 Buick in it 8)

 

[mac86951]

While we're on it, I got a 250 that needs a carb rebuild/replace. Anyone know where I can find a Rochester 1bbl BV?

-Mac

 

[JRS]

While we're on it, I got a 250 that needs a carb rebuild/replace. Anyone know where I can find a Rochester 1bbl BV?

-Mac

Try Walker Products.

 

[CanusLatransSnpr]

I'm only 35 but, my father is 67 and was a mechanic by trade so I have heard all about this! Not very knowledgable of the 261 inline but, the 235 wasn't a bad running motor. Other than having solid lifters that needed adjusting on occasion. The ones I saw were of the old oil bath air filter variety in the old Cheyenne pickups, never saw any of the Corvette type. Sounds like a fun build. BTW, the last guy my father knew that could pour babbit died 40+ years ago.

Mike

 

[MrMajestic]

Not me but Dad was on the crew for a Hudson Hornet running on dirt. Drove it to, raced, and from the track! Spoke of Lee Petty, Bud Baker and all the Grand Pappies of the current bunch. I'm from the '60's and '70's muscle car era! ;D My personal favorite was a '69 Dodge Super Bee!

 

[Waskawood]

Muscle cars!!! Ya wanna talk muscle cars?? Now my 1961 Rambler was a powerhouse. That 195 cid straight 6 aluminum block with pushbutton automatic transmission would lay ya right back in your seat. Only of course because it had seats that reclined. My first daughter was conceived in that baby!!

 

[bozo699]

First off, I installed a 261 truck engine in my 50 chev. It replaced a 216 babbitt rod engine. It did have a 235 head as it gave it a little more compression. It had a McGurk cam. I also had the 54 Corvette factory exhaust manifolds that were for dual exhaust. The ill fated trade of my first rifle was for a home made single 4 barrel manifold. It ended up being a POS.
Chev. had the 235 with full pressure oiling in I believe 1950, but only on the Powerglide equipped cars. The 235 became standard in 1954.
An L head motor was considered a flathead. If Chev had them it would have been in the 20s or 30s.
You have to be old like me to have seen and remembered these things.

Thanks for the lesson Butch, I stand corrected on the L-head part, I researched that and my memory failed me, the rest of it I was right on, and you may be older then I but I have worked on a lot of inline chevy sixes including the old babbitt engines, the 216 came out in 1929 and to my knowledge they have always ran a overhead valve engine, even the original 4 cylinder that was in the early teens was overhead instead of flat head like most of the others of the day.
Wayne.

 

[jonbearman]

My brother and myself restored a 1931 hudson 6 bangaer and as soon as fuel got in it,it started right up and ran beautiful.We even made valves from some truck blanks ,we had to shorten and cut the grooves for the keepers and rebored the babbitt mains.It took 2 days to regrind the valves and install new seats.I had to mill out 11 broken head studs.It was a project to say the least.A note to the wise,we balance all six cylinders and almost everything else.It makes a serious difference how smooth and vibration free the engine will run.

 

[LongRanger]

Mac said....." I got a 250 that needs a carb rebuild/replace."

Check out Clifford Performance/Clifford Research in Costa Mesa. They have absolutely everything you could want for your 250....or any other 6 cylinder. Their motto: 6=8.

In early 70's I bought a ton of stuff from them for mine.....headers, cam, lifters, aluminum timing gear, pistons, rings, etc. I put the combination together with 3 twin choke Weber 45 DCOE's I had from my XKE when stationed in England. Turned my 70-1/2 Hugger Camaro into a snarling animal...but not quite hot enuf to take on the bigger 6 cylinder Fords in Modified.

Thanks for the subject.....sure was fun thinking about cars for a change. All the anti gun stuff was fogging my brain.

Frank B.

 

[butchlambert]

53 and 54 Corvettes only had the 235 engines. They came out with the V8 in 1955.

 

[Tommie]

53 and 54 Corvettes only had the 235 engines. They came out with the V8 in 1955.

265! Owned one (engine, not Vette).

Tom

 

[mac86951]

Mac said....." I got a 250 that needs a carb rebuild/replace."

Check out Clifford Performance/Clifford Research in Costa Mesa. They have absolutely everything you could want for your 250....or any other 6 cylinder. Their motto: 6=8.

In early 70's I bought a ton of stuff from them for mine.....headers, cam, lifters, aluminum timing gear, pistons, rings, etc. I put the combination together with 3 twin choke Weber 45 DCOE's I had from my XKE when stationed in England. Turned my 70-1/2 Hugger Camaro into a snarling animal...but not quite hot enuf to take on the bigger 6 cylinder Fords in Modified.

Thanks for the subject.....sure was fun thinking about cars for a change. All the anti gun stuff was fogging my brain.

Frank B.

Thanks, They've got all the weber 2-BBL upgrades, but I got an original '67 camaro convertable with a 250 that needs a carb. I'll go Clifford if I cant find others, but I'd hate to move from original.

-Mac

 

[JRS]

Mac said....." I got a 250 that needs a carb rebuild/replace."

Check out Clifford Performance/Clifford Research in Costa Mesa. They have absolutely everything you could want for your 250....or any other 6 cylinder. Their motto: 6=8.

In early 70's I bought a ton of stuff from them for mine.....headers, cam, lifters, aluminum timing gear, pistons, rings, etc. I put the combination together with 3 twin choke Weber 45 DCOE's I had from my XKE when stationed in England. Turned my 70-1/2 Hugger Camaro into a snarling animal...but not quite hot enuf to take on the bigger 6 cylinder Fords in Modified.

Thanks for the subject.....sure was fun thinking about cars for a change. All the anti gun stuff was fogging my brain.

Frank B.

Thanks, They've got all the weber 2-BBL upgrades, but I got an original '67 camaro convertable with a 250 that needs a carb. I'll go Clifford if I cant find others, but I'd hate to move from original.

-Mac

If you don't want to go the Walker Products route, try Schucks Kragen/O'Reilly or Auto Zone. They probably have the rebuild kits for it.

 

[Taildrag15X]

53 and 54 Corvettes only had the 235 engines. They came out with the V8 in 1955.

Blue Flame Six right on the rocker arm cover.......

That's one I wish I'd kept!

 

[Johnboy]

Had a Chevy II with a 250 in it one time.One of the wrist pins knocked in it all the time.I'd bet it had 200,000 on it when I sold it and it still ran like a champ.I couldn't blow it for nothing.Man I miss that old car,had a lot fun in it back in the days when the law wasn't so bad.Man the time just get away from so fast these days.

Just a note for the guy needing to work on the carb.A water neck gasget is the same if you need one.( 0ne barrel that is )

 

[moparman]

How about the leaning tower of power???? Seems most of the old inline sixes were next to indestructible.

 

[butchlambert]

Moparman. My wife had a 64 Valiant with a slant 6 and factory 4speed and Hurst shifter. The trans was the same one that was used by the big blocks.
She didn't tear it up.

 

[moparman]

Butch,sounds like it was a lot of fun. A a 4 spd always makes for a good time!

 

[bozo699]

Butch,
Thanks for posting this thread, there has been a lot of tention on the forum lately, heck there is a lot of tention everywhere, this is nice to just talk about something different and no one is fighting,...thank you again.
Wayne.