VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 1953 - 235 engine questions?

Engine knocks, tore down, has insert rods.
Was told it was a 53 Canadian motor (Cast number on block 5843350)# 1 and 5 rods are loose insert bad, probably all are, crankshaft may need polishing? Will take to a machine shop.The machine shop may or not be able to get inserts?
The question is what inserts do I go back with? The inserts have:DAB 51
6950 GAP
65-28 DA-49
on them, what size? Standard?
I suppose all will be replaced as well as the Main bearings?
Needs rings as well it was smoking when you let off gas.
Appreciate any help. I am a beginner on the Chevy 6 cylinder motor.
I have had the body and interior restored to original.

ALL 1953 Canadian 235 engines had rod inserts, full pressure oiling and aluminum pistons. The inserts fit 235 engines right up to 1962 and any good parts distributor can get them.
The crankshaft journals will need to be measured to see what size inserts are correct. Could be .001" or .002" under sized if crank is worn or .020" or .030" if engine has been rebuilt in the last 56 years.
If the mains are loose and the lower bearings look OK shims can be removed to take up the wear. If the inserts need replacing the crankshaft will need to be removed.
On a 1953 with aluminum pistons I would replace the pistons even is the engine does not require reboring. If the cylinders have been bored to an oversize the oversize will be stamped into the top of the pistons.
The numbers on the rod inserts mean next to nothing. There were many companies that made rod inserts. Usually if they are ubdersized the back of the insert will be stamped accordingly or it will be printed in ink on the insert.
The machine shop is best equipped to check out the carnkshaft and determine what to do.

If you have a quality machine shop do the work they will know what to do and they should also be able to answer most of your questions regarding your engine.

Well, that is the problem, the only machine shop I trusted has gone out of business. The other one I know of messed me around on a head. I will complete the tear down of the motor and see what else needs replacing.
I still have not found what caused the problem.I was returning from local club tour the oil pressure dropped and oil came out of the side cover(lifter)all over the side of the motor and started ratteling,knocking. " Now you know the rest of the story", as Paul Harvey would say. Any ideas?
Thanks

Well I found a machine shop that ground the crankshaft, vatted the motor,replaced all freeze plugs
and replaced the cam bearings recommended another shop to grind the camshaft. Had the cam ground and polished.
Bought all the other parts new and now just need to put it back together, thanks for all your help

I was looking through old posts and thought this might help someone else. On American cars, insert bearings only came in engines mated to a powerglide from the factory. Standard shift cars still had poured bearings.

I believe this is the first year for insert bearings.

The first year for inserted bearings for Chevrolet was in the teens. The discontinued inserts for rods later but continued to use inserts for mains.