VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 235 Connecting Rods Bearings

Hello Fellows !!

I'm restoring an 1951 Panel Truck, 235 engine cast 3835692, with connecting rods cast 839558 and 838389.

Question is, I'm having a hard time to figure out the correct spec/mfg/part Number, for the rod/crankshaft bearings, as all I found so far, the bearing length are too narrow (1.235 inch) and measuring the rods, it should be something near 1.4 inch.

Need some experts help to figure this out, and get correct parts.

Really appreciate any help.

Best Regards,

Vicente

The 3835692 block is a 1952 235 truck block. Also sold as a replacement for 1950 and 1951 models. This is the old style engine block that has the dippers on the connecting rods. It uses the same main bearing inserts and connecting rods as a 1948-1953 216 engine.
The connecting rods mentioned are for 1937-1947 engines both 216 and 235. They had the wider bottom ends. When Chevrolet switched to the new thinner babbitt rods and mains they reduced the width of the rod journals and the front intermediate main bearing. For some reason you must have the older pre 1948 crankshaft in the later 1952 engine.

I can't imagine how many hands this engine passed, until reached me... :rolllaugh:

So let's see if I understood.

Block is 1952 235, that's OK
Connecting rods and crankshaft should be somewhere pre 1948

So, in this case as I need, 030 undersized bearings, for both connecting rods and crankshaft, I should look for parts pre 1948.

Is this correct ?

Can you suggest me some place where I can get this wide bearings, I'm looking around, and was only able to find narrow bearings.

Really appreciate your attention.

Best Regards,

JV

First lets determine what the crankshaft is from. There should be a forging number on one of the counterweights. The early 235 crankshat, 1941-1947 is quite rare and peraps some one put in a very common 216 crank. The 235 had a longer stroke.
The forging number could be 3660435 or 839750 if from an early 235. 3835501 if from a late 235. Or something else if from a 216.

OK I have checked, it's 3835501.

3835501 is a 1948-1952 235 crankshaft which is correct for your 1952 235 block.
It should have the narrow 1948 and up connecting rods(narrow bearings)...and connecting rod # 3835274, 3835609 or 3701890, which are all narrow.
I can't explain what you have but the numbers on your present rods are definetly 1937-1947 wide style.
You can try Egge Machine in California for the rods. Due to the fact you need them .030" under, rods converted to the insert type would be the best. If the present rods would be rebabbited to .030" the babbitt would be too think and pound out. With the insert the babbitt is thin and the insert is (steel) is thicker.

Question....do your present rods have inserts or is the babbitt applied directly onto the rod forging?

They have inserts.

I'm talking with an eBay seller, he seems to have the wider bearings, I did some measurements here... The narrow bearings, measures 31mm width.

Measuring the big end of rod it measures 35.5mm.

The eBay seller say the bearing he have there measure 33mm, I assume the bearing don't goes side to side on the rod, so it seems to be correct to have 33mm, do you agree ?

Thanks.

I found some additional info. The width of the 1948-1952 rods is 1.4275 - that is the complete width.
The width of the 1953 and up rods that had inserts from the factory (and full pressure oiling) is 1.269" -also the complete width.It looks as if the insert would be very close to that demension.

That's fantastic.....

So it seems this guy from eBay have exactly what I need.

Hope so, as it will be very funny, these parts are in turkey

I'm waiting him to get back to me about crankshaft bearings, also wide....

I'll keep you posted.