VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1955-1957 265 engine

I just looked at a "265" engine for sale on ebay. A full flow oil filter is visible at the bottom of the engine in one of the shots. I thought 265's had a canister oil filter on top of the engine.
Thanks,
Sid

The full flow oil filter was one of the new features of the 1956 block.

Thanks Gene, I never knew that. I've had a 55 Delray with a 283 for 30 plus years, and you'd think I would have learned that. My quest for a correct 265 for my 55 hardtop just got harder.
Sid

1955 265 blocks are hard to find. The 1955 265 oil pan is the only pan that will fit the block.
I have a pair of used 1955 265 heads.

Are the 55heads the same up through 59? I only know that through 59 the heads had off-set valve cover screws.
Sid

There are several different heads.
One head was used on 1955 cars.For 1956 one head for 2 bbl. engines, one for 4 Bbl and one for dual 4 BBl..1957-early 1959 about the same story.

Thanks Gene.
Sid

If you're looking for a '55 265 block, there's a few on Craigslist right now, but they may require a road trip and a truck.

Here's a couple I found tonight.

One in St. Louis

One in Chicago

One in Detroit

Hope this helps!

Thanks Daryl, I'll check it out.
Sid

I saw a 57 sedan delivery at a car show a few years ago with a 265 engine painted yellow. The owner explained that 265s in early 57s were yellow and that when the 283s
came out they were orange. So 265s were orange in 55, red in 56, and yellow in 57? 283s were always orange?
Thanks,
Sid

The 1957 2 barrel stick engines had 265 cubic inches however it actually had a 1957 283 block under bored to 3 3/4" were as tthe 283 was boreto 3 7/8". There wer many improvements in the 1957 engine most noteworthy is the method of getting oil up to the rocker arms.
The early 1957 265 engines were painted chartreuse,a yellow/green color. The Flint 265 engines changed to orange on 12-12-56 and 1-11-57 for Tonawanda.
The 1955 engines were orange, 1956 kind of a darker cranberry red, and 1957 and up orange again.
The light duty truck 265 and 283 engines were the old 6 cylinder gray in color.

Note the 1957 265 had very thick cylinder walls so they can safely bored out to 3 7/8" and 283 pistons installed.
The 1957 283 and 265 used the smae crankshafts and they were balanced for the slightly heavier 283 pistons. For the 265 slightly heavier piston pins (wrist pins) were used to keep the balance correct.

Thanks Gene,
Sid

I should have mentioned that the gray truck engines were also 265's in 1957. They were used in 1/2 through 1 1/2 ton trucks. There was a heavy duty 283 option available for 1 1/2 tons and they were not gray

I received the latest issue of AACAs magazine today. It has an article about that '57 SD that I saw at Lebanon, TN 5 years ago. It includes a picture of that "yellow" engine.
Sid