VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc 1952 235 engine (differences between car & truck)

I purchased a NOS 1952 235 partial engine (short-block) this past week. It is a truck 235 with aluminum timing gear. I did some quick research and find that the casting number is the same as the 235 Passenger Powerglide engine for 1952. Someone once mentioned that the truck blocks were not drilled for hydraulic lifters? I would like to see someone take the engine and put it in a 1952 Powerglide passenger car by changing the timing gear, camshaft and lifters to hydraulics.

Does anyone have any experience with using hydraulic lifters and cam shaft in one of the early truck 235s?

WDF, Yes I do have experience with using hydralic lifters in a 1954 261 truck engine, in my 52 belair, that is not suppused to have the oil passages drilled to support hydraulic lifters, I did this as a teenage shade tree, and I never even knew there was such a thing as a shop manual, The engine performed very well, it was balanced before assembly, I bought a short block with only crankshaft, rods and pistons , no lifter or cam, I splurged for a slightly used "McGurk 3/4 cam". I used everything else off the original 52 babbit bearing engine that would bolt on including the 235 head, rockers pushrods and lifters, , manifolds (Eddlebrock dual one barrel Rochesters), stock 3 on the tree, Mallory dual point plate in the original distributor.(split exhaust manifold)and dual glass-pacs. Later some of the gurus convinced me that when I set the valve clearance I simply collapsed the hydraulic lifters making them mechanical in performance. I never floated a lifter and the engine would wind to 4000 Rpms in first and second. The only problem was the starter spinning on a hot start, new heavy duty cables new 6 volt tractor battery, and a starter rebuild fixed that, with the powerglide rear end it would stay with any 265 or even the new 312 F.O.R.D. on the open Texas highways, a couple of 312 drivers put the word out that I had a supercharged "Souped-up truck engine".
I drove the car as a daily driver for 40000 miles until I got a new job Making a fabulous salary of $450 a month.

Feel in a lifter bore hole -If it is solid (no oil feed hole to front and back- its not drilled and hydralic lifters will not recieve oil.Also drilled blocks have a small plug in the back-in line with the lifter bores.This is how it was drilled.Looking in my 1953 parts book the same bare block was listed for all 1950-52 235 engines (not for short blocks) -could all replacement blocks have been drilled??....If not drilled there is no way the hydralics would pump-up.

Gene and Mack thanks for the information, I checked the block this morning and the front/rear of the lifter bores are drilled as Gene described and also has the plug in the rear of the block that is in line with the lifter bores. It looks like the only difference is the camshaft and timing gear. (the camshaft has the same casting number but different part number,so I would guess that it is ground to passenger car specs rather than for the torque requirements of a truck. The block is also cast for the side motor mounts of a 1952 Passenger car so this will make someone a good correct engine for a 1952 passenger car as will as a replacement for 1950-51 Powerglide cars.
So now all I need is a buyer

The hydralic lifter cams are for hyd. lifters only and have no clearence ramps.If used with solid lifters will be very noisey.If hydralic lifters are used with a solid lifter cam a very rough idle will result.

WD, Do you think maybe the engine was originally out of a 52 powerglide and someone replaced the fibre timing gear with an alumimun gear?

Mack, this engine has never been used; it has never had a head on pan installed on it. If the correct hydraulic lifter camshaft and fiber timing gear is installed it would be a ready to install correct numbers 1952 PowerGlide short block. The 1953 parts book shows that the fitted 235 blocks for both the 1952 Passenger and truck are the same part number. The production 235 truck engine blocks were not drilled for oiling the hydraulic lifters, but the replacements were (the common part numbers on the fitted block for both car and trucks is good documentation)

And last but not least, if you are going to be at the Traders Village swap meet next month I will buy you a cup of coffee

WDF, You are Go for the coffee! I wonder about those replacement engines, I have one in my 53 it was there when I bought it, that has a 1956 casting number and The engine number boss is slick and it's waterpump is the 54 down version. When it starts giving trouble, I will check it out, right now it runs strong, no smoke, good gas mileage so I hope it will last a couple of years, maybe it will at 500 miles a year.