Читать книгу Chevrolet Inline-6 Engine 1929-1962 - Deve Krehbiel - Страница 9

INTRODUCTION

Chevrolet introduced the first overhead valve 6-cylinder engine, affectionately called the Stovebolt, in 1929. There is speculation on where this nickname came from; some think it is because the hardware used on the engine looks like the hardware used in old stoves. Others have said that it has to do with Ford owners needing something insulting to call their competition. No matter where the name came from, it stuck over the years and refers to Chevrolet 6-cylinder engines from 1929 to 1962.

The Stovebolt is an amazing engine in its simplicity, yet it has very strong torque specifications and an ability to handle the heavy abuse of the American Industrial Age hauling steel, wood, and all the products of an emerging economy. In Kansas, it was used for agriculture and was significant in the effort to feed the entire world.

Although the Stovebolt was a strong runner with very good statistics, the 1929–1953 engines had one weak spot. This does not diminish its heritage, mainly because the engine used the technology of its day. I am referring to the babbit used in making the engine’s bearings. In engines after 1953, Chevrolet used insert bearings. The company still uses the same technology today. But prior to 1953, engine rebuilders had to learn the art of repouring babbit into the bearings forms. They then had to shave off this babbit and shape the “bearings” into proper form. This was time-consuming, expensive, and less accurate than the next technology.

As time went by, these babbit professionals grew older and retired. Now, you are lucky to find a babbit professional. This is the main reason that most 1929–1953 Chevrolet cars and trucks have the newer 1954–1962 Stovebolts in them. It was not cost effective or, in many cases, even possible to salvage an older 216/235 engine. That heritage lives on, however, because you can use some of the parts from the older engines on newer ones.

You can tell this is a 1954 or early 1955 by the slits in the more modern valve cover. The 235 of that era is called the Thriftmaster.

This 1964 261 has a replacement block (no numbers on the distributor deck). The 261 of that era is called Jobmaster.

It is easy to see the evolution of these engines year by year. The big transition year was late 1953. The 1954–1955 235 engines used some bottom-end parts from the older 216/235 series.

For the reasons stated above, I concentrate on the newer vintage 1954–1962 235 and 261 engines. In this book, I perform a complete rebuild of a 1959 235 engine. This is the tail end of the Stovebolt era and a good example of how to do a proper rebuild. If you have a 261 engine, a good article to read is found at devestechnet.com/Home/TheVenerable261.

With a little patience and the ability to read instructions carefully, it is a very rewarding experience to rebuild one of these engines. I also use the principles of restoration, which means that you stop and evaluate every step of the process and take no shortcuts; no matter what.

I hope you enjoy the journey!