GMC 228 question

[65 GMC]

My Nephew just bought a 1952 GMC 1/2 ton pickup as his first vehicle. The truck looks pretty good but the engine is stuck. It has a 228 in line 6 cylinder in it. My question is would a Chevy 235 be a direct bolt in swap or what would need to be done to make it work? My knowledge is really limited on this truck, I'm part of the 60-66 crowd. Thanks for any help.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by 65 GMC

My Nephew just bought a 1952 GMC 1/2 ton pickup as his first vehicle. The truck looks pretty good but the engine is stuck. It has a 228 in line 6 cylinder in it. My question is would a Chevy 235 be a direct bolt in swap or what would need to be done to make it work? My knowledge is really limited on this truck, I'm part of the 60-66 crowd. Thanks for any help.

not a direct bolt in, the GMC engine is longer than the chevy so the crossmember that mounts the engine has a joggle in it. I have seen swaps where the swapper just drills two new holes for the chevy front engine mount, others where the swapper installs a chevy front crossmember. if you go the second route I will tell you its pretty labor intensive.

the 228 is a pretty stout engine, full pressure oiling and lots of available hop up parts. the 228/248/270/302 share the same mounts and roughly the same dimensions (the deck height gets taller as you go up in cubes) so I might look around for a runner. I sold a smack butt runner 248 a couple years ago for $300 bucks and delivered it 100 miles.

[65 GMC]

Thank you, Did you build a Mazda lowrider years ago with skulls painted on the sides of it? My brother owned that truck for a while and then sold it. His son 15 year old son is the one that has this 52 GMC.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by 65 GMC

Thank you, Did you build a Mazda lowrider years ago with skulls painted on the sides of it? My brother owned that truck for a while and then sold it. His son 15 year old son is the one that has this 52 GMC.

indeed I did! my daughter bought it a few years ago and did exactly nothing with it. its in arizona now.

of course I remember your brother, tell him I say hi!

[mr48chev]

I'd think that a running GMC six shouldn't be all that hard to find. There are plenty of guys pulling the out to put later model engines in. A 235 can be made to fit but for a first time go around there is a lot to be said for keeping things simple. First thing I'd do is pull the engine that is in it apart and see how bad it actually is. That doesn't cost anything except time.

[Old Truck Man]

Pull the spark plugs and fill the cyls with a mixture of 50-50 auto trans fluid and acetone. let it set a few weeks. take off the starter or bottom flywheel cover and using a large screwdriver pry on the flywheel teeth and see if it moves. Many stuck engines have been soaked and successfully unstuck and brought back to life. The GMC 228 is better than a chev 235.

[_Ogre]

Mazda lowrider years ago with skulls painted on the sides

joedoh has a dark side

[joedoh]

the stigma of minitrucks is more than any one guy could refute, but I was never the drag it off, drop and destroy type. more like the help your friends, make nice trucks, leave it better than you found it type. minitrucks kept me off drugs since my teens (no money left to get high) and made lifelong friendships I still cherish. along the way I built some really nice trucks too.

[_Ogre]

no offense intended, just pulling your chain
i owned a pinto wagon once

[joedoh]

haha none taken. guys give minitruckers columns of crap but there was real revolution in some of the builds. just like some of the trucks here too.

[rustycars63]

I have a stuck 270 GMC If you decide to rework a stuck engine would fit the truck and be a upgrade .