Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines 216,early 235 chevy

Hi Everybody,
Im new to this board.Im building a late 40s early 50s style hot rod and Im going to use a 216 or early 235 (53 and older).I used to own a 53 Chevy,but had to get rid of it since i was moving at that time.Look forward to learning more and trying to help other people .Im very interested in hopping up the early 6s.
Thanks,Sean

Hi Sean . . .

I am working on a similar project, a 49 fastback.

I have been using references from the period like 'California' Bill Fischer, Ed Iskenderian, Edgar Almquist, Frank McGurk and Floyd Clymers.

My car has a running 216 that is supposed to be original to the car.

I have completed my planning to a point where I feel like I am ready to tear down and start. It will be hard as I have really enjoyed driving the car in its current state. Most of the speed parts I desire are at hand.

Plans inlcude Isky spec reground cam, tubular push rods, Barker high lift rocker arms, aluminum pistons, modestly increased compression ratio, Edmunds dual 97 intake and a 3:55 rear end.

Some call these old engines 'babbitt pounders' . . . I call them original equipment - which is pretty much all a kid in the early fifties had to work with.

welcome aboard.

stock49

I am also doing one 216 in a 50 Chevy truck to be painted this next week we hope. it will have some goodies popular at the time of the 50's.
Dave Shier
Trinidad, Colorado

Hey stock49, Have you got that 3.55 rear end yet. I know a guy here in northern IL. that has one he is not using. Closed drive shaft that is.

Gael

Sean and Stock49 - you guys are gonna have some fun! Speed parts for the 216 are relatively cheap and plentiful if you know where to look. I would stay with a fairly stock rebuild except for dual carbs, split exhaust, more compression, and maybe a full pressure crank conversion. Personally I would not change the cam, because the exhaust timing is what gives these old motors that beautiful "Rap" on deceleration. I built just such a motor (less the crankshaft modification) for my '49 coupe when I was in high school...I also followed the adage of the day - "If it don't go, chrome it! "!

You might also consider an early 235 "Hi-torque" truck block core as a starting point, the extra cubes are always nice. Put an ad in our classifieds here, or better yet, in the 12 Port News. A number of Inliners have 216 stuff that's in the "Free to a Good Home" category....

Hi everyone,

All you projects sound really cool!

here I will tell you a little more about my project.What its going to be is a ModelA frame with a I beam suicide front end ,a 40s Ford bango rear with the axle tubes swapped from opposite sides to put the spring in front of the rearend.Split wishbones 40s ford brakes ,early Ford (32-48) trans with the adapter to put the 216/early 235 Chevy to it.Body is a 31 Model A cowl ,quarters smoothed to give a roadster pickup body look. It will look like a late 40s modified.I always loved the Chevy 6s ,so I decided to use one instead of a flathead V8.

Jack- I find it hard to find a good motor in our area(central,FL). I would love to find a 235 HI-torque motor ,or even the basic 216. Oh yeah ....you just got to love the sound of a Chevy 6 with straight pipes or Smittys mufflers!!

Thanks for the lead Gael . . . but I got the whole drive line out of power glide car that has since been converted to v thingy. My brother-in-law did the deal for me last year. One of the plans for my up coming vacation is to go collect it from his dad's barn. I intend to use the best of what's on my car and the donor . . . I'll probably stick with Huck brakes - though the donor's got Bendix so its an option.

You're right about the fun part Jack and the availability - I have found quite a few parts that no one seems to be interested in putting to good use. I won't be doing the 'full pressure' thing. Not necessary. From what I have read the dipper system is just fine unless you really intend rev . . .

I reccomend going with the bendix brakes and the advantage being you can install the self adjuster from a mid sixties truck.here the DFW area the Huck brakes have to be adjusted so regulary it really becomes a nusiance. I also worked for an old time machine shop in the late sixties and they were into covering 216"s to insert- rods.I don't remember the details but I put one in a 41 chevy I had and a local guy still has it and drives it on occasion. I have never heard mention of this in recent years but it would seem to be something someone else here on the board would know about. Paul

I'm also doing the 'mid-50s' thing with my '49 CHev Coupe.

Even though I'm going to swap the 216 for a 235, right now I'm using the 216 to set things up. I've got an Isky '3/4' grind cam, Fenton cast iron headers running through dual farm tractor mufflers!, and dual Rochester carbs. At idle it sounds like a V-thing, put some rev's on it and you know it's a six!!

I'm presently working on a 3 carb set-up; not because it will run better, but because it looks neat.

While I have plenty of high out-put V-8's in my past, my first love affair with an engine was the Stovebolt Six!!

Love those 50s style hot rods!Another sound the Chevy 6s remind me of while giving it the gas is a WW2 bomber on take off.

It's been a long time since I was here .

GREAT to hear you guys are into 216 /235 engines , I have the original 216 in my truck just now ,, busy wearing it out .

BUT ........... I recently found a treasure for it ........
http://www.stovebolt.com/bboard/cgi-bin//ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=007801

I still have to figure push rod lenghts etc after the big head shave .I also have a McGurk tri-carb manifold that is hanging on the shed wall ,,,,,, just tempting me ,,,,,,

But it is remaining a work truck , so nothing too silly .

New to board
I have a 1 1/2 ton truck chev 1943 4X4 with a 210 engine, that i want change out. have a told is a chev engine but don't know if it will fit . Has these # on the side of the engine CON2 3994 56. Under the 3994 is GM 4 . Will this engine change out with my old 210.
want to get it runing