Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines 216-235 intake identification.

I am going about starting to collect my motor and accessories for my truck. I am looking for a 50's 235 or possibly a 216. But I'm leaning toward the 235 being that is what my truck had in it when I bought it and drove it to high school, (memories )

Soooo, what is the difference between 216 and 235 (for that matter, how about the 261?) manifolds? I am looking for an aftermarket "ODD" manifold like an Edmunds or something like that. But being I have nothing, I need to know the spacing between the ports, center to center of the actual port. And what is the difference in the heat raiser area? I am thinking with the aftermarket the heat raiser area isn't going to be an issue, but just in case I should know.

Also, the side covers, is there any difference and what are the measurements?

Thanks, Brian

If you're looking for period correct there's manifold and header items available for the 216, but the 235/261 is a better motor with full pressure oiling and more power. You can find many speed parts for them also.Port sizes are slightly smaller on a 216 and if you've read much on Inliners you found out inlines need to breathe better, especially on the exhaust side. Personally, if I could find a decent 261 at a fair price I'd use that. The heat riser shouldn't be a concern in CA, but there are aftermaket heat plates available from several sources in Inliner Advertisers.The 216 side plate is different then the 235/261.

Dear Brian;

The 261 engine is the 'best bet' as it bolts in.

There not that hard to find and can be built to 292 CID if more power is required.

Good luck.

Bolt in is not a concern, there is nothing there now and I'll be starting from scratch. I know I am asking questions that are on a hundred threads buried here but I am not good at searching out stuff like this.
"Full pressure oiling", that is a biggie for me, I am going "backward" from my original idea of running a 250/292 so I definitly want to run the full pressure oil. So the change became with the 235 in 55?

Funny thing is, I used to know the answers to all these questions back 30 years ago when I was day dreaming everyday in high school about these motors.

What years did the 261 come in, is it basically the truck version of the 235?

What about the intake, how far apart are the ports center to center of the them?

I may not have a motor when I find the manifold.

Brian

This is the motor I ran back then.

B;

The engine in the photo is not a 216. It's a 235/261 style.

The 261 was MFG from 1954 through 1962 for Chevrolet light/heavy trucks & busses. Some were sold in Canada for Pontiac passenger cars too.

Decide on what engine you want first, then think about the various manifolds etc.

Good luck.

Brian,
You have a great project in mind. A 261, or at least a full pressure 235, would be the way to go. The 1953 Powerglide 235 and all 1954-1962 235s and 261s are full pressure engines. However, only the later (1958 or 59-1962) 261s come from the factory with a full-flow oil filter. It is my understanding that the port spacing and bolt patterns of the 216, 235, and 261 manifolds are the same; however, the later 235s and 261s have larger ports.

Have you seen the link to "The Forgotten 261" in the Tech Tips menu on the Inliners Home page? Acouple of other good links are below.

1954 Chevrolet Truck information; 261 starts on page 58

Tim\'s Trucks Homepage


I acquired my first 261 in 1958 to put in a 1953 Chevy; I'm now rebuilding it for a 32 Ford street rod. I have another 261 that I want to rebuild with a stroker, like Tom Langdon's Cadillac 261, for a pre-1955 Chevrolet pickup.

Hoyt, Inliner # 922

Thanks guys, John, I knew that the motor was a 235, it was as far as I know "punched out" to 250. It had a "3/4 race" cam and tubing headers I made. It was backed by a Muncie four speed. The intake my brother and his friend made in high school metal shop class!

Now that I know the manifolds are basically the same I just need to find the exact spacing so I can buy one at a swap meet in confidence.

Hoyt, yeah, you can see on the firewall my remote oil filter. You just taught me something, I didn't remember why it had it there, now I know, thanks.

Thanks both of you, Brian

As far as manifold heat, you are going to need it in the Bay area. Since you have regular fog, that means the dew point will be close to ambient temperature, and you will get carburator icing unless you run manifold heat.

I don't know if you know this, but the 261 takes exactly the same manifolds as the 235.