A few things to think about before rebuilding your 216. The 216 was a babbit motor meaning the crank bearings are poured into its mold as opposed to the modern insert bearings. Finding someone to pour babbit is hard. Finding someone who is competent to pour babbit is almost impossible. Its a dying art. But, good news is, the vendors sell insert bearing kits to modernize your engine. You will find having a 216 rebuilt could actually be more expensive than replacing it with a 1954 or later 235.
If you are a purist or slanting in that direction, pay the extra and rebuild your original motor. If not, you will be happier in the long run with the 235 or 261.
