What did you do with the 216 to make it full pressure? What Beck's recommends?
Thanks
Harmon
Hi Harmon,
I converted my engine to full pressure over thirty years ago. Like many on this site, I always liked to experiment with engines and had a friend/machinist at the time that liked to tinker with engines as well. At the time, he was also a Tech Advisor for Inliners (he may have been aware of the Becks conversion - I was not). My engine is a .090 over 216 in which I run .030 over 235 pistons. We cross drilled the crank to provide oil to the rods and made brass plugs for the rod caps. We also made an adapter (mounted where the stock oil distributor is) which runs the oil through a 100% full flow oil filter before returning it to the main oil galley. The engine was also balanced. The engine has run very well in this configuration for over 15000 miles.
When I ran across the lip seal conversion I knew I wanted to do it at some point. Others on this site have done this and are very happy with the results. I am currently going through the entire chassis and drive train (including a 3:55 rear end conversion) using replacement or NOS parts, something I did not have the money for when I was younger/raising a family. While I have everything apart I thought I would re-fresh the engine, and while doing so go ahead and have the block machined for the lip seal.
As Jerry points out, there is certainly no rational economical justification for doing any of this (remember I said I like to tinker with things). If I thought that way I would have just dropped a later 235 into the truck thirty years ago. I guess there is also some nostalgia associated with this, as my wife's Grandfather purchased the truck new in 46 and used it on their family farm for many years. This is the same truck/engine that took her on many rides, fishing trips and developed lasting memories of time spent with her Grandfather as a young girl.
Probably much more that you wanted to know. Once I get the truck re-assembled maybe we can get together for coffee and talk old trucks.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Larry
