To quote from a Hotrod Magazine article of 1955 in which Mc Gurk tests and modifies a 261 truck engine: "All Chev six chilled iron lifters can be identified by their plain lifter bodies as compared to the single groove on the hardenable iron lifters." Earlier Chevs used forged steel camshafts and chilled iron lifters. Later engines used cast iron cams and hardenable iron lifters. Do not use hardenable iron liifters on forged steel cams. That combination lasts about five minutes according to McGurk.
The same holds true for distributor gears. A steel gear must be used with a steel camshaft (PN1865180 superseded many times no doubt), identified by the plain gear. Cast iron gear must be used with cast iron camshaft. The iron gear is identified by the single groove on the gear shank. The two will not mix. I do not know the year in which Chev changed over to cast iron cams but McGurk says 54 and later 235s all used cast iron cams. I would not assume a 216 has a steel cam anymore. Hopefully is someone changed to a cast iron cam they also changed the distributor drive gear. Look for a grove on your distributor drive gears and inspect for wear either way.
