I swapped a fresh built 261 in place of my 216 last summer, made a nice upgrade, but of course, you're still limited by transmission, rear end, and suspension limitations, so the truck will still drive essentially the same, only with a decent boost in HP and torque. Still nothing to get just overly excited about, in my opinion.
If you do find a 235 or 261, be sure to:
1. With 55 or newer 235/261 block, use the 216 short-shaft water pump (and the water pump adapter plate that can be found on ebay)
2. Drill the front of the block for the front motor mount
3. The 216 bellhousing may have to be used
Just a couple things that I remember from my swap, I know others will have more things to consider if you go that route.
Last edited by Green_98; 06/04/2020 7:11 PM.
