I have read many postings and tech tips regarding swapping out a 216 in favor of a 235. When I bought my '49 half-ton it came with a '51 splash oiled 235. I have since purchased a used '55 full pressure oiled 235 to replace it. I understand the necessity of reusing the bellhousing (probably from a 216) that came installed in the truck. However, I wondered if I could use the flywheel, clutch assembly and starter from the newer engine. It uses a larger clutch (10" instead of the 9 1/8")and different flywheel (168 teeth?). As an experiment, since I have the engine out, I installed the old bellhousing with the newer flywheel and starter to see if it would work together. After testing for about an hour, it seemed to work fine. I would like use this setup because of the larger clutch surface.
Has anyone tried this before or am I missing something? The only change I think I will need to make is using the shorter throwout bearing.
