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| | | Forums66 Topics128,042 Posts1,055,519 Members48,424 | | Most Online14,466 Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
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For helping keep this great
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on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down with Ads! Again, thanks! | | | | Joined: Mar 2015 Posts: 58 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Mar 2015 Posts: 58 | Hi everyone. I found a replacement 216 for my truck. The guy I bought it from said it ran well before he pulled it (replaced with a 350). The engine looks good, I can still see the "Thriftmaster" paint on the valve cover and it turns over by hand fine. However, I took off the valve cover to find a surprise, gross rockers! What should I do? http://imgur.com/a/nUZlB | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,755 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,755 | Pull the head and do a full teardown and cleanup. Chances are the rockers can be reused, but it's going to take more cleaning than can be done with the engine assembled. The valve springs will definitely have to be trashed, not sure about the spring retainers. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 Sir Searchalot | | Sir Searchalot Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 | Wait two weeks and then toss it.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn | | | | | Joined: Jan 2014 Posts: 3,677 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2014 Posts: 3,677 | The "ran well before he pulled it" was either an outright lie, or it ran well and then he let it sit outside for a decade.
1951 3100
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,755 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,755 | I got a 1946 216 a few weeks ago that has holes rusted in the oil pan and flywheel cover from being buried in mud, and the rockers are much cleaner than that. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,272 Renaissance Man | | Renaissance Man Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,272 | Can you post pics of the rocker cover with the original letters?
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 Sir Searchalot | | Sir Searchalot Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 | Valve Cover Condensation. Happens a lot. But it takes years of sitting. I don't have the patients, or should I say time left, to screw with that. I would buy another that WAS running now and check valve train and the oil while it was running. Too many motors out there to spend months on that. IMO. Possibly not as bad as it looks. Possibly. I'm sure the seller did not know it was that bad. If he is a good guy, he will give some or all money back. Unless you got it for cheap money.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn | | | | | Joined: Mar 2015 Posts: 58 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Mar 2015 Posts: 58 | I do have the head from the original 216, which is pretty clean, are the years interchangeable? I don't know if I should mess with putting the other head on, or just ask for my money back. He was a nice guy, I don't think he knew it was like this. The letters aren't super visible, but they are still there. http://imgur.com/8yrHNuY | | | | | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 5,337 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 5,337 | 1941-53 are interchangeable, although 1941-48 use 10mm spark plugs.
See the USA in your vintage Chevrolet! My Blog | | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,272 Renaissance Man | | Renaissance Man Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,272 | The "M" on the valve cover indicates that this particular original valve cover was not painted with a stencil similar to what is depicted in the design of the stickers available from the vendors. ...not to hijack your thread...
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 Sir Searchalot | | Sir Searchalot Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 | Bryce: Money back. When you drop the pan you may see the same gunky rust. Buy a runner you can examine, put on new pumps, ignition stuff, clean it and go to town.
Dave: Why did 41-48 have metric threads?
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn | | | | | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 5,337 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 5,337 | Actually before 1941 and after 1948 they are also metric, just that they are 14mm. No ides why Chev went 10mm from 1941-48.
See the USA in your vintage Chevrolet! My Blog | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,755 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,755 | Can a 10MM head be drilled and tapped for 14MM plugs? I've got a couple of those heads. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 Sir Searchalot | | Sir Searchalot Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 | It seems Herr Robert Bosch and Monsieur Albert Champion sort of grandfathered metric into spark plugs. Champion lost his company and started A.C. (Albert Champion) Spark plug Co. Model T, A and other engines used pipe threads and SAE threads but were phased out and the Metric won.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,755 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,755 | Ferd used 18MM tapered seat plugs for a lot of years, starting about 1955, I believe. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2015 Posts: 58 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Mar 2015 Posts: 58 | He's a nice guy, he's sending me a check and letting me keep the engine. | | | | | Joined: Jan 2014 Posts: 3,677 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2014 Posts: 3,677 | The title of this thread makes me chuckle. Been trying to think of Keith Richards wisecrack, but I'm not all that clever. Perhaps 52Carl can think of something.
1951 3100
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 5,096 Crusing in the Passing Lane | | Crusing in the Passing Lane Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 5,096 | That is real decent of the gentleman, we could use more like him.
Ed
'37 GMC T-18 w/ DD 4-53T, RTO-610, 6231 aux., '95 GMC running gear, full disc brakes, power steering, 22.5 wheels and tires. '47 GMC 1 ton w/ 302, NP-540, 4wd, full width Blazer front axle. '54 GMC 630 w/ 503 gasser, 5 speed, ex fire truck, shortened WB 4', install 8' bed. '55 GMC 370 w/270, 420 4 speed, grain, dump bed truck from ND. Works OK.
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