The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 37 216 with bad cam

Ok fellas, I got the cab and engine home finally and the engine that was guessed to have been rebuilt, was not. when I opened it up I found the cam to be pitted, so I went further and pulled the lifters and push rods ( that have springs and keepers on the bottom) and found the solid lifters to be very worn and pitted.. So now I was wondering if a later model cam and lifters can be put in? Or, I'm thinking that a replacement engine of the correct length (235 - 261) is what I want.. the problem is finding one around here.. the p/u is a 37 and has great sheet metal that I don't want to cut up.. your thoughts please...

A stock '37 has a 216 but has a different style clutch, bell housing, clutch fork (with different spacing of the fork ball), and stomp starter linkage and spacing of the starter pedal, than the '41 and later 216s. So, if you want to stay stock it may be easier to rebuild your current engine. If you are going resto-mod then maybe better to find a 235 and redesign for the above items. I don't know whether later 216 cam and lifters can be dropped into your 37 engine but that should be investigated.
Kent

Beav , Chevy of the 40's has an engine kit for your 1937 Chevy .

https://www.chevsofthe40s.com/dept/Engine.html

https://s26.postimg.cc/tz7yv8hqx/Chev_of_the_40s_Engine_Kit.png


George
'54 3600

EGGE Machine has an engine kit for your 1937 .

https://egge.com/kit/cv216m37-39/


George
'54 3600

thanks guys...

Are you telling him to spend $1800 plus shipping plus everything else needed to rebuild his 216? (The total on the EGGE page is about $1800) Maybe he does not need all that. Just curious what parts are being suggested.
This question comes from someone who would restomod it. I would recommend getting away from the 216 at the least. SBC would be nice.


They used a 4 x 4 S-10 pickup rear end. This is from an article by Jim Carter about a 36. 37 is only 3/4" per side wider, tire center to tire center.

The S-10 differential matches the original 6 bolt wheel pattern and the distance between the rear wheels is just right for a 1936 ½ ton. Moved the axle saddles slightly to the side and the original 1 ¾ wide rear leaf springs connected perfectly!

Find the rear end and you are in business for a restomod. More details if interested. Plenty of info online.

"EGGE Machine has an engine kit for your 1937 .

https://egge.com/kit/cv216m37-39/"

Beware of Egge Machine.

When they had my 1936 Chevy block for some machine work they left it out in the rain for several days after boring the cylinders. The results were not pretty. While I was there I saw a reground camshaft in a box labelled Tomadeur Engine Company with a $49 price marked (this was a while ago). So I went directly to Tomadeur with 2 '36 Chevy camshaft cores. There the shop foreman picked out the better of the 2 and reground it while I waited. The whole process took about 10 minutes and as I recall he charged me $10. Tomadeur had the correct master and the whole process is automated.

following this thread I found DELTA CAMSHAFT in Tacoma Wa. (800-562-5500) they will regrind my old cam to a 3/4 type for $56. and surface the lifters for $2.50 each.. what a deal..Beav

Beware, S-10 pickup 4wd rear axles are 2" wider than 2wd axles.

Ed

any small journal cam you get will be a regrind, there are two foundries that make blanks, and they haven't made any small journal in years. The son of the founder of Howards cams says they won't even talk to him about this. That may have changed since I called about 3 years ago. But probably not.

Any cam regrinder worthy of the name can turn a large journal cam into a small journal- - - -just reduce the size of the cam bearing areas. I can even do that on a lathe with a carbide tool bit and a tool post grinder. That also gives a cam grinder a lot more options on the profile of the lobes, timing and lift wise. HMMMMM- - - -how about running a 216 with a brand new "Corvette" grind camshaft? The possibilities are endless!
Jerry

if you have any lift at all, you have to get the cam reground. the lobes wont' fit through the second to last hole, tried that already.The guy at howard cams said he would take a little more off the back to make more clearance, but the guy that ground the cam, wasn't the guy I talked to... I was thinking more along the lines of boring the cam bearing bores to fit the large journal cam. Then you would really have some metal to play with.

To the original poster . If you are still considering changing cams , please be aware the 216 has a forged cam and later replacements are cast . This means the distributor drive gear has to match the material requirements of the particular cam you choose to use .

I think , if your cam and lifters are able to be cleaned up by an engine shop , that will be the easiest choice.

I'v decided to go with my original cam reground by DELTA CAMSHAFT I know it will fit and they are going to put a little more lift and duration on it.. and the price is cheap..$56

Regrinds are fine- - - -they've been used for longer than the 72 years I've been around, but be aware that you'll have to turn the rocker arm adjusting screws in a little deeper to get the right valve clearance because the base circle of the lobe is smaller. I've actually seen engines running reground cams with the adjuster screw lock nuts installed on the underside of the rocker arms so the screw can be turned in deep enough to get a good valve adjustment. There's nothing wrong with doing that- - - -it just looks a little oddball!
Jerry