The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop exhaust improvements for 216

I have a 1950 1/2 ton with 3.55 gears, saginaw 4 speed. and a stock 216 which runs real well. It was rebuild and mignt have insert bearings conversion. It was rebuilt by local norwegian rancher known for his mecanical abilities. The truck is mostly driven about 60 to 65 mph 27 miles into town and return. Would splitting the exhaust manifold, Fenton hearders, or Clifford headers be og advantage? I'm also concerned about cold weather starting and running. It was 26 degrees the other morning.

Headers only very slightly improve performance on a 216. There a book - How to Hop Up Chevrolet and GMC 6 Cylinder engines by Huntington Roger - that goes over all the various possible performance improvements for a 216 and 235.

On Barns and Noble:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/oo...title=hop+up+chevy&ean=2802729921615

Your best bet is to update the intake to a 2bbl, 4bbl, or dual 1bbl carb(s).

For the cold concern, intake water heaters are available. http://www.stoveboltengineco.com and http://www.cliffordperformance.com sell parts.

Also, check www.inliners.org.

Just the other night I re-read an old HRM article on hopping up the 216 in Frank McGurk's '51 pickup. Starting with a baseline 64 HP at the rear wheels, they added dual carbs, cam, head work and other stuff. Ended up with 106 HP. Adding a split manifold resulted in a gain of 2-3 hp throughout the RPM range....but this step was only after the dual carbs and cam were added. If only adding the exhaust it's, doubtful any gain would have been made. But as part of an overall performance upgrade, it does help (and sounds great!)

I called Barns and Noble after my computer refused to process the order for a out of print used copy at $32.00. The human being found a new copy ina ware house for $18.00! I appreciate the help on the book.

I called Barns and Noble after my computer refused to process the order for a out of print used copy at $32.00. The human being found a new copy ina ware house for $18.00! I appreciate the help on the book.

I'm surprised that exhaust improvement would not make a difference at highway speeds. Maybe the stock system is really efficent. Thanks for the response.

It's not that the stock system is that efficient, but without better breathing there's little to be gained by dual exhausts. As you increase airflow with an extra carb, cam or head work, the motor needs more exhaust capacity. But making HP is not the only reason to add duals - you'll love the sound, and it will sure FEEL like like you have more power. Your concern for cold weather starting and driveability are well-founded, though. If you do split the exhaust, be sure that you retain some provision for heat to the intake.