Looking for some advice on swapping out a 216 IL 6 to an upgraded engine. I have an original engine 216 in a 1953 Chevy 3100 and I need to either rebuild this motor or replace it with something a little more modern but still looking era correct. Spoke with some machine shops near me and most want no part in doing the work on this motor. The one place I found estimated my cost at $7800 to $8500 for a rebuild. I read various threads about using a Chevy S 10 drive train and thought this might be my route to take. Is there a particular year I should look for in the S 10? Kind of all over the place with my question as I am looking for my best options to keep this truck and be able to drive it on more than just an occasional Sunday.
I second the 261 option. That truck is too nice to start taking apart to drop on an S10 frame. The 261 looks original to the untrained eye, full pressure oiling, more grunt; it’s a great option and many on this site can walk you through. Get some good ratio gears and you’ll love driving the truck. I know I do on my ‘51 GMC 1 ton. $8000 for a rebuild?! Good grief! That’s the “I don’t want to do it” price. I think I put about $2500 into my ‘62 261 rebuild. New pistons, rings, gaskets, bearings, paint, carb rebuild, valves, block boring, cleaning, alternator. That was few years ago now, but it was no where near $8000.
People like it when you pop the hood and it still has a straight six. “Oh! You have the original engine in it!”
1970 Chevrolet C10 - Grandpa’s- My first truck.—in progress to shiny 1972 Chevrolet C20- Rusty- the puzzle box lid for the C10. 1950 Chevrolet 1300- in progress to shiny. 1962 AMC Rambler American- my wife’s
Parts trucks- 1951 GMC 9300 1951-GMC 9430 1951- Chevrolet 1300
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) 1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy) 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado (The Purple Knif) 1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe 1979 Ford F-100 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
Currently, I'm in the process of building a 258 cubic inch inline six on a 216 block that will look exactly like the original engine in your truck. Even the casting numbers will shout "I'm a 216"! That project isn't easy, not inexpensive, and there are very few machinists who would attempt the project, even with an unlimited budget. My first one is headed for a demonstration trailer with a dyno attached, and it should get some attention at car shows.
If you can find a 261 engine to build, that will be the simplest, and probably least expensive way to stay original-appearing to most of the people you'll encounter at a "show and shine", especially if you use the 2-bolt valve cover off the 216. 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
Word of caution, before you remove the original engine check your title, it may be using the engine serial number to ID your truck. If it is using the engine serial you'll need to contact your local DMV for instructions on how to replace the bad engine and retain a valid title.
Please describe the reasons why your 216 engine needs rebuilding. Your truck appearance is first rate but curiosity leads to question the condition of your drivetrain. What are your driving plans? Do you want an expressway cruiser, backroad runner or a show truck?
Hardcore truck owners would redo the 216. Same people frown on having furniture wood in the bed. Some of us who want more "get-up-and-go" will do the 235 or better 261 (if one can be found). The S10 route is radical. Like doing a V8. This is where you would post in the "HiPo Shop" section of Stovebolt.
We don't bite too badly but some of us have been known to do harsh rhetoric (sometimes more like old man ramble). Discussion is cheap so use it to your advantage.
Lackland in 72.
"Adding CFM to a truck will only help at engine speeds you don't want to use." "I found there was nothing to gain beyond 400 CFM."
The price quote you've received on rebuilding the 216 is approximately twice what the cost should be. The 216 is difficult to rebuild, but by no means impossible or that expensive. Most shops want to do lots of modifications because they don't know how to do an original type rebuild. There's still a few of us old geezers around who remember how to do the job the right way, the first time! I'm working with a young man in Oklahoma to help him rebuild an original 1953 235 engine in a 2 ton truck his grandfather bought in 1955, and it's still working for a living hauling grain. I'm also advising a man in Virginia who is rebuilding his first Babbit-rod stovebolt engine and putting it back in original condition. I'd suggest that you shop around a little more for an engine builder who won't rob you like Jesse James! 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
