The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Could I or should I do this?

I have a 51 Chevy 2 ton dumptruck and currently it has what I believe is the original 216 straight 6 engine in it.

I have no clue as to what the miles are on it since for about 20 some years that I can account for the speedometer has not worked for whatever reason.

I have been considering restoring it and perhaps making it more road worthy and driving it every so often.

Should I stay with the original engine or should/could I put a GM 350 engine it its place?

I look forward to hearing the good and the bad about this.

Thanks
Steve

Just to throw this out real quick, there is no good or bad either way, its all about personal preference. Your only limited by time, money and patience. What do you plan on using the truck for mainly?

Jeff

Currently I am trying to decide if I want to use it as a driver or use it more for hauling instead of getting a trailer.

I am not against the 216 it ran well every time I used it.

How long do 216's usually last as far as mileage?

A well-built 216 will get the job done, but slowly. If you're planning to use the truck regularly with a full load on it, you'll need to be sure the brakes, steering, etc. are up to the task, as well as making sure the engine is in good shape. Once you get that load of dirt moving, it would be a really good idea to be able to stop and steer reliably. I'd suggest a minimum upgrade to a high oil pressure 235 simply to avoid the routine maintenance chores of keeping the babbit rods adjusted, etc. Heavily-loaded 216's weren't really famous for long life or lots of power.
Jerry

Hey Steve you already know what I think!

If you really want to use the truck, I think you want to first address the brakes. You can make the original brakes work pretty well, but if you are also going to increase the performance you should also upgrade the brakes.

If you plan to move heavy loads and are not real concerned about top speed, the original rear might be okay. If you want to run down the highway with traffic, the stock gears are going to limit cruising speed.

You can improve cruising speed by changing the rear to get better gearing. I have never heard of a gear set available for the original rear that would be an improvement. The other alternative is an overdrive of some sort. A Brownie would be the traditional way to accomplish that, and elsewhere I mentioned a well done small block swap I've seen. That truck does have a Brownie and according to the owner is very good on the highway. I've seen him enough different places I know he runs it all over this area.

If you want to stay with a manual transmission you can use a '55 to '67 (about) V-8 or '64 to '67 six type bell housing AND either modify the stock crossmember and mounts, or replace the crossmember with one from a '54 or '55 1st.

That approach gets your 350 hooked to a stock type 4-speed or a number of other later transmissions and gives you options that might work for you.

The challenge you face is that not a lot of people modify the bigger trucks, so finding someone who has actually done something similar to what you want may be difficult. You may have to figure a lot of things out for yourself.

Someone suggested running a more modern six. A Chevy 261 if you can find one is real close to just a bolt-in swap. Its not a lot bigger than the 216 but it has better oiling and will make a difference.

More work, but looks original and fits the existing bellhousing and transmission is an early GMC motor. A 270 or a 302 will have better oiling, make more power, and in a number ow ways is a superior motor.

More work, and requiring the later bellhousing, is to use the '63 or later 292. This motor is clearly not original to anyone who knows the early motors, but many people will not realize its not original.

Any V-8 swap is going to mean changing the steering. The problem is that the exhaust manifold hits the column. Some guys move it outward to make room, others change the column and box. Another solution is custom headers and there are even some manifold choices that seem to work without trouble. Look for the front dump manifolds from an early 265 for instance.

I hope this all makes sense and maybe even a little of it is helpful. I'm a hot rodder at heart and enjoy seeing others find ways to build the hot rod they want, but as Jeff (RustedNuts) suggested above its your truck and you should do what you want. He is mostly a restorer but still speaks to a committed hot rodder like me.

If it is indeed a "6000" series (6100, 6400, or 6500)2 ton, it should have a Loadmaster 235 engine in it, & not a 216.

When I dedcoded the vin it came up as a 2 ton truck.

So that means I have the 235 in it then?

Is there any way to tell by looking at the motor?

Yes, post here the casting numbers on the engine and head. And, post the engine ID that is pressed into the block in the ledge to the rear of where the distributor goes into the block.