The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 216 top speed???

Hello everyone. My 42' pickup has the original 216 engine and although I have got the engine running (after sitting for 34 years), the truck is far from being able to test drive (brake master and wheel cylinders are shot). Anyway, I have been told that maximum speed for these 216 is about 45 mph. Is this true? I was hoping to be able to cruise at 55mph highway speed at least. My truck does have the 3 speed transmission. With an on dash speedometer of 100mph, I find it hard to believe that these 216 engines topped out at 45. Thanks for any input.

had a 38 chev coupe stock except for a split manifold and stars on de mud flaps.

and i thinkzzz de speed limit way back then was 45-50 it cruzed real nice at 50 most all day runnin all over az and so.cal.

but a pickum truck is most likely lower geared so maybe your lookin at 45-50 tops.

but the lower speed limit on most interstates is 45 mph just smile and wave at de nice folks that fly bye

Safety First ya wanna go faster? Steering, suspension, front end and brakes better be able to handle it. I know I know seat belts too. You would like to have all that at 35-40mph even. 45mph Stock 216-235 pick/up sounds about right (pushin it).
Go over to the links page here and check out Patrick's he's got go fast stuff for 6's.
Mi Dos Pesos, Kip

45-50 is a good cruising speed for 216 equipped with 4.11 gears. And 50 always seemed too fast for my truck.

As for maximum speed attainable, somebody will probably post that their truck will do 120 mph uphill with a 1,000 pounds of cargo, but the 1949 truck salesmans data book has some math formulas that puts the theoretical top speed well under 100.

I have a 46 with exactly the same engine and transmission. I would not go over 45 miles an hour. You are pushing it with the old babbitt bearings and cast iron pistons. In those days roads were not in condition to travel much faster than that. There is a kit from Patricks in which you can change the ring and pinion and get 65 miles per hour without high engine RPM's. Remember this though. Your suspension was not designed for those speeds. Do like the good man said keep it at 45 and just wave as they pass you. The speedometer does mark 100 but that is just the way it was printed. Nothing on your truck was ever designed to come close to that speed.

Thanks for all your input. I intend to keep the stock as original as I can, yet use it as more of a daily driver than some show truck that sits in the garage 10 months out of the year. I wasnt intending to go near 100 mph with this truck nor even over 55. Yet cruisin at 50-55 would be nice. Nothing faster. But the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of goin down the road just waving at the folks who are traveling at the 65-70mph rat race pace. Its nice to wind down a gear now and then. Right?

Hey Bullfoot! Howz the weather down in C Grove? Things is BEAUTIFUL up here in Fall Creek today! Wish my old Stovebolt was ready for a cruise cause I would probably head on down there for nice drive (take the back way to sears road and such of course )

chris42pu, You got me going so I got one of those calculators for mph-rpm of the net and typed in
65mph, 28 inch dia tires, 4.11 to 1 rear end,1 to 1 trans out put high gear and came out with 3208.7170 rpm on the engine. how if the red line on a 216 is 3400 or 3500 rpm that means your pretty close to coming apart. At 45 mph the engine is turning 2221.41. Donn't know what the red line is on a 216 but I don't think it's over 4000 rpm, but that kind of explains the 3.55 to 1 axle ratio to keep the 216 running at a safe rpm and not strain it beyond it's limits. Oh at a 120mph the engine cranks 5923 rpm and something using the numbers above. kind of interesting,
this is just a guess using number that are on my burb.
jbennett
40 burb

Problem is the rods will stretch easily due to the poured babbit bearings. Yes, they will turn 4,000 rpm and go 90, but you will shorten the life of the engine. 45 to 50 max for highway driving. Lumber I worked at in high school had an orange 52 1/2 ton, one day I decided to see how fast she would go. Had her at 90 (top of the speedo). She didn't want to stay between the ditches, and my drafting teacher saw me. The next dad he said he saw an orange blur flying down the road...

jbennet- thanks for the calculation...that is very interesting and really puts the whole thing into prespective. Think I will keep her down to 45.

Fred T- darn that orange blur! LOL

front doors open gmponys plantin flowers sears/cloverdale rd is a good ol stovebolt rd for cruzin

Here's my thoughts. I have a 54 2-ton with 235 and it has the insert bearings. It likes to run best, quieter, and less vibes at 45. I can run it at 55 easily for clip down highway to work. I have had it up to 65 max and it's screaming by then. It takes awhile to go from 60 to 65 too. Now most big trucks are low geared, but it seems about right for other AD's I've had in p/up size. Even the 60's trucks with 250's in them and Basic models didn't go too fast w/out screaming!

Still, with my 62 2 ton dumptruck the story is the same. But, I have a two speed rear end. So, really I don't need the gearing this low. Even with major loads I avoid 1st gear. The heaviest loads I might start off in 1st hi, but for general driving, even loaded, I will start off in 2nd lo. So, several gears of my truck are useless. Yet, going down the freeway in 4th hi I am wishing there was another gear to go to.

I can understand the roads were smaller and all, but why build a truck that has some useless low gears and won't go down the freeway? I don't get it. I think if I had the truck in 1st lo at 4,000 rpm the speed would be about 3mph.

To better understand low gearing, low rpm's, low speeds we have to look at how trucks were used when they were designed and built. Look at applications WORK, hauling, pulling farm wagons), not the highway speeds and applaciations of today (transportation between 2 points with carlike ride and speed).

A horse is a horse but Budwiser's Clydesdales will never will the Kentucky Derby and Secretariate couldn't pull the beer wagon!!!!!

Hard to imagine a world without interstate highways. The govt. didn't pass the interstate highway act until about 1957 I don't believe. Before that, AD trucks were quite at home on the backroads. If you search, and if you aren't in a hurry, you can still find the ideal roads for an old truck, and it's ALOT of fun to travel those routes. Just ask my truck "Shelley!"