The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 216 Rebuild-What should i know?

Im just abought ready to send my 216 out to have it gone over.Before you say why bother let me explain that my truck is going to be stock.The only modifications im toying with are headers
and dual exhaust.Also posibly the twin aces setup for better feul distribution to all cylenders.What questions should i be asking and what should i know abought this engine.Iknow i need to get hardened valve seats or valves but which one im not sure.This is the first engine ive ever taken in.I drove the truck for a year and it ran darn good just a little smokeing.While i have the truck totally dismanteled i want to get this done and have my new clutch installed.Any help or info will be greatly apreciated..Thanks Ron

If you want to stay stock that is great. If you were willing to cheat a little I would put in a later 235 that you can make look like your 216. It will look totally stock yet you get more cubic inches and full oiling.

With so many guys taking sixes out to put in v8's, you can usually get the 235's cheap.

Advice I've received in the past is - don't waste your money trying to spruce up a 216. They aren't worth it and won't take it. You either are going to be 100% stock or aren't, sounds like aren't, so get a full pressure 235, only the well tuned viewer will know the difference.

Well , it's nice to here there's another 216 fan out there .
These gentle motors run just fine , even completely stock. Though some carb improvements can be beneficial.
Definately , the head should be treated to some hardened velve seats . The new valves you fit are already of a quality material.
Consider modifying the timing gear front cover attachment . At the bottom , the cover bolts are fitted thru the front main bearing cap . To remove the cover at any time , the sump has to come off ! .
I drilled the cover out , and tapped the front main cap , and screw the bolts in from the front .
Have fun ,

I understand the bennifits of full oil 235.Thats the engine i have in my 1960 biscayne sedan.I am also aware that you can purchace a 216 dress kit for the 235.Thats not the route i want to go with this truck.I am going with the original 216.Ive got an advance design that needs an engine and if i dont go v8 with that ill go 235.My 42 i am going to keep the 216 in.Im in the procces of doing a frame off restoration.This my first one and thanks to this site im learning alot.I trust the input i get here from both the people that have screwed up and those that succeded.Ihave never rebuilt an engine and dont feel confident to do it myself.By no means am i a guy with deep pockets.ive been saveing for 6 months to get this done and i want to do it right the first time.I apreciate th 235 input but what i need to know abought is my 216.Thanks...Ron

Read the original Chevy 6 cylinder hop up book written by Bill Fisher which was written before the full pressure oiler 235 was introduced.Those guys doubled the HP still using the original oiling system and connecting rods.Those old 216's were raced and reved to near 5000 rpm.they set records at dry lakes and circle track racing against the arch rival **** V-8 flatroach.Some racers used niromethane fuel blend to up the HP to near 230 hp.The 216 powered a jillion overloaded trucks up steep hills and through thick mud.They were not fragile, and an equal in durability to any similar engine in its day.I certainly would use a newer 235/261 to take advantage of its better power but the 216 is still a good vintage engine, if you have your heart set on using one.

Ill probably order that book but a go faster isnt what i want for end results.Although the important people that folow/pass me on the highway probly wish i would.I just want to make sure i get my 216 done right.

It will all depend on the shop you find. Most shops today have no idea how to do a 216. If you find a shop with some old guy that starts to stare and talk about the good old times rebuilding these babies you found your shop. If the guy goes, what the heck is that? leave.

SLOW;
A 216 will work just fine within it's limits--just don't try to run long periods over 55 mph. You might consider having machine shop adapt rods to inserts--a local shop here will do this for less than the cost of rebabbiting. Rebabbiting is expensive because hardly anyone does it anymore.
Smitty

Yup , go with the rod inserts if you can .

I understand ur desire for stock in the Deco truck. Before u rebuild ur engine, u might want to talk with the guys at Becks: web page I understand that these guys are pretty much the leaders in rebuilding babbit engines although expensive. One thing that would be interesting would be if you could buy the parts for their full pressure conversion and have local machining. U might also want to do a search on Becks on this Board; some interesting discussions. Good luck and let us know what u do.

If you really want to spend the money to keep the truck stock and keep teh old 216 babbit beater I don't understand why you would want to put on a header to ruin the stock look. all you will get out of the header is a distinct sound of a split manifold. If you want to keep the sound and still sort of keep the looks you could have a good welding shop split the manifold so you would get the sound and still keep the original look from the top. Also on the older 216's the babbit was thicker and had more shims that could be removed to allow the bearings to be tightened than the newer versions. The newer versions had the thinner babbit because the thicker soft babbit would beat out worse at high speeds than if it was thinner. This advance resulted in less rod failures. It also resulted in less shims that could be removed to tighten the bearings so the rods had to be rebabbited more to help take up the slack. Whoever rebuilds the engine should know what they are doing with this engine because the splash trays and tubes need special attention to insure they aren't bent. If the oil pick up on the rod cant get to oil in the tray the rod is history.

The reason that the Dip System went by the wayside was that the pressure system got more oil to the bearings so the metal of the crank and the very thin coating of babbit on the inserts never touched each other if everything goes like it is supposed to. (I had a 307 Chev that I put 80K miles on after changing inserts and the Inserts still had the oxide coating on them without even getting polished up but I kept the oil clean). Whatever you do with the engine the most important thing you can do to make the engine last is to make sure you change the oil often and keep it clean on the inside.

I thought of one more thing that you should do whether you go back with the 216 or you upgrade to the 235. These engines have a fiber timing gear. If you are rebuilding the engine make sure you change out the timing gear set to keep you from being stranded somewhere when it fails.

I want to thank every one for putting there 2 cents worth in on this question.I wanted to know from people who know,run and have rebuilt this enginen what i should know about it when i have it rebuilt.As for splitting the original manifold i dont want to alter the original equiptment.I will consider bolt on,s that can be removed to revert back to the original eqquiptment if im unhappy with it.My resoning behind duals is to alow the engine to breathe a little easier.I admit that i dont know much abought this engine but i do know that its going back in my truck.Thanks...Ron