The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Can I convert a 216 cid engine to fully oil-pressurized?

Is there a way to convert a 216 cid babbit-pounding engine into a fully oil-pressurized 216 cid engine?

I don't think so.The 216 crank is not drilled to supply oil to the bearings. A 235 crank is drilled but has a different stroke.

Yes, it can be done, but the crank has to be drilled. This was something done by the old rodders with the low-pressure 235. But even they gave it up when the "new" 235 came out in 1954.

Best thing to do is to leave it a splash oiler and have the rods machined to accept insert-style bearings. The 216 will run a long time that way.

There is places that can convert it but it is pricey.I have 216 from a 39 passenger car that has been converted.

Wouldn't it be easier to just get a full-pressure 235 and disgiuse it as a 216?

If you are talking to me,yes it would,I have done that in the past.I have 3 nos 54' 235 short blocks that I could dress up as a 216 but not for the car I putting this in,it is pretty rare and I dont want to get the purist mad :p (namely me).Now to actually buy that darn car.

What's involved in making the 235 look like a 216? Valve cover? How hard is that to do? Do you recommend adding a oil filter? Most bolt on fliters I've seen are pretty pricey.

There is also a mod to move the position of the water pump up to where it was on the 216, using the 216 waterpump. There is a thread on this.

The oil filter assemblies appear quite frequently on Ebay . That is where I bought mine.

Here are shots of my '54 235.
http://www.thriftauto.com/fredsengine.jpg
http://www.thriftauto.com/fredsengine2.jpg
The early 235 had the high water pump, same as the 216. I used the 216 valve cover, with mounting stud kit from one of the vendors. I also used the original oil filter.

Fred, great looking engine. Thanks for the info on the oil filter. What did you pay if I may ask? Did you have to dill the block for the oil fittings?

http://mcpheter.com/51PU.jpg

Look at this link for Becks, http://www.inliners.org/becks/ it's what they call a "full flow 216". Don't know about cost effective, but they do it. I've heard you can make a 235 look just like a 216, except maybe the side cover.

I had a '39 Chev. 216 pressure drilled and macined for insert rods. Ran great and I turned it over 5000 RPM often, it never had lower end problems. The early 235's up to '53 look just like 216's, tall side cover and all, so that should be no problem, just put a later oil pump and drilled crank and it works fine and nobody will know except for the numbers on the block.