The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 Linkage to 216

About to pull my old 216 out of my 1950 3100 and replace it with my rebuilt 235. Can I use the throttle linkage from the 216 to mount on to this 1961 235 ?
Michael

Yes.

Thanks Joe.....
Michael

It is not as easy as that.

1960-62 235s dropped the front throttle pivot. In this link you can see how I drilled the side of the block and installed a pipe plug that I drilled for the pivot.
http://picasaweb.google.com/pre68bowtie/MechanicalPart#5031057369668349522

Opinions and advice are something everyone has. In my opinion, let give you some advice. I would be very, very, very careful before I drilled a hole in my block.....anywhere in the block. I would consider other types of "alterations" to the linkage. I would shorten or lengthen the linkage, or whatever I had to do or could do, but I personally would not drill a hole in the side of my precious block. I have a 261 truck engine in my 37 truck. I lenghtened the linkage from the pedal to the pivit point to make it work. It works great.
Just be sure about what you are doing when you drill a hole in an engine block.

I know people are reluctant to drill into there blocks, like for my water pump adapter, but hundreds have done it.

I have been doing this throttle conversion for years on many engines with no problems.
It's up to you.

I don't think Dave is giving an opinion or advice, I think he is describing how to do it after having actually done it many, many times. He doesn't post often, but when he does it's usually a 'been there, done that' type of deal, and with photographs to back it up. He speaks the truth! That's how I see it.

Stuart

Would it not be true that the relative position and required range of motion of the top of the vertical rod where it slips thru the carb hole would always be the same from an early 216 to a late 261 with any one barrel vertically actuated carb? The rod and bellcrank in my truck (235) look nothing like the “dogleg” rod and completely different bellcrank on the 261 in my garage that came out of a car but at the carburetor end they do exactly the same thing. I wonder how many variations of these items were made for different applications and if creative bellcrank geometry would eliminate the need for stud relocation.

Curt -
I think you ask a valid question. That is why I suggested doing whatever it takes to get the standard factory linkage to work. I have a 1956 261 in my truck using the 1937 linkage. I have another 261, a 62 model, on an engine stand and the standard linkage bell crank location is in the same spot. It is, in fact, a geometery problem, but, with all due respect, it shouldn't be that hard to figure out. One other thing of importance is that the design of the bell cranks changed through the years. Therein could be the difference.
Joe

IIRC some swap articles suggest to cut the rod between the bellcrank and accelerator pedal, re mount at both ends, mark and cut out the overlap, and weld back together. I can see that Dave’s modification would allow use of the original rod from the accelerator pedal to the bellcrank along with the vertical rod and bellcrank from the original engine. Are there other reasons not to just use the donor bellcrank and vertical rod and change the length of the other? Manifold interference maybe?

I have successfully bent this throttle "up rod" for use on 55-63 235/261s in 54 trucks (single and dual carb set-ups) - used from the bell-crank upwards (routed through original, dual-Offenhauser, and dual-Fenton intake manifolds). The original pedal to bell-crank rod had to be cut and bent to line up with later bell-crank (and pivot location) that is closer to the firewall.

We'll soon be further adapting a pedal to bell-crank rod by cutting it in the middle, threading the rods (one with reverse threads) and inserting a sleeve nut nut to provide a little fine adjustment (I think this has been described above).