The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 216 to 235 ---Now including 250 swap questions

I've searched and found a bunch of threads, but theres some conflicting info and I'm just plain confused.

I took out the 216 in my '53 3600, and want to replace it with a 235. I've read that I should just re-use the clutch, pressure plate etc off the 216 along with the starter.

The starter I have has rot holes through the case and in no shape to use, and I figured I might as well go with a 12v starter as I'm making the truck 12v.

The old clutch parts were packed with dirt and were beatup and damaged while trying to get the engine free and from bad storage.

What parts am I going to have to get to correctly get a 235 to work without having to re-use any of my old parts?

Sorry for beating a dead horse, but I don't know nearly enough about this to go out and buy anything .

You can still use a 6 volt starter when converting over to 12 volts. Your best bet on the clutch assembly and flywheel is to stick with the 216 stuff. It all interchanges.

Your choices are:


168 tooth flywheel (late) with a 12 volt starter.

or

139 tooth flywheel (early) with a 6 volt starter. (ok with 12 volts too)

Your original bellhousing is required in either case due to the motor mounts.

Hy Ferndale53, if you want to convert the engine to 12 volt then you will need a 12 volt compatable flywheel [168 teeth on the starter ring gear], that flywheel will have a six bolt clutch pressure plate attaching pattern, and I believe is available in a 10" or 11" clutch version. So you will have to purchase the appropriate clutch assembly for the flywheel you get, most suppliers make a clutch kit with the pressure plate, disc, throwout bearing and pilot bearing/bushing. You will need a 12 volt starter, they are available in both foot and solenoid activated styles. Also make sure the "new engine" has holes in its front mount plate just like the one on the 216 you removed. I hope that answers most of your questions.

Depending on what year 235 you use there can be water pump issues. On the later model motors the water pump sets in different location causeing clearence problems with the rad, this can be corected with a short pump or a adapter to use the early style pump. Search the threads this has been hashed over many times.

Thanks, that cleared things up.

Now I have another question. I found a 250 locally for a very good price and in great shape. I've read every thread that comes up when I search for 250 on here, and I swear not one thread says the same thing. Some people say the engine is longer, and that the firewall has to be cut or the radiator moved. Other posts said they didn't have to cut the firewall or move the radiator. If you have a 250 in a AD, please post. I'd be interested to see how it worked out.

Is it as easy as bolting in a V8 crossmember? Langdon has a 250 mount kit, but I haven't heard back from them yet.

Heres my story on the 250-216 swap. My '37 didn't have any drive train so I was starting out fresh never seeing a engine in the stock location. I placed the radiator and support on the frame then went about setting the engine in place. Once it was in place, I set the cab on only to find out the firewall hit the back of the engine. I moved the radiator forward in the frame, moved the whole engine forward some, and still needed to move the fire wall back a little. I know what the books say, but I still believe the engine is longer.

Joe

Hmmm, is the distance between the radiator and the firewall different in a 37' than in an AD? Given the difference between minor or major fabrication is just a couple inches, those inches are crucial.

We tried to start the engine on my 52 after converting to 12v and the old 6v starter blew apart. I'd like to replace it with a new 12v starter but I didn't see 12v starters the Carter or LMC catalogs. Several strings suggest the 6v starters are fine for a 12v system. Should I just get a replacement 6v or is there a good place to go for 12v starter?
Thanks

Nice truck!

I clicked through the pages, but unless I missed it I didn't see anything about how the engine is mounted. Did you use a kit or did you make your own mounts?

I just used the tubular V8 engine crossmember and tubular trans crossmember that everyone sells. The boneyard engine still had the factory mounts bolted on and it dropped right in. Worked fine.

Tubular transmission crossmember, which one is that? I've seen plently of v8 crossmembers, but I don't think I've seen any for the transmission. Where did you buy it from?

Hmmm, I should have asked this before, is it possible to install a 250/292 and retain the stock sm420 and drive shafts?

Note, this is for a 3/4 ton.

It should be.

You have a '53. If you swap the '53 bellhousing crossmember for one from a '54 you can use a 55 2nd to 59 V-8 type bellhousing, which will bolt to the '54 crossmember and a 250/292 keeping the transmission and driveshaft stuff all in it's original locations. You can use a later bellhousing up to '67, but clutch changes make things more complicated.

Then if you are using a 250 you can use one of the tubular V-8 aftermarket motor mounts to mount your motor. The 292 uses a staggered mount and I don't have a simple solution for that part.