The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 216 oil line

i began to take a look at my spare 216 motor sitting in my garage and discovered the small oil line that comes out the side of the block behind the pushrod cover that feeds oil to the rockers is cracked in half. the engine was sitting for a couple years in storage by the previous owner(my boss) who i bought my truck off which already had a freshly rebuilt 235 in it. when i bought the truck he gave me every last part he had left for these trucks including the 216. I unscrewed the fitting but it seems the line goes into the block. i was just going to clean the motor up and replace a few gaskets and try to find a new home for it, but not sure if its worth it anymore.

how is this oil line replaced?


i may just scrap the whole block, id rather spend my time/money working on my truck then tearing down a motor i may never be able to sell.


i dont want to sound like im advertising but if anyone needs 216 parts shoot me a email.

Chris,

You may indeed have broken the line. That fitting that you attacked is soldered to the line...as you twist it, the line twists. New kits are available that include the line with soldered nut, plus the compression fittings on the other side of the block that tie into the distribution valve.

If it were me...which it isn't , I would stay focused on one project..mentally and financially. I don't think folks are foaming at the mouth for the old 216's.

Stuart

thats what i was thinking, i know most go for the 235, the only ones that really go for the 216 would be ones doing original restorations which seem few and far between around here. i have a few other parts that i may just scrap with the motor if i dont find someone that wants them

Sometimes there are want ads on the VCCA site for a specific year of 216. These folks are usually doing a "correct" restoration.

That oil line is easily replaced. You can get them from Jim Carter.

if i were to get the part, how hard is it to do. currently the engine is just about disassembled accept for pistons, crank and camshalf and oil pump.

another question related to the oil pump, how is it removed. the bolts that hold it to the side of the block are just circles, do i cut a grove in them or something to turn them out?

im not sure if i will even bother tring to repair the line as id hate to waste money on something i will never use or get my money back later. as far as time its a good rainy day project. ill have to put some thought into it, depending on what needs to be done to fix it.

thanks for the help

Chris,

Replacement of that line is a very easy and fairly inexpensive process. It does go through the block, inside of a water jacket and exits the other side.

As Old Blue Truck stated, you can get a replacement kit from Jim Carter's for around $20-$25.

To replace, you would disconnect the old line from the oil distributor, disconnect the fitting on the driver side of the block. You'll probably need to cut the old line at this point to get it back through the block.

Remove the side cover from the passenger side of the block, undo the fitting you'll find there, disconnect the fitting that goes up to the rocker arm, and you're half-way there.

To replace, you just put back the new in place of what you removed.

I believe I replaced mine in about a half-hour or so.

One last hint, it is a whole lot easier with the manifolds off of the engine.

jed (eric) is the guy who walked me through the oil line replacement process. Thank you Eric.

drummin52 - You are in good hands.

thanks for the help, got the line out and good to go. ill keep the engine in storage for now, its in my garage on a engine stand so i can turn it up side down and put a small amount of oil around the pistons(tip given to me be another member) so it wont deteriorate. im not going to replace the line or the gaskets, i figure if someone buys it, they will most likely rebuild it anyways, so why spend money on gaskets and such if there is a chance it might not be used or be replaced again.

once again thanks for the help.