The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop car engine vs truck engine

Can someone out there please help me understand if there is any difference between a 47-53 216ci automobile engine and a 47-53 216ci truck engine, other than identifying serial numbers on the block? Chevy went to the trouble of segregating them via ID #'s, but is that the only difference? Thanks.

The 216 blocks, heads, and intake/exhaust manifolds were the same on cars and trucks. Parts attached to the above parts might have been different on cars and trucks.

Pre '68 Dave will straighten this post out, if it is wrong.

I think the front mounts were different, the car may have had an automatic choke.

Horsepower went up on the car 216 engine to 92 hp in 1950 or so. The trucks seemed to stay at 85 hp, or at least that is what the id plate says on the 1953 Chevy I have. Whether the cams may have had a little different grind to give the truck engine a more broader torque curve than the car?
John

There is little difference in pass and truck 216 engines.
My 1950 parts book shows the same cam, lifters, distributor, head, and carb.
The only thing that comes up different is the pistons. Truck pistons are a little bit heavier than pass pistons.

Horse power went up in 1950 as Chev went to Rochester carbs that year, and exhaust valve and seat angle went from 30 degrees to 45 degrees for better flow.

The fuel pump is different between car and truck engines.
The fuel line connectors are in different locations.

Jim

Up to 1951 car and truck fuel pumps were the same. Starting in 52 when cars got side mounts there fuel pumps angled the in and out to clear the mount.

This is a useful link . See page 3 for front mounts.
I think the car engines had the fiber camshaft gear and trucks were aluminum...

You are correct, Frank50, except for the Corvette 235. It had a metal/aluminum cam gear - but, I guess that a Corvette aficionado would say a Corvette is not just a car.

I have been searching for a reason trucks got aluminum gears and cars got fiber. I have thought it was because fiber was quieter, but an aluminum gear installed correct with no run-out seems to be silent also.
Since truck and cars used the same cam, lifters, and head(in 216's anyways) I can not come up with a reason Chev did this.
Any ideas?

Well I have been wondering about the differences in the angle of the fuel pump lines on one of my engines now I know the block was cast with provisions for side mounts but front mount was used. Thank you for that little bit of info.

I think the aluminum cam gear was concidered to be more Heavy Duty.

My 1957 322 Buick engine has double roller timing gear set while the cars had single...

Mike B

yep, the aluminum never wore out, but you could'nt go 100,000 miles with a stock fiber gear. Many high mileage pass motors would lose their fiber gears. If you can compare side by side you can usually hear the alum gear's slight noise. Not a big deal.

Even in the next generation sixes, 194/292, the trucks use aluminum gear on cam.