O/T 1950 Chev truck engine

[old]

Well I posted a few pictures of the 1950 chev truck and engine in help ID this morning. Can any of you tell me if its the 216 or 235 engine. From what people have said I think its the 216 which I know isn't a very good engine. Oh well if it is the 216 I'll get it up and running and let the boy use it till he blows it up and then drop in a 250 I have laying in the shop. The 250 only has 3000 miles on it since I rebuilt it years ago. Only reason its in my shop is because I took out the rear suspension on the truck it was in so I took the truck apart to keep for hurting my self and others.
Hobby farm

 

[37 chief]

Hope it runs ok for you. I think the 216 engine has the large side cover on the spark plug side. That goes over the plugs also. I may be wrong it's been a long time. Stan

 

[Anonymous-0]

Can't tell from the pics. It does have the valve cover held on my 2 bolts. so likely it is a 216. If the side cover extends from the valve cover all the way down to just above the distributor is is a 216. If it has the short side cover, that ends below the spark plugs it is likely a 235. But, there are 2 235s, one with splash oiling like the 25 and the later one with pressure oiled rods. But with the two bolt valve cover, even if yours is a 235 it is most likely the splash oil version.

 

[sonny2]

old
My dad had a '40 Chev which was a 216 engine and the side cover over the pushrods extended all the way up to the top of the head. I hated to help put the cover back on, because you had a cork gasket to seal around each plug and that was fun getting in place. We also got a '51 for a parts car and on that engine, the side cover only went up to the bottom of the head, so,I don't know if that is the difference between the two engines or not. Sorry I can't be sure.

Paul

 

[Bob]

Check out the sites linked below to help ID it.

http://www.inliners.org/becks/BCN2.html

http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/chevytalk/GMhistory/1916-57cast.html
Inliners

 

[Walt Davies]

They were called Dip rods not splash. They had a diamond shaped scoop on the rod bolt that would pass though a channel that was filled with oil from the 15 LB pressure pump. This would force oil into the rod bearings. it worked great for a long time from around 1928 to 1952. I had several of these engines in different Chevys and they all performed very good. You just have to get used to seeing 15 lbs of oil pressure and not getting excited.
Walt

PS Old you can put an engine from and early Toyota Landcrusier right in it. They are so close to the 235 that most parts will interchange.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Old, I'm not a expert on anything. But (unless that engine was swapped out with another) I think it should be a 216 that they put into those 1/2 ton Chevrolets back then. When I was a lot younger than I am now a close family friend had one that he changed/swapped out the engines every year or so in his 51 Chev. 1/2 ton pickup. Both of these engines I do believe were 216's. He never abused this thing, and said that he had the spares (engine, trans, differential) to swap out so he could keep the downtime to a minimum while he overhauled them. He was in his 70's at this time, and died at the very young age of 93. I was very sad when this happened and was unable to go to his funeral due to where I was living and work requirments. Have often wondered what his son did with the old pickup. It was in as perfect condition as one could be in South Texas. I'll never forget the day (mid 1970) offered him $8,000 cash for it. LOL, he just looked at him and said that he would keep driving his pickup.

Jim

 

[old]

Thanks Bob I book marked that one so after I find the numbers on the engine I can go back and compare the numbers to see what we have. Hope to have it running in an hour or so.
Hobby farm

 

[Bob]

If it's anything like the old farm trucks around here when I was growing up WHO knows WHAT engine is in there!

Older engines, newer engines, or car engines were swapped into pickups... WHATEVER was available to squeeze a few more miles out of the 'ole trucks.

 

[Allan in NE]

Sure looks like a 216; but it has the added oil filter so it just might be a 235. Can't remember oil filters on the scoop engines.

Not to say that it isn't any good. Millions of 'em ran for lots and lots of years.

Wonder why it is painted orange? They didn't do that until the 250.

Allan

 

[El Toro]

I had the 216 engine in a 1951 Chevy car. I thought the 235's were used with the Powerglide
transmission. The 1954 Chevy cars had the 235 engine. A lot of these used oil when new and the 1954 Fords had camshaft problems with their new V8. Hal

 

[olivergreen]

Hi old, In my youth I spent many hours on the old 6 cyl. chevys. 235cu.in. had the lifter cover only up to the head. Now only 6cyl. chevy I ever heard of with full oil pressure before 54 was the vette. you will be able to tell if you have a full pressure engine at the oil preessure gauge. Most with dipper rods had a very hard time making the 30lb gauge top out 10-20 revved up & warm real good. Rode one for years never hit 10psi. The full oil pressure engines will bury the needle on the 3o psi guage in those old trucks.

 

[Swampcat]

The 216 valve covers have 2 acorn-like nuts sticking through the top on studs. The 235 cover has 4 machine screws at the bottem flange in threaded holes in the edges of the head.
216"s are no good if you expect high rpm and high speed on an old engine.
216"s were in deuce & a half ton trucks during WWII.
With a little knock or a drop in oil pressure the babbit bearings could be, " taken up ", by removing shims and would compensate for bearing wear, keeping the engine in-spec and running for a long time to come. I"ve had both and still run a 216 in a "46 half ton.
235"s became more popular, I believe, because of the ease in changing bearing inserts. Both engines had the oil filter canister...as an option. The biggest draw-back to an older 216 or 235 was the relatively long piston stroke which lead to greater cylinder wear than a shorter stroke engine, which lead to greater oil consumption and shorter engine life between rebuilds.

 

[Oldmax]

Old I have a 48 2 ton with a 235 in it , Runs good but not at hwy speeds 45 max govrened ,
The 250 would be a good choice but bwon't bolt up to the presant bell housing the 250 & 393 shair same bell housing I hope you saved bell housing and trans from other truck .

 

[old]

I have 3 or 4 of the bell housings laying around plus 2 or 3 4 speed tranny. I also know I would need to swap out rear ends because of the enclosed drive shaft. I know the Chevs. of the 60, 70, and 80 but this 50 is just a little bit before I started playing with the chev pick ups

 

[Gene Davis (Ga.)]

53 powerglide was the first Chevrolet with the insert bearings. The 53 std shift was still babbit rods.