Chevy 216 Engine...What's it worth?

Didn't try hard enough to sell the stuff, I sold one piece on Chevytalk.org and the rest of what I sold either at swaps or on eBay. Craigslist ads were a waste of time. Ads here don't see much action either unless someone does a google search and the ad comes up in the results.

 

You should keep the 216. You might buy a boat some day. Just kidding. I love the 216 and I would use it for garage art. I had a 38 Chevy in high school with a 216. Two one barrels and a split manifold made me wear sun gl***es all the time because when you are cool the sun shines all of the time. A friend worked at a garage and ground the valves. This was a big deal when you are 16. I think they have babbit bearings but I do not remember if the whole engine is babbit or just the mains.

If I lived closer, I would come and get it.

Nobody wanted a v8/60 for years and now they are a hot item. The 216 will be a hot item someday. I wish somebody would start producing the Wayne head again.

What is an LS?

 

You're not that far away,why didn't you buy my stuff?
I made some sales here,Huck brake ***emblies from a 50 Chevy truck,235 exhaust,few odds and ends.I also bought a few 235 related items a couple of years ago from Heathen.
Had no luck on Chevytalk or Stovebolt page for small stuff.But I did sell a complete running 235 that was a steal for 300 bucks.

 

We ran a 216 in my 40 coupe until I happened on a 283. I think what I liked the most about it was the ****ing noise it made when you mashed the gas peddle. Everyone thinks that an inline with a split and straight pipes sounds good for some reason ( I don't) but the real coolest sound that they ever made is that ****ing sound.

 

What is a LS? Lone star or something Cadillac?

I think the 216 had poured babbit and not insert babbit bearings.

 

A friend did that recently, but he knew that his old Chevy needed a big GMC six to be a real hot rod.

 

I was actually thinking small Buick inline eight as an alternative to the Stovebolt - but it was kind of off topic to the thread. In any case, it would have to be something pre-'49.

 

Lame ****er

It is GMs new iteration of the small block or at least it has been marketed that way. Pretty much the mainstay of the late model high zoot crowd.

 

They're very good engines, which means they have no place in a hot rod....what's the fun if you don't have to work on it all the time, go slow, and get lousy mileage?

 

Pork and Beans

Thanks for the reply. I think some people were talking about the LS. Gear driven water pump and reverse coolant flow was mentioned. I still remember when you were rich if you had a 265 or 283. They were hard to buy in the late fifties and early sixties because of demand.

 

The weird cooling system was on the LT. 1990s stuff. The LS is late 90s->current.

 

Reading old tuning books by Bill Fisher ,McGurk and a few others,you'll see 216's bored out a bit,milled head,hot cam and a few carbs pulling 140 HP and decent lower speed torque on dyno runs.These guys claimed the stock semi splash oiling system was reliable at these power levels if the engine was kept below 4200 rpm.
140 or so Hp doesn't sound like much but it was more or less the same as the typical Flathead Ford V-8 back then.160 hp street engine was possible from well built 235 babbit truck block.
I saw Bill Fisher in the mid 1990's, he said a well built Chevy could beat most of the street flatheads back then.But Fords were obviously more popular as hot rods for a number of reasons.
Maybe a 216 is better than we think........

 

Same here locally, the lowrider Bomb guys will hunt them down and pour a ton of money in one because it is "original" the only other guys who hunt for them are guys who are restoring a car to showroom stock.

Craigslist it for 100 and be prepared to take the first cash in hand offer.

 

I did not know until the other day that most 57 Chevy were 265. You had to special order a 283. The 265 and 283 are hard to find these days. A friend is restoring a Cameo pickup and he spent about $3000 ON REBUILDING THE ENGINE. Then he complains that he could buy a 350 with a new block including freight for $1800. Sometimes I think he likes to complain so people will know how much money he has to spend. If he did not complain all the time about what stuff costs they would think he was dirt poor.

 

It had poured rods, and insert mains. You can also bore out a 216 and use 235 pistons. They are then like the early 235 with the tall valve side cover. I built lots of them back in the day. They are very good engines.

 

Goshdammit! Now I'm back on the freakin fence again! LOL

I *had* heard that those old beasts did hold their own in the early days against the Fords.

You know, I'll try to sell it on CL and if it doesn't go by the time I'm actually ready for an engine then I might just stick with it. I do have dual Fentons and a four barrel Clifford intake sitting here.

Maybe "going with the flow" isn't always mandatory....

 

When built right, they would tear up a stock flat head V8.

 

I agree. If it wasn't for wrenching on one of these with my dad when I was 12 ("hold this wrench and screwdriver while I adjust the valves") I wouldn't have kept the 216 under the hood of my '47. Everyone now says to "rip them out" and how much trouble they are. We got mine going after sitting for 34 years with frozen valves, a cracked ring gear, and enough rust in the cylinders that it looked like sandpaper. After a quick overhaul, here it is running with good compression, no oil consumption, and 1000 miles of trouble-free driving. I get 15mpg most of the time and it still goes 55-60 down the highway. Take your time, have a different mindset and keep these old 216's running. They'll take good care of you.

 

I probably would have kept the 216 in my 37 but when I tore it apart to restore back in the mid 70s I tore apart the motor since I was going to rebuild it,well it sat apart and rusted up so when i got back on it in the late 80s it was a rusty mess so a 235 went in. I should of kept the 216 togather and full of oil while I worked on the rest of the truck but I did some stupid stuff in my youth.

 

I didn't notice date of this thread untill i posted reply , but if it is still avialable lemme' know.

 

Steve, this thread is a couple years old. T hat motors long gone, get a small block...

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Yeah , noticed that too late,
but if any one in the Columbus Ohio area has a good bolt in i'd like to get some drive time and collect parts while enjoying it , its an old resto some one let sit too long , i'm reworking brakes and trying to free the stuck engine .

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v0thsG1v6w8

 

Love the smoke rings!

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im looking for a 216 cast piston std size used or new as long as it usable

 

I have several 216's. Crush most of them; but son and I found a '49 1/2 ton at a U Pull It with a br*** valve cover hold down ***embly on it. It is now in my shop. Looks like it has been on the engine most of it's life. Anyone heard of one. Who built it. Can't find anything about it anywhere. Thanks.

 

If a guy has a 216 and wants to upgrade to a 235, my thought would be to consider a 261, if it can be found.
Some guys, me included, like the inliners for many, varied reasons.

 

Well, THIS is year 2019 and I just swapped out my 216 for a 235. Junk yard offered me $50 for the 216 engine. However, within three months with just free ads on craigslist I have sold $700 in parts off that 216. Engine head, oil bath air cleaner, canister oil filter, rocker arm ***embly, oil pan, side cover, manifolds, etc. I still have about $500 in parts to sell. Do not let anyone tell you these old parts are worthless, my experience proves just the opposite. most people paid about as much in freight costs as they did for the part. For example, sold the head for $250 and buyer paid $160 additional for freight.

 

I traded the running 216 out of my project car to a guy for some POR 15 paint and a stainless bolt kit for the 235 I am replacing it with. In fact, he got the engine, torque tube and rear end, and the leaf springs and bracketry. We were both happy!