Got a 53-210 chevy with a straight 6 in it. I see there is 3 sizes(217, 235,&236); or atleast that's what oriel's says the options are. How can I tell what I got? Thx
I've heard of nothing but 235's in them. My '54 had a 235 and I have 2 235's out of 54's in storage right now. Also, check the firing order. Should be 1,5,3,6,2,4 for a 235.
1953 was the changeover year. The cars were available with splash oil 216's and full pressure oil 235's. usually, what transmission you have is the deciding factor. Powerglide= full pressure 235. 3 speed = splasher 216
I got the 3 on the tree. Anything special I need to know about a "splashed" ***uming that what I have.
According to the Encyclopedia of American Cars, 1952 was the changeover year, with 216s in manual shift cars and 235s in Powerglide cars. In 1953, the 235 was the engine in both manual trans and Powerglide cars. The manual trans 235 in '53 was rated at 105 hp, the 'glide at 115.
This seems to be confusing for lots of folks........but......I can tell you with confidence that Chevys from 1937 through 1952 had 216 engines in ALL stick shift models when they left the factory. Starting in 1950 models, Powerglide equipped cars got 235 engines as standard equipment. ALL of these engines, 216 & 235, were splash lube babbit bearings engines. For 1953 models, ALL got 235 engines, stick or Powerglide, BUT, the stick models were splash lube/babbit bearing and Powerglide versions were insert bearing, full pressure lube engines. In 1954 models, ALL were the pressure lube, insert bearing version. ALL 216 engines have the tin cover on the right side that extends from the bottom of the lifter gallery up the side of the cylinder head to just under the valve cover. That is also true of SOME 235's, those before about 1950. Thereafter ALL 235's had a shorter tin side cover that covered only the lifter gallery.....stopping at the top edge of the block, just below the cylinder head. Short side cover.....always either a 235 or 261 engine, but 235's can be either splash or pressure, depending on year model. Ray
Side cover going up on the side of the head = 216 splash oiled 235. Side cover stopping at the bottom of the head= pressure oiling 235. Splash oiling refers to the fact that the 216 used dippers on the rods to scoop oil out of the troughs (for lack of a better term without searching) in the piece in the pan that collected oil for that purpose.
Casting number on the side of the block is the best way to know, since you can bolt in whatever without too much work, regardless of what came with it new. But the engine sizes were 216, 235, and 261.
Aren't the 216 engines still just two bolts on the valve cover too? And the 235 four bolts around the perimeter?
All Chevy sixes through 1953 235 engines, both splash & pressure lube, used 2 bolt valve covers...the changeover to perimeter was for 1954 models. Ray
You can't go by that. I have friends that put 216 valve covers on a full pressure 235 to make it look like a 216 and they fool most people. On a real 216 beside the tall side cover there's a small 3 screw kidney shape plate on the opposite side of the block. In the same general location, there is also a short copper tube that is almost "U" shaped.
Forget the rest and absorb what Ray said. Anything that deviates from that is either unnecessary (spl) or wrong or both.Good luck with your new buy Rod Owner of 235 and 1954 261 cubic inch Cheers
Nailed it, says so in the original shop manual and I have the 49 thru 53 with 54 supplement. This dude knows his stuff. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
One word ... rocker cover ... wait thats two! ... but yes there were some 53s with 216s in them (I has one ) but most were 235s. Here is the link for old car manual project 1953 Chevrolet p***enger car showing both 235 and 216s in the cars http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/chevyresto/53030.htm
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