Projects Need help with seized 216

I have a 3 speed manual 216 in my 55 Chevy 3100. I've had the starter rebuilt, and just pulled the transmission. I've soaked the cylinders for two weeks and still can't get it to hand crank. Any advice on what besides the cylinders being seized might be causing this?

The bellhousing can not be removed, so I don't know how to get the pressure plate off. Could something there be holding it up? There is a strange bolt on the harmonic balancer making it hard to hand crank. I'm just looking to exhaust all options before sending it out for a rebuild.

It seems near impossible to find these engines in the Cleveland area, and I keep getting rebuild quotes around $4000. I don't want a crate motor. Stovebolt is the only option for me.

I'm new to the lifestyle, so any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

are you sure it's a 216? they came with a 235.

One thing that happens with the 235 sometimes is that the fiber timing gear on the front of the cam breaks, and the camshaft then interferes with the connecting rods, locking up the engine. But the trucks had aluminum timing gears, not fiber...so that may not be the problem. I don't know if it happens to the 216 engines, they have a shorter stroke.

Normally if a piston or two are stuck, you can pull the engine out, pull the pan off, and take out as many pistons as you can...then you can play games with the last one or two by removing the rod caps, and maybe turning the crankshaft part way around, or else just taking it out completely with the flywheel and clutch still attached. it's a pain on those engines when they get stuck!

 

I had real bad luck with the Chevy 216 in a 47 Panel Truck. It also was seized but I was able to free it up and get it running, smoke and a lot of rapping. Turn out that it has Babbitt bearings, which were poured, and to rebuild it at that time would of been expensive, way more that I wanted to put into a 6 cylinder. Do what I did, find another one, a newer one, such as one from the 1960s, the I-6 design and go from there. I would stay away from the 216, if you don't want to spend your life savings. Just my 2 cents. Oh, yea, with much help from my buddies, I was able to install a Caddy engine, trans, rear end, exhaust system from a wreck 1970 ambulance.

 

As squirrel said it shouldnt be a 216. If it is chuck it and drop in a smallblock or find a 235.