216 Cranks
 

Having succesfully identified my 216 engine as a 1941 and my spare engine as a 1951 - I'm after some assistance about the cranks.

My '41 crank will need a regrind, but the '51 crank has been reground in the past and is in really good condition. Everything is identical except the big end journals are slightly bigger (3mm).
Has anyone fitted a latter crank? Is it worth persuing with the later crank? Just trying to save a few quid as a regrind isnt going to be cheap!

Both blocks will need a rebore so its not as if I can just use the 51 engine straight away. Plus really I want to keep the wartime engine!

Not sure what u mean by 3mm bigger ? If you can find them it's worth fitting the aftermarket lighter alloy pistons. The original cmp pistons were dome top cast iron alloy . They changed the head to suit the Flat top pistons around 1941 but the CMPs kept the earlier style head until the end of production in 1945

Don't mix the heads up. Don't fit flat top pistons with a dome type head and vice versa. They also changed the valve stem lengths to suit the valve spring caps

Hi Mike,

The journals are approx 3mm wider.

I hope to go the alloy piston route.

Thanks
Richard

Ok
 

OK Richard

I have some precision .030 and .040 main bearing sets that are apparently 216 but they might be post war 216 ? The brand is NASCO made here in Aust. I sent a set to Alex in Holland and I've given a few sets to other people but I've never heard back from anybody . Uptons had a large crate of these bearings and they said they were Chev bearing sets , the bearings were very cheap so I bought many sets on the chance they might be useful/ http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ighlight=nasco

Mike, I can confirm the Nasco ones are for the early 216 crank. I have your bearings in my (1940) engine, but I haven't found the time yet to finish the shim-torque-check-remove crank again-adjust amount of shims-retorque-recheck-dance :D.
Still very happy with your bearings!

Richard, indeed later 216's used a different crank....I am sure it has come up on the forum a few times, so it wouldn't hurt to use the search funtion. I also seem to remember there were some comments on using the later crank in an early block.....maybe by Maurice(?).

Many thanks chaps, I'll have a read of your link Mike and do a search as Alex suggests.

changes
 

hi Richard

The 216 was in production from at least 1937 to around 51 . During its long production GM made changes to the 216, so be aware of the different parts that will not swap over from earlier engines.

Theres too many variables with the '51 crank so Im getting the '41 crank reground.

This means I have a '51 engine stripped down that I no longer need and will put it up for sale.

I have sourced con rods to take shell insert bearings (Thanks Pete) in the UK and have a source for the rest, from the states.

Hello Richard,

Did I read you need a new crank?

Try Meijerink engine rebuilders in The Netherlands. They have the parts and the skills: http://www.enginerebuilding.eu/chevr...1941-1947.html

HTH

And try Jaap Rietveld as well: https://www.milweb.net/go/rietveld/

I talked to him the other day, he told me he has heaps of parts for the 216-ci engine