216 0r 235

[jason meade]

What is the difference between the two engines besides HP and displacement?
I am going out to pick up some new gaskets for my engine and am a bit confused as to what i should buy 216 or a 235.
Is the any differences that can i can look for to tell them apart?
Jason

[Bob Carriere]

Hi Jason

For quick reference..... look up Stovebolt web site...... look at the technical data section..... another possibility is Phil Waterman's site.....

In a nut shell.... the original 216 has a oil splash low oil pressure system usually with babbit bearing and called (babbitt pounder) which can be more expensive to rebuild. The old 216 served well and may hard core collectors still run them.

Ouside clues to tell the difference..... the 216 has a valve cover held in place by two acorn nuts..... on the dizzy side..... the cover for the valve lifters... immediately behind the dizzy goes all the way up to the upper valve cover in one piece and actually goes around the sparkplugs. On the 235 the valve cover is held in place by 4 small flat head screws ..two on each side of the valve cover..... The side cover on the 235 only goes up below the sparkplugs.

216 would have a 6 volts starter generator..... 235 12 volts....rub the grease of the tags of the generator.....

You can always search the web to verify serial numbers that you can read from the flat surface immediately behind the dizzy towards the firewall.

216 will usually have a wide fan belt around 7/8...... 235 usually 3/8 or 5/8 wide belt.....

Gasket kits and parts will not interchange between 216 and 235....

If you are stuck take a picture and post on MLU.......

In my opinion the 235 is better suited for today's driving style..... that does not mean a 216 is to be avoided.

As you get closer you will have more questions.... fire away will help you out.

Bob

[cletrac (RIP)]

The pushrod cover on the side of the 216 goes over the head and the sparkplugs and is about a foot wide. On the 235 it just covers the lifters and is about 6 inches wide.

[Tony Smith]

The 216 has a sideplate on the sparkplug side that is twice as tall as the 235, and covers both the block and the head. 235 (and 261) sideplate is on the block only.

Similarly, the 216 waterpump mounts to both block and head, while the 235/261 waterpump is on the block only.

Be warned though, there were some US made 235s that had the same external features as the 216 which were used in Chev 1 1/2 ton 4x4 for the US Army.

[jason meade]

Thanks guys by all accounts I would say i am lookng at a 216, I just got the drive train home last night and am just trying to find everything and see every thing works.
I will add up a photo or two today.
Jason

[jason meade]

Here is a few photos of the cmp
Jason

[Grant Bowker]

Jason,
From your photos it looks like you probably have a 216 and it looks like it has all the "right" parts to be CMP.
Is there a chance you can post photos of the way the oil filter is mounted? I think the bracket to mount it came with my truck in the boxes of parts (it was a project abandoned by others). I have checked the parts book which seems to list two special cylinder head bolts, double ended to support and secure the bracket, which hold the filter bracket and may end up making my own "specials" from 2 bolt's welded head to head (perhaps with a spacer for clearance). Since my engine is a later 261 I will probably have to do a few more fakeups to get the look right for my truck.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi All

One other difference that I would bring up in spotting original CMP 216 and auto or light truck 216 or 235 or 261 is the oil pan.

Original Chevy CMP 216s that I have seen had a deep oil pan made of two sections mated horizontally above the sump area. I'll have to find some better photos of all 3 types. One thing to obviously watch for if you are installing a later 216 using the original CMP oil pan with the longer oil pick up and dip stick.

The deep sump pan has a lot of advantages.

Cheers Phil

[Bob Carriere]

Look at the pictures I took a while back at CC4

We may have to fabricate two special head bolt......

Bob