Technical Reviving a 1952 Chevy with a seized 216

I've found myself on this forum every now and again while doing my research for projects. A couple years ago I made a thread about putting rams horn manifolds on my '90 Cadillac but was reprimanded because the car wasn't old enough. I said I'd come back once I had an older car. Now I have a '52 Chevy 2 door.

I don't know much about it. A friend and I traded a deuce-and-a-half for it. It looks like it's been sitting for a very long time. It seems to be intact - 216 with a 3 on the column. The engine is seized up. It looks like someone tried to do something about it at some point. We were told some story about trying to start it but the starter motor was smoking because they were using a 12v battery... I tried to turn the engine by hand and it's tighter than a drum. The starter indeed doesn't work, so I removed it. They probably ruined it trying to crank it.

About half the valves were frozen in the guides. I lubed everything up and tapped all the valves down and pried them back up. Some were pretty stuck so I worked them up and down. There was no oil or anything at all in the crankcase, so I filled it up with trans fluid. I also put trans fluid down all the spark plug holes. I still can't get this sucker to turn. I can roll the car in neutral, but in gear it's stuck.

I don't have a whole lot of experience trying to free up a seized engine. At this point, do I need to pull the engine out or is there still a possibility it could run? I was really hoping to just get it running, but I'm worried that the main and rod bearings are all seized up, too. Any victory stories out there with something seized up to this degree? I think the next step is to drag it around with my truck, but even if it loosened up, I kind of doubt it would actually run... What do you guys think?

 

The chances are greater that the cylinder walls/pistons are stuck more so than the bearings. The Chevy 6 is a fairly simple engine...I'd consider pulling the head and inspecting the cylinders. If it's able to be cleaned up and will turn over...great, if it's a mess....you'll know more than you do now for only a fews hours work.

 

probably best to find a 235 with inserts or sbc . wouldn.t waste time a 216 splasher motor

 

Was it left with the hood open, air filter off or spark plugs out?

I have revived engines that have been out of commission for 30 years or more. If the plugs are in, air filter on and hood closed I can get them running 9 times out of 10 even if they have been left outside. Spark plugs out, air filter off or hood open, that drops to 1 chance out of 10.

If valves are stuck and piston seized better take the head off. Even if there is rust in the cylinders it's not the end of the world. Depends how bad it is. You could watch this series about reviving a 51 Chevy for inspiration.

 

Mix a 50/50 mix of trans fluid and acetone and dump some in the cylinders and put fresh oil in the pan and then be patient. After a couple of days try to turn engine if no go wait some more. Keep trying until free.

Denny

 

My 1953 International R-130 has a Silver Diamond 220 that was seized when we bought it. I tried the pull it around in gear trick with a tractor, but had no luck. We ended up pulling the head off. Number 3 cylinder had corn seeds on top of it. Apparently the mice had gotten into it from an open exhaust valve and used it for a house. They also pissed in the same cylinder, and mouse piss is corrosive, so that was the stuck piston. We cleaned up the the mess, used some WD-40 to soak for a week, then with a hard wood block on top of the piston,I used a “T” bar puller to put some pressure on the piston and it came loose with no damage. The old motor doesn’t make a ton of power, but still hauls a couple tons of rock or gravel.


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Post some pictures of the car. Everyone likes pictures!

 

Where are you located- I have a 50 chevy pickup with a 51 216 I am pulling out that runs ok. You could have it for the hauling if you are near CT.

 

I have lots of spare 216 engines, and a couple "running" 235's I took out to make a hot rod.
I have found more than once number six cylinder was stuck do to the angle of the intake manifold funneling the moister that way.

 

If you're going to keep it semi original with a 6 cylinder, check out the Stovebolt forum. There are many people giving away running 235's on there all the time for free. Or consider swapping to a later more modern Chevy 250 or 292 six cylinder.

 

250 and 292 are way different. will not be a direct bolt in. if they are looking to drive this, they need a different engine. if it ran then i would consider going with it. stuck, not worth the effort. this is what stalls projects. they can't get it to run so then they sell it. get a running motor and move on to driving it.

 

You can try unsticking the 216
Up here you can find “running” 235’s for any ware from 200-600 bucks and most times complete.
Great engines, lots of hop up parts available and will push that car down the road easy.
Post pics
We like pics!

 

If after soaking the cyls with the acetone trans fluid mix. It don't free up. you might get a bar or large screwdriver and gently pry on the flywheel teeth. Also I wouldn't hurt to get a small propane torch and direct the flame in thru the spark plug holes. you will not get it hot enough to damage anything. but the cyl walls and pistons will expand at different rates. and the heat will thin the mixture and allow it to possibly seep between the pistons and cyl walls. You also can look into the cyls with a bore scope camera. If just one appears rusty. take apart a spark plug and weld a grease fitting to the base. then with both valves closed you can pump it full and the hyd pressure might force the piston downward. I would recommend you pull the oil pan. Its likely full of sludge anyhow. Ive found that the less wear a engine has the more likely that it would stick from setting.

 

Wow, what an abundance of excellent input here! Thank you, everyone. About a month ago I filled up the cylinders with trans fluid and the entire crankcase. Of course, it was still much cooler then with nights below freezing. The car is at my house at the lake in Moneta, VA, about halfway between Roanoke and Lynchburg. Next time I get down there I will try to turn it over again. If it doesn't turn I'll rip the head off and see what I can see. I am dubious though since the air cleaner is missing. It does have a hood though.

My friend's dad gave us a 350 Chevy and a three speed to use in it, which came out of a '55 pickup. But, I'd rather try to keep a six in it. If I can't free up the 216, I'll look for another 216 or a 235, whichever is more affordable and convenient.

I love sixes. I have a 300 in my old Ford. It had sat for a long time and then someone got it going again. I got it and removed the feedback carb and dist that never worked right, put in a Carter YF and an HEI, and it never misses a beat. It rattles like hell when it's warmed up, probably lifters, and the compression is way down, about 120 psi at best with #1 producing about 80. It always starts, even when it's been sitting for a month and it's 20 degrees outside, and it still idles smooth as silk. I can put it in granny low and it'll idle up a hill. The smoothness, low rpm torque, and durability of an old straight six is hard to beat.

I have V8s in other toys. I like keeping sixes in cars that were born with them. I'll put a little more time into the 216, but not a whole lot more. I could probably swap it out for a running engine faster than I could get this one to run.

 

Rockauto has head gaskets for $17.88, complete gasket set for $35.79. Eckler's has the gasket set on sale for $36.88

If you take the head off carefully and the head gasket is not blown you can reuse it. Even if the cylinders are slightly pitted you can hone them and put in new rings, the pits will soon fill up with hard carbon and polish smooth.

A 235 six with full pressure oiling is a good upgrade, but even better is the 261 six used in large Chevrolet trucks, 1 1/2 or 2 ton and larger 1954 - 62. Same engine was used in Canadian Pontiacs 1955 - 62 and they would beat a stock 283 up to 30 MPH then the V8 would slowly pull ahead. In other words plenty of power to be going along with, even more available with a few simple hop up tricks.

 

Good looking car, well worth the time and effort to get it back on the road. I'd lean toward a 235 if you can find one.

 

Not much love for the 216, but can be the fun of it.

If you rebuild, bore it and replace the cast iron slugs with standard size 235 aluminum pistons. (Cheap) No need to re-balance.
If the babbited rods mic OK, use 'em. If not, they can be converted to insert bearings.
An auxiliary oil filter, even if not full-flow, is a good idea. Contrary to what you might hear, it will filter all the oil (eventually). Put a 3:55 gear in it, and drive it forever.
(A proper two carb set-up will restore the zip lost with the gear change.)

And check out the 216 Group in my signature.

 

As noted, get a good cheap 235 and put in it. Yes, good 235's can be found for not a lot of money.

 

Also, the 52 has the side motor mounts which makes a 235 swap nice and trouble free. No need to deal with a timing cover mount.

 

You traded a deuce and a half for it ???? I'd rather work on a Jimmy six in a deuce and a half than a 216 in a normal old Chev sedan.......just messing with ya......you're getting good advice on loosening up your 216.

 

Thanks!

 

Thanks!

 

Thanks

 

If you take the pan off a splash oiled 216 be aware of the oil squirters and don't disturb them. They must be lined up with the rods or they won't oil. Not sure if you can take off the pan without disturbing them but I think you can if you are careful.

 

The oil troughs and nozzles are spot welded to the pan, but you still have to be careful. Having freed a stuck 216 about 15 years ago, if it was me, I would try that. Swapping a 235 is relatively painless, and they are great old motors. Swapping to a 250 or other '63 or later engine will require a different bellhousing, engine mounts, transmission, etc. and probably a rear end as yours is a torque-tube setup and requires the trans to match. A truck trans from a 54-48 Chevy 1/2-ton will have the torque-tube setup and will bolt to a 250 bellhousing.

 

I pulled the head off. Well, sort of, lol. I was running out of time on Sunday before I had to goback up to MD. But, I wanted to snap a pic of the valve train and that thermostat. I don't know about this one guys... Haha it looks pretty hurt. I did get the head off and up, but I couldn't really get it out of there myself. I left the manifolds and all on it and just didn't have the time. The pistons are still all submerged in trans fluid. I could feel a layer of loose, trans fluid soaked rust on the tops of all the pistons. I guess it's good that it's loose rust now, but I just wonder what everything else looks like inside. I will get a buddy to help muscle that head out this weekend. I even still have part of the exhaust down pipe on it. I'm pretty sure those bolts will break and if this thing does run at least I have some pipe off the manifold to work with. Anyway, I'll post back with pics and an update. I hope this thing will turn. I kind of lost a little hope after opening it up. Even every push rod looks like it came off the Titanic.

 

The stuff you felt on top of the pistons may well just be loose carbon and not rust.

 

The manifolds add several pounds of weight. Take them off, then the head. Just because everything is dirty and grimy does not mean that it's a lost cause. What else have you done? I would suggest draining the old oil to get a look at it and see if there is any water or antifreeze in it. When you get the head off clean out the cylinders so you can see their condition. Lots of YouTube videos of guys getting old engines unstuck. I suggest you try to do it gently... Don't pull it behind your tractor, though some people do that. Patience. Good luck.