Lots of good responses to your original question here. Like everybody says, 216, 235, 261's are pretty much a bolt in. But it's not impossible to fit a 194 (why would you want to?), 230 or 250 in it. Or even a 292. If a dummy like me can stuff a 250 in a '46 with a T5 and open driveline and retain floor pedals, then I'm sure you can too. 3rd gen sixes are longer and lower (and lighter, too) than the originals, but worth the effort I think. Not sure how much radiator clearance you will have (I'm gonna run an electric pusher fan out front), but I think it would be a worthwhile swap
My 48 has had a later (194 Chevy II engine, then a 74 250 and is now getting a 68 292. It had the stock 3 speed column shift and torque tube with the 194 when I bought it in 1973. You have to use the right clutch fork to work with the stock clutch linkage. The not so fun part is figuring out the throttle linkage. You also have to press the hub back on the water pump and shorten the shaft and run a shorter pulley to clear the radiator. It doesn't clear by much even then. With the 55/mid 60's V8 cast iron bellhousing per Anthony's photos you have to modify the 47/54 crossmember a bit for the mounts to fit, It will bolt right on a 54 crossmember though. The pressure oil 235/261 are also longer than a 216 but you can buy and adapter plate from Davis Speed and run the 216 water pump. I have shortened a couple of 235 water pump shafts in the past and used a shorter pulley to get the clearance.
On my swap, the throttle linkage took a little thinking, and some ( a lot of) drinking to figure out. I used a combination of angle iron, cut down stock cable and bent original pedal rod...
@Mr48chev, please forgive me. I had no idea you had a 194 in your pickup when I made that comment about why would you want a 194
So here is the latest. I am going to go the Powerglide route that someone suggested. I have the Chevy 250 straight 6 from a 76 Nova and found a Powerglide from a 1963 Nova. Will those mate together without any great difficulty? Remember this is going into a 1952 Chevy 3100 Pickup, that currently has a 261 with 3 on the tree. The drivelone has already been removed and a 9" Ford rearend in its place. Will just need a driveshaft. Any feedback is appreciated regarding my Plan B.
Hmmmm. I’m no PG fan. That might be unpopular here, those are cool on the drag strip. I never cared for em for regular cruising. Lower HP engines can benefit from more gears. Id take a th350 over a PG. 200r4 would be my preferred choice But the PG from the 63 will work with the 250
Hey, I thought you originally said you currently have a 216, but today you say 261... If it is a 261 I would keep that - those are getting harder to find and are highly sought after.
Like @simplestone said, if it IS a 261 you might want to rethink your path forward. You might rethink your transmission choice as well. a TH350 or 200r4 would work well, but .... how much conversion work and time off the road suits your plans (and wallet)?
If you want to make it easier and keep your current transmission with the 250, I should still have a BH here that may work for you. I haven’t looked for it for a years, but it was for the GM early 60’s PUs that used the hydraulic clutches. If anything, you could borrow it to see it it’s a fit for your transmission and get an idea of how you’d do the clutch. I remember as a kid riding in a early ‘60’s Chevy car with a 6cyl and PG, wasn’t much to talk about. I had a ‘65 El Camino with a tired 283 and PG, it wasn’t a ground pounder by any means, but seemed like twice the performer that car with the 6/PG was. But one advantage you have over the car, is a lower geared rearend, so you might do okay with it.
I have decided to go back to the closed driveline and find a 235 that euns and swap out the existing 216/235 currently in the truck.
@anthony myrick The difference with the bellhousing is a car has a smaller hole in the center than the truck. You have to use the truck bell for modern transmissions like t5 and such.
Someone used to make adapters to work. You do have to shorten input shaft on later trans. The adapter took care of both problems. I don't need a stinkin adapter. I have done this 3 times successful. t5 behind 235 chevy. The block side bolts up to the engine the same. The transmission to bell housing is the same but the bottom bolts go in from the front.
I have decided to use existing 3 on the tree and reinstall a stock closed driveline. My options by doi g this lead me to believe I either replace current bad motor with another 216 or preferably a 235 so I don't have to move the radiator or change a bell housing. My research tells me the 235 (pressurized) was used in the 1953 model year. I am supposing the current teanny bell housing will work. Any feedback regarding this would be appreciated I am not looking to change to the other 6's or tranny bell housing configurations on this project. Any thing you can share including the availability of a strong running 235 to fit this application is appreciated.
It's a bit of a long story, I bought the truck from an older gent in McGregor Tx in early 1973 for 75.00 with a running 194 hooked to the stock 3 speed with closed drive and having four very shaky 16 inch tires on it. My father in law had heard about it and we went over and I bought it. I drove it to work the next day and every other day and decided that my T bucket was in no way going to be ready for the 73 Street Rod Nationals in Tulsa but the 48 qualified by being a 48. After a three and a half month scramble we took it to Tulsa with an open drive 3 speed and 5 lug front hubs and rear axle, a Gold paint job and a fresh roll and pleat seat by Bobby Russel of Waco. I sold it because I wanted a 55/57 big window Chevy but couldn't find one and bought a 57 Panel with a seriously strong 327. Ended up trading the panel to the guy then had the 48 for the 48 and it then became part of the family. I put the 283 out of my T bucket in it and drove it every day and to a number of Texas rod runs between 75 and 77 and towed a 16 ft U haul to Washington in August of 77 with it. Later it got a 350 in a total rebuild and took a trip back to Texas in 81 and a trip to Ogden for the Chevy GMC Truckin Nationals in 82. I tore it down for a rebuild and life got in the way and it sat until August 1989 when I put it together from a bare frame to a running and driving truck in three weeks and we took it to a show in Elma Wa. It had (still does) a 74 Pontiac 250 in it then as the 350 had been put in a succession of cars over that time frame and got sold to a friend of mine for his 65 Chevy pickup. I drove the truck for 15 years and wore it out and have been gathering parts for years for a total frame up rebuild with the 292 that a buddy gave me.
That’s probably the least painful and fastest way to get it back on the road. Bit hectic for me this week at work, but at the end of next week I’ll call a buddy that might know where a decent 235 is locally. Turlock swap meet in coming up also at the end of January if nothing turns up by then. Put a wanted ad in the classifieds to see if a HAMBr has a good one and is going to be there. Edit: I’ve a 235 flywheel (from a 12 volt pickup) and a clutch assy (probably should be replaced) for a core if you get a bare engine and plan to change over to 12 v, pretty sure the tooth count is different than the 216. Also have an old starter for a core. Free for the drive to Oakdale
Hey thanks again for all your feedback regarding the engine and tranny advice. I am going with an open drivetrain. Any suggestions regarding differentials that match or closely match the stock dimensions of the original 47-54 3100 series pick ups. Keep it simple. Limited slip will work. Don't necessarily need a posi track rearend. I will be using stock leaf springs.
60-62" rearend (measured at wheel mounting surface to surface) will work fine with an 8 " wide rear wheel
One thing to keep in mind is if you want to stay 6 lug, or carry two spares, or convert the fronts to match the rear. Gear ratio needs to be thought about as well. Since you’re staying with the 6 and assume a different 3 speed for open drive, I wouldn’t go any lower (numerically) than 3.50 or so for the rear or you’ll be hard on the clutch taking off. Are you set on keeping the 3 speed column shift? If not and a floor shift is okay, then that can open up different rear gear ratios
I have a 6 lug 12 bolt posi traction rear axle from a 69 C10 pickup in my 1950 . . . you will need to grind off the old trailing arm suspension bracket welds and brackets from the 69 axle and add new leaf spring brackets, but well worth the effort. It is 1/8 inch narrower than the stock axle. Also retained the column shift with an A833 OD tranny . . . so four on the tree with a reverse push-pull cable mounted just to the left of the steering column. Worked with the stock bellhousing after turning down the pilot flange on the tranny.
...nothin wrong with a 250 six/glide combo, P=glides take less horsepower to turn them,...that combo will make a neat economical cruiser with the rite rearend gears/tire size... after reading all your posts, now I'm not sure which combo you have decided to go with.
I am going with the 250 and PG. Need some guidance on the open drive line piece. Staying with stock leaf suspension. Looking to put in a Chevy rear end 5 or 6 lug. I am keeping front straight axle and looking to just lower it with blocks. Likely do the same in back with a newer rear end. I imagine I will need to find a near match reard end and then set up perches for the shocks and plate for the springs. Earlier member mentioned using the 60-62 inch rear end. Also want to use existing three on the tree set up and was told there is a kit to convert it to use it as an automatic shifter. I will eliminate the clutch pedal and close off the hole in floor. Any thoughts or direction on that path would be greatly appreciated. My friend said it was attainable to keep the column shift and using a after market automatic guide and determine which shift rod to leave or modify to activate the PG shift.The current situation on the rear end is last owner was in process of doing bags and home grown C-notch set up. The rear end currently is a Ford 9 inch with no modifications. Will remove it and restore back to original frame set up with parts to create a solid and dependable rear end/leaf and shocks similar to stock. I want to drive an old truck with a few minor improvements and keep it dependable. Should I sell it in the future the automatic will make it more palitable for people who have no clue on how to shift manual tranny, especially the column shift.
I think 62 was the last year the 261 was installed by the factory but replacement engines for the 261 were made up to 64. I have one in my 50 Deluxe. Some folks may still run across 261s with date codes 63 and 64.
you can't use blocks to lower the front, the axle sits below the springs, you can use blocks on the rear but are only 1 & 3/4" wide, maybe Chev's of the Forties has those. to lower the front you can remove a few leafs or buy lowered leaf springs or drop'd axle.
To ad some, pads and springs under the rear will drop the rear 5/6? Inches. A dropped axle will lower the front, and can add (lower more) drop with Posies springs. But how much do you want to lower the truck, maybe just a front spring change and relocate the rear spring mounts might be enough? I like lowered AD trucks, don’t care much for the grass cutters though. But your truck, maybe a current side pic of it and where you’d like to have it sit at, would get you the proper advice.
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