What are the Differences in Oil Pan Design on 216 and 235’s?

Comparing 216 and 235 oil pans can be complex with the differences between years, car or truck, high and low pressure engines.

For this article I am comparing a few that we had on hand.  There may be others with different configurations.  GM parts catalogs don’t make it easy to figure which is which. People swap out pans based on what they find, so it may not be orginal to the engine block, but it “fits”.

For these reasons, I am showing the visual differences I observed when I laid them out side by side.

I scoured catalogs and other photos, so I could make an educated assessmemt on the years, not just guessing.  If you have more to add, send me an email or leave a comment.

I compiled photos into a “Cheatsheet” photo for easier comparison. It was a lot of work, but much easier to see the differences amongst the years.

Over the years, changes in engine designs caused the Oil Pans to change. For Example.

• Second Generation 1941-53 235’s were Low Pressure Oil System.  These have the Troughs in the Oil Pan.
• Third Generation 1954-62 235’s switch to High Pressure Oil System.
• Mid 1955, Chevy 235 Trucks switch from 1st Series (Advanced Design) to 2nd Series (Task Force).
• Water Pump is relocated.
• Oil Pump and Pickup design change.
• Mounting system was shifted to sides of the Block.  Three versions of side mounts.
• PowerGlide Automatic Transmission was introduced.  These have Hydraulic Lifters which changed the oil gallery.

There may be other changes too.

I have a post on Engine Mounting Locations, check it out.

235 Angles

I took photos from many angles to show the differences in the Oil pans.  Here are the best ones to get a good feel of the modifications over time.

A few photos from a 1937-38 Chevy 216 rebuild we did. Note the oil pan drain plug is on the Side.

Reference pages from GM Master Parts Catalogs.  Here I’ve posted 1957, 1958, and 1962.  Most part numbers remained, but a some disappear, so you have to compare.

That wraps up this short observation of Chevy 216 and 235 oil pan differences, modifications, and design changes over the years.

What are your thoughts on this? Drop a comment below!

I hope you found it useful.

Enjoy! Until next time…