Editing Using an inline 6 Chevy Stovebolt engine

== Why a Stovebolt Chevy is a reasonable engine choice ==
Flip open the center fold poster of your favorite hot rod magazine and take a look at the engine. More than likely you'll be staring at a Small Block Chevy, a 428 Cobra Jet, a HEMI or a high dollar crate engine. Truth is, most young guns can't afford those kind of mills, and that's OK, because you don't need a wild engine to have an outstanding hot rod.

Right about now you may be thinking that a simple Small Block Chevy will do the trick and might work well with your budget, and while that may be true, I would like to remind you of the countless of thousands of hot rods that are running one as well. If you want your ride to stand out, and you're on a budget, it will be hard to make the engine differentiate your hot rod from others. That's where a stock motor comes into the equation. By saving yourself some money by going with a rebuilt and hopped up stocker, you can use the saved money for a better paint job, gauges, interior etc. Truth is, in the corporate world of hot rodding where almost everything in engine choice has been done before, you may need $8k to have an engine that separates your ride from the rest. By going with the stock stovebolt, you don't need the $8k to stand out. 

This article will be referring to the Stovebolt Chevy's, however if you own a Ford or a Mopar I would encourage you to check into some info about your stock engine and see how you can hop it up.


==What is a "Stovebolt"==
Generally, a "stovebolt" is any pre-1963 Chevy inline 6 cylinder. However, what classifies as a stovebolt or not is considered a gray area by many. The term is thrown around loosely in the hot-rodding community, generally referring to the early inline sixes. 
As you can probably imagine, these engines were never named "stovebolt" from the factory, they gained that monicker later on. 

Old wood stoves used to be put together crudely and ruggedly with a specific type of bolt; 1/4" 20 threads per inch with a round head, a screwdriver slot in it and a square nut on the other end. These were called "stovebolts" and were a popular item in hardware stores as they were used in various applications. When Chevy came out with it's first inline six engine in 1929 it utilized a lot of these stovebolts to fasten the valve covers and side covers. Since the engine had stovebolts all over it it was nicknamed the stovebolt. 

Nowadays, a Stovebolt Chevy engine is any inline six engine with 216/235/261 cubic inch displacement.

-''The 216 c.i. came out in 1937 and was produced up until 1953. If you acquire any Chevy car or truck within this timeline that has an inline 6 under the hood, chances are it will be a 216 (important when ordering parts). The drawback to the 216's are that they did not use pressurized rod journal oiling, and had babbitt bearings.

-''The 235 c.i. came out in 1941. The engine was offered  with the new Powerglide automatic transmission and hydraulic lifters in 1950. Standard shift cars and trucks still used mechanical lifters. It was produced until 1962. It featured pressurized oiling system (introduced in '53, pre-53 were still splash-oiled babbitt bearing).

-''The 261 c.i. was produced from 1954 through 1963 for US trucks and Canadian Pontiacs only.

==Why choose a Stovebolt==
There are many reasons why choosing a stovebolt may be the best option for you. Here are a few:
- They're cheap. Most people throw them away after swapping an SBC (easy swap) into the large engine compartments of 37-62 Chevy cars and trucks.
- They're abundant. You wont have to worry about finding replacement parts.
- Aftermarket options. There are many many modifications that the aftermarket products will allow you to do. Anything from a simple rebuild kit, to electronic fuel injection, forced induction or triple carburation.
- Use what you got. If you own an old Chevy that still has the old Stovebolt in it, use it without having to worry about making another engine fit, changing the driveline, and etc.
- Visual appeal. Stovebolts can look extremely attractive with finned valve covers, triple carbs, even a stocker with shiny paint looks functional and slick.
- Ease of use. They are very easy to work on and easy engines to rebuild as well. 
- Power. Yes, believe it or not, Stovebolts aren't slugs. Compared to the Mopar flathead 6's and some of the inline Fords, Stovebolts can put a decent amount of horsepower and move your car down the street faster than you may want to.
- Mild or Wild. Pick your poison and start building, there are infinite options.

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