Since the 261 engines are getting scarce and E$$$$$PENSIVE, has anyone thought about making a 235 into a Rube Goldberg "261"? I've just discovered a flanged sleeve intended for a small displacement Cummins Diesel engine with a 95MM bore size. That converts to an inch measurement bore size of 3.740- - - -just .010" shy of the 261's 3 3/4" bore. I'm pretty sure that sleeve could be opened up by any machine shop with a Sunnen CK-10 power hone to equal a standard bore 261. The sleeves aren't all that expensive- - - -$34.00 from an Ebay seller, with free shipping. Yes, I ordered one! I'm going to see if I can bore out a junk 235 block that I'm scavenging some usable parts from, to see if it's feasible to install the sleeve. The small flange on top will get a counterbore so the cylinder head will hold it down, and there will be a press fit at the bottom to prevent coolant leakage into the crankcase in case I "hit water" before the boring job is finished.

www.ebay.com/itm/388651586061

www.ebay.com/itm/232095741821?

There's another sneaky trick I remember from my round track racing days. We used to bore all the way through the cylinder walls on the Ford Pinto overhead cam 4 cylinder engines, and install a 4" bore Chevy 350 piston and sleeve. Then we would pour the bottom 3/4" of the water jacket full of epoxy to seal off any potential coolant leaks. I don't see a reason a stovebolt couldn't get the same treatment, since a lot of them have been running around with that much (or more) crud built up at the bottom of the water jacket! A 3 3/4" bore"235" combined with my big block Chevy V8 connecting rod and a 4" stroke- - - - -equals 265 cubic inches!

Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!