Thank you John and Jay.
The 235 in my truck now has the lower water pump (it’s a 1955 235 engine), meaning the fan isn’t centered very well. So either way the water pump relocation will need to be done.
I’m excited about having a good 261 core to rebuild while I still have the 235 to tool around in. I haven’t rebuilt a Stovebolt personally, but I’m looking forward to learning more.
I did see that this 261 has side engine mounts and a few other things done that makes me think it was possibly a power supply unit for a generator. The bellhousing looks very custom. It also “might” be stuck, but I haven’t tried with any leverage yet. I have it soaking in some marvel oil right now. Will report back if I tear into it more. I don’t see any visible issues on the outside of the block to indicate anything major, but the inside will tell more of a story. The good news is that the oil is pure golden and appears very clean. Hopefully it’s been sitting in clean oil for awhile…
