The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 1954 261 - questions for the wise

What do the cam lobes look like? You can install new lifters on an old cam- - - -just do the same break-in procedure you would use with a new cam, 15-20 minutes at high idle (1500-2K RPM on initial startup) to let the lifters wear-in to the cam. If the cam lobes are showing noticeable wear or rust pits, swap the cam also.

Those are solid lifters- - - -no doubt about it.
Jerry

You will need to inspect the cam.

I have limited experiences with came (three rebuilds), but if there are no pits in the cam-lobes to lifters mating surfaces, I'd probably reuse the cam.

If you break down the engine (you posted that you hoped not to break it down), you'd get a better look all cam-wear surfaces.

Im going to re measure my clinders tonight and take a look at the camshaft (while its still in the motor)

I was looking for those milkcan lifters online and boy are they expensive, probably $40 a piece with shipping!

Is there another lifter that will work? i was going to buy new pushrods anyways since one was bent, what would my options be if my camshaft is good and looking for replacement lifters and rods?

There's a set of 12 brand new ones on Ebay for $109.00 plus shipping:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-Mechanical-Valve-Lifters-53-54-55-Corvette-235-NEW-/191718184306?fits=Make%3AChevrolet&hash=item2ca34b5572:m:mE-s_-VJOxI9GTFrrlmLWCQ&vxp=mtr

Jerry

thanks!

Cam loves all looked pretty good to smooth and shiny.
Rechecked bore as carefully as I could, 1st number is top of cylinder 2nd is 1/2 way down
#3 and #4 were the super dirty Pistons and combustion chambers
1- 3.812. 3.809

2- 3.815. 3.809

3-3.810. 3.813

4-3.811. 3.812

5-3.815. 3.809

6-3.815. 3.809

Also took a few pictures of the crank journals

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af232/mrnkc130/1946/D3E57F54-4DF7-4B35-99B0-1EFA6ECE9AE7.jpg

Well Carl, I'm gonna have to eat my words for breakfast this
morning when it comes to a bent push rod.
Don't know where my head was, probably way back in time
somewhere in a SBC. The picture I had in my head was of a
tubular push rod and since it's been several years since I've
had the side cover off a Stovebolt, I'd completely forgotten
that the solid lifter push rods were a solid forged pushrod.
The one bent rod in my 261 has a slight wow in it. In fact
you don't really notice it when it's laying next to the other
ones and you have to roll it to to pick it out from the rest.
Can it be straightened, yep, I agree with you now. If you can
straighten a crank or cam then I'm sure you could get away
with straightening the pushrod, that is, as long as it's just
a wow and not actually a sharp bend. So, lets just see if we
can get 21,000 out of this one also.

dg

Those bore measurements look pretty good for a re-ring job. The crank needs a little polishing, but as long as you don't take much off of the diameter and it's round within .001" or so you should be good to go. I like to use a long 320 grit piece of emery cloth and a "shoeshine" motion to polish the crank journals, followed by a very thorough cleanup with solvent and compressed air. If the crank is out of the block, you might try getting a machine shop that regrinds crankshafts to power-polish it. I'm seriously considering making my own crank polisher with square tubing, a retired Skilsaw motor and some home-brewed ball bearing sanding belt guides. The crank gets mounted in a lathe and turned slowly, and the belt sander is used to polish the journals.
Jerry

Good on you DG!
The only thing more honorable than one being right all of the time, is one's ability to admit when they are not.
Carl

....the local crankshaft guy, been in business over 20years, polished my 261 crank for $30. I thought it was well worth it since I don't plan to polish many more in this life....

what shop manual would i want if i attempt a rebuild for this 1955 261?

Here's a full set of ( 12 ) GM NOS

solid lifters for your engine.

ebay photo shows these rare lifters to be in excellent

like new condition.

These don't show up on ebay very often

I'd grab them up ASAP !

photo @ photobucket

http://i669.photobucket.com/albums/vv57/glp0329/3836342/GM_3836342_GM_NOS__zpskclqpq8d.jpg

ebay link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-3836342-Valve-Tappet-Assembley-N-O-S-/131575000306?hash=item1ea27b2cf2:g:~iMAAOSwT6pVx9OY&vxp=mtr

@ $55.00 & $12.00 shipping = $67.00

that's less than $6.00 each for GM NOS lifters with shipping.

Now that's a bargain !

Ya snooze.......Ya lose

Probably the 1954 Shop Manual.
There is also a 1955-1st series supplement.

If your water pump body is entirely below the head, use the 1955 Truck Shop Manual.

Thanks guys, I'm going to talk with a friends dad who knows a lot about engines and have him take a look at it...if he says it looks good for a rebuild I think I'm going to attempt to rebuild the motor, hopefully just a cleaning and magnaflux from the machine shop.

Just an update if anyone is interested- found some severe pitting from I assume water sitting in the #3 bore, i think the block will need to be machined now. its already 60 over so im not sure where i would get pistons.

I guess i'll keep the motor and maybe rebuild or sell it one day...

I found a 1961 apache 30 for $500 with a 235 in it. I got it running easily and plan on using it in my 46' - ordered a water pump adapter plate and a gasket kit for it.

I think i'll keep the 61 too, i really like it. its in pretty good shape, probably swap out the suspension though and of course i'll need a new motor for it now! it has those 7.00x18 tires that dont appear to be very cheap or easy to find!
neat truck though.

If only one cylinder is pitted, put a thinwall sleeve (3/32")in that one hole, and bore it .060" to match the other cylinders. Then re-use the pistons you have. There's no telling how many one-hole sleeve jobs I've done over 40-something years of engine machining. Of course, I've also been given "worn out" race blocks, sleeved all eight holes back to standard bore, and beat my competitors with their own junk!
Jerry

Jerry;

You crack me up!!

Larry, that's how a lot of low-bucks racing teams survive- - - -they recycle stuff the deep-pocket racing teams discard or replace after one season. I got really good at making those "discard" parts show the other racers what the backside of our car looked like!

One of the guys we ran with had a little sign painted on the back of his car - - - -"When the green flag drops the B S stops!"

Jerry