The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 261 update

261 block was checked for any damage and was checked for flatness, honed, new rings, crank and cam were polished installed new bearings. The head was magna-fluxed ( no cracks 👍) valves were lapped and springs were checked new guides installed.
Combustion chamber was cleaned up as well as exhaust ports. It’s an 848 head!
Rocker shaft assembly was disassembled, cleaned, polished as well as the rockers, pushrods and lifters.
Oil pump and distributor were rebuilt.
I made a paint booth using an refrigerator appliance box and set the block and head inside with a small ceramic heater set to 180f got them nice and toasty and applied engine primer, and 3 coats of blue paint. I painted the intake and exhaust manifold as well as add on external parts.
Not bad for rattle can.
I’m using my 216 water pump with the water pump adapter, I’m also using my flywheel, clutch and pressure plate keeping the 6 volt starter and generator as the old saying goes if it ain’t broke!

Looks terrific! Well done!

On your 848 head, have the steam holes been drilled?

Thanks
Yes both the block and head have the steam holes drilled.
I’m using the Best Gasket rebuild kit all good except for the head gasket the one that has been supplied was for a 235 no steam holes!
The supplier sent me a copper gasket with the steam holes. No install instructions on this head gasket. Any thoughts on installing this head gasket?

I will give you my take on the copper gaskets. Felpro has not made copper gaskets for our motors for a number of years now. I have used nothing but copper gaskets for 45 years. I have a stash of them but they are a few years old. Never a failure though. I used one in 2015 on one of my 261 builds. Within a year I started having over heating issues and I had a really hard time tracking it down. Finally decided to bite the bullet, rebuilt a spare head, removed the head on the motor on the assumption the head had a crack in it. Turns out, the copper gasket failed.

Rather than use another copper gasket from my stash, I purchased a fresh Felpro 7782B composite gasket. Installed perfectly, was not as fragile as the copper gasket, and most importantly, no failure and my over heating issue resolved.

So me, I would probably sell the copper gasket and get a fresh composite gasket. Just my opinion.

Thanks Dragsix I read a couple of post regarding this exact issue and will look for the Felpro head gasket.

My '59 261 was in a running truck that I drove home, had a composite head gasket, looked to be original.