The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Is my 261 good for scrap?

Just opened it up and #4 cylinder has a vicious gouge 1 1/2 inches long visible when the piston is at the bottom.
Pretty deep.
Bout half a dime's tickness.

Bored 40 over, too.

What do ya'll think? Boat anchor?

Don't you dare scrap that block! Any good machine shop can sleeve the cylinder, and make it as good as new. As long as there's at least 1/2" of undamaged cylinder at the top and bottom, I've saved blocks with holes knocked in the cylinder walls. If there's no perforation of the cylinder wall, just gouges, use a 3/32" thick sleeve. If there's a hole, then use the thickwall sleeve, with a 1/8" wall.

On really rare blocks, I'll sleeve all the cylinders, and bring them back to standard bore size. I also do that on race engines, where there's a tendency to crack cylinder walls when large overbores are used.
Jerry

Thanks HRL, that felt good...

Also looking at Patrick's catalog is see that pistons are available .080 over...

I'll have to measure ...

Bummer though...

For what it's worth, my 261 had two cylinders with really deep gouges in them; maybe not as deep as yours. I didn't know any better and didn't have much money anyway so I honed them all, put on new rings and bearings while I was in there and closed it up. The block was already bored to .080. That was 16,000 miles and 3 years ago. I also had a guy do a valve job and put on new guides and seals. I am using a little over a quart of oil every 3000 miles. The compression in those two gouged cylinders is a little lower than in the others but we move along pretty good. Bottom line on these old engines is they ought to be in REALLY bad shape before you scrap one.

BSD, funny you should mention this 'cause I actually took a compression test before tearing it apart and had virtually NO fluctuation between cylinders!

The gouge is a the very base of ring travel. 1/8'' over about 10% -15% of the lower portion of the stroke.

Whizzerick, any competent shop should be able to sleeve that 261... But, if you want to scrap it, bring it down to Americade in Lake George in June and I happily dispose of it properly for you ...

Andy

Aw, shucks Andy, tha's mighty nice of ya!

I was pretty bummed out when I posted that thread.
I had just come back from the shop and wasnt expecting ANY obstacles at all.

I will take my time with this project, my 235 is in good shape and I dont need to rush this build.
I'll be inquiring about sleeves and machine work.

Thanks for your input guys!