The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Holes in 261 block????

There are two small holes on the distributor side of my 1962 261 block that go through into the engine. One is between the road draft tube hole and the fuel pump and the other is betweent the fuel pump and the lower front side engine mount bolt hole. With the road draft tube removed I can see through these holes into the engine and am wondering what they are for???? I got this engine from a junk yard and don't remember anything being mounted there. Once I figure out how I'll post some pictures.

PS- The holes are pretty small, 1/8" ID maybe smaller.

Also the holes are not threaded.

Here's a link to the gallery I've posted the pictures to.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=596690633106&page=1&sort_order=0

Anybody's help is really appreciated!

I believe that they were for a side mount motor mount. I'm sure someone else will confirm/deny!

NM51,
Pretty weird!! Are you SURE they go through? Like "stick a coat hanger through" through!. If they go through, it seems they MUST be threaded...maybe the threads are full of gunk and not real visible. If not threaded and open the crankcase how the heck would a person plug them? :confused:


Stuart.

I think they're pretty wierd too! I'm sure they aren't the motor mount bolt holes(see the gallery I posted).

I'm also sure they go through because with the road draft tube removed light gets into the engine and I can see through the holes into the engine.

They are definately not threaded or dirty, I just got the block back from the machine shop.

Like I said, wierd....

I've got two 261 blocks, a 56 and a 62 and both blocks have those same holes in them. I believe, from what I can see on my blocks, those holes are for screws to go through to hold a baffle in place to stop oil from being thrown up into and out of the draft tube. Both of my engines have a piece of metal screwed into place shielding the draft tube hole from the crankcase portion of the engine.

Joe

6CylindersoverTexas is our winner today!

I just got off the phone with Patrick Dykes of Patrick's Antique Motors in Arizona, the source of information and parts on these trucks, and he confirmed that the holes are to mount the draft tube baffle plate that goes inside the engine. The holes aren't threaded because the baffle is held in place with two screws that have woodscrew type threads.

That baffle plate doesn't need to be removed when the engine is rebuilt, by the way.

Anyhow... I guess I'll pull the pan and put the baffle back. If I've got to replace the pan gasket it'll be a lot cheaper and less embarassing than having to do it later when there would have been oil spewed all over my engine compartment and garage!

NM51,
Did anyone wonder what the "tin thing" was that didn't get put back when the engine was assembled. When my kids rip a project apart in the shop and put it back together, I always look in the box to see what's leftover. A friend of mine in his high school days rebuilt his 265 Chevy V-8. When he was finished and cleaning up he noticed a small box with a set of rod bearings in it...HEY, they must have given us an extra set!!! NOT!


Stuart.

Stuart-

Of course I wondered! Problem is I've got a 235, 216 and 261 in various states of disassembly in the garage and wasn't sure which it came off of. The 261 I'm building I bought from a junk yard in Arkansas, 216 is the old seized one I'm using the engine mount/bellhousing from and the 235 I picked up for the oil pan, crank and valve cover.

Also, the friend who is working on the 261 with me put the oil pan on before I had a chance to do my final inspection.

Good lesson in this for me is not to let other people seal up anything before I've looked at it!

NM51,
I did not want to come across as holier-than-thou, sorry... :o


Stuart.

Stuart-

No worries! You made a great point that can't be emphasized enough when working on cars: Measure twice and cut once.