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Mod | | | Forums66 Topics128,101 Posts1,056,179 Members48,436 | | Most Online14,466
Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
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| | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 | Hey all, I have a chance to buy this complete, running 1955 Chevy 261 motor for $600. http://picasaweb.google.com/nrdesieyes/Chevy261?authkey=Gv1sRgCO-i_I2m-6DCXQ&feat=directlinkIt's out of a 2-ton 1955 Chevy telephone pole installation truck from a phone company. I heard it run today, it runs pretty darn well, might need a carb rebuild but that's no biggie. Checking compression tomorrow. What do you think? A good candidate for dropping into my 1950 1/2-ton pickup? Do you see anything funky or worrisome? Let me know your thoughts if you have any. Thanks, as always! Nick
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 65 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 65 | a paycheck comes 52 times in a year ,,, how often do you come across a good running 261 in your area ?
Let me know if you don't buy it ,,,, I'm in Monterey County
New but in an Old Way !!!
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 | a paycheck comes 52 times in a year ,,, how often do you come across a good running 261 in your area ?
Let me know if you don't buy it ,,,, I'm in Monterey County J-KAT, that's exactly the advice that I was hoping to get. That being said, if I pass on the motor, I'll drop you a line. Cheers!
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 164 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 164 | Nick, run the casting numbers and make sure it is a 261, also it has after market headers that look like fenton knock-offs. looks like a good find. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 | Nick, run the casting numbers and make sure it is a 261, also it has after market headers that look like fenton knock-offs. looks like a good find. Hey T Ran the block and head casting numbers; it's definitely a '55 261. The headers are definitely after market and were replaced recently while getting it back up and running after sitting for three years. There is also a wierd vacuum connection there; the truck had a lot of gear that was run off the vac from the motor, but I think they would be fairly easy fixes.
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,839 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,839 | Looks like a fjord motor to me. LOL
Craig My '50 Chevy 3100 5 window, '62-235cu, 3:55 rear My truck ....... Respect The Rust If I'm not working on my truck, '65 m00stang or VW camper, I'm fishing with the wife or smoking Salmon.
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2000 Posts: 2,074 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2000 Posts: 2,074 | I've been into these old inlines for more years than I can count and have only found one of these OLD 261s for sale, it's in my shop. GO FOR IT!!!
Did you see the factory PCV valve set up?
Last edited by JiMerit Boltr#43; 10/19/2010 4:17 PM.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,513 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,513 | a paycheck comes 52 times in a year ,,, how often do you come across a good running 261 in your area ? About once a month for me.  How many do I need to be called a hoarder?
1952 1300 Canadian 1/2 ton restomod You Tube | | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 | Well, compression test results came back pretty even across the board, so I'm gonna go for it. I'll take some photos when it's all gussied up and ready to drop in.
| | | | | Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,438 Extreme Gabster | | Extreme Gabster Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,438 | | | | | | Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 637 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 637 | You found hen's teeth, be glad you ran across that engine. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 |
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 | You found hen's teeth, be glad you ran across that engine. Believe me, I'm SUPER excited about this engine. Cheers.
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 65 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Nov 2009 Posts: 65 | a paycheck comes 52 times in a year ,,, how often do you come across a good running 261 in your area ? About once a month for me. How many do I need to be called a hoarder?  do you sell them ?
New but in an Old Way !!!
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,424 ODSS President | | ODSS President Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,424 | Great find, this is the way to go for efficiency and economy. Efficiency because the fan will mount higher on the radiator, economy because your engine will use the (much) cheaper 216 water pump. Congratulations.
~ Cosmo
1949 Chevy Half Ton
Rocinante, like Don Quixote, he is awkward, past his prime, and engaged in a task beyond his capacities.
"...my good horse Rocinante, mine eternal and inseparable companion in all my journeys and courses." ...Don Quixote, Cervantes
"If you come to a fork in the road, take it."...Yogi Berra
"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." ...Eric Hoffer
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 | Fantastic - thank you for the advice!
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 1,969 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 1,969 | Congrats! Good luck. Cosmo beat me with the water pump advise. I hope it is a sound motor and you get it in and run it for a long time. 
Professional Novice
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 | Congrats! Good luck. Cosmo beat me with the water pump advise. I hope it is a sound motor and you get it in and run it for a long time. Cheers Frank. That's my goal! best, Nick
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,513 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,513 | do you sell them ? Never! They feel like orphaned children in which I have a duty to find a good home for. I wonder how many are out there in Canadian Pontiac cars as opposed to U.S. trucks? If the tin worms had done a better job here would be another one: http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-cars-ve...iac-Laurentian-4-Door-W0QQAdIdZ224125942
1952 1300 Canadian 1/2 ton restomod You Tube | | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 235 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: May 2005 Posts: 235 | Nice find! I paid 300 for mine, It needs everything though. Pistons, crank ground etc.. I think you got a deal. Mine will work the way I want it too, unfortunately not this month.
Jeremy | | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 | $300 is a good deal - nice find. I'm just a noob when it comes to rebuilding motors, so replacing pistons, etc. would take me forever. Best that I stick with a running motor... for now. Cheers.
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 235 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: May 2005 Posts: 235 | hey that truck looks nice! hope you leave the old pinstripin on there! If you need any help drop me a line.
Jeremy | | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 | Hey Jeremy,
Thanks for the compliment! Yeah, the pinstripe stays until I get her happy and on the road, which should be a while. Your truck looks like a humdinger herself - how's she coming along?
And thanks for the offer of help, I may take you up! Whereabouts in SJ are you?
Cheers,
Nick
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,839 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 2,839 | Nick,
When are you getting the motor? Are you ready to pull the old motor yet so you can spend some quality time on the engine bay?
Craig My '50 Chevy 3100 5 window, '62-235cu, 3:55 rear My truck ....... Respect The Rust If I'm not working on my truck, '65 m00stang or VW camper, I'm fishing with the wife or smoking Salmon.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 | Hey Craig, The new motor resides in the donor truck currently and likely won't be pulled until mid-December or later - I gotta finish and defend my dissertation!!  n
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 235 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: May 2005 Posts: 235 | I'm downtown a couple blocks from HP pavillion. Its been a decent truck so far, a few hiccups like the forty + year old head gasket went away and there's a crack in the side of the engine that lets the water out! Otherwise I drive it almost everyday.
I have more pics to put up I'm just too scattered to sit and do it.
what's your PhD in? Are you at Stanford?
J
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 | Yep, finishing phd in civil/environmental engineering at Stanford. It's been a slog, but I'm almost done. Looking forward to putting serious time into this truck as dessert. Take care! n
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 |
OK, let's see it: what is the title of your dissertation?
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 | Oh boy... It's tentatively titled "On-site wastewater treatment systems and submarine groundwater discharge in Central California" and boy howdy is it ever a page-turner!
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 235 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: May 2005 Posts: 235 | They all are! LOL!
I read my wife's at least six times. When I was helping her get it finished. I should have an honorary Doctorate!
keep pluggin' away!
J | | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 | I'm impressed. I can barely get through my own once without falling asleep!
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,201 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,201 | Just wait til you get to write drainage reports for a living. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 222 | "a living" assumes there are jobs out there...
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,201 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,201 | | | | | | Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 1,969 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2000 Posts: 1,969 | There's one partially disassembled for sale here in Wisconsin for $400. I have thought about buying it myself, but I really don't have the space to store it...
Professional Novice
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 11 Apprentice | | Apprentice Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 11 | Hey guys,
I just bought a 261 long block with a fresh, high buck rebuild done on it (super cheap). The only problem is it has no intake, carb, distributor, rocker arms and such. I have a 51 216 I am looking to replace with this. Will the parts interchange?
Thanks, Pop
PT
67 SWB Chevy
51 chevy project
58 oliver 550
If you think health insurance is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs us when it's free!
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2010 Posts: 63 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Nov 2010 Posts: 63 | Sounds like a interesting thesis. I'm in the municipal potable and waste treatment biz myself. Isn't California doing a lot of waste water reuse? It's an icky subject but in the end water is h2o no matter where it's been before lol.
Congrats on the engine!
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,799 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,799 | The 216 parts will probably bolt on, but they won't be exactly right. The 261 uses a considerably higher-volume carburetor with different bolt spacing at the throttle base, so while the 216 manifolds will fit with some tweaking, you'll be way undersized on the carb with no good way to correct the problem. I think there's a different length pushrod, and the erlier rocker arm assembly has a different oiling system. The distributor will drop in, but the centrifugal advance will probably be wrong - - - -possibly different vacuum advance numbers, also. I'd suggest finding a trashed-out late model 235 as a donor engine- - - -the parts will be a much closer matchup.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,847 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,847 | 4,218 is how many you would need to be considered a hoarder. Smith brothers will make custom pushrods for like $12 apiece, plus you get a really cool sticker to put in your window
Last edited by brokenhead; 02/17/2011 1:28 PM.
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