The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk The 1954 261 runs!

After messing with the 1954 261 I just picked up, I got it to fire up. I swapped out the carb for another one I know is clean, replaced the fuel pump because I don't think it sucked....actually I guess it did suck! Messed around with the battery cables and installed a starter, generator and radiator. Got some great instructions on how to rig up an on/off switch from a fellow Stovebolter, added fuel and it fired up.

I found an old video camera my boys broke several years ago and shot this. I'm not Cecil B. DE mille and I had to push the record button with a long screwdriver but you can see and hear it run which it does very well with no real funky noises.

I need to find out how to adjust the carburetor as I'm not very proficient at the engine stuff, can't be too tough. The water pump leaks like a sieve but it really doesn't matter.

The guy got it from said it was a running engine and I guess he was telling the truth.

Bruce

Sounds awesome Bruce. 261s rock!

Sounds great.

where does your road draft go?

Bruce,

The 261 engine was listed as a factory option in 1954 (RPO225). The PCV system was listed as a separate factory option in 1954 (RPO217). This same information is found in the 1954 Truck Data Books.

However, just to cause us to later scratch our heads, and to provide us with opportunity to argue trivia, the 1954 Truck Engineering Features manual states that the PCV System was standard equipment with the 261 engine.

I bought a 1960 original equipment 261 engine in 1971 that was in a school bus and was well-maintained. It had no PCV system. Most likely, a PCV-delete special order could be made.

The above confusion not withstanding, here are a couple of photos of 1954 distributor side block-ventilation tubes.

1954 261 PCV block ventilation tube

1954 truck standard road draft tube

My 261 has a road draft tube. The engine is from a 58-60 Canadian Pontiac. No PCV system either, but who knows if someone monkeyed with it before I got it.

Bruce, adjusting the carb is fairly straight forward. Warm the engine then at idle screw the air mixture screw in until you hear a change in the engine idle then back it out 1/2 turn. This should put you in the ballpark. Another option is hook a dwell meter up and watch the RPM for a slight drop as you screw the air mixture screw in then back the screw off 1/2 turn. I'm sure there are other methods but that's how I learned back when 1954 was not to distant in the past.