CRS kinking in , 261 chevy

[ericlb]

ive got another project to work on the owner of the company where i work drug a 1957 chevy 2 ton [ 4400] out of his barn and wants me to make it run, he bought this truck new and still owns it, all original, [ the critters have not been kind to the seat ect] the engine is not locked up, but the last license tag is from 1976, before that this truck was used to haul cattle , as to the engine, im nearly positive im looking at a 261, its bigger than a 235, and the valve cover is completely different than a 235, my question that i can remember is on the 261, is there any way to prime the oil pump and spin it up to get oil thru the engine before cranking it? this was a good old truck and reasonably straight, i do not want to spin a bearing trying to get it going again

 

[ericlb]

i do plan to remove the plugs and squirt some 50/50 diesel and atf in the cylinders, let it soak, change the oil, or whatever that stuff is in the pan, it dont look too good, then hand crank the engine several times to get it freed up before spinning it with the starter, [ plugs out] before trying to actually trying to start it, also figure on having to go thru the carb, gas tank ect and tune it up

 

[MisterT]

Can you pull the distributor out, and then use a screwdriver or something similar to spin the oil pump? I've done that on other engines, but I've never been inside a 6 cylinder Chevy.

 

[JerryCPP (WA)]

A 261 Chevrolet looks identical to a 235 with the exception of a water bypass hose on the thermostat housing, and on later models, an oil filter built onto the side of the block. On a 235/261, the oil pump is geared to the camshaft, and the distributor has a tang that goes into the top of the oil pump drive gear. The oil/diesel mixture into the cylinders is the best you're going to do for this engine. Fresh oil would be a nice touch also.
If the valve cover is different from a 235, someone may have installed a 250 or 292 engine.

 

[Anonymous-0]

but the 261's escaped me.

I had a 1950 3600 five window that had one. I wish I still had it too. It was a beast for such a small and light truck that was as reliable as an anvil and simple as a hammer.

Can you post pix?

 

[to_many_irons]

i think the 261 had the oil filter remote mount .
235 had no oil filter .
250 or 292 had filter on the right side .
i think may be .

 

[Anonymous-0]

Might try takeing of the oil press. gauge line and pumping some oil in that way with a pump oil can or something.

 

[old]

Leave the diesel fuel out of that and just do ATf you will be better off. 261 is one I have never heard of but hey I have never messed with a Chev truck out then the pick ups or things like the GMC school bus I have with the V-6

 

[ericlb]

thanks old ill do that my research indicates that the 261 was only put in the medium duty trucks, as an option, supposed to be a high torque motor for its day, and from what the owner told me of some of the jobs the truck has done in the past it probably was

 

[old]

Most any straight 6 is a high torque low RPM engine that produces its max torque just out of idle as in around 1500 RPM and that is why there is now 2 classes of drag cars. One class is for the V-8 guys and the other for the 6 cylinder guys so that is why the 6 banger is not used as much any more the V-8 guys got mad that they could not out run a 6 in a 1/4 mile LOL

 

[Josh in Pa]

You should be able to pull the distributor and make an adaptor to turn it with a drill. I think I used the shaft that drives the distributor on a 350 chucked in a drill. It took a lot longer than I thought it would, and be sure your turning it the right direction.
Josh

 

[Bob]

Grab a clean, dedicated, hand-pumped garden sprayer with a couple of quarts of fresh oil in it... connect to oil gauge port and pump er up!

A SWELL "inliners" site is linked below. Take a look at "Tech Tips", the forgotten 261.
Inliners

 

[AllanC]

261 block is identified by 2 vertical bars cast in the block above the starter. 235 doesn"t have!

 

[AllanC]

If it is bigger than a 235 with a wider valve cover it is likely a GMC 302

 

[Bob]

<img src = "http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/27Grainfield/N%20Ford/OilPrimer.jpg">