I bought a 62 c10 stepside longbox a couple weeks ago and I am not sure if the engine is original. I know for sure it's a 261 because of the captains bars above the starter and the casting number. But my question is how did the engine get in this truck? They only came in the 2 ton trucks or in Canadian pontiac cars, but I am almost positive that it's original. The whole truck has never been messed with, the firewall even has the chalk markings from the factory and the original glass fuel filter bowl. One guy at a car show told me that on the assembly line if they didn't have a 235 available they would throw a 261 in it. Any info on this would be greatly appreciated.
Does the engine code on the tag, match the engine code on the engine? But yeah, you can actually change an engine without removing the crayon marks on the firewall, or getting rid of the glass sediment bowl. And 55 years is a long time for an original engine to last, it's pretty common to change an engine in an old truck when something happens to it.
Very cool find!... but COMPLETELY WRONG for your truck- Simply send it down the road to Georgia and I will GLADLY replace it with a 235 for you
Just be glad you got a 261 with your truck. It's an excellent engine that's getting hard to find. Get it rebuilt, add some Fenton split headers, a dual carb intake and a mild cam. You'll be surprised at the performance.
261 was the original engine in a Canadian GMC and I am pretty sure you could have ordered them in a Chevy as well.
As others have said, if the number stamped on the engine matches the one on the ID plate it must be original. I am no Chev truck expert but it might be that the 261 was an extra cost option like the 283 V8. I also notice your ID plate says C15 which I believe means a heavy duty half ton. How many wheel bolts do you have? 6 for half ton, 8 for 3/4.
Very, very doubtful of that; being there in the day, never saw it happen. I've got some early '60s Chev truck books, none of which mention the 261" being an option in 1/2t C10 pickups. jack vines
I have two 261s. One in my '51 pickup and a machine shop fresh one ready to go in this winter, both with 848 heads plus an extra 848 in the shed I've gone through my share of 235s over the last 40+ years and I can attest to the positive difference between the two engines. Snatch 'em up wherever you can find 'em.
I've got my dad's 261 that Grumpy Jenkins did some head work on (used an 848). Unfortunately, mice got in and made a mess, so now I'm looking for a spare 261 block to build.
In Canada we did all sorts of strange things - like 409's in Pontiacs, and Monarchs instead of Mercurys, and 261's in half tons......
I have read that Chevrolet put the left over 261's in 1963 four wheel drive trucks. I have never been able to confirm this fact. My avatar is a late 261 that is my 53 Chevy 150 car 848 head Isky C-4 pretty strong. I have a second early 261 with a ported polished, and milled .052 848 that is going in a model A truck.
i checked the numbers today and the number stamped on the engine matches the number on the truck info tag. the 261 has to be original. but now the question is how did it get in this truck?
No mystery. I did a quick search for 1962 Chevrolet Truck Brochure and came up with The Old Car Manual Project, or something of the sort. They have a scan of the 1962 C10-C40 truck brochure where under the powertrain blurb it states that in 1962, for the first time, the 261 is available as an extra cost option in all Chevrolet light duty trucks.
Here is the link ... http://www.oldcarbrochures.org/NA/G...d_Vans/1962-Chevrolet-C10-C40-Trucks-Brochure I put a bored 1962 261 with 848 head and RV cam in my coupe in 2007 and drive it almost every day. Just got 34000 miles this week.
My father had a 62 Chevrolet PU Truck he bought new. When I was young, he took me fishing and hunting with him, something I still can't stand to this day. On one elk hunt, on the way over the pass to Eastern Washington, the truck started acting up. That was probably in about 65-66. The cam had gone flat, and the Chevrolet dealer rebuilt the TWO-SIXTY-ONE. I remember that because I was always good with numbers, at least remembering them, and my Father kept bringing up the 216/261 numbers that were confusing him. He would't believe them it was a 261, thought it was a 216 because he had one of those in a 51 Sedan he also bought new. Course he was wrong, it was a 261, and that truck was the FIRST vehicle I ever drove. I am Butch/sedandelivery.
This 1962 truck brochure shows the 261 was an available option in light trucks. http://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/chevy/62ct/bilder/3.jpg
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