TX WTB - 261 engine needs crank front end cap

[TX3100Guy]

I have a 1953 Chevy five window pickup (3100). The truck has a lot of history, formerly acting as a pusher truck on the Bonneville Salt flats. The frame was sandblasted and powder coated, it has a 1959 261 inline six engine along with a McCullouch supercharger from a 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk.

When initially running it I discovered that somewhere in its past the two lower bolts holding the timing cover in place had cracked the front end cap. Attached is a photo of the cracked front end cap. A friend knew of an engine builder that has been building race car engine for the better part of 60 years. The builder has put out feelers among his buddies in the business for either 1) a new billet end cap, which one of his buddies used to make for this engine, or 2) a replacement end cap from a donor engine that he will use to line bore and get me back up and running.

Does anyone have access to the front end cap that I will need to repair this vintage truck? If you have any thoughts or ideas on where I might locate one, please let me know.

[RustyPile]

I followed this subject in your other thread.. I mentioned it there and I'll mention it agaiin here.. That is a non-critical area of the front main bearing cap (correct name).. A good machine shop can build up the missing area using a brazing process.. Remove the main cap and it's bearing. Bolt the cap tightly to a heavy steel plate and build up the missing area. Machine the high spots flat again. Using a template, locate and redrill and tap those two holes..

Line boring another main cap (if you can find one) involves a total teardown and disassembly of the engine.. You'll not be able to reuse many of the existing parts and pieces of the engine. I've built race engines myself, so I've been down that road.. Engine builders, as a rule, aren't in the business of "patching" broken pieces. Rather, they're more interested in making components survive in a racing atmosphere.. Not to sound critical, but you're talking to the wrong person about that problem..