New 1961 champ, lots of questions

[Mike in CA]

Hi,

I just picked up a 1961 champ 3/4 ton and it needs a lot of help. Its had the original 259 replaced with a 259 out of a 1963 car, however there is a block off plate bolted on the block where the filter would be and someone has installed an upside down spin on oil filter which is bolted to the oil fill pipe ontop of the engine.

The main problem so far is the engine mounts. The drivers side mount is missing and the engine is hard mounted to the frame on that side with pieces of angle iron which are welded to the mount bracket attached to the frame. The passenger side has the engine mount bracket on the block but it has several pieces of metal and small rubber disks acting as a mount, all of it held together with a bolt which is way too long.

So far I have bought a rebuilt kit for the carburetor, new fuel pump, fan belt, air cleaner,and oil filter. I really want to hear it run before I dump a lot of money into it. If anyone knows where I can get the passenger side engine mount bracket I could really use one. Any help is greatly appreciated

[rbisacca]

Mike,
If your engine really came from a 1963 car it should have a full flow filter, not a block off plate. I believe all passenger car engines produced after May 1962 had the full flow filter. What is the serial number of your engine?

[70Avanti2]

Pictures please

[S2Deluxe]

Hi,

I just picked up a 1961 champ 3/4 ton and it needs a lot of help. Its had the original 259 replaced with a 259 out of a 1963 car,

Truck, and R series engines, used an aluminum cam gear, standard car engines used a fiber cam gear. Virtually identical otherwise!

Mark

[StudeRich]

Sorry, but there is a lot of mis-information here!

First, there is no problem with the Oil Filter Mount on the Block, the Block-off Plate was used on all full flow Replacement Blocks so the Correct Original Oil Filter on top of the motor could be used ONLY when installed in Pre-Late 1962 to '64 Cars and at the Factory on Trucks that did not have a Exhaust Head Pipe to clear the Filter.
Someone had one, and installed it on this engine.

You just need the Full Flow Oil Filter Adapter to mount the spin-on Filter, Stude. Part Number 1555771.

Second, just FYI, Truck Engines do NOT have Aluminum Cam gears unless the H.D. Truck Engine was ordered from the Factory or a New Factory Replacement Short Block Assembly MAY have one.

About the Engine Mounts: You need to find out if you have the Engine Mount BRACKETS Left & Right for the Block, as you may need those as well as the actual Engine Mount Rubber Cushions called "Insulators".

[Bo Markham]

Agree, what Rich diplomatically said.

Bo

[Mike in CA]

Test pic

[62champ]

Worked! Now we just need more - can never see too many Champs.

[Mike in CA]

[Mike in CA]

[Mike in CA]

@ Studerich,
The engine mount bracket for the drivers side is missing. The pieces of angle iron are bolted to the block using the same holes the original mount bracket would have used. The bracket attached to the frame appears to be intact except for the welding of the angle iron to it and a small piece was torched off so they could mount a small brass block with two brake lines and the brake light pressure switch attached

[tsenecal]

With a new hair-do and some lipstick, she could still be a pretty girl. Congrats on your new purchase, and good luck with putting her on the road.

[Dwain G.]

Based on the position of the side trim this may not actually be a '61. Could be '60 sold late in the year and titled as a '61. What does the body tag say (on engine firewall, passenger side). What is the serial number on the 'B' post ( drivers door latch post below the striker plate).

[62champ]

Based on the position of the side trim this may not actually be a '61. Could be '60 sold late in the year and titled as a '61. What does the body tag say (on engine firewall, passenger side). What is the serial number on the 'B' post ( drivers door latch post below the striker plate).

Being a CalTrans truck, it would have been ordered with the T4 cab - no side trim, chrome bits, sliding rear glass, padded dash, etc. need show up.

[Mike in CA]

The doors on the truck are off of a car. I was able to buy a set of champ doors off of the same guy I bought the truck from. I also bought a rear bumper from the seller separately.

The firewall tag says 6E-T4. The main ID tag serial number is E12-4819

[Skip Lackie]

E12-4819 is a 1961 model. First 1961 model E12 was E12-4701.