I got the replacement main cap I was looking for from EVILDR235 and it worked perfectly as received! I compared it visually and all the important surfaces seem to match up. I then tested the cap with plastigage and I got the 0.002" clearance I was getting on all the rest of the mains. I then removed the cap and cleaned and lubricated all the journals with WD40 and then reinstalled the cap and torqued it to spec and gave the crank the old spin test and it spun freely. I then installed the next main and again found that the crank spun freely without any binding. When I then tried to install the front main and I ended up stripping off the threads off of two different main bolts just trying to get to the first 30ft-lb torque step. I guess these 44 year old bolts have seen better days. I am glad I ordered the ARP Main Stud kit that Chiefoldephart told us about. I had already stretched one of the rear main bolts earlier, so I knew I had to replace these old bolts now or I might regret it later. Do you know what the difference between a stretched main bolt and a broken main bolt? You don't need an "easy-out" to remove a stretched main bolt! When I was torquing down one of the rear main bolts, I was just trying to bring the bolt to the final spec and it seemed like the bolt was no longer increasing in torque like it had been, so I backed it out thinking I might have ruined the threads in the block, but they seemed OK. On closer inspection of the bolt I found that section just below the head appeared thinner in diameter and the threads in this area where more widely spaced when compared to the lower threads. Later when I was checking the rod bearing clearances, I also broke one of the rod bolts, so now I had lost all confidence in the integrity of these 44 year-old bolts in this engine. I decided I would replace the rod and main bolts as well, so I gave ARP a call again. They did not have a listing for my application at ARP, but they were able to come up with replacement Head bolts and hardened washers(p/n-ARW-78, $0.70 each)that would work for the 235/261 application. We were able to replace the longer 4-9/16" bolts with 5" bolts (p/n-6AR5.000-1 $8.99 each). I measured the combined depth of the head and block w/o gasket to be 5-1/16", so with the washer and gasket the 5" bolt should work fine, as long as you make sure the threaded holes in your block are clean (I did have some packed dirt/grease in my center bolt holes I needed to clean out even though my block had been hot tanked). The 3-3/16" shorter bolts were replaced with 3-1/4" bolts (p/n-6AR3.250-1L) $4.70 each). They did not have a direct replacement for 235/261 rod bolts though, but we did come up with something close. The closest replacement turned out to be a rod bolt for a Ford 351 Cleveland (ARP p/n-154-6003, $45 for a set of 16 bolts and nuts). These were the correct diameter and length, but the head design was football shaped and the orginal bolt head is D-shaped. I was able to grind one side of the football shaped head flat with a bench grinder and it fit nicely in the rod after it was pressed in. The cleveland bolt was not threaded down as far as my orginal and we determined that we only had one thread below the rod cap surface, so we decided to add a ARP 1/16" thick harded washer (p/n-200-8505) under the nut. All total (Main Stud kit, Head Bolts w/ washers, and the rod bolts w/ washers) I spent ~ $250.00, but I feel that it was money well spent in the end. After all the money I've spent on the machine work and all the other new parts, I don't want to find out I ruined the engine due to $9.00 dollar bolt I had fail to replace when I had the chance.
