I have been trying to determine the function of the U-shape bracket that was attached under a head bolt on my 1949 262 6-cylinder engine. Please see the circled bracket on the attached pictures. I've looked at a lot of Hudson engine pictures and I suspect it may have supported a heater hose from water pump. In some pics, the bracket is installed but serving no function with nothing attached. If this supported a heater hose, how was the hose attached to the bracket? I have also seen cases where the line coming from the water pump was a pipe with a hose connected at the end near the back of the engine. Another old post from the open forum suggests that the hard pipe was only used on later wide block 6-cylinder engines and that the narrow block engines used hose from the water pump. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!
I have the 308 with Twin Power carbs with similar brackets that support my air cleaners. Maybe that what you have on the 262 also.
Hi Peter...thank you for your response. I too wondered if it was for air cleaner support but my 262 has the vertical air cleaner canister and not the horizontal cylinder type. Further, I believe if it were for air cleaner support it would be on the distributor side of the head not on the intake side of the head which are on opposite sides on the 262. I do have a section view of the engine from the service manual that shows this support but it appears to be a 2-piece bracket and screws into the air cleaner. My bracket has no hole on the top for a screw. This makes the bracket I have even more of a mystery! Thanks again.
Your car is 75 years old, over which time a lot of things have been done to it by previous owners or mechanics. We run into that a lot.
Was the engine assembled and running when you got the car, or did you get it as a non-running project? If the former, did you take a picture of the engine before taking off the manifolds, carb, etc.?
I did purchase the car as a non-running project in 1983. The pictures I included are the engine in the car as received. I've attached another picture in the as-received condition before the intake/exhaust manifolds and air cleaner were removed. You can barely make out the bracket that is circled. You will notice a heater hose passing by the bracket which is why I suspect the bracket may be used as a hose support. Unfortunately, the photos were taken in 1983 with an inexpensive film camera so they lack good clarity and resolution.
I don't have further ideas.
However, a 41-year long project must be a record!
Thanks Peter.
You're right....41 year project is a classic case of "life got in the way!"
For completeness, I have concluded that the bracket was used to support the wires from the 2 spark plugs at the front of the engine. I suspect there was some type of sheet metal or rubber guide that the wires passed through similar to the guide on the bracket near the distributor. At least that's what I will be using it for.
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