So the neighbor has a studebaker flathead six thats attached to a generator, hes wanting to swap in a modern engine and offered it to me for 50 bucks. So I have to say yes to an engine that doesnt smoke and sounds good. What kind of ****** can i easily adapt to this? Did studebaker use someone elses or? and yes, ive no use for this, yet, but i cant turn down an engine that seems to be in good shape and will otherwise be s****ped.
Studebaker used Borg Warner three speeds, the one used behind the larger Commander sixes being heavier duty than the one used in Champions. The bolt patterns were almost square, but there was a slight difference in center to center dimensions between the two.
Do you know if there are any ******s that are close to bolting up or people used to modify to work with them? Sorry, just wondering. Ive no use for this engine, just think its going to end up in some future project.
Like Heathen mentioned above, Studebaker used Borg-Warner transmissions, very frequently with overdrive, And again as Heathen mentioned, the Champion units were lighter duty (T-96 if I rmember correctly) than the Commander models (T-86 I think). Either of those, depending on which engine you have, should be pretty easy to find with a little effort. The Studebaker Drivers Club magazine "Turning Wheels" would be a good place to look. Back in about 1962 a very good friend's Dad, who was somewhat elderly at the time and semi-retired, but still did some carpentry work, had a Studebaker pickup (2 R model) with a sick engine and he had a '48 Chevy sedan with a good engine. I had just done an engine swap on his son's car ('55 Dodge 270 hemi into a '53 Plymouth ragtop) and 'ol George asked if I could put the Chevy engine in the Studie. Well, nothing to lose by trying. The point of this is, it worked with surprising little effort to mate the Studie trans to the Chev bellhousing. Most of the transmissions of the era were very similar in general dimensions. A different diameter here and there, a little machine work or drilling/tapping, swap the clutch disc, etc. and they can be mated. So, the easiest to do is Studebaker...pretty readily available.....but you can do other things with it if you try. Ray
Thanks for the help. I know a stude trans would be the easiest route to go by, but id wondered if there were others that were close or would work. Ive no plans for this motor yet, but i might come across an oddball ****** that i could mate up to it, like a packard or such. Id like to try my hand at adapting a ****** to it. But then again, this is winter and perhaps im just bored. lol
Well it looks like ive just bought this, ill post pics tomorrow so i can try and find out what year it is. Ive no clue if its the 169 or 185. But a running flathead that doesnt smoke for 50 bucks, i couldnt say no.
Do you know for sure it's the smaller Champion engine? Could it be the larger 245 cube Commander/President model. Ray
Get on the Studebaker Drivers Club site. There are a lot of vendors, club members and Stude activity in your area. Even if you don't use Stude parts, info on specific clutch plates, throwout bearings, bellhousings, etc that will work will be readily available.
The guy really isnt a car guy, he said it came from a "mid 50s stude lark" so... I dont really know stude engines that well, ive never even heard of the 245. I thought the sixes were only in 169 and 185. I certainly wouldnt mind it if it was as big as 245.
If it's a Lark engine ('59 first year model) it's not a 245. Never thought to ask...is this a flathead or OHV engine? Ray
Its a flathead. Yes, i realized he didnt really know what it was when he said it was a mid 50s lark. But i ***ume its just because hes heard of a stude lark. Supposedly his old man bought it from a wrecked car in the early 60s and stuck it into this generator.
The 245s were replaced by the V8 that came out in '51. The Champions got the small six right to the end of them, and then it was used in the Larks in OHV form.
I have a 170 OHV engine and 3 speed trans that I pulled from my Lark. Running but leaking when pulled. If somebody want's it bad enough to come and get it, it's theirs
I'm glad to find all this information since I'm trying to buy a 53 Stude pickup with a six and overdrive. Won't be too hard to find a 12 volt solonoid for a Borg Warner.
I have a 50 stude pickup that I rebuilt the champion engine over 30 years ago. The 170 only puts out about 75 hp. Good on gas, not much power. I think trucks had a bigger pattern on bell housing than cars.I think the Commander bigger 6 puts out maybe 100 hp.
Stude's auto trans was also a Borg Warner and Ford and Rambler used incarnations of them. Might be able to use a Ford trans on it.
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