Advice on Replacing 289 Crankshaft

[jngregory]

I am a newbie to this forum, so please forgive any breaches of protocol.

HELP! I have a 1953 Commander with a later model 289 V8. I am rebuilding the 289 V8 after a bearing failure. I believe it is an Avanti engine with a partial flow block. The existing crankshaft is damaged and bent, and the machinist feels it is best to replace the crankshaft.

The old crankshaft has a casting #537424. I have obtained a replacement crankshaft with a casting #1556444 from Lionel Stone. They are both listed as casting numbers for 1955-64 289 V-8 (3-5/8" stroke). All measurements are identical, but the new crankshaft (#1556444) is 1/2" longer from the main bearing to the front of the shaft. The same measurement on my old crankshaft is 2-3/4".

I thought the two crankshafts would be identical. I know that on cars with air conditioning or power steering, a longer crankshaft screw and retaining screws were used to accommodate the extra pulleys. But this engine has neither. Is the extra length a problem?

Thanks

John G.

[imported_n/a]

Yes, to an extent. I believe You need the pulley hub(I can't really call it a Harmonic Balancer) that is the right length to match this crankshaft. The "snout" on some of those cranks does vary in length. Or, so I've read here.

[klifton1]

The 55 engine is a 259, shorter stroke then a 289. 259 is a 3.250 stroke and the 289 is a 3.625 stroke. Are you sure you have a 289 engine ? What are the engine numbers ?
Klif

55 Speedster
42 Champ Coupe

[jngregory]

Yes, for certain it is a 289.

John G.

quote:Originally posted by klifton1

The 55 engine is a 259, shorter stroke then a 289. 259 is a 3.250 stroke and the 289 is a 3.625 stroke. Are you sure you have a 289 engine ? What are the engine numbers ?
Klif

55 Speedster
42 Champ Coupe

[Roscomacaw]

No partial flow "Avanti engines" were made.

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle!!

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe

[Anne F. Goodman]

I will pray for you.

Mabel 1949 Champion
1957 Silverhawk
1955 Champion
Gus 1958 Transtar

[studegary]

As Bob/MrBiggs stated, there is no such thing as a partial flow Avanti engine. It sounds as though you have a 259 or 289 from 1955 to mid-1962. Please post the stamped engine number so that we know what we are dealing with and we are all talking about the same thing.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

1959 DeLuxe pickup (restomod)

[imported_n/a]

It may be that the problem is a misidentification of the engine you are working on. It may well be a 289, but it is not an Avanti engine if it isn't a full-flow block. And, if Lionel sent you a crank that fits an Avanti 289, because you specified that, therein may be the problem. I believe I've read that they have the different length crank snout.

[1956 Hawk]

I would think that the longer snout crankshaft would work, but a pulley spacer or an extra pulley might need to be added so that the crank bolt tightens up. I think the longer crank was used on air conditioned cars and Avantis because of the extra pullies.
Anyway measure the assembled pullies and vibration damper and make sure that they are thicker than the length of the crank snout.
David

[Dwain G.]

The crankshaft snout was lengthened in 1963 to accomodate more pulleys for engine driven accessories. These crankshafts superceded the earlier ones. To use a new crankshaft in an earlier engine you got a new spacer (goes behind the pulley up against the outer rubber of the vibration damper) and a longer bolt. They called it a crankshaft 'kit'. The new spacer has a larger center hole. The old spacer will not fit onto the new style crankshaft. Using the old spacer allows about an 1/8" of crankshaft end play. Since the old spacer won't go onto the crankshaft, everything behind it is allowed to 'float'.

[img] http://home.comcast.net/~jdwain/53C.jpg [/img]
Dwain G.

[whacker]

You should be able to get the install kit from Wisconsin Studebaker. I know they used to have them. One comes with each of the 259 NOS crankshafts that they sell. It also includes a longer crankshaft bolt.

[jngregory]

Thanks for all the advice. The block is at the machine shop, but I'll drop by and check on the engine number to verify the year of the engine. It must have been a version of the 289 with the shorter crank.

quote:Originally posted by whacker

You should be able to get the install kit from Wisconsin Studebaker. I know they used to have them. One comes with each of the 259 NOS crankshafts that they sell. It also includes a longer crankshaft bolt.

[jngregory]

The engine number stamped on the machined area at the front of the block, to the left side of the oil hole reads "F72140". This doesn't correspond to any of the V8 engine numbers on this website. I thought the "F" might be a partly obliterated "P", but it is pretty clearly an "F". The casting number on the right side of the block is "53601", if this helps.

I'm new to this, and forgive me if I'm missing something. Can anyone suggest what engine this is?

If I can figure out how to do it, I'll post some pictures.

John G.

[jngregory]

Here are two pictures of my engine. If you look at the picture of the top of the engine, you can see the engine number (F72140) in the top left corner. This doesn't appear to correspond to any Studebaker engine number. Can anyone enlighten me?

[GTtim]

John, those numbers were stamped by hand. There weren't any that were ever stamped with an 'F' that I know of. So, I'm going to say that either the 'P' that the worker was using that day had part of the letter broken off or altered or when they held it, it was tipped enough to one side to not show all the letter. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Tim K.
'64 R2 GT Hawk