Were different intakes planned for Ohv sixes

[Jeff T.]

An odd thought after reading threads on sixes. Did Studebaker ever have another intake in the works for the OHV six. Just wondering if a blueprint might exist.

Jeff T.

"I'm getting nowhere as fast as I can"
The Replacements.

[StudeRich]

I doubt it. WHY would they? [?] They already have a long ram intake similar to the Chrysler slant 6, but because the Skybolt Six was not a slant 6, did not need a longer one.
It also has enlarged new square runners instead of tiny round ones. [^]

What would you do, make it a 2 Brl. intake? Or what? All any improvement would do is, make an already short lived engine SHORTER! [V]

I am sure what Engineering wanted for some time to do is, scrap the whole thing for a completely new 232ish C.I. OHV 6, but never could get the approval because of tighter than tight money, since they were running at a loss or near loss most every year except 1950-51 and 1959-60!
Also note that BOTH times, they did spend some Money on Engine Development, Engineering and Tooling etc. In '51 it was the OHV V-8 and in '61 it was the redesigned 170, OHV 6 !

StudeRich -Studebakers Northwest Ferndale, WA

[Swifster]

I always thought Studebaker was in the black from the war until 1952. How do you lose money in the auto business between 1945 and 1952?

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Tom - Mulberry, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed (Cost To Date: $2125.60)

[StudeRich]

Ok, if people are going to go outside of the context of what we are talking about, which is modern times when something needed & could be done about their behind the times engine issues, then of course I would have to qualify that statement without looking up the Corporate profits of every year, you could roughly say from the time we are talking about: 1950 to 1964 which was the last year they could have done anything about the engines, they simply had no Millions required to change anything major. And as I noted, when they did have some money only two short periods, they did TRY to fix things as best they could, but by 1960 the end of the Lark wave was not hard to see coming, and so limited expenditures had to be used on a modified six instead of a new one for '61.

In my opinion, they could have literally "saved" the Co. or at least prolonged the inevitable a whole lot longer, if they had the money or backing in 1958 to build that much needed new 230 C.I. plus 6, for the '59 Lark!

All too many of those economy minded buyers traded off those '59 Lark VI's in a year or less, while the Lark VIII owners remained happy as a Lark, I remember some buying #2 Lark 8 to complement the 1st.! Many of them were my Dad's customers, neighbors and friends and I watched it happen within 6 blocks of our new Stude. demo occupied driveway, one only 4 doors away! [:0]

quote:Originally posted by Swifster

I always thought Studebaker was in the black from the war until 1952. How do you lose money in the auto business between 1945 and 1952?

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[Swifster]

Rich, the early profits were used for the V8. I'm not arguing that (actually, I'm not arguing at all ). We all know there was no money to modernize anything. This is why there is no 340 engine. It might have been possible to buy Mercedes Benz inline 6's for more power, but these cars were already over priced and I doubt MB would have been offering discounts. Had the company lasted into the '70's or if the marque was a bit more popular, Clifford Performance may have made some intakes and headers for the Stude 6 (either of them). Nothing like an OHV 6 with a set of small side-draft webers on it.

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Tom - Mulberry, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed (Cost To Date: $2125.60)

[54-61-62]

I contend that Stude would have been much better converting their old commander big six into a OHV engine in 1961 then their 170. The little flathead 185 is a good engine but all that was lost when it got de-stroked in 59 and later converted into OHV in 61.

[8E45E]

quote:Originally posted by StudeRich

In my opinion, they could have literally "saved" the Co. or at least prolonged the inevitable a whole lot longer, if they had the money or backing in 1958 to build that much needed new 230 C.I. plus 6, for the '59 Lark!

What Harold Churchill did instead was invest heavily in a 139 cubic inch horizontally opposed 4 cylinder engine, spending something like 5.6 million on the project that got aborted by Sherwood Egbert. And I agree totally, the development $$$ should have gone for an all-new OHV six.

Craig

[Mark57]

Can always get one of those reliable Mckinnon sixes from 65/66. [}]

<h5>Mark
'57 Transtar Deluxe
Vancouver Island

Are you planning to attend the NW Overdrive Tour in Parksville, BC
May 23 & 24, 2009?</h5>

[Jeff T.]

Hey, just wondering

I doubt that the engineers at Studebaker realized that the OHV six would have the service problems that they did have. It may have never occured to the engineers that the heads would crack under load or for all their testing the Studebaker engineers the problem never occured...for them.

I thought about fabricating a different manifold to use a WW or a small 2bb simply because the AS and RBS models are not the best, perhaps I shold just take the carb off my mothers Mustang 200, I know it was better than the perviously mentioned 1bbs.

As far as Studebaker engineering work on a different manifold for the ohv six, I guess that answer maybe no.

Jeff T.

"I'm getting nowhere as fast as I can"
The Replacements.

[8E45E]

quote:Originally posted by Jeff T.

As far as Studebaker engineering work on a different manifold for the ohv six, I guess that answer maybe no.

Well, here we go again back to the September, 1980 Turning Wheels, and BP's fantastic article comes to mind once more. He states George and himself did see a two-barrel carb on an OHV 6 on one of his "inside visits" at the plant!!

Craig

[Jeff T.]

If BP and George saw a 2 bb six there has to be an engineering drawing somewhere. It's a shame that I misplaced the september 1980 TW decades ago, probably during a college era move

I just realized that I will be a 30 year member next year, where has the time gone

Jeff T.

"I'm getting nowhere as fast as I can"
The Replacements.

[8E45E]

quote:Originally posted by Jeff T.

If BP and George saw a 2 bb six there has to be an engineering drawing somewhere. It's a shame that I misplaced the september 1980 TW decades ago, probably during a college era move

Craig