NOS 259 crankshaft observation

[Kdancy]

Bought this from SASCO. Pulled it out of the box and cleaned it up for install. It has to be the roughest built crank I have ever seen! Must have been an assembly line reject as the sides of the throws and the balance holes looked like they were cut with totally worn out bits made in china!! If I were to do it again, I would go ahead and send to a crank shop for a going over. At least the journals looked and specked out good.

53commander HDTP
53 Champion HDTP
64 Champ long bed V8

[StudeRich]

Studebaker's overpaid, Union workers and machinists were normally pretty conscientious, careful good people. But when the parts replacement blocks and cranks were made in '64-'65 after line shutdown, what do you think the moral was like?


StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[JDP]

Many service parts were used as parts stock and not quite up to production standards.

JDP/Maryland
"I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it."
Thomas Jefferson

[studegary]

Hurwich Iron, South Bend sold a lot of NOS 259 cranks for a very low price in the 1970s. They were still in the original packaging and sold for (IIRC) $20 each. Many vendors bought up large quantities of them. These cranks were factory seconds/defects. By now, probably no one knows the source of some of these parts and what they really are. I am not saying that is definitely what you have, but it sounds like it.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[JDP]

One of my many jobs in the labor pool at Rockell Standards was sorting out "service bars" from the production bumpers. They could have more then a few defects since the idea was that they'd go on cars that were no longer new anyway. Show bars were also made for show cars, with extra plating and polish.

JDP/Maryland
"I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it."
Thomas Jefferson

[StudeRich]

Was Rockell a Studebaker bumper supplier?

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[Warren Webb]

My years in the auto body field, I have seen numerous times items sold thru the parts distribution system as factory rejects, but sold at a premium price thru their parts systems. Used to really get my goat when I'd get a new hood for a Cadillac & see primer & rough file marks where the repairs were made, then be told to fix it & get paid for just the installation! Still see it going on today & it makes no difference if its u.s. or japanese, they still stuff the supply system with rejects.

60 Lark convertible
61 Champ
62 Daytona convertible
63 G.T. R-2,4 speed
63 Avanti (2)
66 Daytona Sport Sedan

[Dan Timberlake]

If the journals measure real good ( to size, and less than 0.0002 inch taper and out of round) I would deburr and smooth the crank so it is more pleasant to handle and less likely to shed slivers, swarf and shards. The change in balance from file, dremel and sandpaper deburring is of no consequence. Any crank needs the oil holes scrubbed clean with a gun cleaning brush. Solvent and compressed air are not sufficient. Next to cylinder walls, oil passages are about the most important cleaning area

[Roscomacaw]

Thru the years, I've used several of these NOS replacement cranks without a problem. The only goof I ever had was when Newman & Altman sent me a V8 crank as part of a 6cylinder engine kit![8]

Miscreant Studebaker nut in California's central valley.

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