Power top pump

[Tom Biegler]

Hi folks I've got a '63 Lark convertible with a bad power top pump. I'm not having any luck finding one. Any ideas???

Tom

[Roscomacaw]

Tom,

Convertible Service outta San Gabriel, CA has a pump for $220. Their order hotline is (800) 333-1140

[TX Rebel]

I have a good used one in a '63 for $125.

[Studebakercenteroforegon]

Many times I have dis-assembled these pumps and found the gear rotor pump stuck - after all, the hydraulic fluid is brake fluid. After a little careful work to remove and clean the pump rotor, some general cleaning, and o-ring replacement, they work as good as new.

[Roscomacaw]

When I redid our Lark ragtop years ago - I replaced everything in the top hydraulics, save for the pump. The pump I thoroughly cleaned and reassembled - it was grunged solid with the brake fluid goo. But when I recharged the system with fluide, I used automatic tranny fluid. Still works some 25 years later.

[Tom Biegler]

Got on their site. They have more than one but no Studey I can see. Does it just have to be Ford? or...?

[Roscomacaw]

Tom,

I called their toll free # and asked. The fella said he's sold pumps for Studebakers and looked up the number for me while I waited.

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

I bought one from these guys for my 1963 Daytona Convertible:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/1960-1964-Studebaker-Lark-Daytona-convertible-top-pump-/220719934858?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3363eeed8a

[Roscomacaw]

I'm curious - did they really charge you $40 bucks for Priority Mail delivery?

[kmac530]

Wow that is alot of shipping. That pump does not look longer than 15" + - ? You can ship that thru USPS for $14 ish...nice way to make some extra cash I guess.

[Roscomacaw]

Yeah, I just recieved that pair of coil springs I ordered from Rock Auto and the shipping on them - via FedEx - was only $17 bucks. And they were here in less than a week. I see where R2-4-me is in Canada, and that could cost more if it was shipped from the US.

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

I'm curious - did they really charge you $40 bucks for Priority Mail delivery?

I have all my purchases shipped to Buffalo NY, to a friends place. It often takes a while to get my purchases but it avoids ridiculous cross border shipping charges, brokerage fees by the carrier and 14% taxes crossing the border. Shipping was about the $12 that they quoted.

[Roscomacaw]

$12 bucks certainly sounds more acceptable. Maybe the seller's just coving his rear with that $40 figure. That brings another ebay story of late to mind. I ignored ebay's "auto-calculation" thingy in a recent auction I had for a quartet of vintage AC bracketry I was selling. Think: HEAVY. Guy wins it for the opening bid - at which I JUST recoup what I had in the stuff. Within minutes he's sent payment via PayPal. I thanked him and noted that ebays calculations were far from reality, and it would cost more than what he'd sent me. (Shipping was shown as 12-something and in reality, it was closer to $40 bucks via UPS ground. "SCAMMER! SCAMMER!" he shot back. "You'll ship it to me for what you advertized or I'll report you to ebay. I was gonna LOSE money on this one. I tried to reason with the guy, but he was adamant that I ship for what he'd sent me. I was gonna be about 20 in the hole, but I figured it was time to be done with it and move on.
After I sent the stuff, I took a photo of the UPS receipt and sent it to him. With that he was ALL apologies. Volunteered that he would make up the difference come pay day - a day which obviously has never come.

[Warren Webb]

I got one for my 62 Daytona from a pick a part yard. I have found that all the convertible pumps are the same! Even the wiring harness on them have the same type plug on them. This goes for ones I have found on Mustangs, Sebrings, Saabs, ect. It seems also that the use of brake fluid had been stopped some years ago. When I did mine I used tranny fluid too after a good & though flush, same as what Biggs did.

[Roscomacaw]

I used to buy them outta junkyards too. About the only difference you'd ever see was the size of the resevoir tank, and that really doesn't make a difference from one application to another. I have found different electrical plugs, but that's an easy fix.