Let me start out by saying that I am not trying to ignite a firestorm within the forum. I am just trying to get more information about putting a T5 behind by rebuilt 6 cylinder. I know there's a lot of opinions about modifying Studebakers but my goal here is to try to get a little more performance out of my '52 Starlight. I've made some of the engine upgrades that I have read about on the site so I feel pretty good about the engine. I'm trying to decide now whether I should try to rebuild my 3 speed with an overdrive or try to put a 5 speed into the car. I would be interested in seeing pictures and talking with anyone who's actually made this conversion. I'm trying to decide whether the additional cost for the 5 speed conversion actually pays off in drivability of the car. I'm not building a hot rod but it sure would be nice to be able to do interstate speeds and not worry about throwing something out of the transmission, the rear end or the engine. As far as the engine goes, we put in bigger intake valves, dual exhaust header, dual carberator intake and electronic distributor and converted to 12 volt. As far as the chassis, I've put 1 inch torsion bar on the front, 11 inch fin brakes on the front and 10 inch fin brakes on the rear. I'm currently in the process of adding a dual master cylinder. As far as the interior, everything will be pretty much the same except for the addition of bucket seats with built in seat belts. Really the last big deal is what to do with the transmission. I'm not building a car to show although that might be a nice benny. I'm building the car so I can drive it on long trips in comfort and enjoy it.
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Rocketeer, did you read the "Tremec" thread in this same forum? pretty much covers the ground you want. As was pointed out in that thread, Studebaker bought complete transmissions from Borg Warner as vendor parts, so substituting a different transmission doesn't really dilute the "purity" of the car. You would lose points judging in the "stock" class at a meet, but you are already out of that territory, anyway.
I think a 5 speed would help a lot in getting the most out of your little six. An extra gear under 1:1 can't hurt, nor can synchro first. As far as top end cruising goes, I doubt you'd notice much difference. I doubt the overdrive on the T5 is as "deep" as that on the stock tranny, but it's probably fairly close. One should be as good as the other as far as making interstate speeds goes. I'd say the big difference in the way the two trannies would drive would be in straight-line acceleration, or in spirited driving on hilly, twisty, or windy roads.
Have you driven your car much with its present transmission with the overdrive working? Don't sell the overdrive short, when it's working right, it's a pretty nifty gadget. you can upshift without using the clutch, and you can shift 1>2nd>2nd_over, then back to 2nd in traffic. 2nd over is a tad lower than direct; great traffic gear.
Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta BadlandsGord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands -
It has long been a common practice to make lower-powered engines more drivable by adding more gears; VERY common in little European cars; so your idea has merit. It would depend in large part upon the ratios within a given trans. You'd ideally want one with a lower first gear than the stock trans., and higher top gear for the highway. But the in-between ratios are important also, as you'd want a practical (read: comfortable) selection for in-between conditions.
You can tackle the switch- at the expense of a fair amount of figuring, researching, fabricating, and trial-and-error. Some folks thrive on that type of challenge; others do not. Judging by the amount of upgrades you've already done, you may not mind, and end up with an improvement; the question would be how much of an improvement this is in real-life terms! The only way to find out for sure is to do it...
That said, I lean toward what Gord says- think hard before you give up on the 3 O/D. Mine had problems, and Gord not only rebuilt it, but showed me that it is a pretty decent unit! The O/D is really handy, and fun to drive; and designed (and therefore geared) to work pretty well with the engine and car as designed. And as a bonus, it's a bolt-in; no fabrication needed!
Yes, a 5-speed may be a big impovement; or it may not. Personally, with everything else my Studes need, I'd rather put my money and time into those things.
Your mileage may vary
Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131
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Look under the vendor links for Bill Cathcarts website.
Bill has information on the swap you are comtemplating.
3E38
4E2
4E28
5E13
7E7
8E7
8E12
8E28
4E2
59 Lark
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Rocketeer, I'm interested in making the engine modifications you made in my Champ six. Did you notice much improvement in performance after the mods?Comment
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