Transmission / Overdrive: questions 53 starlight with a 64 drive train

[50pete]

a few weeks back i bought a 53 champion starlight, p.o. installed the drive train & brakes(very large front drums, haven't measured dia. yet) from a 64 cruiser 289 auto. had it running(shortly), but I don't know what trans is behind it. It's got a long tail, looks to be cast iron(painted black) has an oval shaped tag(drivers side) with yellow paint & the #'s 85538 stamped into the tag. The dip stick/fill tube is connected to the pan with a large compression/flare fitting at the rear. p.o. said it was good(we all know how that goes) The questions are, I don't see any trans lines, does it use a cooler?(never saw an auto that didn't) On the linkage, which way is park to the front/down or to the back/up(moves at a radius) can roll it in all positions. And most important, is this the trans i want to use? I have a chevy turbo 400 short tail, but that means different cross member, adapter kit from stude to chevy(anybody have an estimate of that cost?), drive shaft & so on. Any input will help. Thanks Pete

[sals54]

Pete,
Just my thoughts here, but I've had the same setup in my car years ago. I now have an Avanti 289 with a 4 speed. But as to your questions:
You probably have 11" front drum brakes. There are quite reliable for a daily driver. I've since installed front disc brakes.
It sounds like you have a flight-o-matic transmission. That would be essentially the same trans Ford used, as a Ford-O-Matic. They are pretty good transmissions. They are a 3 speed trans with a 2nd gear start. They can be driven using a manual shift from low to Drive to get the lower first gear start if you wish. No cooler lines are needed on these.
On the linkage, I don't recall which way the lever goes, but the trans shifts as follows: P N D L R, to give you a reference. Shifting it all the way in one direction or the other should land you in Park which will lock the trans. Then you can figure the rest from there.
Personally, I would run it as is for now. No serious costs involved in doing that. I've had great luck in running them as-is just to get an idea of a starting point on a project.
Adapter kits are available to convert to Chevy trans, but I'm not sure the cost would be worthwhile if only going to a Turbo 400. You already have very similar gearing in the existing trans. You just need to see if it works.
Good Luck on the project.

[bezhawk]

All the way forward would be park.

[drrotor]

Pete-- I just read your post with great interest, because I, too, just bought a '53-- a Commander Starliner in my case, and I have a '62 Cruiser parts-car at home waiting to give up it's 289, Flightomatic, T.T. rear end, and finned front brakes! So I'd really like to know what it takes to install that power-train, whether the shift linkage will hook up, if the brakes are directly interchangable, and if the rear end is a direct bolt-in or not. Does your car still have it's two piece driveshaft? My car has no power steering or power brakes, and I'd like to build this car for my wife to drive on nice days. Anyone have an opinion on that?
Oh-- and-- does anyone think I'd have any difficulty using the stock '53 intake set-up on the 289? I'd like the car to appear stock.
Oh, good grief, I just thought of another question. Any reasonable way to get my flightomatic to have a first-gear start? I dispise that feature... but I love my Studebakers!

[StudeRich]

I am sorry Dr. that some of these questions like the first gear start are just way to complex and lengthy for us to keep doing this multiple times.
I don't know how hard it would be using the search function to find these answers because sometimes they come up in different but related subjects OR they have non-related Titles which really makes it hard to find, but try something like "First Gear Start or 1st. Gear start maybe.

The simpler stuff:

(1) I do not see why you could not use the high rise Intake from a 232 the gaskets are all the same size from '51 to '64, but I do not know about the internal port sizes being large enough also the Carb. should have larger jets, metering rods etc. or if you could rig the choke heat tube to work with a '62 2 Brl. but you would have to use the wrong Air Cleaner for a '53, the '62 one for a down draft Carb. top.

(2) The Brakes will be a bolt-on if you switch the front wheel bearings, type seal and dust Cap from the '62 also.

(3) The Differential Assembly should be a bolt in as well, but you will need the Later Type rear E-Brake cables complete and they probably will have length issues between the 113 Inch wheelbase to the 120 Inch. Take the spring plates and "U" Bolts from the 44 axle with the Diff.

(4) Driveshaft, you could save your self a lot of work and trouble if you could find a driveline shop that has a slide into the Trans. type yoke that would fit your 2 piece driveshaft or you may have floor contact at the tunnel under the rear seat if you try to use a lengthened one piece Lark Driveshaft or a Hawk.

[bezhawk]

The 232 intake has smaller ports, but the manifolds from 55-58 (possibly later) look the same from the outside. however the clamping method is different (smaller)
The lack of fuel pump in the filler tube would be a quick(er) giveaway to an engine swap.

[Pat Dilling]

I have a '54 Conestoga wagon and have taken multiple parts from a '64 Cruiser including the complete front suspension and 11" finned drum brakes, the Dana 44, also with finned brakes and will eventually install the 289 4V. I plan to back my motor up with a GM 200-4R overdrive automatic using an adapter kit from Howards Parts in Omaha. Cost for the well engineered kit is just over $300. Cost for the transmission will depend on where you find one. The front suspension and rear end bolt in without modification. Parts from many yers will interchange, Studebakers are neat like that.

[50pete]

it has a 1 pce drive shaft, will take a closer look at the tunnel clearance. The P.O. said he thought there was enough engagement of the drive shaft to the tail shaft, but I'm going to pull the drive shaft & see, the yoke is sticking out of the tail pretty far. I can see where it originally rode in the seal. Looks as though your questions have been answered & thanks for the response Pete

[sals54]

it has a 1 pce drive shaft, will take a closer look at the tunnel clearance. The P.O. said he thought there was enough engagement of the drive shaft to the tail shaft, but I'm going to pull the drive shaft & see, the yoke is sticking out of the tail pretty far. I can see where it originally rode in the seal. Looks as though your questions have been answered & thanks for the response Pete

Pete, I've been using a one piece driveshaft for decades in my 54 Coupe. I simply angled the nose of the differential down a degree or so to gain clearance from the tunnel. Works pretty well for me. I did mine when I had the spring perches rewelded to the axle housing. But you could do the same thing by inserting a wedge between the housing and the springs. They're sold at Summitt and many other speed shops.