Engine: 259 suprecharged

[orecrush]

I am thinking of installing a Paxton supercharger on a 259 engine with the R2 heads Any advice on this subject

[sals54]

Yeah... Go for it.

[Commander Eddie]

I think the Bill Burke Avanti that Dan Sallia ran at Bonneville in 2010 and 2011 had a 259 with a Paxton Novi blower on it. He even designed a special bracket for it. I think those brackets are available if you need one.

[karterfred88]

Depending on which 259 heads and pistons, you may not need to swap heads. Nothing special about R2 heads, just bigger cc to lower compression with the flat top pistons. If you are under 9.5:1 now-just bolt it on, maybe go for a cam instead, and a referenced fuel pump.

[PackardV8]

X2 - You definitely don't want the R2 heads. You do want larger intake valves, head and intake porting and an R1/R2 cam. You also want a rebuilt distributor with the R2 curve and an electronic trigger.

jack vines

[SN-60]

X2 - You definitely don't want the R2 heads. You do want larger intake valves, head and intake porting and an R1/R2 cam. You also want a rebuilt distributor with the R2 curve and an electronic trigger.

jack vines

About the intake valves, I'd say that the stock ones DO NOT necessarily need to be changed out for larger ones....Why?....because the nice thing about a force fed engine is that large valves aren't needed to up the power level...the SUPERCHARGER takes care of that!

[orecrush]

Valves on the R2 heads

[I have to say you are right about the valves I have a R2 Avanti with the stock heads and has plenty of power for street use







QUOTE=SN-60;1037074]About the intake valves, I'd say that the stock ones DO NOT necessarily need to be changed out for larger ones....Why?....because the nice thing about a force fed engine is that large valves aren't needed to up the power level...the SUPERCHARGER takes care of that! [/QUOTE]

[orecrush]

Hi Jack
I noticed that my distributor on my R2 Avanti has only a single point I remember on my old GT Hawk with the R2 engine it had duel point distributor Can I put some kind of electronic trigger in this unit or do I have to find a duel point distributor for the proper curve

[PackardV8]

About the intake valves, I'd say that the stock ones DO NOT necessarily need to be changed out for larger ones....Why?....because the nice thing about a force fed engine is that large valves aren't needed to up the power level...the SUPERCHARGER takes care of that!

Yes, Studebaker engineers were notorious for how they wasted money and the larger intake valves used on the R3 were just one more example of how they didn't think through making more power with a supercharger.

jack vines

[SN-60]

Yes, Studebaker engineers were notorious for how they wasted money and the larger intake valves used on the R3 were just one more example of how they didn't think through making more power with a supercharger.

jack vines

Well, if you think you know more than the Granatelli's, I'll defer to you!

[Xcalibur]

Just for information-sake... though blasphemy for many in Studeville, there has been a LOT of water-under-the-bridge, so to speak, since the Granatellis got 638hp from a Stude V/8!

I was at the Miller Racing Engines dyno the first time it happened, btw. I was there underwriting the dyno time. And, development didn't stop there anymore than it did with the Granatellis--hardly the end-all for engine R&D!

That said, if all you are doing is bolting a Paxton on an essentially stock 259 for the street, just do an R2 clone 259 and call it good. Now, were it me and going to all the bother anyway, I'd at least maximize the heads, cam, and fueling. All the best!

[SN-60]

Just for information-sake... though blasphemy for many in Studeville, there has been a LOT of water-under-the-bridge, so to speak, since the Granatellis got 638hp from a Stude V/8!

I was at the Miller Racing Engines dyno the first time it happened, btw. I was there underwriting the dyno time. And, development didn't stop there anymore than it did with the Granatellis--hardly the end-all for engine R&D!

That said, if all you are doing is bolting a Paxton on an essentially stock 259 for the street, just do an R2 clone 259 and call it good. Now, were it me and going to all the bother anyway, I'd at least maximize the heads, cam, and fueling. All the best!

A 259 CI Studebaker V8 CANNOT BE an "R2 clone".....however, a 289 CI Stude V8 definitely can!

[bezhawk]

If you really wan't to maximize a 259, get rid of the pistons that sit .045 down in the hole. or was it .070?
Too much dead space.