First Step of the New Project

[Noxnabaker]

I sure have missed your posts Dan, glad to see you're still at it & also glad to see you are as lucky as me when it comes to the love-one!
(I'll have a word with the god in charge to give you some slack... )

[SilverHawkDan]

Took yesterday off to heal and not push things after a month and a half layoff. Today we got back to the shop and my wife assembled the parts washing tank. Thanks for the recommendation Bill. After it was together and we discussed the modifications that will be needed, we filled it up with eco friendly fluid (means it doesn't clean that fast but easy to dispose of the old stuff) and she got busy. She got most of the parts cleaned, dried and put in zip lock bags. Then she labelled them and boxed them up. Labelled the boxes and put them on the shelf ready if needed.


She doesn't like my big solvent gloves so I guess I am buying her some gloves tomorrow. I got the heavy duty chain hoist installed on the gantry crane. Now we have two hoists until the electric one comes back from being repaired.

Took awhile as I can only work for so long before the tank runs empty but I got four 570 heads taken apart and ready for taking them to Sacramento next week. Some stuck valves but surprisingly only punched out one guide. Will clean them up and see if I need to look at any of the other heads we have.

Kathy told me when I came out to get some more pistons to dry off that one of them must have a broken ring as she found a piece of metal in the tank after cleaning it. Turns out is much worse if I was going to try and use these pistons. The ring land is broken big time. Will need to see what the wall looks like but when I looked at them two days ago I didn't see any gouges.

So will try and go tomorrow if I feel good. Lots to do and so little time to do it. More as it happens.
Dan

[SilverHawkDan]

So I have been looking for some FORGED 259 pistons in standard bore 3 9?16" and someone seemed to think that Studebaker offered them in trucks? Or in some form. I was asked to supply the part number so they could check their stock. H]Does anyone, maybe Bob Palma, have any information about this? Would like to purchase two sets, one for the race engine and another for the back up engine. We will be taking both to Bonneville with us in September. If you have any ideas as to where to find some pistons no matter who the maker please let me know.
Dan

[S2Deluxe]

So I have been looking for some FORGED 259 pistons in standard bore 3 9?16" and someone seemed to think that Studebaker offered them in trucks? Or in some form. I was asked to supply the part number so they could check their stock. H]Does anyone, maybe Bob Palma, have any information about this? Would like to purchase two sets, one for the race engine and another for the back up engine.

Uh oh, Dan, that sounds like something that could be kinda scarce? I'm not really sure, but there are many here who would have a lot better idea, than I do, what may have originally been available. What still exists and where it can be acquired? If there is no more cost effective source, and your pockets are deep enough, they could always be custom made? We're all preying for you, Dan, Good Luck with everything!

Mark

[SilverHawkDan]

I am currently looking at options. Ross and Diamond will make them for us but at a hit to the budget. Thank you to all who are praying for me and my wife. Still holding out for a miracle but for now nothing new treatment wise has shown up. I have beaten the beast 10 times and I am not ready to give up now. So we press on.

[SilverHawkDan]

Grandson made it up so I had him bolt a set of blank heads on the 259 I used at Bonneville in 2011. Then he bolted the new R3 style exhaust headers to the heads. Then he went out to the storage container and dug out the side pipes we used on the Bucket List Dream Avanti in 2010. These were made by Mike Howe when we had Karl Sparks "Twin Charger" engine in the car.



Now we can see how much work the cylinder head guy has to do to clean them up and port them to match the heads, We will cut the pipes and remove the three inch pipes and build a new system from there. Progress is good. More as it happens.

[SilverHawkDan]

Yipeeee! The block is back from the machine shop. All clean and with all plugs removed. Magnafluxed and new cam bearings. Now we can start to modify it for racing. Progress finally.




So more as it happens.
Dan

[Commander Eddie]

Okay, I'm confused again. Which engine is this?

[SilverHawkDan]

This is the back up 259 for the Packard Hawk. The main engine is the 232 that I picked up at your place last year. It is at the race shop in Sacramento being outfitted with four bolt mains and a dry sump oiling system Among other things. This block will replace the block that got damaged by the driver in 2011 who melted it down. It will have the Clay Smith camshaft (R3/5 specs) and a wet sump 10 quart pan. The heads will be Hutchison modified and it will use the same Kinsler fuel injection system. We are taking a back up engine so we won't need it. Hope this clears up the confusion.
Dan

[Commander Eddie]

Dan, got it. So what are you doing with the stock heads from the 232?

[SilverHawkDan]

It was short block, no heads. Remember you cleaned the top of a piston to see if it had markings on it. Both engines will be running completely trick heads from RHR shop.
Dan

[Commander Eddie]

It was short block, no heads. Remember you cleaned the top of a piston to see if it had markings on it. Both engines will be running completely trick heads from RHR shop.
Dan

Sheesh! I am getting old. I do remember that it was a short block now that you mention it. Can't wait to see it finished.

[SilverHawkDan]

Finally got to go back to the shop today. It felt good to be back. Can't do much until my finger heals (had surgery to clean out an infection) so I did some cleaning and organizing. Dug out the Clay Smith cam to set it next to the roller cam for the 299 for next year. man what a difference.

Put a cam I had laying around into the old 259 block and put a bolt in the cam to mark the cover for cam center. Painted the inside of the caver and then slid the cover on. Got my mark and drilled a 3/8" hole. Checked alignment and it is good to go. Need to fab a hub for the 3/8" hex and then a tool steel hex shaft to drive the fuel pump and we are good to go. Progress.

Sorted through over 25 years of Studebaker gaskets. Put the good ones in zip lock bags and labeled them. Put them all in a plastic tote and labeled them and now ready for race day. Cleaned off two tables of clutter and now have an idea on how to organize things. Always changing ever evolving thing. So all in all a good day. More as it happens.
Dan

[52-fan]

What is the hole in the front cover for? I'm not familiar with that modification.

[tsenecal]

It looks like the plan is to drive the fuel pump off of the front of the cam, with a hex drive, running through the timing cover.