Studebaker V8 sell give away?

[JohnL]

I can't find my earlier posting on my 59 deluxe with the 289 I just had engine re-built. Its not original to the truck and was just trying to get some feedback as to vintage. It is a 7E series 289. My truck parts catalog thru '61 only refers to up to 6E series. Hence my engine has to be 1962 or newer.

When I bought my truck from a junk yard they had a studebaker v8 sitting out in the weeds. I had them load it into the back of my pickup thinking I may be able to scrounge parts from it to re-build the one in the truck. Didn't need to. Now I've got an extra engine...which since it has been sitting out in the elements probably can't be used as a block for rebuild. Plus I can't get a sense of what it is other than a Studebaker v8. It is sitting upside down in my pickup box...but with a mirror I can see the number stamped on a plate screwed to the top of the block...not stamped into the block that reads "E 15 17. The 15 or 17 might be 1S or 1L. But there is no number in front of the letter "E", no 2E or 3E etc. I'm thinking it is an earlier vintage 232 or 224. Anybody got any idea.

[StudeRich]

If it's a 7E, it's a Std. 289, 6E=HD 289, 5E=HD 259, 3E=Std. 259.
Revised after Marks post.
You do need to read the one stamped into the driver side front corner, if it has one! This could be a replacement engine those usually have a Stude. part number on a metal tag. That number E1517 sounds like it refers to some kind of 1955 Truck Serial not engine, which is an "E" year model.

The bottom line is, it could very well be a good engine, if the pistons can be freed up, could have a desirable 289 crank in it! I would pull a spark plug and shine a light in it and look for a dished piston (289) or flat (259) or 224. If its a 232, you could tell by the timing cover having no fuel pump hole, and being sheet steel instead of cast aluminum.
PS, you can always find your recent posts by clicking on your name!

StudeRich -Studebakers Northwest Ferndale, WA

[Mark57]

quote:Originally posted by StudeRich

Are you sure you got that number correct? The engine number should start with E3, E5, E6, or E7, not 7E!

If it's a E7, it's a Std. 289, 6=HD 289, 5=HD 259, 3=Std. 259.

You do need to read the one stamped into the driver side front corner, if it has one! This could be a replacement engine those usually have a Stude. part number on a metal tag. That number E1517 sounds like it refers to some kind of 1955 Truck, not engine which is an "E" year model.

The bottom line is, it could very well be a good engine, if the pistons can be freed up, could have a desirable 289 crank in it! I would pull a spark plug and shine a light in it and look for a dished piston (289) or flat (259) or 224. If its a 232, you could tell by the timing cover having no fuel pump hole, and being sheet steel instead of cast aluminum.
PS, you can always find your recent posts by clicking on your name!

StudeRich -Studebakers Northwest Ferndale, WA

Rich - You got 'em backwards... The truck models are E5, E6, etc. the Truck engines were 3E =259Reg; 5E=259HD, etc. so a "7E" prefix is a standard duty 289 and the serial after the 7E is needed to figure out the build date.

<h5>Mark
'57 Transtar
3E-6/7-122 </h5>
[img]

[StudeRich]

The thing Studebaker had with the "E"'s is very hard to understand, I think because they used those for BOTH engine AND Serial number, which also indicates the year!

The Year models go like this:......................Engine Codes,Late Model '56 & Later V-8:

1941-48=.M
'49-'53=.2R
'54....=.3R
'55....=.E
'56....=.2E............................................/.3E.= 259
'57-'58=.3E.........................................../.5E.= 259HD
'59....=.4E............................................/.6E.= 289HD
'60....=.5E............................................/.7E.= 289
'61....=.6E
'62....=.7E
'63-'64=.8E
These are the year codes used at the bottom of the I.D. plate in front of the Weight/Engine code as a Model Number.

Unfortunately the Serial Number uses only the Weight/Engine code as a prefix to the sequential line number, which will be on your title as the "VIN" number. A 1 Ton V-8 says: E13xxxx.

I had the engine codes reversed, you are right Mark I stand corrected, I thought they reversed them on purpose so they would not get confused with the years, but they did not! I corrected them. I also listed them in reverse order because I started with what he thought he had: a 7E.

On the 3E's I have the "not in the book' starting Serial Numbers to tell if you have a '57 or '58. From the addendum:
"Studebaker 3E Series Trucks, new and unused starting with Serial numbers below are to be registered as 1958 models:"
E5 125401................E13 2301
E6 16901..................E14 2801
E7 9801.....................E16 45201
E11 13001...................E17 38401
E11D 13001.................E28 6201
E12 3601.....................E38 11101
E12D 3601....................E40 1501 Sorry, I can't make the forum program accept my spaces, had to use periods and it still will not line up the columns. Sorry, I don't speak HTML!

The weight capacities & engine size are combined to make the second half of the Model Code, after the year code and before the wheelbase. So a 1962 1 Ton is a 7E-13-(Wheelbase)131 & with a Std. 289, the engine # would also use a 7E like this: 7EXXXX.

StudeRich -Studebakers Northwest Ferndale, WA

[JohnL]

Thanks guys for the info. I will take your advice and do a little more thorough exam of the extra engine when the weather here is a little warmer than 10 degrees. As evident I'm new at this and my general mechanical expertise runs to pretty light repairs and maintenance. But I'm having fun learning! It appears the replacement engine now in this truck (not the one upside down in the back) came probably new from 1962 parts stock. The odometer on the truck shows 83,000 + miles. The last time it was licenced was in 1983. So 24 years of running at least two engines (The mechanic had to do a complete overhaul) whoever the owners were treated it pretty rough!