Studebaker Onan engine.

[silverhawk]

This looks pretty neat. When did studebaker make them?

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/for/1037460508.html

Dylan
'61 lark deluxe 4dr wagon

[53k]

quote:Originally posted by silverhawk

This looks pretty neat. When did studebaker make them?

Studebaker bought Onan during their 60s acquisitions. After buying both Onan and Gravely tractors Studebaker forced Gravely to use Onan engines in the garden tractors rather than the bulletproof cast iron engines Gravely built themselves. Some of the Onans really weren't suited to that role.

Paul Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia

[StudeRich]

That would be during the time in the late 1960's that Studebaker owned the Co. (Onan Division of Studebaker Corp.)

I am pretty sure it would be well after the 1940'or 1950's when this unit was likely built however. So this unit MAY be identified as a "Onan" unit only.

[clonelark]

Would this engine be similar to the 4cyl prototype they had for the early Lark? I remember that my uncle had a GMC motorhome that had a Onan generator.

[StudeRich]

No, it was an opposed flat four, air cooled, like a Corvair.
It was for a proposed smaller than a Lark compact.

quote:Originally posted by clonelark

Would this engine be similar to the 4cyl prototype they had for the early Lark?

[raprice]

Studebaker did indeed have plans to build a small car, but I don't remember what the engine configuration would be. I remember seeing pictures of the car in Turning Wheels some time back. It's possible that the 4 cyl opposed engine was the powerplant.
Rog

'59 Lark VI Regal Hardtop
Smithtown,NY

[R2Andrea]

The 4 cyl engine clonelark and raprice are refering to was water cooled and was developed for the model B62 ,the new "Small Lark" project which Sherwood Egbert cancelled. Two of the engines have survived, one of which is on long term loan to the SNM.

R2Andy

[R2Andrea]

There was a short article bu Otto Klausmeyer in the April 1983 issue of Turning Wheels. There is a more in-depth article by Paul Johnson in a much more recent issue of TW. I'll post the issue info when I have time to dig it up.

R2Andy

[R2Andrea]

The in-depth article on the B62 Flat Four engine is in the September 2005 issue of Turning Wheels,Vol. 37, No.9. It was written by H.R. Johnson, Chief Engine Engineer, not Paul Johnson as I earlier stated.

R2Andy

[53k]

quote:Originally posted by R2Andy

The in-depth article on the B62 Flat Four engine is in the September 2005 issue of Turning Wheels,Vol. 37, No.9. It was written by H.R. Johnson, Chief Engine Engineer, not Paul Johnson as I earlier stated.

Wow! Thanks for the correction. For a minute I though my memory had really gone![:I]

Paul Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia

[Dan White]

You can see one of the opposed 4 cyl. prototypes in the basement of the SNM!

Dan White
64 R1 GT
64 R2 GT