Not a good Studebaker day. Updated

[starliner62]

This morning, while my better half is out spending money at the grocery store, I decided to tear down one of the engines I picked up in South Bend this spring. Out of the shed and on the patio, I tried to turn the engine. No way. Oh well , let's tear it down and see what we have. The engine was mostly complete and I had my son remove the accessories. Then we pulled a head. Yuck!!
Needless to say, this "running when pulled",low mileage engine is pretty much toast.
Hopefully, it might bore to .093 over and I can still use it. Next is the oil pan. I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope the crank is still good. It is full of oil and I dont see any water in the oil.

[img][/img]
The engine is clean as far as sludge goes, but we will see.


Jamie

Jamie McLeod
Hope Mills, NC

[silverhawk]

Wow, that's alot of crap! What was it, a nest of somesort?

Dylan Wills

'61 lark deluxe 4 door wagon

[BobGlasscock]

Looks like someone must have forgotten the tarp.......

'50 Champion, 1 family owner

[buddymander]

no problem, just crank up your ol tractor supply lincoln to 220 amps and burn those pistons out with the biggest welding rod you can find. Otherwise, you might be looking at cracked cylinders if you force them out.

[buddymander]

Was that "running when pulled"; "into the lake"?

[starliner62]

At least I planned on boring it out as far as I safely could. I'll get the pistons out of it and sonic test the cylinder walls. I'm going to remain optimistic about this. (I hope!!) I spent good money on these engines, and this was not what I expected.

Jamie McLeod
Hope Mills, NC

[53k]

quote:Originally posted by starliner62

This morning, while my better half is out spending money at the grocery store, I decided to tear down one of the engines I picked up in South Bend this spring. Out of the shed and on the patio, I tried to turn the engine. No way. Oh well , let's tear it down and see what we have. The engine was mostly complete and I had my son remove the accessories. Then we pulled a head. Yuck!!
Needless to say, this "running when pulled",low mileage engine is pretty much toast.
Hopefully, it might bore to .093 over and I can still use it. Next is the oil pan. I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope the crank is still good. It is full of oil and I dont see any water in the oil.

In spite of how it looks I think as little as an .010 bore or even a good honing will clean up the cylinder walls. In my earlier CASO days I had a R-1 engine that had water standing in the cylinders. I dried it out, used some kind of penetrating oil in the cylinders then polished the cylinder walls with steel wool and kerosene. I drove it for a long time and a lot of miles with no problems.



Paul Johnson, Wild and Wonderful West Virginia. '64 Daytona Wagonaire, '64 Daytona convertible, '53 Commander Starliner, Museum R-4 engine, '62 Gravely Model L, '72 Gravely Model 430

[sals54]

Consider me an optimist, but I agree with 53k. Get the pistons out first, then do an assessment of whether the walls are indeed scored or not. You may even consider running a hone with some oil up and down them first just to see what happens. I've had similar "luck" with buying engines in the past, but don't give up just yet. There may be some good news once you get the pistons out and the crank removed. Remember to be patient when removing the pistons. Don't get in too big a hurry. Let them soak first. Good Luck, I hope it turns out well for you.

sals54

[silverhawk]

Mr.McLeod, are you building a R-3 style block? You said you were thinking .093 over, so just curious.

Dylan Wills

'61 lark deluxe 4 door wagon

[buddymander]

I'd hate to see you get that block over to the machine shop only to have them tell you that several cylinders need sleeved from cracks caused by rough piston removal. Be careful; I've seen it happen plenty of times with engines that looked like this. The rings get corroded so much that they won't compress into the grooves and then when they ride up over the rusty cylinders; snap, that's when they crack. I was serious about burning them out with an arc welder. I tried with a torch, but the heat kept dissipating to quickly to melt them out. Try taking the crank out and moving the pistons downward. But it looks like you might not even be able to get to the rodnuts on some of them. It's just a lot safer to try to move the pistons down instead of up. Just don't get frustrated and grab the BFH, whatever you do.

[starliner62]

Dylan,
Yes I plan to build something like an R-3 engine.
I have access to a complete machine shop and the owner is a good friend of mine. He is well known in our area for building some high horsepower racing and street engines and, with the advice from some of the Studebaker Racing Team, I hope to build something pretty nasty.
I have been building engines for quite some time and the challenge of getting this engine apart is not unusual. Right now, it's taking a bath in diet coke.

The only thing that really upsets me about this particular engine is that it was advertised as being good. I know I should have checked it when I picked it up, but that was another challenge I don't care to think about.

Jamie McLeod
Hope Mills, NC

[r1lark]

quote:Originally posted by starliner62

The only thing that really upsets me about this particular engine is that it was advertised as being good.
Jamie McLeod
Hope Mills, NC

Jamie,

Maybe the seller will see this thread and do right by you.....[?]

Paul
Winston-Salem, NC
Visit The NEW Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: www.studebakerskytop.com

[jackb]

......let this be a suggestion of what might be inside an engine once you've Kroiled it or done the Mystery Oil loosening treatment..
I've always viewed buying an engine as the proverbial "pig in a poke"
that being said....good luck..it may clean up better than you think..

[DEEPNHOCK]

Couple of squirts of this stuff, and it'd be running!
Only $19.95............GUARANTEED!

http://www.seized-engine.com/

http://community.webshots.com/user/deepnhock

[candbstudebakers]

Engines that were running when pulled but let sit with out making sure no water got in on top will cause this or one sitting in a car with water in the radiator can have the head gasket go and then leak in on top of the piston and end up looking like that, I have taken so many of them apart and had to cut the rods a time or two just to get the crank, if it is not a full flow block not much reason to try and save it, I did for a long time and just ended up with a bunch of blocks always in the way, now just save the full flow ones, not much use for old pistons either but to each his own been there done that, good luck...Bob

Bob Peterson / C & B Studebakers

Castro Valley, CA
canbstudebakers-