Getting my Hawk ready for the Pure Stocks Drags

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

I've been working on my Hawk the last couple of days. I welded up a jig for my floor jack to remove the differential by myself. Cleaned up the backing plates I bought in South Bend this last spring... Thanks to Kent Fedor. Had the 3.54 Ratio Dana 44 changed to 4.55:1... Thanks to Bob Pederson and the purchase of the Dana 44... thanks to Dave Arnold.

The Hawk is now 2' off the floor with the differential out and the new one ready to install. I welded up the traction bar brackets today on to the differential tubes. Had to temporarily install the new 44 to set up the position of the brackets. Glad that part is done. Did a stupid thing the other day by install the inner axle seal before welding on the brackets... really dumb when your heading into a long weekend and had a hard time to find an inner seal at the local FLAPS. These guys are more stupid than me.

Anyway I found some new ones (hopefully they are correct, picking them up at noon tomorrow) so I should be good to go and install the Fairborn Studebaker Axles I picked up this spring as well. New rear brakes as well are going into this Strip Differential. I figure with two differentials all set up and ready to go I should be able to swap them out in 4-5 hours when ever I want to get some better off the line performance.

There are a few other things I want to take care of while the Hawk is up in the air. I have found that the transmission control valve is leaking causing a puddle on the concrete floor. My transmission guy gave me a one way valve to install in the return line from the transmission cooler. Hopefully this stops the torque convertor from draining while the car is idle.

Would like to change the supercharger oil and fix a R3 Header leak with some new gaskets that I found in my stash..

I also want to attempt to fix the power steering control valve leak once again. I lost all the Power Steering coming home from South Bend this last spring and cut the belt off on the way home. I've been driving the Hawk without power steering all summer and it's time to fix that as well.

It's hard to take your car off the road when all you have is one car for the summer... my son has been using my truck all summer for work and hope to have it back this week sometime when he settles down into University mode once again.

I'm looking forward to see the performance change with that 4.55:1 ratio.... Sunday can't come soon enough.

We have had a really hot and humid summer up here in Southern Ontario and broke down earlier this summer and bought a 220V 18000 BTU window shaker air condition for my shop. I doubt I could be doing this work right now without it. Got it down to about 76 degrees in the shop this afternoon, a really nice temp to be working in.

Here's a pic of today's work.




Allen

[2R5]

Al , sounds like your getting her all fixed up ....looking forward to seeing it kick some butt <g>

[PackardV8]

You're getting there.

Suggestions:

1. If you are using the OEM tach, check it for accuracy. With the 4.56 gears, first and second will wrap up so quickly, it is easy to over-rev.

2. Don't remember which engine you have, but even the R1/R2 are not high RPM engines. Experiment with shift points and keep it pulling between the torque peak and the horsepower peak. Typically, that's going to have you shifting somewhere between 4500 and 5000 RPMs.

3. Practice the foot-brake starts. With the 4.56 gears, I've seen cars slide the front wheels through the lights. Torque multiplication changes how the brakes hold and the car leaves. The races are won in the first 60 feet.

Good luck and fast reaction times!

jack vines

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

You're getting there.

Suggestions:

1. If you are using the OEM tach, check it for accuracy. With the 4.56 gears, first and second will wrap up so quickly, it is easy to over-rev.

2. Don't remember which engine you have, but even the R1/R2 are not high RPM engines. Experiment with shift points and keep it pulling between the torque peak and the horsepower peak. Typically, that's going to have you shifting somewhere between 4500 and 5000 RPMs.

3. Practice the foot-brake starts. With the 4.56 gears, I've seen cars slide the front wheels through the lights. Torque multiplication changes how the brakes hold and the car leaves. The races are won in the first 60 feet.

Good luck and fast reaction times!

jack vines

Thanks for the good advice Jack. I am using a OEM Redline Tachometer which I have checked and it's pretty close. Fell flat on my face with the the inner seals that I had ordered, they were the wrong ones... but finally did find some at Special Interest Autos who charged me through the nose for the seals. I spent the better part of the afternoon finding those seals.

I never seem to get a lot done during the day. It seem something always pops up. I started installing the flanged axles from Fairborn and my grease gun ran out. It's 5:00 pm so I run off again to the local FLAPS to get more grease. I finally got the axles in and have the end play set at about .002

On to installing the brakes tomorrow along with making some new brake lines for the new differential. I thought I would be done this project by now.

Allen

[Tom Bredehoft]

Just a suggestion for future swaps. I watched Michael Myers do it, Jack up the car, pull the wheels, hubs, backing plates, drive shaft. unscrew the U-Bolts and remove them and the plates. Jack up on the rear axle and rotate it clockwise until it clears the springs, lower and pull out. Put the new axle under the car and reverse the procedure. I saw him do it in 2 hours. Changed the axles, too.

I don't know if this would work with flanged axles, you can't pull the backing plates, can you?.

[kmul221]

Alan are you driving the Hawk to the drags ? Because with that gear ratio I think it will be screaming at highway speeds & gulping fuel a lot worse than they do now.
Should go like a rocket,boone chance at the drags.
How are you making out with Carolines car?

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

I read that procedure in the shop manual...seemed like a lot more work since I have flanged axles in both differentials. Pulling flanged axles would be a pain to remove the backing plates. I also have a rear sway bar and traction bars, just a few more nuts and bolts. Dropping the springs seemed like the way to go especially after building the differential support for the floor jack.

Kevin - I am using a full trailer behind Caroline's Dad's 1 Ton GMC dually. I made a reservation for the U-Haul trailer yesterday. As far as the Lark goes, it is not going well. I've just no time but I will have about 5 months off to work on her car full time starting in late December. I will be finished my Economics Degree and will not start my post secondary studies until late June next year. I have all the parts that I need for the Lark, just need to find the time.

I hope to have all the work completed on the Hawk today. I just hope the rain holds off long enough to take Caroline out in the Hawk for an ice cream.

Allen

[2R5]

No squealin tires Al <g>

[WCP]

Don't forget to check your driveline angles. There are variances in axle mounting pads, axle to axle.

[woodysrods]

I just got a Ford 8" for Sandi's Hawk. It was cheaper than flanged axles!
Good Roads
Brian

[candbstudebakers]

Allen time is getting short for me as we leave on Tue and have a few more miles to drive than most, also have some stops in between but sure hope things go good for every one making the trip, see you all there and hope to meet new friends, I will be in the 08 Dodge Mega cab truck with the white shell on it and also my wife's scooter carrier, take care....Bob

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

Don't forget to check your driveline angles. There are variances in axle mounting pads, axle to axle.

That is something I have not checked,... I will do some manual reading tomorrow to figure this angle problem out.

I did not get done today.... Differential is in, new brake lines were made, brakes installed and bled.

I install a one way check valve in the return line from the transmission to hopefully stop my torque converter from draining when the car is not in use.

Moved on to pulling the power steering control valve to install new seals. I'm sure glad I don't have an Avanti when it comes to pulling a pitman arm. My puller fit in without the engine getting in the way, I had plenty of room to remove it. I'll put new seals in it tomorrow and blow and clean out the hoses. I'm so sick of this leaky power steering system. It's been leaking since last year with a few attempts at fixing it while it was in the car. I'm doing this time on the bench. Maybe I will get two years out of it this time around.

Still have to pull the supercharger and drain the oil. There was a good letter in last months Turning Wheels about the best supercharger oil to use. I thought I would go down to the Ford dealership parts dept. and get a couple of pints of the suggested oil

At that point I should be done with the exception of fixing the alignment of the door lock on the drivers side...

Looking forward to meeting you too Bob,, have a great drive out East.

Allen "Holy crap I'm Spinnin Tires" Anderson

[WCP]

You will probably find angles somewhat as follows: engine - +7.5, driveshaft - +3.5, R/A - (-1). When you zero the driveshaft by calculation, that yields: engine - +4, driveshaft - 0, R/A - (-4.5). The manual recommends: engine +4-5, and R/A (-4.5)-(5.5) with the rear 0.5 greater than the front numerically. That 0.5 degree at the rear allows for R/A travel above and below normal ride height.
Use a laboratory syringe, a short piece of brake line tubing and a coupling piece if flexible tubing to pull the oil from the blower. By putting the tubing to the bottom of the blower, you will actually remove more oil than turning it over. As well, you don't risk shifting any sediment that is in the bottom, to the top. The only better way, is to separate the sections of the blower for a full cleanout.
Have fun!

[BobPalma]

Looking good, Allen. See you soon. BP

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

You will probably find angles somewhat as follows: engine - +7.5, driveshaft - +3.5, R/A - (-1). When you zero the driveshaft by calculation, that yields: engine - +4, driveshaft - 0, R/A - (-4.5). The manual recommends: engine +4-5, and R/A (-4.5)-(5.5) with the rear 0.5 greater than the front numerically. That 0.5 degree at the rear allows for R/A travel above and below normal ride height.
Use a laboratory syringe, a short piece of brake line tubing and a coupling piece if flexible tubing to pull the oil from the blower. By putting the tubing to the bottom of the blower, you will actually remove more oil than turning it over. As well, you don't risk shifting any sediment that is in the bottom, to the top. The only better way, is to separate the sections of the blower for a full cleanout.
Have fun!

That is a good idea, will save me a lot of time and I have everything here to do the job too.

I got all my jobs done today, fixed the Power Steering control valve, hooked it all back up. through in the starter and put a new header seal in to stop the seasonal exhaust leak. Put the Hawk on the ground, thought right on, I take her out for a spin, washed up my hands, took my coveralls off and starter the Hawk up. I reached in to hit the trottle on the carburator and the power steering pressure hose failed. It shot Power Steering fluid 3 feet out the side of the Hawk.

I get a new hose made up tomorrow at a local hydrolic hose place. I cut the fitting loose off the ruptured line and will have the shop reuse the fitting, with better hose that takes some heat.

I guess all I have left to do is the supercharger oil and look at setting my timing to the best time I had last year.

Allen