Building Buttercup's 259

[Jerry Forrester]

I have not yet decided which engine is going in Buttercup, the 259 I'm building now or the '57 Caddy 365 engine.
I have a limited amount of time to spend on Buttercup each day but I am making progress on the 259 build. Yesterday I installed the crank. Plastigaged all journals and all were between .0015 and .002. I'd like to have the clearance down to a little closer to .001, but it is what it is. Today I installed all the rods and pistons. All clearances were the same, .0015 to .002. There again, I had rather have it a little tighter, but this is what I got. I did manage to get all the pistons in the correct holes which is better than the person that built the Packard engine that came out of Buttercup was able to do. <G>
I didn't check how much torque it takes to turn the engine but it does turn free. I have to find an 11/16-16 tap (those things are as rare as hens teeth) to clean the threads in the crankshaft hole and then I'll install the crank bolt and check it. I was getting tired around 6PM so I called it a day.

[Dick Steinkamp]

Racing clearances

[Jerry Forrester]

Racing clearances

Yes, I know Dick. But I'm not building a racing engine this time, it's a stock street engine that is expected to go over 100,000 miles before it's gone into again. <G>

[woodysrods]

Wish I had one of you Studebaker Gurus hear to help me with Sandi's 289 final assembly.
Enjoy the rest of Buttercup's build.
Good Roads
Brian

[Bud]

The bearing clearances are still in limits and I doubt you will have an oil pressure problem if the oil pump is in good condition. The engine should give you 100,000 miles of good service. I don't like to set the bearing clearance too close to the tight side of limits because I never know how the engine will be operated by someone else. Use a good 10W-30 or 15W-40 oil and don't worry about it. Bud

[SN-60]

If I owned 'Buttercup' and had a healthy 365" Caddy on hand.....I don't think I could resist building a Studillac!

[Dwain G.]

Jerry,
Maybe that was just a typo, but don't buy an 11/16-14 tap. The correct tap is 11/16-16 NS.

[Jerry Forrester]

You are correct Dwain. I should have caught that when I proof read but I missed it. That's the only mistake I made yesterday, I think. I corrected it for future readers.
Besides, I don't think there IS a 11/16-14 tap.

Jerry,
Maybe that was just a typo, but don't buy an 11/16-14 tap. The correct tap is 11/16-16 NS.

[Jerry Forrester]

I'm leaning more and more toward the Caddy. But I haven't bought it yet.

If I owned 'Buttercup' and had a healthy 365" Caddy on hand.....I don't think I could resist building a Studillac!

[Mike Van Veghten]

Not nesessarilly racing clearances anymore. Many of the newer engines (LS, LX Chevy and Modular Fords) are tightening up the main and rod bearings a little.

The hardcore, Comp. Elim. engines are still a little looser.

Mike

[LStratton]

Jerry...these taps are very hard to find. I needed one about 25 years ago and had to special order one. I used it one time. I will sell it for $20 ppd. If interested I could send it out today by USPS priority mail and you would have it on Monday.

[Jerry Forrester]

Thanks for the offer, that's a good deal, but I made my own. Well, I didn't make a tap, I made a thread chaser which is all I needed. I took an extra crank bolt I had and using a ziz wheel on my die grinder, cut a flute into it. Worked like a charm.

Jerry...these taps are very hard to find. I needed one about 25 years ago and had to special order one. I used it one time. I will sell it for $20 ppd. If interested I could send it out today by USPS priority mail and you would have it on Monday.

[wittsend]

It is ironic that you call your car Buttercup. Back in '04 I bought a '73 Plymouth Valiant. Far more mustard colored than your Studebaker my nephew called it "Buttercup."

Now I'm confused. What color is truly "Buttercup"

Tom

[Jerry Forrester]

Yesterday I made a thread chaser out of an extra crank bolt and chased the threads in the crankshaft. Got the endplay set and ended up with .005". Installed the crank gear and slipped the cam and cam gear in. Luckily I remembered to install the oil galley plugs on the front end of the block before installing the cam gear. <G>
Got the felt seal installed in the front cover (what a pain in the rear) and installed the timing cover, hub and crank pulley.
Sorry, no pix of Thursday's progress.

Today I rebuilt the oil pump. Actually, I just resurfaced the end plate.

Before



After
Taking off .003" cleaned up almost all the wear.


I then turned my attention to the oil pan. It's had a rough life. But after an hour with a hammer and dolly it was good enough to put on a lowly 259 Stude engine.
I haven't yet decided on the color of the engine because I don't know what it's going in. The black paint is just to cover the freshly sandblasted sheet metal.

[Dick Steinkamp]

Great progress, Jerry!

I don't know how many Stude oil pans I've had to take dents out of...but no Chevy ones so far. What's with that?