V8 Intake Adapter Plates For SBC To Stude

[3x2stude]

Over on the racing site I have a post on adapter plates to install a small block Chevrolet intakes on a Stude V8. If you are interested in a set check it out. I have completed the final aluminum prototype. I am going to order 10 sets soon and 6 are spoken for. If you are interested PM me here or on the racing site. Read the whole post to understand what they are and to get the pricing. I am not the first one to make these but probably the first to have them made on a 5-axis CNC machine.

JK

[DEEPNHOCK]

They look great, Jon.
You even went the extra mile and added value by installing stainless thread inserts from the beginning.
Nicely done!

[swvalcon]

I could see where these would be very use full if someone wanted to install a blower on a stude motor. Chev intakes are easy to find for this.

[bob40]

That was my first thought. Blower intake.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Actually anyone with more than just a good tune-up in their engine.
Well, a little more than that. If one has a set of ported heads (that have been done well, the stock intake cannot keep up. That's one thing the Stude engineers did very well...matched the stock cam, stock heads and intake manifolds (4 barrel carb.) flow very closely to each other.

So, with an R2 or R2+ cam, ported heads, the stock intake manifold is a choke point. One of the Chevy Performer style intake manifolds will go a long way toward evening the flow capability's of the intake system.
Then if you have more head porting, or more cam, the manifold again needs matching to that system.

Mike

[SilverHawkDan]

Our Bonneville car will have a set of these with a Kinsler Port Fuel Injection system with a Pro Charger and ice water intercooler. Using these plates will save a lot of money over having a custom manifold made. We should be able to provide some real world numbers as to how good they work by later this year. I am even thinking of changing the Thunder Hawk over to these for use with my Mopar port fuel injection set up. Good to see these happen.
Dan

[SilverHawkDan]

The numbers are in. Today I was able to perform the first test of the adapter plates to compare to the stock manifold. There was a carb issue that needs to be addressed before the total improvement can be known but this test shows there is a good reason to use these adapter plates. Stock 1956 259 Stude V8 with 72,000 miles with Edlebrock S.P.2.P intake and stock WCFB carb.
0 to 30 mph .18 seconds improvement
0 to 60 mph .74 seconds improvement
0 to 90 mph 3.3 seconds improvement
0 to 100 mph 2.8 seconds improvement
0 to 110 mph 1.87 seconds improvement
These and the before tests were all performed using the cars speedometer. A speed correction factor shows the actual speed at 110 to be between 105 and 106 mph. The only visual thing that I noted was that as I lifted my foot off the gas when the speedometer reached 110 was that I was short of the point I had lifted in the three before test. The car got there quicker. Still need to either fix the carb issue or just make the move to the modern carb. Not sure which was I will go. I can see that if a person wanted more power out of their car without spending a lot of money they could buy a swap meet set up for SBC and bolt it on their car and it will improve performance. Still need to go to the gas station tomorrow to see if the gas mileage has improved also. Actual numbers can be found on the RacingStudebakers forums under the same heading.
Dan

[lumpy]

Thats a first! I've never seen an SP2P make and improvement on anything Im thinking Mike hit the nail on the head with the stude manifold being a choke point... Maybe next try an old torker with a holly 600 dbl pumper ?

[DEEPNHOCK]

Thats a first! I've never seen an SP2P make and improvement on anything Im thinking Mike hit the nail on the head with the stude manifold being a choke point... Maybe next try an old torker with a holly 600 dbl pumper ?

Remember that this is a set of adapters. Nicely made, too.
But they are adapters.
If your caso bent is just to buy a cheap manifold and chop the ends off and whip it on there... Go for it.
Also remember that the Torker is a single plane open plenum intake. A good intake, yes.
But know what an open plenum single plane intake brings with it.
Look carefully at all your options. You might find that a complete aluminum intake is not all that much more expensive.

(opinion)
Yes, I have a bias, as I build custom aluminum intake manifolds, and modify Stude V8 cast iron intakes.
But I also helped Jon Kammer (the builder) with these adapters (a very minor small part), and am glad he has worked to make the offering.
There is a place for these adaptors. My only comment is to be a careful shopper and consider all alternatives.

[Buzzard]

Jeff, you are absolutely correct. I just scanned Ebay Motors and there is a plethora of small block intakes, brand new from $89.95(maybe more as I just gave up looking), and scuzzy units for far less. If one is hacking and whacking, it is certainly the way to go.
Bill

[PackardV8]

Congrats to Jon for producing the SBC manifold adapters, to Jeff for assisting with prototypes and to Dan for documenting the testing. The availability of the millions of SBC intakes; high-rise, 2x4. 3x2, 6x2, supercharger, et al, opens many possibilities for those building very high performance Studebaker V8 engines.

Mike correctly said, "That's one thing the Stude engineers did very well...matched the stock cam, stock heads and intake manifolds (4 barrel carb.) flow very closely to each other." And they made the necessary compromises to fit it all under the hood. When Stude wanted to add the supercharger for the '57-58 Golden Hawks, they had to add a hood scoop for clearance.

For any of us considering one of these performance intakes. the caveat must be mentioned; the ever-present tradeoff of performance increase versus hood clearance. The SBC adapters and many of Jeff's Mopar modified intakes may have a problem fitting under a C/K/Avanti hood. As builders, each must decide if the definite increase in performance is worth the tradeoff of a hood scoop. Lark/truck builds have more clearance, but again, get a confirmed height measurement of the intake under consideration. Here's Dan's test mule.



As Jeff said, ". . . . be a careful shopper and consider all alternatives." and the tradeoffs.

jack vines

[studegary]

I wonder how much of the perceived improvement in performance is due to the cooler outside air being ingested.

[Mike Sal]

Not to hijack the thread, but I sure wish there was a source for "stock" aluminum parts for Stude engines....intake manifold, water pump manifold, etc. I'm not into hot rodding anymore, but I'd love to be able to get some weight off of those front springs.....
Mike Sal

[Dan White]

The casting tools exist for all of those things, but the owner does not seem to want to actually make them!

[PackardV8]

The casting tools exist for all of those things, but the owner does not seem to want to actually make them!

FWIW, yes, the casting patterns for the intake and water manifolds did exist and maybe still do, but it's the machining setup which was always the problem for Lionel Stone. He tried to have the parts machined essentially by hand; quality and dimensional control was problematic. Getting the raw aluminum castings done is one difficult step. To find a machine shop willing to do the setup just to turn out a few dozen parts is the most difficult step in production. BTDTNA.

Another FWIW, Dave Thibault has repopped the R3 exhaust manifolds in aluminum, saving several pounds right there. Is anyone running them on the street?

jack vines