My breakdown on the way to IOLA, WI

[studeski]

I don't usually read LOOONG posts but I'll post one.
Why didn't your award winning Studebaker Spokesman editor make it to IOLA on July 8th this year?
Well, I'll tell ya!

I spent 3 days looking over the Hawk getting ready for IOLA. I repacked the front wheel bearings, aired up the tires and greased up eveything. Checked the grease in the 4speed and the rear axle. Topped off the radiator ( have you seen the price of anti-freeze these days?!) and the crankcase. I should have checked the master cylinder, but didn't. Ran the engine on the Sun machine. Ready to go.

Anyways, headed North on US45 towards Bear Creek getting through the round about it stumbled and had a hard time accelerating. Got up to speed and made it to Bear Creek. It was running hotter, which indicates retarded timing. Seems when the pin sheared the gear got caught on burrs around the holes in the gear and shaft. That's why it kept running. Hard starting. Acting like flooded but it wasn't. Decided to head back home.

Got to the stop light by New London crossed the intersection, a loud bang out the tail pipe and it was done. I checked for spark and got none. Pulled the distributor cap and grabbed hold of the rotor and it spun very nicely. NOT supposed to do that! The shaft turned with it. Well my extra distributor was in the the cabinet in the workshop. For many years I packed it along with the rest of the stuff on long distance runs. So for maybe the third time since 1979 I missed IOLA. What's obvious? Sheared the pin in the distributor gear. And that is exactly what it did. The distributor did spin freely. My cousin lives in Bear Creek and his daughter gave us a ride home.

That was only my second break down since 1975 in a Studebaker.

The pin is what they call a slotted spring pin. Maybe a coiled spring pin would be better. The Prestolite distributor uses a 1/8" pin. The Delco uses a bigger one.



For those with a critical micrometer eye, this distributor has been re-drilled and a bigger pin installed.
It is not the one that was in the car.

[Henry]

Dang, Claude, sorry to hear that happened - as they so often do when a wife is along and you're too far from home to walk.

[StudeRich]

Sorry that happened Claude.

OK, so here you are 96.7 Miles from Bear Creek to home in Fillmore.
After you got home where the Extra Distributor is, was it not possible to drive another Stude. or Vehicle to the Car and fix it in time to still go to the meet?

I guess we are not aware of all the details and timing of all this to see the whole Picture.
I am sure you probability had no choice but to do what you did, and miss the Event you really wanted to go to.


One of the very few times I can remember in 60 Years driving many Studes. where I could not make it Home had me on Interstate 5, 40 miles from my home in Ferndale on a 80 Mile short trip with a '59 Lark VIII that stopped running.
Guess what Part it was that stopped it? ...The Distributor !

BUT in this case it really wasn't the Dist's. fault.
The reason it stopped was, I finally sheered the teeth off of the Fiber Cam Gear after 51 years of use and 89,000 Miles. Just cruising along fine at 70 MPH until I wasn't, Lol!

[studeski]

I had originally thought the distributor was in the front shed in the Wagonaire. It wasn't. The cabinet it was in was in the locked shed where the workshop is. Not accessible to anybody but me.
One other time it was a Mexico import condensor in the Wagonaire.

[markrubyred]

Not a Studebaker, but last summer I had the automatic transmission rebuilt on my 1970 Ford Mustang Conv. M Code. Shop had the car for nearly a month and after completed the tech took it for its test drive. Cut out on him 5 miles from their shop. The distributor gear sheared off and my Mustang sat for another 3 weeks. Had to have a shop machine off the old gear and install a new one, reset timing and complete flush of block for any metal burrs. Was fortunate that it did not damage the cam and it's dialed in perfect now.

[6hk71400]

I did not break down on the road, because I could not start the car. I had a two fer: fuel pump and distributor. I did not have a spare GH fuel pumo so I threw on a new regular pump. Got the fuel problem solved but still would not start. Took the distributor cap off and the tach sending unit had disintegrated. I took that off and surprise! A previous owner had replaced the distributor with a modified dual point set up that also had a loose backing plate. I took a spare Delco single point I had, stabbed it in and on first try got it timed right. If the car is sitting, a little cranking it fires. If I drive it and stop and then start again, fires up instantly.

[unclemiltie]

Thanks for sharing. Things sometimes do happen to 50 plus year old cars.

[jg61hawk]

Way back in 1980 my distributor pin broke...I made the mistake of putting in a "wrist pin" I bought at a store. About a year later it too broke. I think the original pins are hardened...or something. Be careful.

[studeski]

jg61hawk:
I replaced it with a hardened pin. You are the first person to reply that has had that happen to. Maybe more will chime in.

[pinehurstbob]

I too had the pin sheer at 70 mph on an interstate back in 2003 when I was in Washington,taking the long way home from the Sacramento meet. It was in my 64 Daytona sedan that fortunately is a standard steering car. The postmortem on that breakdown revealed that the weights likely let go first, jamming the shaft and that sheared the pin. The annoying thing on that breakdown was that I had installed a newly rebuilt distributor before starting out on the cross country trip! It was a good thing that I had the "old" one with me as that is what got my home. Newer is not always better.
Bob

[Deaf Mute]

Sad to hear, Ski, those brown things occasionally happen to all of us, but most aren't equipped to fix it as you are. I am glad it is back on the road. See you an Manitowoc!

[firestoper 25]

Okay studski, I'll keep my Iola break down event super short.
I just sold two cars, had money and a VERY uncharacteristic combination that my wife was at Iola with me. We were there for only 45 minutes ( ), rounded the corner by the toy barn and there sat an Avanti for sale. I wasn't looking for one...she saw it,said I had always wanted one...buy it she said.
Who IS this woman, she NEVER says buy it !
Bought it, made it EIGHT miles out of Iola ( going towards Black Creek and home in Dyckesville on the Door Peninsula ). There is the only bar on the road at that spot (you drive the road you know it - it's the one that advertises "topless bar tender"...sign doesn't lie. This is the where old 63R1089 had the fan depart the water pump and head for the radiator..it brought the pump shaft with bearings along for the ride.
limped into the bar with the ever present "ting-ting & ting" of the fan interacting with its new found friend the radiator. There was an empty roll-back in the empty parking lot, $ 100 changed hands and 63R was delivered to my house.
The best part was when my wife looked up from doing yard work and said "well I am not surprised...you NEVER buy anything that runs"
Ouch ! Cut right to the bone.
Topless bar tender.....yup...HE was and hairy to boot !