Transtar heart transplant

[r1lark]

Looking good, Biggs!!!!

Paul

Visit The Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: http://hometown.aol.com/r1skytop/myhomepage/index.html

[r1lark]

Looking good, Biggs!!!!

Paul

Visit The Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: http://hometown.aol.com/r1skytop/myhomepage/index.html

[Roscomacaw]

Transtar heart transplant

Well, in my usual procrastinative way, I'm finally getting in gear with the new engine for the Transtar. You'll recall the engine that's in it developed a coolant leak while on the trip to the Turlock swap meet.
Anyway, I've kinda-sorta cleaned out a bay in the shop and made room to do the swap. Here's the 63 vintage 289 that's gonna do duty for as long as I can drive this thing.[:I]
The story behind this engine is kinda sad and kinda happy. There was an older gent in Sacramento who loved and always drove Studes. He had all the machine work done to this engine so he could have it assembled and put in his '63 Lark. He'd also bought everything needed to put it together but that's as for as his plan progressed before he fell ill. The block languished in a damp basement while (thankfully) the heads, crank and other parts got to stay wrapped up in pieces of carpet in his bedroom closet![:0]
After a few years he passed on and his family was cleaning up the home to sell it. Amongst the many things they had to deal with was this engine - which in spite of the old guy's love for Studebakers, no one in the family knew what it might fit.[?]
Along happens an in-law who's into Ch*bbys and he's smart enough to read the tags from the machine shop. Well whaddya know? It's a Studebaker 259 engine. When I got wind of it's being available - from a Rambler friend, I call and the in-law's apologizing for asking $250 for the works. This because in his estimation, the surface-rusted block is junk.
I asked him to describe some of the "good" parts for me over the phone and one thing he mentions is the new pistons fitted to the rods - the new DISHED pistons, mind you. Trying not to sould too excited, I arranged to meet him soon and pay him the $250 he wanted.
It was indeed, a 289 with all the trimmings and then some - including a new Isky cam with lifters and springs!
It had to be cleaned up a bit, but it's been on this engine stand for over 2 years now, just waiting to do it's thing in the Transtar. I HAD planned to install it this summer but need demends it's done this week! Oh well, it'll get a new Edelbrock I swapped my way into and that'll sit on the reworked intake I bought from Sequoia Chapter member, Steve Hinton last week.
The chromed timing gear cover and valley cover'll each add 10MPH to the top end! Especially with the 3.73 rear I'm gonna put in.



Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle


1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe

[studeclunker]

So, Biggs, the reward to the drudgery of polishing all that chrome, is 10mph[?] Thanks, I'll poke along in the slow lane. I'm too lazy!(LOL)

Congrats though on the new engine. Nice to see your project getting done. I think the old fellow would be proud to see his engine going into your truck. A beautiful engine in a Beautiful truck.[8D] Perfect synergy.


Lotsa Larks!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[studeclunker]

So, Biggs, the reward to the drudgery of polishing all that chrome, is 10mph[?] Thanks, I'll poke along in the slow lane. I'm too lazy!(LOL)

Congrats though on the new engine. Nice to see your project getting done. I think the old fellow would be proud to see his engine going into your truck. A beautiful engine in a Beautiful truck.[8D] Perfect synergy.


Lotsa Larks!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[Dick Steinkamp]

Way to go, Bob! []

Give us a play by play.

[Dick Steinkamp]

Way to go, Bob! []

Give us a play by play.

[arkiejazz]

[)]Ahhh, no wonder you've been so quiet this weekend. Well, too bad you had to finally swap engines, but you have to admit it's more interesting than paint and drywall chores[)]

steve blake

http://tinyurl.com/kr3gt

http://tinyurl.com/l7oqh

[arkiejazz]

[)]Ahhh, no wonder you've been so quiet this weekend. Well, too bad you had to finally swap engines, but you have to admit it's more interesting than paint and drywall chores[)]

steve blake

http://tinyurl.com/kr3gt

http://tinyurl.com/l7oqh

[BobPalma]

COOL BEANS, BOB. Lookin' good! BP

[BobPalma]

COOL BEANS, BOB. Lookin' good! BP

[Dwain G.]

Aren't you gonna have to swap out those engine mount brackets?


Dwain G.

[Dwain G.]

Aren't you gonna have to swap out those engine mount brackets?


Dwain G.

[Roscomacaw]

Yes Dwain, mounts hafta be swapped once I get the ailing motor out of the Transtar. I'll need the accelerator linkage, the truck-specific water pump manifold and a few other things as well.
One thing I never did was dial in the bellhousing to that ex-Cruiser engine. It had been mated to a Power-shift originally and I didn't have the facility nor the tools at the time to dial in the truck's stick shift bellhousing - I just put it on and hit the road. My workspace at the time was severely restrictive, so I just did what I had to to get the truck on it's feet.
Anyway, this time I'm gonna dial in the housing. I've got a fresh clutch plate and a surfaced flywheel so I'm good to go in those areas. I WILL see about taking apart one of my spare T-85s and installing new gaskets. While the current tranny shifts sweetly, it leaks.

This afternoon I started taking the valves out, one by one, to clean them up and check on the condition of the valve seals. The heads had been worked some 20+ years ago and were covered with dust when I got them. I coated them with lithium grease since I didn't know WHEN I might get around to using them once I got them home. I've now cleaned off the grease, painted them to match the engine (Orr-Lac brand Alpine Green engine enamel) and taken the valves for inspection. The heads are ready to go on now. I'm using the stamped steel head gaskets. I bought a box full of V8 engine gaskets off ebay for $11 bucks and there was a full gasket set and then some in the box! Such a deal.

Wife helped me heft the hood off the truck. Tomorrow I'll start yankin' the eng/trans out and with any luck it'll be sittin' before noon. Depending on how involved I get in cleaning up the engine compartment and whatever else I find to do in there - I might have back on the road by Thursday or Friday. I sure hope so anyway. Then it's onto the wagon![]

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle


1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe

[Roscomacaw]

Yes Dwain, mounts hafta be swapped once I get the ailing motor out of the Transtar. I'll need the accelerator linkage, the truck-specific water pump manifold and a few other things as well.
One thing I never did was dial in the bellhousing to that ex-Cruiser engine. It had been mated to a Power-shift originally and I didn't have the facility nor the tools at the time to dial in the truck's stick shift bellhousing - I just put it on and hit the road. My workspace at the time was severely restrictive, so I just did what I had to to get the truck on it's feet.
Anyway, this time I'm gonna dial in the housing. I've got a fresh clutch plate and a surfaced flywheel so I'm good to go in those areas. I WILL see about taking apart one of my spare T-85s and installing new gaskets. While the current tranny shifts sweetly, it leaks.

This afternoon I started taking the valves out, one by one, to clean them up and check on the condition of the valve seals. The heads had been worked some 20+ years ago and were covered with dust when I got them. I coated them with lithium grease since I didn't know WHEN I might get around to using them once I got them home. I've now cleaned off the grease, painted them to match the engine (Orr-Lac brand Alpine Green engine enamel) and taken the valves for inspection. The heads are ready to go on now. I'm using the stamped steel head gaskets. I bought a box full of V8 engine gaskets off ebay for $11 bucks and there was a full gasket set and then some in the box! Such a deal.

Wife helped me heft the hood off the truck. Tomorrow I'll start yankin' the eng/trans out and with any luck it'll be sittin' before noon. Depending on how involved I get in cleaning up the engine compartment and whatever else I find to do in there - I might have back on the road by Thursday or Friday. I sure hope so anyway. Then it's onto the wagon![]

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle


1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe