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  • #16
    My 41' Commander had Babbit-lined bearings on the crank. The oil had acidified and ate right through them. I would start the engine with 70+ lbs. of pressure on the gage and by the time it was 160 temp the gage showed "0". I drove it with 40 wt oil for nearly a summer-never seeing the oil pressure above 15-20lbs. hot. Used about a quart every 150-200 miles...ran nice tho....I can't tell you when they switched to inserts, but the Commander & President were ahead of the Champions...I think...Anyway, there are plenty of Big 6 engine parts around with very few buyers....so that's no problem (I do speak of 10 year old info-so someone advise accordingly). By all means you need to replace the water jacket to block "deflector". It will certainly be rotted away and you'll not be getting any cooling to the back cylinders...which may get you into un-needed block boring/work.....I personally liked the planar suspension, and even tho I replaced mine NOS (and cheap too), you need to oil the leaves inside the wrappers (steel) which is challenging....I had to do it on the NOS spring(s) too......Very nice car to drive.......have fun..!

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    • #17
      No Armour All! NO, NO, NO! Unless you actually do want your interior going to hell in a handbasket! I'm serious on this. No Armour All, it makes things look great for a short while and then they go crunchy and disintegrate. Kerosene would be better.
      Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
      K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
      Ron Smith
      Where the heck is Fawn Lodge, CA?

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      • #18
        ...I often wonder if the Armor-all vinyl product came out in 62-63'...cause that's when all our dashes cracked...I know I used it monthly on my 1st 63' Regal sedan.....dash was gone in a few years...(Mass)

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        • #19
          Wow, you would think I would have known that with the Armor-All. THANK YOU very much for the heads up!!! Now, you suggest using kerosene? Really?

          Ok, I went over to the shop and took a lot of pictures on Saturday. I didn't get to do anything at all other than that though because I failed to remember that my wife worked on sat and I had the baby. I will get a few of the pictures up when I get them off the camera. My wife has the adaptor somewhere.

          Now, I'll leave you guys to judge, but I think aside from the thick layer of shop grime on them that they are still in decent shape. Not in as good a shape if they would have had a cover, but I thinnk still pretty good.

          In the mean time, a fellow enthusiast I work with told me that I should put about a half cup of Marvel Mystery Oil in each cylinder belwo the plugs and allow it to sit a month before I try to hand turn it over. He also said to do this with the pulgs out. I know the stuff works well, but do any of you forsee any issues with the engine using that product?

          I can breath a little easier also, I confirmed with my father-in-law and brother-in-law, it is as good as done. As soon as my father-in-law digs out the titles and I pay my brother-in-law, the cars are mine. I can feel the excitement... now on to the work!!!

          I have to first clear a spot and clean off the vehicles. Then I need to move them apart to have room to work. I also woudl like to clean the outsides as well as the insides. I'll give a good report of th einterriors when I move them. (through the windows, they looked ok). I know this is putting the cart before the horse so to speak, but I would like to wash/clean up the outsides... any recomendations on cleaner? Will simple green produts work? or dish soap?

          thxs,
          Dan

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          • #20
            For the initial cleaning of accumulated dust, move them outside and if you have compressed air blow as much of the dust off them with a low angle of attack. Once the loose dust is gone then just wet them with a hose with a gentle stream. and let them sit wet for a few minutes. Then you can apply a stronger stream of water again using a low angle to try to flow as much of the dirt off as possible. Then, get a couple car wash mitts from your local auto supply and 2 big buckets, one of warm soapy water and the other with clean water. You can get some car wash solution when you get the mitts or a gentle dish soap is fine too for this initial wash. Keeping your mitt and the car very wet start to wipe off the car, alternate the mitts as they become dirty. If you can put some sort of screen or upside down collendar in the bottom of the bucket that is a good way to let the dirt settle to the bottom of your rinse water and keep your mitts cleaner. Rinse the mitts often and change your rinse water frequently. The idea is to not let the accumulated dust act as sand paper as you wipe off the car. I would suggest you go over the cars several times to try to get as much dirt as possible off. Do not try to dry them until you are confident you have all the dirt off. Drying them while dirt is still present will have that sand paper effect. For the interior I would attack it thoroughly with a shop vacuum, but be very careful if you see fabric disintegrating under the suction. Most of the dash will be metal so use a similar approach to the outside, though be careful with the water. If it has been closed up, there hopefully is not as much dust inside. Once this is done you can make an assessment of the condition. Hope that gives you a start, and perhaps others will offer additional suggestions.

            Pat
            Last edited by Pat Dilling; 09-13-2010, 10:38 AM.
            Pat Dilling
            Olivehurst, CA
            Custom '53 Starlight aka STU COOL


            LS1 Engine Swap Journal: http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/jour...ournalid=33611

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            • #21
              Guys, thanks. I will be trying to post a pic here shortly, like I said before, they look in worse shape than they really are. Also, the pics I took are all pre-uncovering. I negotiated with the wife and I will be cleaning them this weekend.... well, at least the 40. They will both be cleaned off and cleaned up enough to start working on them. In the pic of the 40, all of the missing hardware is actually in the cab on the seat. My brother-in-law actually started on it a loooong time ago, so the parts are not missing, but rather already disassembled.

              Ok, I tried uploading pics, but my pic files are too big. I need to get with an IT person who can help me scale or size them down. I guess it has something tio do with photobucket and doing it from work. I'll have to try again at home tonight.
              Last edited by new2drive; 09-14-2010, 07:05 AM. Reason: add on

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              • #22
                Dan. e-mail sent.

                nibbs53

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                • #23
                  No, I didn't recommend Kerosene, just that it would be better than (shudder...) Armor All. My Dad used to us Kero as a general preservative and cleaner for vinyl. I don't recommend it, because it leaves an oily residue and an unpleasant odour.
                  Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
                  K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
                  Ron Smith
                  Where the heck is Fawn Lodge, CA?

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    I have already started looking into safe, eco-friendly cleaners fro old vinyl. There are actually a few good options out there. Being a chemist in the petroleum industry, I have used VERY old kero that has lost most of it's light weight combustibles as a blend for cleaning. It does work very well. Basically it is very good at getting into and emulsifying the dirt/grime. There are a lot of newer safer cleaner to use though now a days.

                    One advantage I will have is that I have access to a lot of industrial equipment, including welding, paintng and stripping and being an ameture blacksmith, I will be able to handle any body work.

                    So far though, you guys have been and I assume will be the single most valuable resource!!!

                    Also, my father-in-law is finally getting the titles together, so the minute I get them "officially" signed over, I wil be joing the rest of thr SDC organization. I just don't want to really jump th egun and the whole Murphey's law thing!

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                    • #25
                      Originally posted by new2drive View Post
                      I have already started looking into safe, eco-friendly cleaners fro old vinyl. There are actually a few good options out there. Being a chemist in the petroleum industry, I have used VERY old kero that has lost most of it's light weight combustibles as a blend for cleaning. It does work very well. Basically it is very good at getting into and emulsifying the dirt/grime. There are a lot of newer safer cleaner to use though now a days....

                      Wow! "A chemist in the petroleum industry" ...with these credentials (not to put any undue pressure on you) I can think of several opportunities for you to be a valuable resource to the rest of us!

                      For example, the last couple of years, we have had extensive discussions about the reformulation of oil additives and how taking out ZDDP has been detrimental to our "flat tappet" engines. Same type of discussions of fuel additives, etc. As far as protective agents and cleaners for vinyl...we could also benefit from knowledgable authorities. My degree is in psychology, but my career in industrial sales exposed me to lots of technical and engineering information. Problem is that without the "Formal" training, my information is often mixed with incorrect slang terminology, unproven assumptions, and hard scrabble experience.

                      Over the years, vinyl formulations have come a long way. The early vinyls had fragile elastomers that quickly "leached out" causing shrinking, cracking, and fading. Some good information on products to protect and extend the durability of these materials would be greatly appreciated. Even if you don't have the specific facts that we need, at least you have the education to know what terminology to use and which direction to go for the information.
                      John Clary
                      Greer, SC

                      SDC member since 1975

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                      • #26
                        You know, Dan, one more thing occured to me. If your Father-in-law or his father were the first owners of these cars (never left the family) this qualifies you for a special group in the SDC. It's a first owners group. I don't know the exact name, however it would possibly be a fun thing to be part of. Believe it or not, it's a sizable group. You don't have to be the first owner yourself, just recieved the car from a parent or close relative, as I understand the rules.

                        Now, if I could find Grandmother's Lark wagon, I could join too! However, that might not be possible as I found out the barn was burned in a forest fire in the eighties or early nineties. So, since it was parked in there...
                        Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
                        K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
                        Ron Smith
                        Where the heck is Fawn Lodge, CA?

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Yes, I am a chemist in the petroleum field.
                          Also, yes, I do a LOT of studies with fuel and fuel blends, including oils and additives that go into both. Most of what I do is contemporary, but I have access to and knowledge about old oils and blends, acidification of oil, I can go on and on.

                          Currently, the hotest topic is Fuel ethanol and etOH blends. As we all know, when they started this a few years back, these blends were doing a lot of damage to the elastomers in the engines and fuel systems, causing material degradation, contamination and eventual failure... there I go being nerdy again...

                          I would be glad to help any way I can about any products at all. You know, up until you mentioned it, I never really saw a connection. I am more stressed about "fixing & cleaning"... and thinking I'll cross that other bridge when I come to it.

                          But yes, I work very closely with a few refineries in western Pennsylvania and some of the nationally known product lines. Please let me know and point me in the right direction. I'll help where I can.

                          Now, as far as the "first owners club". I will be joining everything I am able to when those titles are signed over. The cars do indeed belong to and have been passed down my wife's family, with them being the original owners. If I understand it correctly, the 40 was her great grandfathers and the 49 was her grandfathers. I wouldn't consider myself "first owner" as the cars went from her great grandparents to the grandparents, to her dad, to her brother... that makes me technically owner #5. Thank you for the thought though! And the kind words.

                          Also, I know my pictures are pretty bad that I posted, hopefully, this weekend, I will get them actually washed and moved so I can take some more pictures. I think they will be much more impressive looking then!

                          Also, you guys probably seen this already, but it is a good read in case you haven't:


                          I would say use Brad Penn as they are in my neck of the woods and seem to fit the bill.

                          On vinyl... Plastics were actually invented in the mid 1800's I believe, don't quote me on that, but major advancements didn't occure until relatively recently. As for old vinyl, the elastomers become very brittle when exposed to light (uV light degradation) and, of course, certain alcohol based agents that would "leach out" or dry out the material causing shrinkage and cracking. Today things are much different, just like the change in oil formulation.
                          Last edited by new2drive; 09-15-2010, 11:40 AM. Reason: add on and generally horrible typing skills

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                          • #28
                            "On vinyl... Plastics were actually invented in the mid 1800's I believe, don't quote me on that, but major advancements didn't occure until relatively recently. As for old vinyl, the elastomers become very brittle when exposed to light (uV light degradation) and, of course, certain alcohol based agents that would "leach out" or dry out the material causing shrinkage and cracking. Today things are much different, just like the change in oil formulation. "

                            That's why we add a UV resistant additive to all High and Low Density Polyethylene we produce where I work

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