Some guys shouldn't be allowed to play with tools near Studebakers!

[PackardV8]

Someone here swore he'd seen it before, but who'd think there could be two of them out there?

Today, I was stripping down a core full flow 289" prior to rebuilding. I knew it was a 289" because it has a "P" serial number and before I bought it, I even checked down the spark plug hole to confirm dished pistons.

However, now with the heads off, don't those dished pistons seem to stop way low down in the hole? The depth micrometer confirms the hairy eyeball reading; .220" below the deck. I knew what I'd find, but measured the stroke at 3.250" just to confirm.

Yes, some numbnuts installed 289" dished pistons with the corresponding too-high pin height on a 259" crankshaft. When buying new .030" pistons, the correct 259"s flattops with the correct pin height would have cost the same as the incorrect 289"s. The rest of the rebuild seemed to have been in good order, but for his expensive efforts, he ended up with a calculated 6.3:1 compression ratio. No power, no fuel economy, but hey, maybe he wanted to run it on kerosene.

jack vines

[63 R2 Hawk]

...or maybe he was setting it up for 40 psi boost.......

[jlmccuan]

It should have cranked over on the starter like butter, though.

[Bill Pressler]

What's really scary is, if someone paid somebody to do that job, he got a half-assed job done. Sheesh.

[JoeHall]

I inadvertently ran a set of flat top 289 pistons in a 259. Even after taking .035" off the heads, it still did not have the pep and MGP it did before I stuck those pistons in it. I received them from Mr. Snearly in his very late years (now deceased, RIP) out in Colorado. I did not know much about 289 versus 259 back then, and Mr. Snearly insisted he'd sent the right ones, so I put them in. I immediately noticed they sat deeper in the holes, but ran them anyway, for about 150,000 miles. It ran nice and cool though, and never pinged under any condition

[jclary]

This goes back to my point in another thread where I mentioned "Non-Studebaker" mechanic. Obviously, whoever put the engine together, had mechanical skills. He could have the skills to disassemble and reassemble an engine, operate a torque wrench, etc. However, if he was not familiar enough with Studebaker, he could be unaware that they made anything but "A" V8 Studebaker engine. All the parts bolted up..."must be right!"....Right?

Heck...I've even met SDC members who were driving a Studebaker and couldn't tell you if it had a 259 or 289 in it. I'm sure that there is more "back-story" to this story. For example, if this was a situation where a mechanic unfamiliar with Studebaker engines was supplied parts by an owner that didn't know any better...then the potential for mistakes compound from there.

What circumstances landed the engine in your shop? Other than the incorrect parts...what condition did you find the engine?

[swvalcon]

259 or 289. There's people out there that couldn't tell you if it was a v-8 or a 6

[candbstudebakers]

Who ever did the job I hope they don't do body work.

[unclemiltie]

Two different times I have torn apart what the serial said were 289 engines to get the crankshaft and much to my disappointment they had 259 cranks in them. In both case they also had 259 pistons in them. I have been told by several folks that it was not that uncommon to rebuild a 289 with 259 parts as they were a bit cheaper and were more available. Not what I would do but.....!

[Flashback]

In my early years at a parts house, I had this to happen with a Y block Ford. The "mechanic" was a very well respected front end man, and repair shop. He told me the wrong cubic inch and replaced one piston. There was an issue. Guess who got the blame. The young parts man. LOL

[SN-60]

As we all probably know, but can't hurt to mention again........some of those "P" 289's might have been 1955 "P" 259's!

[nibbs53]

Compression ratio no problem, put a GMC 6-71 that will fix it.

Patrick

[PackardV8]

What circumstances landed the engine in your shop?

Sold to me by an SDC member as a 289" core engine. It originally came from a '63 GT 4-speed. I buy all 289"s at the right price.

Other than the incorrect parts...what condition did you find the engine?

The engine obviously was running when pulled from the car, albiet many years before he sold it to me. During storage he'd let water get into it and three cylinders were rusted. Hardly any wear on the .030" over cylinders, rings, .010" under bearings or reground camshaft.

Anyway, this one is going back together as an .040" over 259" 4-bbl and will be available in the spring.

jack vines

[bezhawk]

Compression ratio no problem, put a GMC 6-71 that will fix it.

Patrick

With no "squish" and good turbulence the boost of a supercharger would detonate severely.

[studegary]

Anyway, this one is going back together as an .040" over 259" 4-bbl and will be available in the spring.

jack vines

Then a few years down the road someone will look at the Engine Number and proclaim it to be a 289 when it it is a 259. Do you plan to obliterate the "P" or add something to the ID pad?