Cracked block question

[Leosnake]

Isn't Bill Olivers shop closed down/ no longer in business?

[BobWaitz]

Glad you could get it repaired!

[StudeRich]

So you took it to Bill Oliver's Studebaker Parts and Service on 14th. St. in Long Beach?

Also Jason from Orange County Studebaker was working there?

We are very familiar with BOTH, but not together.

[tsenecal]

Glad to hear that you were able to save it. Original is always my preference. It sounds like you found a qualified shop, to help you out. Looking forward to pictures.

[Javi324]

Update on my 1958 SDtudebaker Golden Hawk that was garaged for 30+ years in Hollywood.

It turns out my block was indeed cracked. We took the block to get it tested and the cylinder 3 had a small crack. Good news is that it was repairable. So we are having the repairs done as we speak. It was pretty expensive, but the original block being in this car meant a lot to us. We are having the Studebaker shop in Long Beach do the repairs, and have a great mechanic name Jason working at it. Updates to come, pictures to come as well! This forum is awesome! I am thankful for you all and your helpful tips and wisdom on my first Studi.

[BobPalma]

What Sal said in Post #11. Otherwise, you're falling into the trap of jumping to conclusions.

Your original post, Javi, says you "may have a cracked block." No one can deny that because it may be true. But based on your diagnosis to date, or lack thereof, don't be discouraged until you have actually determined that to be true....and even then, don't throw in the towel and assume it can't be repaired.

My 1956 Packard Clipper Super hardtop has a large patch on the side of the original engine block from a crack that had been repaired before I bought the car. The engine runs and drives perfectly. I've put thousands of miles on it, including a round trip driving it from central Indiana to the July 1999 Warren Ohio Packard Centennial Celebration in extreme NE Ohio.

'No trouble at all during the 26 years I've owned the car ...and I've driven it under extreme heat conditions to the Centennial and in many local parades.

As Sal implied, take a deep breath and analyze the problem before worrying about anything. Best wishes. BP

[sals54]

Someone sure is making a gigantic leap to simply suggest a cracked block when they have not so much as removed a valve cover first.
Always, always, always look for the cheapest and easiest fixes first. Los Angeles does not freeze deep enough and often enough to crack an engine block. My guess would be to pull one head and check it first. Then pull the other one.
That's a long time for an engine to sit with coolant in it. Its quite likely that one of the head gaskets simply leaked down. Especially if you had a couple pistons stopped at top dead center for 30 years. Pressure would most likely leak down through the rings, but you never know. Have you even checked all the torque specs on all the head bolts? Were they torqued again after the first break in period?
There are many reasons why you may have water in the oil. A cracked block is the very last item to be checked.
Easy things first.

[Jerry Forrester]

I may have a cracked block on my 1958 Studebaker Golden Hawk. It has the 289 supercharger and all. My question is, if I replace the motor with another 289, does my vehicle lose value? Does matching numbers matter as much as it does with other makes? Please let me know. Open to any advice or wisdom.

Find where it's leaking and repair it. If it's a head gasket, that's easy. If it's a cracked block, patch it.
I have a 500 CI Caddy engine in my '82 GMC. Two years ago I had to do some repair to the cooling system (new radiator). Long story short, I dreamed (I'm was 73 years old at the time and things aren't getting any better) I had poured in 2 gallons of antifreeze. Well, I didn't. The truck sat a couple months during the winter and when I went to use it there was a coolant leak at the left-rear outside of the block. Upon inspection, I found a crack about 2 1/2" long running from the block drain plug toward the front of the block. I notched out the crack a little bit with a ziz wheel and filled it with PC7. I didn't bother to pressure test it, but it has shown no signs of seepage in the last two years.
If it had been cracked inside the engine and coolant was getting in the oil, I would have repaired it the same way. IE, drop the pan, pressurize the system, find the crack and fix it.
You can do the same thing with your Stude engine, but if you've already disassembled it, it's gonna be harder to pressurize it.

[brngarage]

Javi:
It obviously can't be the original block, but I have a correct (PS3902 serial number) 289 block. Based on its serial number, I believe it is from a 1957 Golden Hawk. That would be closer than just a random 289 block. PM me.

Howard

[Mark Klinger]

Our 57 GH had a cracked block back in 1963 which was replaced with a full-flow cloverleaf short block. The car had about 30K miles at that time, it now has 55k. Of course the pad for the engine number isn't stamped, it also has chrome valve covers and air cleaner. The undocumented "400" features possibly make it a rare car but I figure I'm still ahead of the game with the HD components that came with the cloverleaf block, value be damned.

[Javi324]

Yes I have verified that my Hawk has the original motor in it. To my understanding the 58 GH only had 878 made, so my goal was to get this thing up to par as a survivor rather than a full restoration. The GH is in good hands at the Long Beach Studebaker auto parts and repair with Bill Oliver, and I’ve already put a ton of work into it. As soon as I get my heads back I’ll let you know my options. I’ll return to this post

[Warren Webb]

I would ask a known Studebaker expert in your area (and there are a bunch there!) for their advise &/or help with your problem. One thing about this group is you have a great bunch of guys willing & able to help. If you had gone to the LaPalma meet this past sunday you could have gotten a bunch of valuable info & recommendations of what to do & who to see.

[PackardV8]

Yes, numbers matching matters when trying to get top dollar at auction for a 100-point restoration '58 GH. Have you verified via the production order your car still has the original block.? Many Studes don't. Not that long ago even a '58 GH was just an orphan used car and was kept running by swapping in whatever running used engine was handy. I've seen them with 232" and 259" in there; even an Avanti R2 with a 259" short block.

No, for a driver, it doesn't make a lot of difference in value. All '55-64 Studebaker V8 blocks are interchangeable. Some would consider a full-flow '62-64 block to have added value to a '58 GH.

Maybe, find out WIGO. Some block cracks are easily repaired via Lock-N-Stitch method. Some are very expensive repairs.

FWIW, Studebaker steel shim head gaskets can rust out. It's easy to put pressure on the cooling system and determine if it's leaking.

jack vines

[Javi324]

Thank you all for your feedback. At this point in my restoration, I am getting water in my oil pan. The head gaskets were strong, so it’s either the HEADS or the BLOCK. Praying it’s the heads, but the mechanic tells me his hunch is that the block is cracked. I’ll update you guys. Thanks. This is her. Was sitting for 30+ years in a garage in Hollywood.

[t walgamuth]

What Ron says is true. Another factor is if the car has a history of racing and is a special specification for racing. If the car has historic value related to racing a non matching block of the correct year and type will not affect the value much if any.