Other: 51 Commander Gas Pedal Rod - is this right?

[newedmu]

The gas pedal on my recently acquired '51 Commander Starlight w/automatic trans is missing. I'm confused by the actuating rod that is sitting in the hole. See the pictures I've attached. It's oddly bent down. Shouldn't it stick straight out? Wouldn't this be too long if I un-bent it? I'm wondering if this is original or not. It seems to have the right end on it, I think, from what I remember of my old Lark. It's surprising to see that the chassis parts book lists several rods -- which one would work? Hoping someone can give a bit of guidance! Thanks for any help.


-Ed

[StudeRich]

One word Answer... NO!

I think you may have to start at the Carb. and follow the linkage all the way to the Pedal Rod comparing your Parts to the Chassis Parts Catalog Fuel Section Parts Pictures.

There should be another Rod from the Lower Bellcrank on the Crossmember that goes to the Automatic Drive for Throttle Pressure. That is VERY important to have correct, as it and it's Adjustment controls all of the functions of the Transmission.

IT DOES APPEAR THAT THE ROD NEEDS TO BE BENT STRAIGHT UP !

Sometimes there are also good Pictures in the SHOP manual for adjustment instructions etc.

________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________

UPDATE: Ok, you made me look in the Parts Catalog!
What you are not understanding is in the Part Number listing your Car is a Model Year "H" '51 Commander.

From the '51-'54 Chassis Parts Catalog Paper Page 48, Digital Disc PDF Page 72, Picture Plate 3-8 = H, 3 H With Automatic.

So it only gets the Picture # 312-3 the 530525 Push Rod for Automatic H Models.
The other 2 are for 3H, 4H '53/'54 Commanders. Per Paper Page 76, Digital Disc PDF Page 100.

The 312-3 Rod connects to ONE of the Levers on the 312-6 LOWER Bellcrank & Brkt.
The Other Rod: 312-40 & Rod End 41 goes to the Trans.
The Rod from the Upper Bellcrank is the 312-10.

Make SURE your Car HAS all those Parts and then you can figure out if they are going to the correct place.
Is that as clear as Mud for a Newbie?


Whew!! THAT was more than a bit of work, I should be a $100.00 per Hour Studebaker Consultant.

If you have to order some of those Parts we will have to get into WHAT your Serial Number is, due to Note 13 and 14 for Automatics to get the correct Part Number.

P.S. By the way, I DO stock and sell most all still available NOS Parts.

[newedmu]

*** I thought I had replied to your first post last night! But I don't see it now. So trying to post it again. Thanks for your further input. And it's serial no 8808327, so an LA -built car with the later parts. ****
Thanks for your thoughts. I did take this one picture on the engine side of the firewall. I have to go back under the car to find where that Pivot assembly 0312-6 is (shown in the photo of my manual). Farther under the car perhaps? Or it's not there anymore, and the upper linkage, pedal rod, and lower transmission linkage are just connected together. Perhaps that pivot failed and they tried to bypass it's function? Time to get the car up in the air. It's brakes locked up during delivery, so I have to deal with that anyway. Trying to decide whether to keep them as is, which is my usual stance, or go for an upgrade -- the traffic and hills in the DC area are some cause for concern!

[StudeRich]

As I said, the 312-6 Levers and Bracket Assy. (Lower Bellcrank) is Mounted on the Frame Crossmember that supports the Engine/Trans. Assy.
After this many years there is never any telling WHAT has happened to these Cars.

Some have been "Shade Tree" converted from Stick to Automatic and Vice versa, or had an Engine change, so all parts are not correct.

[newedmu]

Got under there today. Everything seems to be there as it should be per the diagram, except the weird shape of the 0312-3 push-rod that attaches to the pedal. So I guess I should try straightening it. After I find or get a replacement pedal. Is that rod available anywhere in an un-bent condition? Trying to actually replace it, given it's location, looks like it's more a pain than one really wants!

[RadioRoy]

It looks like it is upside down. Some of the ones I have seen have been curved up instead of down.

Do you know the history of the car? Was someone else working on it before you got it?

[newedmu]

No, I think it is installed correctly. The single, centered bolt hole of the pivot is installed pointing towards the transmission, the double bolts are on the side near where the gas-pedal-rod goes thru the fire wall. The confusion might arise that the photo is taken from under the car, under the engine holding the phone somewhat upside down, while the shop manual is looking down from the passenger compartment! Kind of an upside down/mirrored-imaging issue! Thanks for the thoughts.

All I really know, alas, is that the engine supposedly has hardened valve seats and the transmission was reworked, both done by the owner previous to the last. The rest is a mystery, and the seller to me was rather reticent about 'most everything else.

[RadioRoy]

Sometimes when you explain to the new owner what you did to the car, they misconstrue what you said and come to wildly erroneous conclusions about what you did and what parts are what. No amount of explaining afterwards can straighten out the picture they have in their head.

Been there, done that.