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test starting & running a newly rebuilt Champion

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  • #1

    test starting & running a newly rebuilt Champion

    I want to test run my newly rebuilt and restored Champion engine in a stand before reuniting it with the chassis of my '49 2R5 later this fall. I have oil in the crankcase (with ZDDPlus), an oil pressure gauge, choke is hooked up, fuel and vacuum plumping is installed, I have a 6 volt battery, gas and a fire extinguisher. I figure I'm about ready to go but I have a few questions...

    - what are the minimum electrical connections I need to start, run and stop the engine?
    - what gauge wire do I need from battery to the coil?
    - I assume the generator doesn't need to be wired at this time?
    - do I need to prime the oil pump (it was rebuilt in the process)? how?
    - other than the noise, is there any reason why I shouldn't exhaust straight off the manifold?
    - any reason why the transmission should be installed? or not?

    My project has been underway for three years and this engine hasn't run for 15-20 so it's a big moment - never done this before so suggestions please.
    Andrew in Nova Scotia.

    Andrew
    Tags: None
  • #2
    You definitely need to prime the oil pump. I think you can do it "statically" by filling it at the gauge line fitting at the top of the pump. When I have done an engine, I used a spare distributor shaft without the gear to engage the oil pump and a drill motor to spin it. In this way I was able to circulate oil through the engine before firing it up. I also used straight 30 Wt oil and ran the engine until it reached normal temp...shut it down...drained and discarded the oil...refilled with new oil and it has been going strong for at least 15 years. I have not run mine on a test stand. I installed them back into the cars with the front clip off so the chassis was my test stand. What ever you do...prime the pump, and install an oil & temp gauge so you can monitor the engine as it warms up. Good luck.

    John Clary
    Greer, SC

    Life... is what happens as you are making plans.
    SDC member since 1975
    John Clary
    Greer, SC

    SDC member since 1975

    Comment

    • #3
      Put it in the car and fire it up. Turn it over a while before inserting the coil wire into the distributor cap. jimmijim
      sigpicAnything worth doing deserves your best shot. Do it right the first time. When you're done you will know it. { I'm just the guy who thinks he knows everything, my buddy is the guy who knows everything.} cheers jimmijim*****SDC***** member

      Comment

      • #4
        quote:Originally posted by jimmijim8

        Put it in the car and fire it up. Turn it over a while before inserting the coil wire into the distributor cap. jimmijim
        This is another good suggestion. Since a new rebuild should have great compression...remove the spark plugs and spin it so you don't have the drag of compression during the priming process. Just make sure to use the starter motor until you see oil pressure build. You don't want to overheat the starter motor.
        John Clary
        Greer, SC

        SDC member since 1975

        Comment

        • #5
          If you opt for the old distributor shaft or other for turning just the oil pump with an electric drill motor, turn it left handed, backwards. that way it will pump oil thru the system


          [img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Avatar1.jpg[/img=left]
          Tom Bredehoft
          '53 Commander Coupe (since 1959)
          '55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
          (Under Construction 617 hrs.)
          '05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
          All Indiana built cars

          Comment

          • #6
            Guys not to sound stupid [:I]as I am new to rebuilding an engine but isn't the oil pump driven by a gear on the camshaft in the champ engine ? doesn't the engine have to be running for the pump to deliver oil ? I only ask because I am also rebuilding the engine and I was giving this some thought. I hope I am wrong because I would also like to prime the engine using the above mentioned method before I start it up.
            thanks , Blake

            Comment

            • #7
              The oil pump is driven by a gear on the cam shaft, yes, BUT.

              The bottom of the distributor drive goes from the distributor (driven) gear to the oil pump. If the distributor is out, there will be no oil pumped. Yes, with the distributor in, there will be, and if all the bearings were slathered with startup lube, no problem, but did you do that? or are you trusting that someone else did it?

              Light, 14 or so gage to the coil from the starter start terminal and/or accessory terminal.

              Wiring.. You need the battery to the solenoid, heavy, ditto to the starter, light wire to the starter switch from the solenoid (this depends on model, or age.) Some Champions have a starter solenoid, some don't.

              Exhaust, no, unless you run the engine long enough to get it hot (and without radiator you wont' do that)

              Transmission, no.

              [img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Avatar1.jpg[/img=left]
              Tom Bredehoft
              '53 Commander Coupe (since 1959)
              '55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
              (Under Construction 617 hrs.)
              '05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
              All Indiana built cars

              Comment

              • #8
                Ok...it has been 12 or more years since I have been far enough into one of my engines (time flies when you're having fun) to require having the distributor or oil pump out. So I decided to do a little home work and refresh my memory before adding more to this topic.Earlier, I had posted that I used a spare distributor with the gear removed to pump oil through the engine. That was on a V8, not a 6 cylinder. When I overhauled my 259 V8 lark engine, I used an old distributor with the drive gear removed to place in the engine and pump oil through the engine before cranking and running it. You can spin the oil pump this way with a drill motor. However, on the Flathead 6 cylinder engines, the gear that engages the cam gear is on the oil pump. I assembled my 6 cylinder engines using liberal amounts of white grease when putting everything together including the oil pump gears. After getting everything back together I used a small pump type oil can to fill the oil pump with engine oil at the little fitting for the oil gauge on top of the oil pump. Then with the spark plugs and coil wire removed, I spun the engine until oil pressure built up on the gauge. After that, I put the plugs in, coil wire on and fired the engine up. Ran the engine until it reached normal operating temp...shut it down...changed the oil again just in case there might have been some contaminants from the final assembly. This might be too wasteful or overly cautious to some of you professionals, but for me it has worked well.

                John Clary
                Greer, SC

                Life... is what happens as you are making plans.
                SDC member since 1975
                John Clary
                Greer, SC

                SDC member since 1975

                Comment

                • #9
                  Thanks for the input everyone. Hadn't thought of a temp gauge.. and I will install the rad. Sounds safer.
                  Andrew

                  Andrew
                  '49 2R5
                  '59 Lark 2 door waggon
                  '48 Chev 1 ton

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    quote:Originally posted by Tom B

                    The oil pump is driven by a gear on the cam shaft, yes, BUT.

                    The bottom of the distributor drive goes from the distributor (driven) gear to the oil pump. If the distributor is out, there will be no oil pumped. Tom Bredehoft
                    Tom,

                    What you state about no oil being pumped if the distributor is out [u]is</u> correct for the '53 thru '64 Studebaker V8s. However, this is [u]not</u> the case for the '51-'52 V8, Champion 6, Commander 6, and the OHV 6. The drive gear on these engines does not come out when the distributor is pulled.

                    As John Clary notes, you can't prime these 6-cylinder engines with a drill. Clover Green is working on a Champion 6, so he will have to prime the pump as John describes.

                    You can prime the '51-'52 V8s by removing the 'adapter' piece bolted to the block. In '53 this adapter piece and the distributor were combined into one assembly.

                    Paul
                    Winston-Salem, NC
                    Visit The NEW Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: www.studebakerskytop.com

                    edited to add info on '51-'52 V8s
                    Paul
                    Winston-Salem, NC
                    Visit The Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: www.studebakerskytop.com

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Ton B...you wrote "Light, 14 or so gage to the coil from the starter start terminal and/or accessory terminal". I'm not following this. If the coil is fed from the starter won't the starter need to have continuous power for the engine to run? I'd thought the coil should be fed from the battery terminal???


                      Andrew
                      '49 2R5
                      '59 Lark 2 door waggon
                      '48 Chev 1 ton

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Did anyone mention the resistor for the distributor wire?

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          quote:Originally posted by buddymander

                          Did anyone mention the resistor for the distributor wire?
                          Why is that needed on a 6-volt car?

                          Paul
                          Winston-Salem, NC
                          Visit The NEW Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: www.studebakerskytop.com
                          Paul
                          Winston-Salem, NC
                          Visit The Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: www.studebakerskytop.com

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Paul, I bow to your familiarity with the early Champions and their distributors. My '53 (with its 52 engine) must have been retrofittd, When I pull the distributor, everything comes out. I knew that the 51 and 52 V8s had a two piece distributor drive, but have never seen one.

                            Andrew, I'm talking about the ignition switch that tells the coil it has juice. My phrase, "starter start terminal" was not readily understandable, I guess.

                            [img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Avatar1.jpg[/img=left]
                            Tom Bredehoft
                            '53 Commander Coupe (since 1959)
                            '55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
                            (Under Construction 617 hrs.)
                            '05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
                            All Indiana built cars

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Buddymander mentioned a resistor in the battery/coil wire. Clarification please as this hasn't been mentioned before. Yes, I am running 6 volts.

                              Andrew
                              '49 2R5
                              '59 Lark 2 door waggon
                              '48 Chev 1 ton

                              Comment

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