Studebaker transmission in a Graham?

hi there,

this is possibly Studebaker related so.... i'm throwin' it out there. i'm working on a 1940 graham sharknose and the transmission guy is having problems locating a seal kit and bearings/bushings for the transmission. one of his contacts thought a Studebaker used the same transmission but, could not pin it down.

so here's what i have: Warner gear 3-speed (2nd & 3rd syncro) column shift with overdrive. main unit # T-88-1FWG / division W // adaptor R7-8E //overdrive unit R7-1B .

any thoughts? thanks in advance.

The T88 was used in the 1938/39 cars both President and Commander and used a floor shifter in 1938 and column shift in 1939. A vacuum shifter was available in 1938.

It was a " lay on the side" trans.

More to come.

Robert Kapteyn

that is great. just what i'm looking for. thanks.

Here is a drawing from the Studebaker parts catalog of the OD transmission used in 1939 President models. Is this what your transmission and overdrive look like? The numbers shown are not part numbers, they are item numbers in the catalog listing. However, as an example, the rear seal on the overdrive housing that the yoke goes through (item 0701-20) is Studebaker part number 198975. On the web site www.yoyoparts.com, you can find many equivalent parts. In this case, some of the equivalents are Chrysler numbers 1483758, 1486096,1496096, 1550929, and 1671763. Yoyoparts actually shows the Studebaker part number, not sure if they have cross-references to Graham parts, if you know the numbers. On the yoyoparts page, I clicked on the "View all replacement parts" button, which brought up a hundred or more direct substitutes on the www.autopartoo.com site, including Studebaker part 1541097 which is available from Studebaker International for $11.00. The yoyoparts page also has many equivalent numbers for Timken, National, and other vendors.

My suggestion is to take the seals and bearings that need replacing to a good industrial bearing supplier and let them find the matching numbers. I usually deal with South Shore Bearing Distributors in Quincy, Mass. They are very good at old car parts, have many old cross-reference catalogs. The old seals and bearings should have some manufacturer name and part number engraved on them. I doubt that you will find a complete seal/bearing "kit", so you'll have to go part-by-part. See http://southshorebearing.com/

I have learned a great deal about these transmissions.

The T88 was only used in 1938 and part year in 1939.

This trans was only used by Studebaker. (?)

The idea was to lay the transmission on the side to reduce the hump.

In 1938 it came either floor shift or vacuum shift which had a miniature

shifter on the dash .

In 1939 they had a floor shift and column shift.

The problem with these transmissions was that the lubrication system

was screwed up by laying the trans on the side.

The main shaft roller bearings and the main shaft would wear and the rollers would come out and the main shaft would cock and the reverse idler gear would be chewed up.

I talked with Jerry Kurtz who restores these and he stated that the main shafts are impossible to find but can be repaired by replacing the rollers and the

ends of the shafts by turning the shaft ends down and install a ready sleeve.

I stock the reverse idler gear and the rollers and most seals and gaskets

Jerry Kurtz rebuilds these transmissions and is the best around 717 308 1800

Robert Kapteyn

Wow Robert - what a great resource you are. I had the transmission on my 38 stolen and have had the darnest time getting a replacement - have finally gotten that done but it breaks my heart when I see 38's scrapped because I know how rare and hard to comeby the parts for them are. I would have gotten a trans from Jerry but had no "core" to start with -- now I have a "spare" and a couple of 37's that I picked up along the way. I will have to try yoyoparts.com as I have boxes and boxes of TRW and other parts but no catalog to tell what all they fit.

Thanks again for the info and insight.

obviously... they were used in the grahams too. my interchange book claims in graham only (however the book is wrong)... i did find a gasket set at northwestern auto right in g.r. michigan. it was still in it's studebaker envelope (that made the transmission guy smile). they are able to special order the bearings..if i need them. the gears and hard parts look really good in this 70,000 mile t-88. it does not appear oil-starved. the trans has been the shop for several weeks so, i can't really tell from the exploded view if it is an exact match. the front floor in the graham is nearly flat. i am printing a copy to take along. by the way.... i have a 1963 avanti. so i'm a studebaker nut too.