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Commander 245 Engine Swap


Guest Commander55

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Guest Commander55

I was wondering if anyone had retrofitted a Commander 245 ci engine into a 1937 Coupe Express? I'd like to do the swap and include the 3-speed OD transmission with the package. I have the original engine and transmission in the CE but have no idea if the engine runs or is rebuildable. The 245 and OD transmission that I'd like to put into the CE is a known commodity.

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I hope others that have done this will respond but this has been many times. I recently did this swap on my 38 Coupe but I used the original 38 trans. The 37 had a different bell housing so there is some adapting that must be done to get it properly to the 245 engine. You don't give source of your donor engine and transmission, but the 37 is a floor shift and I do not know how compatible that will be with the transmission that you are going to use. Jerry Kurtz does offer 37 overdrive transmissions. I think if you provide the year and model of your donor drive train it will help establish what must be done.

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Guest GeorgeCagle

I put a 245 in my '37 Dictator. It bolted up to the '37 overdrive transmission with no trouble and I also used the '37 flywheel and clutch.

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The 245 that was used in cars through 1950 and some trucks through 1961 was a design by Roy Cole in 1931 for the '32 Rockne 65 and introduced as a 189 cid. Aside from displacement/horsepower, it is a bolt in for thirty years.

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My L5 Coupe Express has a 4E truck motor. I replace it's 1938 OD gearbox with a 1939 OD gearbox. The clutch plate is 10 or 10.5" dia, whereas I think the '39 is 9 or 9.5"? I think I used the '38 housing with the '39 'box (it was a while ago!). The engine mounts are all the same but the '39 'box rear transverse support is further back to allow for the overdrive solenoid plate. And the driveshaft is shorter.

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Guest Commander55

Yeah. I'd anticipated having to shorten the driveshaft (if the swap could be made). I was also concerned that there would be problems with linking the stick shift in the floor. Did Studebaker build of the '37 J5s with factory over-drive transmissions?

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  • 7 years later...
On 4/1/2015 at 8:04 PM, Guest GeorgeCagle said:

I put a 245 in my '37 Dictator. It bolted up to the '37 overdrive transmission with no trouble and I also used the '37 flywheel and clutch.

I did the same thing to my '36 dictator sedan except my '36 overdrive trans was siezed so I used the 50's commander trans that came with the motor but the 2 trannys looked identical. I even put the '36 starter on the 245ci because I wanted to keep the original start knob. I also had no issues with any mounting issues only thing I did have to do was remove fenders and front grille/ radiator to get the motor in but once in everything lined up like it belongs. 

Edited by Parabolst (see edit history)
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