Gary_Ash

Some things fell into place and I find that I can now go to Hershey on Thursday. As I recall, there is an ASC/SDC tent. How do I find it? Who else is planning on being there on Thursday?

Try Rhode Island Wiring at Rhode Island Wiring Service Inc.. You may need to call them for what you need. They make very good quality stuff.

If you have the Body Parts Catalog for your car, you may be able to find the part numbers for the wood parts. Then call Andy Beckman, archivist at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, and give him the numbers. There are a large number of drawings from that period on file [they have 70 tons of old drawings!], so they may exist. The Museum will charge you a fee for the search and for printing the drawings full size, but it's an equitable amount for what you get. Otherwise, you need to use your old parts for patterns, recognizing that they may have shrunk over time. Then you need some good dry ash. In a resto-rod, you may not have to be overly concerned about authenticity, so some high-grade plywood might also work or even fabricated aluminum parts.

I have decals available to restore the gauge faces for M trucks (and 1941 cars), including odometer numbers. Price is $15, includes postage and instructions. See my web site Home Page for photos. Send me a private message if you want a set.

The part number seems to be 127505 for the BODY, OIL PUMP for GE, GJ, GL, SI, and 53 models. Have you got a picture of the body? The oil pump idler gear is 127502 and the drive gear is 127504. Andy Beckman at the museum can probably find the drawing for the body, though you may need several levels to get a casting and machined part drawing.

The M truck parts catalog has one in the back. Here's a link to a PDF of the pages: http://www.studegarage.com/images/other/M5_standard_parts.pdf

I got the water baffle plates in from the laser cutting company, checked out the fit on my housing from the 1937 President engine. The new plates are flat on the edges, without the stamped rim, but they drop right into place with good alignment. They only need some small tack or spot welds, as on the originals, to hold them in place (20 gauge steel, as original). The center openings with flaps are bent to right position. These came out a little more costly than I had hoped, so I have some available for $35. There aren't many, so if you want one or more, get them now. They fit in the "Manifold, Water Cylinder", p/n 167040, shown as item A10-3 on plate 4, division B in the 1929-40 parts catalog for 8's. These are used on 1929-37 small 8, models FC, FD, 61, 62, 70, 71, 73, 82, B, 1B, C, 1C, 2C, 3C. Email to garyash@studegarage.com The photo below shows an old rusty manifold and plate at the top, a new plate dropped into place in a cleaned-up manifold, the plate I removed from the manifold, and a bare plate at the bottom.

I got an email from Fergus King in New Zealand. He is building a vintage-style race car using a 1929 President straight 8 engine (the big one). The engine he found had been converted for marine use, so it's missing a few key components to put it back in a car. He's looking for the engine serial number, but I don't have it today. Does anyone have the following parts: 1. Generator, p/n 157446, type 955C, used in '29-'30 Presidents, Commanders, Dictators, also '31-'32 Dictators, '30-'34 Commanders, and '34 Presidents. 2. Water pump and coupler, p/n 158757 from '29-'32 President. Also, p/n 158214 from early FE/FH may fit. 3. Distributor, p/n 158618, type 668C from 1929-30 FE/FH President 4. Fan and pulley, plus mounting, p/n 158021 or 159173 from '29-'30 FE/FH 5. Flywheel housing, p/n 175129, from '29-'32 President FH/FH/90/91 6. Cylinder head, high compression (6.5:1), p/n 159167 Thanks for any help.

Here is my 1929 President FH axle with the new kingpins and bushings. The Commander parts should look similar, though perhaps a different size. My pins are 1" dia. The black shaft is my bushing driver (Harbor Freight). I got the kingpins (p/n 150078) from Scott Stastny at Deluxe Auto Werks in West Chicago, IL, 630-293-7750. Bob Kapteyn had suggested that I call Scott, who had originally made the pins for Pierce Arrows, but they also fit Presidents (FE FH 80 90 91). Very nice workmanship! Scott provided the pins, bushings, new lock bolts, and plugs. It's nice to have new pins instead of some rusted ones that sat on parts shelves for the last 80 years. The thrust bearings (Timken T-101) came from Amazon.com for $6 each! I tapped the bushings in with the driver. The pins measure 0.9995" and the i.d of the bushings after installation is about 0.995-0.996", so I'll haul the knuckles, pins, and axle to the truck spring shop and have them ream the bushings to have about .001-.0015" clearance. I'll have to check the up-down clearance between the knuckles and axle end, as there is supposed to be only a few thousandths clearance. I have the original shim washer, as seen near the bottom of the photo, but don't know where I would get any new, thicker ones. There were 5 different shim washers available, ranging from about 0.105" to 0.125" in steps of .005". I guess I could machine some, though that would be a pain! The Commanders, Dictators, and later Presidents had 10 different shim washers available ranging from about 0.010" to 0.070".

Jojo: I just took the kingpins out of the 1929 President front axle. I drilled a 1/4" hole in each cap, stuck a Phillips screwdriver in a little and pried the caps off. The pins have a hole down the middle so you won't hit anything when you drill through. While a brass drift MIGHT move the kingpins, I needed my 12-ton hydraulic press to get the pins out. I used a socket that fit just inside the 1" i.d. bushings to push against the pin. Once the pin was out, I used a socket just under 1-1/8 to then push the bushings out. Pins and bushings were really stuck tight. It would have been an easier job with a helper - one person to hold the axle and the other to pump the press. You may want to just take the whole axle to a good truck spring shop. They service kingpins on large modern trucks. They can push out the old parts, put your new bushings in, and then ream them for the correct fit for your new pins. Then they can put in the pins and caps.

If you want to move up to the most-modern drum brakes for your car, you should be able to use the backing plates, wheel cylinders, shoes, springs, and other small parts from the 1963-64 half-ton trucks (8E series). These should bolt directly onto your spindles with no modifications and use the same 11" drums and hubs from your car. These are the same self-energizing brakes used in the late-model Larks to 1966. While the backing plates may take a little searching, all of the other parts are easily available, including NAPA, and are cheap. In a pinch, you can even use the backing plates from a 1960's V-8 Lark with 11" brakes and re-drill them for the bolt pattern of your spindles. You'll need to use the later hoses and parking brake cable, too. I have these on my 1948 M5 truck and they work very well, easy to adjust. The changes are not visible unless you are lying under the car staring at the backing plates. Check with Jim Turner, but I think that one of his truck kits for disk brakes ('41-'64 half-ton)will also fit your '41 Commander.

I've always wanted to order an "oxygen sensor" or some other highly-touted part that was never existed for a pre-war Studebaker and then sue for false advertising. I don't think they have car covers for all the models they claim, either. If I select "auctions only" that cuts down the item count by 90-95%, though it's possible I could miss something worthwhile.

The tag actually indicates the gear ratio: 41/9 = 4.56. The patent numbers don't help a lot. Pat. 2018188 was issued in October 1935 and covers the use of a way to have the lubricant recirculate in the axle housing. It's probably a Dana/Spicer rear axle. It might have some numbers cast into the center section, perhaps 41 or 44. The numbers would be on the back side, lower right. Here's a photo of a Dana 41 mounted in an early 2R5 truck, say 1949-50, the last use of the Dana 41. Earlier, they were used on M5 trucks with the axle below the rear spring. I think these axles were also used on 1939-46 Champion cars. After 1950, Dana 44 axles were used. The "41" on the tag has nothing to do with the model number, only the number of teeth on the ring gear.

OK, Jojo, you're in for two. Anyone else?

Yes, Scott Stastny at Deluxe Auto Werks says he has the correct king pins. He says he made them for Pierce Arrows but it's the same part. I'll let you know when he sends me a pair and I can check them against my old ones.

How about $25 for a plain steel one, not stainless? It's the set-up charges that drive the costs; steel is cheap. We'll just count on the anti-corrosion stuff in the antifreeze to protect the new ones. In another 75 years, someone else can worry about replacing it again. I still can't figure out why the plate corroded so badly but the outer housing was just fine. Plain steel will have to do for the plate because not many people have the TIG welder, tri-mix gas, and special stainless alloy wire to join stainless to carbon steel without cracking. My '29-'40 parts catalog says these will fit: FC FD 61 62 70 71 73 82 B 1B C 1C 2C 3C with the small straight 8 engine.

Yes, I guess I can make one. Ford Stoecker told me that some replacements had been made from flat sheet, without the stamped groove around the edge. I think that's how it will have to be. The groove probably made it easier to locate the baffle plate in production and to spot weld it. I'm thinking to make a flat one out of 304L stainless steel [no more corrosion!] and TIG weld it in place in a few spots. Anything worth doing is worth overdoing. If I have some laser cut, does anyone else want one?

I pulled the water manifolds off the two 1937 engine blocks - both distribution plates are corroded. Has anyone reproduced these? I know Ernie Loga has them for 1938-42. The earlier style, p/n 167040, is a flat plate with a Vee embossed around the edges and some holes for directing the water to the front and rear cylinders. The plates were spot welded into the stamped outer manifold housing. My outer housings are OK, remarkably. It's the inner plate I need, though I would be happy with a complete manifold. As a side note, I've got a lead on a pair of kingpins for the 1929 President axle, hope to have them next week. I've got my fingers crossed that they are the correct ones. I did find a pair of new tie rod ends.

While looking for '28-'32 President kingpins, I found some for '25-'28 Dictators and EU cars. If you want some, Nelson Pease at N.B. Pease in Palmer, MA has two sets, complete with bushings at $75 a set. His phone is 413-283-7620, Mon-Fri 9-5, no web site or email.

I need two king pins, p/n 150078, and 4 bushings, p/n 172901. These fit 1928-32 Commanders and Presidents. The pins are 1.00" dia x 6.375 long with a 7/16 hole through the center from top to bottom. Anyone got pins and/or bushings? I managed to get one of the pins out of the old front axle, will try for the other one tomorrow. My little 12-ton hydraulic press really groaned pushing the pin out of the spindle. I guess that what happens after 80 years in place. If I can also press out one of the bushings, I can get some dimensions from it. I suspect it is 1.125 o.d x 1.001 i.d. x about 1" long. I can probably get the bushings made from stock ones at McMaster-Carr or MSC. I found the thrust bearings on Ebay! There was a fair amount of slop in the knuckles and the lower part of the pin was worn.

Nelson Pease of N. B. Pease in Palmer, Mass had them. He has number of buildings full of NOS parts from the teens through early '60s. No web site or email. Google for his phone number. He also has parts for old pianos and pipe organs.

I needed to replace the axle shaft with bad outer threads in the 1928 Commander rear axle I am using for the Indy car replica. I finally found a guy with the correct axle shaft: p/n 150025 for 1928 Commander GB/GH and President FA/FB cars, and the Studebaker Indy cars. They apparently do not fit anything else, and that model axle was only built during part of the 1928 production cycle. He had five NOS shafts on the shelf, so I took all of them. After more than 80 years on the shelf, they have a fine patina of rust, something that just a little polishing will take care of in the seal areas. One has some deeper pits in the seal area and may need to be turned about .010" in that area. I also delivered the differential unit to the shop today to have all of the bearings replaced and the backlash set. Most of the bearings were easy enough to find except for the cones for the outer ends of the axle shafts. These needed 419T cones with a tapered bore. It took some digging but I finally found all of the cones, cups, and seals for the entire axle. With new shafts that will let the outer nuts fit snugly, I'll feel a lot more comfortable when the time comes to drive it at speed.

Yes, it could be the '28 rear axle I'm looking for to get the axle shafts - just the shafts. Where is this car? Can someone take a closer look and get some photos? Here's a picture of the rear axle in Stude8's 1928 Commander. It should be the same as a 1928 President. Note that the differential housing bolts into the front of the axle housing. This is the "2-piece" design that I'm looking for. Of course, John spent a long time trying to pop the wheel hubs of this rear axle on a car in good condition using several types of hub pullers. I can't imagine how to get hubs off an axle that's been sitting in the woods for a lot of years - but I sure hope someone is willing to try!

I'm looking for an axle shaft to fit a 1928 Commander GB-W with 2-piece differential. The part number is 150025. These were also used in 1928 FA and FB Presidents. Has anyone got one or two of these or know where to find some?

If you have an old one, measure the outside diameter of the coils, inside diameter, wire diameter, free length, and number of of coils. Assume they are standard "music wire" steel springs. Go to Precision Spring Manufacturer - Century Spring Corp. and do a search for a compression spring that is close. When you tighten the bolts, the spring should only compress a little, leaving room for further compression under transient load. I haven't seen the tank, but let's assume it holds 20 gallons of gas at 6 lb/gal or 120 lbs plus the weight of the tank, say 30 lbs. That makes a total of 150 lbs or 50 lbs per spring. So, the springs should be holding the tank against the brackets even when the tank is full. If you have a spring rate of 200 lb/inch, the springs will be compressed 1/4" or a little more for the pre-load. The coils shouldn't be touching each other when the car is parked so that the tank can move a little bit when you hit a bump or the chassis twists a little.