dictator27

Oops. Keiser is correct. It is a Beverly. Westchesters had a bustle. Terry

Yes, it is a 1936-37 Cord Westchester. The other clue here is it is in front of a showroom with Auburn and Duesenberg on the windows. Cord was part of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Corporation. Terry

If the filter was added later in the car's life, there is a good chance it is a C4P cartridge. This is probably the most common aftermarket cartridge filter and is still available. Measures 4.83 high, 4.33 wide, centre hole .56. The part number is common to a number of filter brands. Terry

Robert D'oh! I saw your post to 56Safari's question about bumper bolt removal and finally realized what you were after here. Would a carriage bolt work? The square under the head might have to be ground/machined off, but they do have a rounded head. If the head is larger than standard, it might be a case of having to build up the head with welding and grinding them to the correct shape. Terry

Thanks Stude8 I tried your suggestion and got the same results. My apologies to Echo Robert. I didn't intend to hijack your thread. A couple of observations about the electric fuel pump. Electric pumps are far better pushers than they are pullers. It should be installed at the back of the car as close to the gas tank as possible. The fuel pump should not be directly wired to the ignition. If it doesn't already have one, an oil pressure sensor switch should be installed so that the pump will stop pumping when the engine shuts down. Terry

Hi Robert I photocopied a picture of the air filter set up from the service manual for my car and uploaded it to a picture file, but when I click Manage Attachments I get an error message and can't get any farther.:mad: My computer is just about ready for the scrap heap. Terry

Whatever I was drinking , it must have had a kick to it. The ending serial number should be 1956300. Terry

I second Stude8's point. When I first got my car it had an incorrect carb on it and no air filter. I had an instance just like Stude8 describes. It flooded when I was starting it and backfired - I didn't have the spark fully retarded :-(. I was able to put the fire out by stuffing a rag in the air intake, but what was more disconcerting was the tongue of flame that came up through the floorboards, something that would not have happened if I had had something in the way of a flame arrester on it! The manifold on your car is quite different from mine, but it is still a pretty tight fit. On mine there is a cast aluminum air intake pipe which has a ninety degree bend in it to bring it vertical. The air filter is quite small, about 8 or 9 inches high, about half of that length is a pipe which clears the manifold and is clamped into the air intake pipe. The diameter of the filter is about 5 inches. Terry

That is a tight fit. It would have had one when it was new. Is that the correct carb? Terry

Is there something different about them? Otherwise a bolt like that should be easily available from a hardware supplier. Terry

Thanks Stude8 I have a 1930 Chiltons which lists the GR-129 being used for both intake and exhaust from 1925-27 on Models ER and EU. I also have a Studebaker parts book which covers 1925-27 Standard/Dictator 6's. It has update pages in it dated August 15, 1928. Up to engine number EU54,134the GR-129 (Stude part number 120048 initially, later 125449) was used along with valve spring 43462(12 coil). My car (engine EU53,699)has the 12 coil spring. Beginning with engine EU54,135, the exhaust valve was changed to the GR-130(my Chilton's does not list the GR-204. There is obviously a signicant difference in the length of them. ). In the Studebaker book 125449 is superceded as an exhaust valve by 126117 (1 1/2 in. dia. head, stem length not indicated) as well as valve spring 126254(9 coil, 12 springs used) along with spring washers 126266(thick) and 126265(thin) to be used as required. At the same serial number the valve spring retainer was changed from Stude number 44432 to 127267. My Chilton's shows a change in the valve guide for the EU. The Stude parts book does not indicate any change. The engine number prefix would have changed to GE along with the car model. According to the Stude parts book the change to the shorter valve and spring occurred before the end of EU production. My Dictator EU is Canadian serial number 1956037. Canadian EU serial numbers were 1954401 to 1956400, total number 1899 produced, so mine was built fairly close to the end of Canadian EU production, yet it has the early equal size valves. Anyone for a drink? Terry

Austin Sevens used two ball bearing crankshafts - ball at one end roller at the other. The engines are small, just 750 cc 4 cylinder side valve, but they readily accepted high performance modifications and were used in racing cars in England probably into the '40's. The racing engines were often supercharged and some were converted to twin overhead camshafts. These engines normally ran 9,400 rpm and could withstand as much as 12,000 using the ball bearings. Terry

Hi Stude8 I don't have a micrometer, so this is the best I can do. Head dia. 1 5/8 inch Stem length 6 7/16 in. Stem diameter 5/16 inch Single keeper groove 7/32 fron stem end, and 3/16 inch long Head angle is 45 deg. Terry

Hi hwellens The intake and exhaust valves in my 27 Dictator are both the same - the ones below what you highlighted. The change was made late in the year. The exhaust valves were reduced in size from 1 5/8 inches to 1 1/2 inches. Terry

Hi RBK It is a Dictctor 6, 242 ci, 1 5/8 valves, both intake and exhaust. Thx Terry

I need valves for a 1927 Studebaker Dictator 6. Anyone know of a source? Terry

The illustrated puller is the correct one. Put the axle nut on the axle backwards and flush with the end of the axle shaft. This prevents the end of the axle from mushrooming when tension is applied to the puller. Make sure the wheel nuts are tight when you install the puller. Tighten the puller screw with a wrench as much as possible, put the T bar on it and hit it as hard as you can with the biggest hammer in your arsenal! Two pound short handled sledges work well :-). That may break it loose. If not, hit the end of the puller screw hard. If repeating this doesn't produce results, leave the tension on it and walk away. Come back to it the next day. With luck it will have come loose. Terry

Hi Alan I concur with what Stude8 said. A very thin film of anti-seize compound and attention paid to the torque applied would likely do the job. As he said torque specs for cars of that age don't exist, so getting it right was more a case of luck than anything else. The service manual for my Dictator simply says to tighten it with a heavy wrench. (I think we've gone to the other extreme today. I don't think there is a screw, nut or bolt on a modern car that doesn't have a torque value applied to it.) Considering your line of work, I'm sure you're aware of this, but it bears mentioning that incorrectly installed axle keys can also cause cracked hubs and even broken axles, particularly if it is a tapered key. Terry

Hi Alan Don't use any lubricant on the axle taper. Doing so can result in the hub splitting. I would hesitate to use heat for the same reason. Good to see that the chassis has been identified. Terry

Neither Model T (no handbrake on the driver's left) nor Model A (too early). Terry

Hi Alan I'm afraid I'm not an expert on '28's. Both the GH and FB used the same wheelbase so it might be possible that the engine cradle is the same for both the 6 and the 8. A one inch difference in wheelbase is going to be hard to determine in your situation, but 120 would definitely make it a GB. As for rear axle ratios, Dictators could be ordered with three choices 4.18, 4.60 or 5.11. Thats the best I can do there. I can tell you that Stude made their own rear axles at that point and don't share any major parts with any other make. Regarding the rad shell, this is where my comment about '28's being a bit of a nuisance to restore comes into play. The bumper in your picture is the same as that used in 1927. Officially, '28 Studes used smooth bumper bars. I suppose it is possible that someone in the past fiddled with the bumpers, but I think it is unlikely. It has front wheel brakes on wood spoked wheels, something Stude did not do in 1927. Putting those two facts together, it can be assumed with some degree of certainty that the frame is from a very early 1928 car. This would likely mean that the body would have been a late 1927 body, possibly with 1928 style headlights! Are you still with me? I've got one more gem. Studes in 1927 used a rounded radiator shell with a curved front on the radiator core. The official 1928 rad shell and core are both flat fronted. If this car used the late '27 body, it would also have the '27 style radiator. Terry

Hi Alan I don't know anyone with a '28 at the moment. Most of my books cover up to 1927, but I can help with some technical info. If the serial plate is there, a number beginning with 403 will identify it as a '28 model GB Commander, 409 a model GH Commander. The GB looked substantially like a 1927 model, whereas the GH was completely restyled. A number starting with 600 identifies a model FA President, 700 a model FB, styling as above. The GB had a 120 inch wheelbase, GH and FB both had 121. The FA was 131. The GB and GH both came with Studes 353.8 ci big six (last year for it), early FA's had a 313.1 ci straight 8, later FA's and FB's had 336.7 ci (first year). Confused yet? Stude paid no attention to model years during the '20's, changing things when they felt it was needed. In 1928 they changed the body styling 3 times(the FB and GH were restyled twice), making 1928 a bit of a headache for restorers. Terry

Not a '53. That body style was current from 49-52. Terry

Based on the bumper and the cast iron brake drums on the wood spoked wheels I would say it is a 1928 Studebaker, probably Commander or President. Studes in 1927 used a similar bumper but did not have front brakes on wood spoked wheels. Stude Dictators had a 113 inch wheelbase and the brake cross shaft was under the cross member rather than behind it. Is there a serial number plate on the left frame rail behind the front wheel? They were poorly located and could be knocked off by flying rocks, but if it is there , or at least evidence of one, that would be a positive id. Terry

Headlight rims are 47-49 Stude Terry