1926 Big Six- NEED HELP!!!!

[Alan Scott]

Looking for help. I was able to get our 1926 Studebaker big six/ Bickle Fire truck out of storage. The motor problems are quite big I have been told. The gentleman who re-did our motor in 2003 thinks that the crank shaft is broken. We are going to pull the pan tomorrow to confirm his diagnosis. I'm looking for respectable Studebaker Mechanic near Toronto to take our Stud! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

This truck is the last of three of it's kind. I do not want to replace the motor with a GM or a Ford which has been suggested to me.

Thanks in advance

Alan

[Rusty_OToole]

Is this the one at Welcome?

For Studebaker lore the guy to see is Roy Graham. He lives north of Belleville and he has been selling and working on Studebakers since the 40s.

You might bump into him at Stirling flea market this weekend. It's just a few miles north of his house.

[Rusty_OToole]

The engine may not be too hard to replace. I say this because I have been looking at Studebaker ads lately and there seems to be more Studebaker trucks out there than cars.

In other words, they sold an awful lot of Studebaker trucks. Which surprised me.

[Alan Scott]

Rusty;

Thanks for the information. I'll try to contact him this weekend.

Alan

[Ivan Saxton]

I gave one of those Big Six engines some years ago to a fellow who had a car. (It was pretty rough, but probably useful salvage). I seem to recall that it may have had separate block and crankcase, bolted together. If that is so on yours, and it has a broken crankshaft, you may well discover that the main bearings have been bored so they are out of line when the block is bolted down. This was done to my L-head Mercer without my knowledge, and it took about 3000 miles to break the crankshaft. If the bearings are off-line by more than the thickness of the oil film the crankshaft will bend as it revolves. Some years later I had the job of completing the unfinished rebuild of a 1923 Metallurgique engine; and the crankshaft went tight when the block was bolted down. I had to re-pour and re-bore the centre main bearing!!!!!

Regards, Ivan Saxton

[Alan Scott]

Thanks Ivan for the information, I'll keep that in mind!

[oldford]

Contact Tom Laferriere in Rhode Island, he reads and posts to this forum. He needed a timing gear and bought a complete engine in Boston a year or so ago. He may still have the crank. It's worth a try.

Frank

[Alan Scott]

Thanks Frank;

I'll give it a try. My mechanic is coming over tomorrow to let me know for sure what is going.

Thanks again