250 ci 8 question

August 10, 2013

Hi Everyone. When and if did Studebaker start using inserts in their 250 straight 8 engines instead of Babbitt? Also, can the 29/30 motor be easily converted using the rods, bearings, and stuff from the newer engines?

Thanks,

Jojo

studerex · August 11, 2013

Hi Everyone. When and if did Studebaker start using inserts in their 250 straight 8 engines instead of Babbitt? Also, can the 29/30 motor be easily converted using the rods, bearings, and stuff from the newer engines?
Thanks,
Jojo

Insert bearings started in 35 on the president and commander. Don't know if early motors can be converted but that's a mute point anyway because the bearings are impossible to find.

herm111 · August 11, 2013

Hi Everyone. When and if did Studebaker start using inserts in their 250 straight 8 engines instead of Babbitt? Also, can the 29/30 motor be easily converted using the rods, bearings, and stuff from the newer engines?
Thanks,
Jojo

Just about all engines from the 20's to the late 40's to early 50's had babbitted inserts on steel or bronze shells, on the mains.

Herm.

Edited August 11, 2013 by herm111 (see edit history)

August 12, 2013

Thanks for the info. Just trying to keep my options open when I get ready to rebuild my engine.

bluetaxi · September 8, 2013

Back in the late 90’s, Ford Stoecker wrote and article for The Antique Studebaker Review on “Rebuilding the 250 Cubic Inch Studebaker 8 Cylinder Engine”. I followed Ford’s advice in rebuilding my ’32 Dictator’s engine in about 2006-7, and it worked out very well. Get hold of Rick Peterson or someone from the Review - maybe they will republish it (maybe with an update from Ford S.?) Key information:

Rod Bearings: Same as the 2 cylinder 54 cu in Caterpillar “Pony” engines , 1.875” dia: Federal Mogul part #1360SB

Main Bearings: 2.344” dia (which is odd, but several engines use 2.374”, so a .030” undersize will fit standard journals).

Rear #9: Rod bearing from an Allis Chalmers WD or WD-45 – Federal Mogul #2440SB

Intermediate #2,3,4,6,7 & 8: rod bearings from a Chrysler 383 (1961-71): Clevite #CB527P

Brgs #5 & #1: Rod bearings from an International Truck 6cyl 240 or 265 cu in: Clevite #CB 475P

Most every bearing shell will have the “tang” on the wrong side, and often some minor machining is necessary to get oil holes lined up, etc. Ford gives credit in his article to Performance Antiques (phone 573-243-7322) for taking the time going through bearing catalogs to figure all this out.

Spitfire8 · September 11, 2013

Rick: Good luck finding even those "secondary" bearings. When I recently tried locating them, most were no longer available. Bill.

bluetaxi · September 11, 2013

Rick: Good luck finding even those "secondary" bearings. When I recently tried locating them, most were no longer available. Bill.

When I did it, the most difficult was the rod bearings from the Cat pony engine. My local bearing house had to track them down with direct calls to some network contacts. I have another complete engine waiting rebuild, so I probably should tear it down and start looking for what I need in the way of bearings for it.

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