Road trip - picked up 1929 Dictator engine for shipment to Australia

[Gary_Ash]

My wife Jane and I drove from our house on the south coast of Massachusetts (New Bedford area) down to Northport, Long Island (NY) to pick up an engine for one of our Australian ASC members. We took the ferry from New London, CT to Orient Point at the outer end of the North Fork of LI. Ted had removed the engine from his 1929 Dictator many years ago and replaced it with a Chevy V8, Mustang front end, and some other modern axle. With the hood closed, the only give-away is the set of modern spoked 15" rims.

We got the engine out of his shed, but clipped the fuel pump and broke the housing on the Stewart-Warner A-62600 pump. Does anyone have a spare pump or even just the main body? The pump seems to be Studebaker part 168614. The broken body has P-62600 as a casting number. The engine serial number is S13775, which would make it a 1930 Model 53 engine. I'm not sure how to reconcile the 1929 vs 1930 designation of Ted's car. The forged pump arm has a nearly-illegible number stamped on it, perhaps P-63365. The glass fuel bowl got broken, too.

The engine is in great shape, almost no rust, had been kept dry for all these years, all the parts still there. Ted's buddy Chris helped us to put the engine in a wood cradle in my trailer using an engine hoist I brought along. It took us about 2-1/2 hours to move, load, and lash it down tight. Then Jane and I drove out through the small towns and vineyards on outer LI, spent the night in the village of Greenport. We had planned to hit the beach the next day before getting on the ferry, but the day turned rainy and I had to wrap some plastic sheet around the engine.

On the ferry trip home, we came into New London, just across the river from Groton, home of Electric Boat, the nuclear submarine factory. We saw the Coast Guard's sailing ship Eagle on the New London side - and a low, black nuclear sub in front of the General Dynamics shipyard as it went out to sea. It had escort boats front and rear with sailors standing ready at the .50-caliber machine guns.

I'll wash down the engine to get the grease off, deliver it to a company that builds certified insect-free wooden crates, and the freight consolidator will pick it up to put it in a container to Sydney, Australia. A ship leaves Boston every 7-10 days for Sydney, takes 31 days in transit.

Chris (left) and Ted with 1929 Dictator

The engine in the trailer at a farm stand on Long Island.

On the Cross Sound Ferry.

Entering New London harbor, U.S. Coast Guard ship "Eagle" at her dock at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

A nuclear sub heads out to sea passing in front of the General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard at Groton, CT.

[Guest jpatino]

Hi Gary. This gentleman is selling a 29/30 Dictator that is in rough shape. Not sure if it has an engine or not or which one. Can't hurt to ask if he'd be willing to sell the fuel pump if it is the one you're looking for. He has an earlier Studebaker also so make sure he knows which one you are talking about.

1929 studebaker

[Gary_Ash]

I got a quote from "Then and Now Automotive" in Weymouth, Mass. for a new fuel pump, price isn't too bad when compared to a full rebuild kit. I can't believe how many different part numbers there are for the fuel pumps - Studebaker seems to have changed them every year, as well as using both AC and Stewart-Warner pumps. Then and Now has reproduced the AC castings, can build a new one from scratch, though sometimes they want the actuator arm from the old one, if available.

Here's a side view of the block. The casting number is 170210-2 and the casting date is J-4-10. I'm pretty sure this is a Model 53 engine from 1930, not a 1929 model. Does anyone know how to de-code the casting date?

Edited August 15, 2013 by Gary_Ash (see edit history)

[studeboy]

The engine serial number should be stamped on a raised boss on the side of the engine. That should tell which engine it is.

[Gary_Ash]

Yes, the serial number is S13775, which is consistent with it being a Model 53 from 1930. That's what made me start questioning things. The donor car is titled as a 1929 model, but maybe that just means it was first registered in 1929. Many old cars got titles and registrations based on date of first sale, not manufacturer's nominal model year.

The current issue is whether the flywheel, clutch, bell housing and transmission from a 1929 model GE dictator can be used on the newer S13775 engine. The parts catalog shows the GE transmission and bell housing as being a one-piece casting. I was also concerned about the pilot bushing/bearing compatability. We might need to go get these pieces from the Model 53. Is it just a matter of using the older mounting plate or did the bolt hole pattern change in the blocks, as well. Nothing is ever simple!

[Guest jpatino]

There's an ad in for a complete GE motor and transmission in the last ASC for sale for $900 if you decide you need another motor. The gentlemans email is rlburke1@vdc.net.

Edited August 18, 2013 by jpatino (see edit history)

[hadhec]

There's an ad in for a complete GE motor and transmission in the last ASC for sale for $900 if you decide you need another motor. The gentlemans email is rlburke1@vdc.net.

What is ASC?

[hadhec]

I have tried the email for the GE engine for sale. It doesn't recognise it. Are there any other way of getting in touch with this guy

[rbk]

ASC is "The Antique Studebaker Club" with this forum and the "Antique Studebaker Review" as a publication.

The seller of the complete GE engine maybe Robert Burke in Arizona.

I do not have his phone number.

Robert Kapteyn

[studerex]

Gary

The casting date is April 10th 1930. J is calendar year 1930. Those are rare fuel pumps. The Stewart warner were use on many classic cars in the early 30s. But the more available ac will fit. Classic and exotic restorations in michigan reproduces the base. I think I have some spares. I'll contact you when I locate it.