1948 Studebaker Starlite Champion

[StudebakerRuss]

Hi everyone,

I have a 1948 Studebaker Champion Starlite Coupe. Father in-law owned and just passed recently.

It has a 81 Buick engine and trans. Runs pretty smooth, but gets hot pretty fast. Then most of the radiator water comes out when turned off.

Was wondering if I should try to add a reservoir overflow to the radiator, and what kind of coolant should be in the radiator.

Need to sell for my mother in-law, but would get a lot less if it's over heating and as-is.

Stering also has quite a bit of play, not sure how to tighten it up.

Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Russ

Edited March 26, 2019 by StudebakerRuss
update (see edit history)

[MikeC5]

I would get the radiator checked for blockage (internal).  Is the radiator original to the car?  If so, you might compare specs (area, number of rows tubes, etc.) with what would be found in an '81 Buick.  Maybe even a good original rad isn't up to the task.  Beautiful car.  It's too bad the Stude guts were thrown out as parts are not that difficult to come by (from what I've heard).  The non-original engine trans may hurt value too.

[TerryB]

Could even be a bad thermostat giving you fits.  Does it have an electric cooling fan?  Might be a bad connector there.

[StudebakerRuss]

Thank you for the responses Mike and Terry!

Will have the radiator checked for blockage, replace the thermostat (I noticed a spare with gasket in the trunk), and see if that takes care of the problem.

Not sure if the radiator is original from the Studebaker, or if he used the one from the Buick.

He worked on it off and on for about 20 years. He replaced the engine because of a cracked block.

Not sure what his reasoning was, I figured due to availability of parts but really don't know.

It does have an electric fan on the radiator that does work. It has a manual switch for the fan and I did have it on.

The temp did not get into the danger area, but when I turned the vehicle off, quite a bit of water came out the overflow.

Thanks again the input and your help!

Any other suggestions greatly appreciated!

Russ

[plymouthcranbrook]

Possibly wrong radiator cap with too low a pressure rating?

Edited March 26, 2019 by plymouthcranbrook (see edit history)

[Rusty_OToole]

About the steering. Probably best to leave it be if you are planning on selling. It can be improved but no one will pay extra because of it.

 

If you were keeping the car for yourself I would suggest having the front end inspected and worn parts replaced.  The steering box can be adjusted to reduce free play but you MUST follow the procedure outlined in the factory repair manual or you could ruin the steering box. While you are at it don't overlook the bolts that hold the box to the frame, and the idler arm.

 

I don't know if Studebaker used tubular shocks or lever action. If tubular replace them, if lever action fill with hydraulic jack oil if they are Delco, or the appropriate fluid if Houdaille.

 

Then get a front end alignment. Check or replace rear shocks too. Pump up the tires to 32 PSI. You will be impressed with how nice it rides and handles.

[StudebakerRuss]

40 minutes ago, plymouthcranbrook said:

Possibly wrong radiator cap with too low a pressure rating?

Will check on that too!

Thanks

[StudebakerRuss]

10 minutes ago, Rusty_OToole said:

About the steering. Probably best to leave it be if you are planning on selling. It can be improved but no one will pay extra because of it.

 

If you were keeping the car for yourself I would suggest having the front end inspected and worn parts replaced.  The steering box can be adjusted to reduce free play but you MUST follow the procedure outlined in the factory repair manual or you could ruin the steering box. While you are at it don't overlook the bolts that hold the box to the frame, and the idler arm.

 

I don't know if Studebaker used tubular shocks or lever action. If tubular replace them, if lever action fill with hydraulic jack oil if they are Delco, or the appropriate fluid if Houdaille.

 

Then get a front end alignment. Check or replace rear shocks too. Pump up the tires to 32 PSI. You will be impressed with how nice it rides and handles.

Thanks for the input on the steering.

Will check the external bolts and idler arm for anything loose and obvious, as well as check the tire pressure too.

Like you said since I'm just trying to make it presentable for sale, don't want to get overly involved in fixing more, since it won't increase selling cost.

Any suggestions on coolant or adding coolant overflow reservoir if the problem isn't radiator cap, thermostat or clogged radiator?

Looks like just water. Not see any color in the radiator fluid.

Thanks again for your input!

Lots of food for thought to look into!

 

[Spinneyhill]

Coolant: 50-50 antifreeze and water. Adding an overflow tank will admit a problem, perhaps.

 

Re the steering, if it steers fairly well, it will sell better. It would be worth at least looking at where the play is and perhaps adjusting it, as per the manual.

[Guest]

Perhaps you are over filling the radiator.  Coolant should just cover the core, leaving space for expansion.

[StudebakerRuss]

2 hours ago, Spinneyhill said:

Coolant: 50-50 antifreeze and water. Adding an overflow tank will admit a problem, perhaps.

 

Re the steering, if it steers fairly well, it will sell better. It would be worth at least looking at where the play is and perhaps adjusting it, as per the manual.

Hi, Did you mean adding a reservoir may create a problem?

Thanks

[StudebakerRuss]

1 hour ago, Tinindian said:

Perhaps you are over filling the radiator.  Coolant should just cover the core, leaving space for expansion.

Understood, I did top it off all the way to the top with distilled water. I'll be changing out the water with 50/50 coolant too.

Thanks so much!

Edited March 26, 2019 by StudebakerRuss
added info (see edit history)

[Rusty_OToole]

You should add a coolant overflow container. If it is the stock 48 Studebaker rad, be careful of pressure. I don't think they had any pressure at all back then. So use a 4 pound cap, definitely not a modern 16 pound cap. You could also try a 180 degree thermostat.

 

You do not state what kind of engine. A small V6 is different from a big V8 in cooling needs.

 

The heat gauge is another factor. As I said, the older cars ran cooler with lower temp thermostat and no pressure cap, so a modern engine with hotter thermostat may register high on the heat gauge. Like 3/4 of the way up instead of less than half. They are not marked off in degrees. If you have a laser thermometer you could take the temp of the  engine at the thermostat housing, and check the temp of the radiator and bottom hose to see how well it is cooling. It could be there is nothing wrong and it merely runs hotter than a 48 Studebaker.

[StudebakerRuss]

35 minutes ago, Rusty_OToole said:

You should add a coolant overflow container. If it is the stock 48 Studebaker rad, be careful of pressure. I don't think they had any pressure at all back then. So use a 4 pound cap, definitely not a modern 16 pound cap. You could also try a 180 degree thermostat.

 

You do not state what kind of engine. A small V6 is different from a big V8 in cooling needs.

 

The heat gauge is another factor. As I said, the older cars ran cooler with lower temp thermostat and no pressure cap, so a modern engine with hotter thermostat may register high on the heat gauge. Like 3/4 of the way up instead of less than half. They are not marked off in degrees. If you have a laser thermometer you could take the temp of the  engine at the thermostat housing, and check the temp of the radiator and bottom hose to see how well it is cooling. It could be there is nothing wrong and it merely runs hotter than a 48 Studebaker.

Hi Rusty,

Thanks for your reply.

It is a small v-6 Buick engine and trans. What I don't know is if it is the stock 1948 Stude Radiator or not.

The temp gauge shows some degrees up to 190 then says danger :). It didn't get into the danger zone, but right up to it.

I did only drive it for a short time though. Perhaps 10 mins or so.

Next time I'm out at the car, I'll see if there's a laser Thermometer he may have had, so I can check the actual temps in the area you suggested.

If not I'll see if I can get my hands on one.

Thanks again for all your points! I'm very impressed with all the comments and suggestions and they are all greatly appreciated.

Russ

 

[MikeC5]

If you can get a decent photo, someone here can probably tell if it's an original rad.

[StudebakerRuss]

7 minutes ago, MikeC5 said:

If you can get a decent photo, someone here can probably tell if it's an original rad.

Great, I'll take a couple photos of the Rad and Engine this weekend when I get out there and post em.

Thanks again!

Russ

[Spinneyhill]

2 hours ago, StudebakerRuss said:

Hi, Did you mean adding a reservoir may create a problem?

Thanks

No. I meant it might indicate there is a problem and the overflow tank was an attempt to rectify it.

[Rusty_OToole]

2 hours ago, StudebakerRuss said:

Hi Rusty,

Thanks for your reply.

It is a small v-6 Buick engine and trans. What I don't know is if it is the stock 1948 Stude Radiator or not.

The temp gauge shows some degrees up to 190 then says danger :). It didn't get into the danger zone, but right up to it.

I did only drive it for a short time though. Perhaps 10 mins or so.

Next time I'm out at the car, I'll see if there's a laser Thermometer he may have had, so I can check the actual temps in the area you suggested.

If not I'll see if I can get my hands on one.

Thanks again for all your points! I'm very impressed with all the comments and suggestions and they are all greatly appreciated.

Russ

 

If it has a 190 degree thermostat then 190 or slightly above is normal operating temperature. With today's 16 pound pressurized systems you can go to 240 without worry, on the old non pressurized systems 212 is the limit. Which is why they used to run a 160 Tstat in summer, 180 in winter (so the heater worked better).

 

You should be able to tell if the rad is original. Here is an engine compartment picture showing the original rad

 

 

 

[MikeC5]

Yea that huge header tank should be a giveaway.

[JACK M]

These Starlite coupes are among my favorites.

I would love to own this one but am keeping an eye out for a flathead six.