1936 Hudson 8 issues with motor or drive train?

[rhurst]

Looking to buy a 1936 Hudson 8 and was wondering if anyone has any experience with this car concerning the engine or other parts of the drive train. I really need to know what I need to be checking before I buy.

Thanks

Robert

[Rusty_OToole]

Hudson had their own unique approach to building cars and engines. The engine was extremely simple, light and small for its power. They used splash lubrication with a low pressure pump and a small bore, long stroke design. The piston rings were pinned in place. They had a unique oil bath clutch lined with corks. Transmission was also small and simple, not much bigger than a grapefruit. They were the first car to feature idiot lights in place of gauges. I believe this was because with the splash lubrication oil pressure was practically meaningless.

 

In spite of all this they seemed to stand up as well as most other makes. They had a good reputation for speed, performance and handling thanks to light weight and good chassis and supension design. I would not want to drive one over 50 MPH for more than a very short time because the long stroke design and  lubrication system is not suited to high speed use. This was not a big deal when the car was new but times have changed and so has the demand for speed.

 

Engineers at a well known English luxury car maker analysed the Hudson and found the Hudson 4.2 liter straight eight was shorter and lighter than their 3.5 liter six and produced more power.

 

Hope this gives you some ideas. They are a good car but a little off beat. Some people, such as myself, like that. While others don't.

Edited February 17 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history)

[rhurst]

Thanks Rusty,

I'll check for a leaky head gasket and the cylinder compression.

Robert

P.S. I've almost sobered up after drinking the case of wine to get my corks for

       my Hudson clutch. You were right everything seems better now......

[rhurst]

Rusty,

You mentioned not designed for high speed use.  I thought Hudson was the premier race car in it's day and I am sure

they were going over 50 mph.

Robert

[Rusty_OToole]

My father drove a 1947 Hudson Commodore Eight when I was a kid and it was a late model car. He was a lead foot and routinely drove it at 70 MPH or more which was fast in those pre interstate days. The engine lasted about 5 years then it was shot. It was going to cost $320 for a rebuild, twice as much as a Ford or Chev. So he traded it in on a new Chevrolet.

 

On the way home he almost lost it and skidded into the ditch taking a curve at 50 that he routinely took at 70 in the Hudson. He took the car back to the dealer and had the mechanic check the steering and suspension. The mechanic could not find anything amiss, he asked what the trouble was, my father told him and the mechanic laughed "you can't expect a Chevy to handle like a Hudson".

 

I wouldn't mind having a good Hudson today but in view of the babbit bearings, long stroke design, splash lubrication, and advanced age  I would rather drive at 50 for ten years than drive at 70 for one day. The same thing goes for many other cars of the time, such as Chevrolet.

 

The point is, they were a good car within their limits and if you baby it, may still last you a long time.

Edited February 17 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history)

[Rusty_OToole]

The Fabulous Hudson Hornet that set all the speed records and dominated NASCAR in the early days, was a completely different engine. It was a brand new, six cylinder of modern flathead design that owed nothing to the prewar models. The new engine debuted in 1951 and the old straight eight phased out in 1952.

[Rusty_OToole]

Here is some in depth discussion of performance possibilities of the Hudson straight eight compared to the Hornet six. Much food for thought here. If you read to the bottom there is one comment that above 4000 RPM the oil can't run into the oil troughs fast enough for the dippers to lubricate the bearings. Max HP 4200 RPM.

 

https://openforum.hetclub.org/discussion/172581/hudson-straight-8

Edited February 17 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history)

[roysboystoys]

From google. Many articles on Hudson speed records.

I had a 1947 Hudson eight convertible with overdrive I drove at freeway speeds with no problems.

Had a 1937 Terraplane 6 I drove at 60 every where we went. No problems.

Maybe todays oils are the difference?

 

Their durability and performance was unmatched and accounted for 38 records in 1937, many of them high speed records and endurance runs. At Bonneville, a Hudson Deluxe Eight covered 2,104 miles in 24 hours at an average speed of 87.67-mph.Apr 15, 2019

[m-mman]

I have a 1942 Commodore eight.  
It’s good, it runs well BUT don’t ever confuse it with a 1950s stepdown with a 308 and twin H.  
 

Two other considerations;  to run a splasher 8 today at interstate speeds it must have overdrive (not a bolt in feature with floor shift cars) and parts to rebuild an eight are not common or plentiful.  

[roysboystoys]

History of the 1948-1952 Hudson Commodore

The new Hudsons were offered in Super Six and Super Eight forms, with the Sixes using a 121-hp, 262-cid flathead six-cylinder engine, and the Eights relying upon a 254-cid, 128-hp straight-eight motor.

 

Not a Hornet competitor, but equal to the new six. I found the 8 to be smoother running.

I had four Hornets, all good runners, certainly the choice for interstate  travel unless you have an 8 with overdrive.

 

I will add , you don't want an eight that needs a rebuild in these times. The 6 cyl Hornet runs at least $3500 , the eight double if you need all the machine work done. If you can find the rods and mains or someone to pour them. I did a bench build on my 47 8 cyl in the 80's for about $400, all parts were available from HET members that hoarded them . Not much left now, very pricey when you find them.

Edited February 18 by roysboystoys (see edit history)

[Rusty_OToole]

Your grandma may have been a great dancer in her youth but you can't expect her to jump up and do the boogaloo like she did when she was 18.

 

Likewise, if I had a pre 1952 Hudson with poured bearings long stroke and splash lubrication I would rather baby it than run the risk of an expensive rebuild.  They may have been capable of great speed back when they were new but I wouldn't want to push one today.

[rhurst]

Just found out that the 1936 Railton added a pump to give the engine extra oil.  Would this solve the problem

when running at higher RPM's?  How would this work?

Robert

[60FlatTop]

On 2/17/2024 at 2:39 PM, Rusty_OToole said:

. I would not want to drive one over 50 MPH for more than a very short time

I have experience with a 1932 Greater Eight and in discussions with the owner we both agreed it is a "city car". Geared pretty tight and not a car to just jump into and head for Buffalo, 60 miles away.

 

[alsancle]

41 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

I have experience with a 1932 Greater Eight and in discussions with the owner we both agreed it is a "city car". Geared pretty tight and not a car to just jump into and head for Buffalo, 60 miles away.

 

 

Any more pictures Bernie?  That looks like a very attractive club sedan.  I like the wood wheels too.

[60FlatTop]

I do have a lot of pictures. I will post them in a separate topic with some stories.

 

The 1932 Greater Eight close coupled sedan and the 1933 Essex Terraplane 8 convertible coupe now in the Wayne Newton collection both belonged to a friend. I did a bit of post-restoration reliability work on both.

 

Flowers courtesy of my wife.

[Jon37]

Periodically, over the years, various Hudson enthusiasts have had high speed ring and pinion gears machined, to help the older Hudsons go faster.  These fit models from about 1934 to 1940.  They would be made up in batches,, then would go out of production, then someone else would have a few more sets made.  They were never cheap.  Once in a long while a set will come up for sale. I don't recall the exact ratio; maybe 3-5/9 to one.

 

If you could find a set, these would enable you to cruise at 60 mph without having to retro-fit an overdrive transmission, which weren't available in the 36's anyway.  When installed, these ring and pinions would be a perfectly authentic way to achieve your goal.

 

Another method of getting more MPH's on the 1930's Hudsons, is to use a modern rear axle that will fit.  This wouldn't look authentic, but it could always be removed and the original rearend re-installed, if the car is to be judged in a show.