All Activity

PS… those 400’s had so much torque they broke the frame under the engine mount on several Avanti ll’s!

I understand… but I did not mean to pull the engine trans together…Last time I did a job like that, I unbolted the engine from the trans, and left the transmission in place… Not too bad a job with the Chevy engine… a bit harder with the larger Studebaker V8! Ther 400 CI engines were factory installed as standard equipment in Avanti ll’s from ‘71 thru about ‘77… I’m guessing on the years.

I agree on pulling the engine/tranny together. Problem for me is, I can't find a hoist with a boom long enough to reach the center of the engine. This last swap was very difficult to do with the short boom I had to work with. It took 3 people with a lof of muscle to push the engine forward at an angle on the hoist. I looked at the 72 specs on Bob Johnson's page and it showed only a 350 engine. Probably where the confusion lay. Was the 400 a special option?

Well that’s all in all good news!…..Your 350 should run smooth as silk with the 400 parts changed out…. Yes, the trans can be pulled back without engine removal, but if it were me, I think I’d pull the motor….Pretty easy with a Chevy in an Avanti!

I wish to thank all the smart people for enlightening me on this subject. After comparing the harmonic balancer on my engine, it is indeed from a 400ci. The guy that sold me the car thought it was a 350 and so that is the long block I installed. So I have to change out the balancer and the flex plate. I only ran the engine for less than an hour and pray I have not damaged it!!. Last question is can the trannie be dropped with the engine in place on an Avanti? Or do I have to pull the engine? I'd like to just take it to a transmission shop to change the flex plate.

Yes…A0136 is correct about that front damper if your Avanti originally had the 400 CI engine…and a ‘72 would have.

I don't know which engine was in the car before. I have no information on it. The flex plate mounted with 3 flanges to the torque convertor. I have been waiting for over a month to get the build sheet I ordered. It still has not come yet.

Jim Did your 72 Avanti still have the 400 Chevy engine. If it did the 400 is externally balanced using a different front dampener and flex plate than the 350 used. You will need to install the 350 dampener and flex plate. Steve.

I don't know about that. I purchased it from Powertrain Products. I was just a professionally rebuilt Chevy 350 long block minus only the manifolds, water pump and harmonic balancer. I bolted the crankshaft to my flexplate and that to the transmission assy.

Jim What did you find was causing the overheating? Steve.

Is the new engine one of the external balance units?… If so, you may not be using the correct flex plate.

So, I've squashed nearly all my issues so far ( over heating, steering gear leak etc) But this new engine seems to have some pretty significant vibration. It's bolted up to the same flexplate, torque converter and transmission as the old engine. No vibration when coasting (engine off) so I thing the u joints are OK. One mechanic I know listened to it yesterday and said to replace the motor mounts. I did that today and it made no difference. I'm stumped on this one. Any ideas, i'm all ears. Thanks in advance!

Seal replaced, no more leaking steering gear.

WOW, very impressive on the overall quality of your work. love the added touches you have installed and you should be very proud. I expect to be wintering in and around Texas this winter and will look to see if your going to be in a car show anywhere near me. Love to see it first hand.

We bought our 2006 Avanti GT Convertible in 2024 from the original owner and it is #11 of approximately 28 cars made in 2006-2007 on the S197 Mustang chassis. I immediately began updating the car to what I consider more modern standards and have posted most of the changes during this year. For our final and most intensive improvement, this post will show you what was done and at the end, I’ll highlight this car’s build. I hope you enjoy it! The modifications to the cars body started with our attending the Mustang Week event in Galveston Texas last April. With hundreds of Mustangs there, I was able to see all of the things that could be done to our car and set out to do each one of them. We got a lot of attention with our “Avanti Mustang” there and next year we are going to blow them away. OK, I’m going to highlight our first 2 body mods and then move into our last, a custom-made lower rear valance.

Anybody have a damaged Avanti radiator shroud. I’d like to do some cutting and reforming but don’t want to cut up the good one on my car.

Thanks! I'll keep you posted. I'm not going to put it off for 50 years like I did with the fawn steering wheel.

Very true….. Good luck with the project!

Check this out, from Bob Johnstone's Avanti site: https://studebaker-info.org/Tech/Parts/2013/timkin50151s.html

Yes, there is a filter inside the Q-Jet carb. There was also originally an external fuel filter with a return line to the tank. (by the way this return line to the tank is essential for preventing vapor lock when it's hot). Your '72 Avanti II was also originally equipped with with a charcoal vapor recovery canister as part of it's EPA emissions equipment. This would've been mounted on the right side of the engine along the inner fender. These also had fuel lines and hoses between the canister and the carb, and the canister and the tank. Someone on the past 53 years may have removed it, and one of these line could be the source of your leak.

Yes, the degree of difficulty will rise on the walnut wheel. However, as with every other aspect of life, Google is your friend. A search results in several "How To" links to restoring and replicating wood grain on plastic steering wheels used on the Avanti and several GM cars built in the 1960s. It just takes time and that's why the folks who restore wheels charge what they do. Materials required are inexpensive. It's the hours of labor that jacks up the cost.

I’d imagine trying to replicate the ‘walnut’ paint look would be a real challenge… I’ve seen, on a few of the later Avantis, that Studebaker used a ‘straight brown’ color on the steering wheel on a few of their ‘walnut grain dash/console cars.

Resurrecting an older thread…. Years ago I saw a photo of an Avanti R2 engine whose owner had somehow installed a dual groove idler pulley to the right (viewing engine from the front) and slightly higher than the factory iron water pump pulley…….. This took all supercharger belt pressure off of the water pump bearings… although it required custom bracketry and longer supercharger drive belts…..Interesting modification I thought! PS… water pump was still turned by alternator belt.

Thanks, filler material is two part slow drying epoxy. Drying time: 24-48 hours for best results for shaping, grinding, and sanding. Paint is primer, base coat, and clear coat. Color matching and painting were both done by a local auto body shop. I can't weld and I can't paint. But, after a lot of research and YouTube video watching I felt I could do the rim rebuilding. All of the "grunt" work prior to painting was done in my garage. If you do it yourself, plan on many hours with a Dremel tool, power sander, mini file set, and progressively finer sand paper. I'll be working on my walnut Avanti wheel next.

I was able to get seals from local supplier ( bearing,belt, and chain)