All Activity

Well, very sorry to hear that…. but thank you for sharing that information.

I am having a problem with the new front springs. They do not sit perfectly vertical.....At the top (the pocket of the frame) the spring is pushed to the side of the pocket resulting in major noise from metal on metal movement, whenever I hit a small bump. The opposite side of the pocket has about 1-1.5 inches of clearance. The shop that installed said that the top of the spring is centred in the pocket and then looked for solutions including rotating the springs, but indicated that it would only move the contact point to a different spot on the pocket. The base of the spring has a tangential end which may be causing it to slide to one side on the base support. Do I have the wrong base type for the application (should it be square)? Is there a base plate that could centre the base of the spring? Should I simply get a pair of springs from one of the vendors and replace these (new) ones? Would a new set of springs have the same problem? Enquiring minds and all that!

In my experience with several R2s, both back in the day and today, you will need to use gasoline of higher octane than the current 93 if using R1 heads with a blower. Going from 9.0:1 to 10.25:1 C.R. will increase the chance of pinging considerably (& increase power considerably too). You could add some racing or aviation gasoline to 93 octane. A while ago someone on the SDC Forum said that he was running 570 heads (R1 heads) with a blower successfully, but I suspect he was using something above 93 octane gas. Yours is an intriguing thought. As we know an R1 will beat an R2 up to 30-40 MPH, and that is partly (mostly?) due to the higher compression ratio of an R1. With the small number of miles most of us drive our cars today the additional cost of higher octane gas would be insignificant. BTW, an R3 has a 9.75:1 C.R., so gives us an indication of what happens when increasing the C.R. on a supercharged Stude. I had an R3 in the late 1960's and it required Sunoco 260 (which is NLA) or it would ping. (I can't address the ping resistance of an R1 head versus an R3 head, however.) As far as what happens when using insufficient octane gas in a Studebaker: A local '63 Avanti with an R4 engine experienced failure because the owner didn't buy only Sunoco 260 gas and ignored the pinging. R4s have a C.R. of 12:1 (but no blower). When the engine was pulled apart EVERY ring was broken and one or two cylinders needed to be sleeved. You must NOT ignore pinging. --Dwight

Avanti R1 owners who have desired to add a Paxton supercharger to their car have hesitated due to the complexity and relative unavailability of factory R2 heads… I’ve often wondered if the R1 heads really need to be changed at all? Period Paxton literature indicated that their standard 5 lb. boost supercharger was compatible with compression ratios up to 11 to one (using premium fuel) … and up to 12.5 to one with “the proper camshaft and fuel” Has anyone ever heard of an Avanti R1 engine failing after a Paxton was added to it (without changing the heads)? Did Studebaker make this compression ratio change strictly out of warranty caution? Opinions?

Yes, for sure!

My starter was sluggish and I finally sliced the positive cable from the battery to the starter. Yep, it had green corrosion inside. Replacing it made a big difference. Probably not your problem with the randomness but something to be aware of. Mike

The starter solenoid on the Chevy engine is not normally serviced separately. It is integral to the starter motor, and the two are usually replaced as a unit. To determine if the issue is with the solenoid, a voltmeter can be used to determine if it is getting voltage when you turn the key to the "start" position. Another check is to touch a 12V jumper wire to the small terminal of the solenoid to se if the starter operates. But, as your problem is intermittent, this may not necessarily give an accurate result. A shade-tree mechanic approach is to hold the key in the start position (when the starter doesn't operate) and have an assistant tap on the starter with a hammer. If the starter then springs to life, it's time for a new starter.

Glad you got your overheating problem solved! Yes the transmission can be removed without removing the engine. This would also be a good time to examine the transmission mount and the driveshaft U-joints.

The car was originally shipped to Austrailia and raced on road courses. About 15 years ago it was restored back to it's original street-use configuration and sold. From the following SDC thread, the R4 may have been installed after the car left South Bend and soon after it arrived in Austrailia, expressly for racing: https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/11401-anyone-know-about-this-r4-car

I think I just didn't get all the air out of the system. Runs cool now. What I didn't know is my car was a late production with a 400 in it! I put the harmonic balancer and flexplate from that engine on the 350. If I didn't have bad luck, I'd have none at all. I changed out the balancer for the correct one. But I need a transmission shop to change the flex plate. I've been told it can be done with the engine in the car, and that the transmission can be unbolted and moved back enough to drop the flexplate. I hope they are correct as that is what I told the shop that will perform the job!

Thanks very much -is there a way to fix it or do I need a new one?

Another possibility is that the starter solenoid is sticking. Sticking in the retracted position would account for nothing happening when you turn the key. Then, sticking in the engaged position when the engine starts could account for the noise, as it would be the same effect as holding the key in the start position.

Actually the 299 R3 was not stroked, it was just .060 over. The proof is the R3 crankshaft drawing shows that it is for the 299 and 304 engine.

SOLD 07/19/2025

Thanks Gunslinger appreciate it

Check all the connections for tightness and corrosion…both hot lead and ground. It may require disconnecting everything…cleaning it all and reconnecting everything tight. You might also do a starter draw test and see how many amps the starter is drawing. The noise may be the starter bolts have loosened and a shim is loose or gone…BTDT. The starter itself may be dry and needing rebuilding or replacing.

Battery reads 100% charged but 2 issues First issue is sometimes I turn the key and it is absolutely dead. Then moments later I can start it. Second issue is when it does turnover sometimes I get a shrill type sound of two pieces of metal rubbing together right before it starts. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you everyone. Kevin A83

Apparently the frame is broken so ordered one from Dan Booth that was taken from another vehicle. Then runner and vent window will have to be swapped.

If you part it out, I might need a few for my own ‘75. If not, should be interesting.

THEY WERE OFF A C3 CORVETTE.... MAN, DO I EVER LIKE THEM. YOU ARE CORRECT... I FOUND OUT THEY ARE Sanderson Headers CC5-158-BEC -... $700 ..... THANKS FOR YOU INPUT....BB

The transmission only needs to be moved rearward 3-4” to install the new flex plate. Any reputable transmission / repair shop should be able to do that.

RQB3263.... WHEN I INSTALLED THE 700R4 IN 3263 THE TH350 CAME OUT AND 700 BACK IN 3 HRS ROUND TRIP WITH ONE HOTRODDER THAT KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING AND ME....AND A BORROWED TRANS JACK.... ... SO NO NEED TO PULL THE ENGINE ...BILL IN FLORIDA

Can anyone tell me the brand of headers these are?

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.