Jim S

LOL!

Why are electrical problems always rooted behing the dash?!! Any thoughts on why this fuse keeps blowing? I'm thinking about just wireing a whole new set of wires for these four items and bypass the old circuit. But looking at the wireing diagram it appears it runs through the courtesy light and cigar lighter too. Any tips are welcome.

My '72 RQB1878 had a 400cid in it. I found out the hard way because everything I read indicated it was a 350. When I replaced the 400 with a 350 long block I found out the harmonic balancer and flex plate were the external balancers and the new engine vibrated. Once I swapped those 2 componets out with the correct ones, no more vibration. A hard and expensive lesson was learned.

I ordered a build sheet way back in last June for my 72 from Nostalgic Motors. As of this writing I have still not recieved it. I contacted Dan Booth nearly a month ago and he told me they did not get the VIN number of my car. I provided it. He said the sheet is going in the mail that day. I have still not recieved it. I finally spoke with Dan yesterday. Apparently, the US mail service is the culprit. He has mailed me a second copy of my build sheet. I had a great conversation with Dan for almost an hour. He is a wealth of information and my new number one go to for many of my needs!

Yes, for sure!

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!

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

It's one step forward two steps back. My steering gear box was dry so I filled it. Today I woke up to a puddle of oil under the car! Does anyone have a source or part number for the sector shaft seal on a 72? I couln't find it on any of the regular Studebaker parts sources. Thanks. (also my overheating problem is resolved. Holding steady at 170 degrees!)

Thank-you. I figured that was the case. My 87 (on the Monte Carlo base) had that pump. I wanted to install it on the 72, but there is not enough clearance for it on the Studebaker frame so I had to go with the smaller pump.

This is the Chevy motor we are taking about now. It has a Quadrajet carburetor with the internal fuel filter. There's only one line from the fuel pump to the carb. So I don't see where a return line would connect?

My 72 has a line coming from the fuel line drain tee on the frame. It goes up and ends on the passenger side of the engine. I had to plug it or else fuel comes running out. Where is this thing supposed to go? Or should it not even supposed to be there. I thought the tee on the frame was supposed to have a plug in it to drain fuel if needed.

I had a 63 30 years ago and pretty much knew Avantis (Studebaker) pretty well. Now a Chev-Vanti is a tad bit different in the wireing but I figuring it all out!

I assumed that would be OK. But I was waiting for someone to suggest that it would be OK too!

The water pump I used is from Jeggs. I incorrectly called it a racing water pump. It's basicly a heavy duty high flow pump. I also took out the old surge tank and and put in an inline filler spout in the upper radiator hose like the later models. I think that will aid in getting out more air. I can't accurately set the timing until I can idle the engine. The instructions that came with the new engine specificly stated not to let it idle until break in was complete.

Thank-you everyone. I guess I have my work cut out for me!

I pulled the trigger and bought a 350 long block freshly professionally rebuilt. I have a brand new aluminum Avanti radiator. I have a heavy duty racing water pump and electric fan. The new engine needs to be run a 2,000 rpm for 30 mins to break in. I can't run it for 15 mins without the temp guage pegging to 240 and it overheating. I've purged the air out as well. I am lost why this thing won't run cooler. If I can't fix it soon, it will have to be sold at a huge loss. A friend told me that Avantis have an inherant air flow problem through the radiator. He said some people got more flow installing an air dam. Has anyone tried this? Or does anyone make an aftermarket add on?

OK, I installed a brand new aluminum radiator, new water pump (and 180 thermostat) and an electric fan enclosed in a shroud that covers the radiator. I flushed the system until all the rusty water was clear. I run the engine and she still got hot up to 240 on the guage. I shut it down and let the fan run. (the fan kicked on at 160). It go so hot the lover radiator hose blew of the water pump as I walked by and my back was scaulded with second degree burns that landed me in the hospital burn ward. I'm deeply disapointed in this car and don't know what to do next to get it to run cooler. My 87 with a 305 had all the same new componets and it never got hotter than 150 degrees even in heavy traffic on a 90 degree day!

Problem solved. I had the dash out and discovered the AC fan is grounded when it is bolted to the dash frame. Dash back in, and Fan powers up! Now on to troubleshooting no dash lights! It never ends!

I ran power as directed, and get nothing. I ran 12+ straight to the black (fan wire) and nothing. Does anyone know where on the box it is grounded? I have the dash out, but don't see any ground wires. If it's grounded somewhere, I may have a dead blower motor? I can't begin to imagine what it will take to get that thing out!

Thank you!