Jim S

I did finally get it adjusted using the pin in the hole method.

Great news! I finally found a good shop in my area willing to tackle the removal of my transmission. They had to cut a section of the right side exhaust pipe for clearance, but got it out. The torque convertor snout was worn and causing premature wear on the front seal and the pump bushing. Hopefully a new convertor and seals will finally stop all the leakage!

I appreciate the tip. However on my car, the linkage that moves the lever on the steering collumn (from the transmision) is not there. So the switch does not move.

I thought so too. They are very close to the transmission. It looks like you can remove the rear mount support plate at the center of the "X" frame and drop it out.

The seal was installed properly, however a local trans mechanic just told me if the torque convertor neck is badly worn, they will certainly leak. That may be my problem. It’s going in the shop next week. And hopefully we’ll find the culprit.

Thank you for the info. I will have a reputable trans.shop doing the work. They should be able to handle it.

My transmission in my 72 Avanti is leaking badly in the front. I see several drops of fluid coming out of the small hole at the botton of the bellhousing cover. I had two transmission mechanics tell me the front seals on those trannies seldom go out. My front seal and the front pump bushing was replaced just a few months ago. Yet it's leaking again badly! It was very difficult for this 70 year old to pull just the engine a few months ago and I really don't want to do it again. I want a shop to do it, so again my question is can they just drop the trannie clear of the X frame. Or do they have to pull the engine? Never have I had a more troublesome car than the two GM power train Avantis. If I can get this thing fixed and sold, I am going back to pure Studebaker!!

Great information, thank you1

I have sealed every single opening (in my 72) from the engine compartment and placed Dynamat under the carpet. And yet my interior gets very hot (even in cold weather). I’m at a loss as to how to keep it cool inside. AC would not help in my car no matter how well it worked.

Thank you all for the tips. I will follow up on them. I also am getting a lot of heat inside from the engine. I covered the floor and firewall with a heat barrier under the carpet and sealed all holes, yet it gets very hot inside when I drive. Is this normal for an Avanti? My 64 Hawk never had this problem.

I have gone through and sealed every hole in the firewall where wires, hoses etc. pass through. I had a muffler shop weld the entire exhaust system and have new manifold gaskets. They could find no leaks. But when I drive, I still smell fumes. I'm baffled. I read somewhere about fumes that can get pulled in somehow from the end of the tail pipes? Does anyone know more about this and how it could get inside the passenger compartment? And most importantly, how to stop it!

Thank-you. I got it done.

No shops in my area. $400 for a rebuilt. I live on a pension.

I am replacing the seals in my power steering ram on my 72. I started the procedure according the instructions in the shop manual. It stated the order as; inner seal, then bushing (I used the steel bushing that came in the kit), the dust seal, outer seal then the scraper. I found that stack of parts made it impossible to install the snap ring. Now when I dissassembled my ram, there was no steel bushing. The diagram on the kit instructions does not show using it as well. My assumption is don't install the bushing and the snap ring will seat. Any one else go through this?

Problem solved! I discovered that the connections at the fuse panel were reversed at the wiper circuit breaker. The ignition hot wire that should go to the common input of the fuse panel was on the oposite side of the wiper circuit breaker. Thus everything on the ignition circuit was going through the curcuit breaker before the common of the fuse panel. Everything worked until the additional load of turning on the heater motor and/or wipers. That additonal load would trip the breaker. All I had to do was reverse the connections and all is well. I guess I'm forever cursed with correcting previous owners mistakes!

I have a new master cylinder to bench bleed. It has a bleeder port on the small reservoir. How is that used? Will it only bleed that one, or will it bleed both the small and large resevoir. What is the recommended procedure?

Thanks to all the contributors. I'll dig in now!

I forgot to mention, both motors run fine for a minute or so before the circuit trips.

When I turn on either the wipers or heater (or both) the fuse will blow. I replaced the fuse with a 30 amp breaker and that will trip after a minute or two. The guages and shifter light are on the same circuit. Is it because the motors are old and pulling too many amps? Any suggestions to keep them safely running?

Thank-you! I actually did that years ago on a Hawk I had. But I sold it shortly after and never knew how long they would stick on. So I thought I would get a second opinion before I tried it again.

In the last 50 years I have owned several Studebakers. Besides leaking, they have one thing in common. The wheel covers won't stay on the wheels. Today my Avanti threw a cover on the freeway and I watched it get squashed by a truck behind me. I have modern 6" wheels to accomadate radial tires. I even bent out the tabs on the covers to keep them good and snug on the wheels. But the flexing of the front wheels and tires seems to still push them off. Has anyone found a good way to keep them from coming off?

Thank-you. Does anyone know what psi I should be seeing to the ram?

OK, I got my hoses routed with maximum ground clearance. So, back to the first problem of no assist. I disconnected the ram from the idler arm and had an assistant turn the steering wheel lock to lock. The ram does not extend or retract until the wheels are turned all the way to the max in either direction. The control valve adjusting nut is set correctly. So do I most likely have a bad control valve or ram? I have a new pump as well.

OK, I got my hoses routed with maximum ground clearance. So, back to the first problem of no assist. I disconnected the ram from the idler arm and had an assistant turn the steering wheel lock to lock. The ram does not extend or retract until the wheels are turned all the way to the max in either direction. The control valve adjusting nut is set correctly. So do I most likely have a bad control valve or ram? I have a new pump as well.

Thank you very much. That is very helpful.