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JLBKY

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Posts posted by JLBKY

  1. Larry.........about 4 years ago I looked into finding a new viscous drive for my car. I wanted a thermostatic viscous clutch. I searched the Hayden Website and found a thermostatic clutch with the same fan bolt pattern as our Avanti. As I recall, the application was a BMW. To make it work requires access to a lathe as a custom made adapter must be made. If you want the details, let me know.

    John

  2. Dear John,

    Many, many thanks for your long and precise answer !!!

    Here are some pictures of the time of the restoration :

    https://www.facebook.com/O-ONE-135370756510340/photos/?tab=album&album_id=136252399755509

    As you can see, all the engine was put in parts, the freeze plugs have been replaced and the block has been flushed completely.

    I was not there when the work was made and cannot be sure at 100% that everything was made perfectly but I have no reason to doubt that all the engine jackets were not flushed.

    Some too dark pictures I needed to over lighted under Photoshop prove me that one of the two plugs (driver side) had well been unscrewed but I can't tell about the other one...

    Yesterday, to be completely sure, I wanted to check and unscrew the other plug (passenger side) but it was just impossible to open... We even tried to warm it with a blowtorch... I am afraid to go further.

    Maybe the mechanic who restored the car (different from today's) had the same problem... I asked him but I still have no answer.

    I've read that some people use white vinegar or CLR (Calcium Lime Rust) : http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/best-for-cleaning-water-jackets.665267/

    What do you think of that ?

    Thanks a lot for your good advices about the water pump, I had already read something about it but didn't understand very well.

    Should I take the risk to pull the water pump if I don't have any new gasket (I am afraid I don't...) ?

    If I understand well... if the space behind the propeller is deep enough, I should pull the propeller on its shaft until it almost touch the back of the housing then place the pump again by using a 004 thick gasket, is that right ?

    My question is : because it's always in movement, won't the propeller move back on its shaft ?

    I like the idea to increase the diameter of the hole.

    The car must be ready in... less than 3 days... Good news come from the sky... the weather is a little less hot now ;-) !

    Again, thanks a lot John, your advices are very helpfull.

    Daniel

    Daniel............it sounds to me that the block is OK and was flushed properly. Let's move on.

    As to pulling the water pump. If you do not have a gasket , you can make one. But make sure you know the thickness of the gasket material.Yes, the space BEHIND the pump impeller to the water pump manifold should be very very close. Pulling the impeller further back is not real easy to do.Once moved it is not going to move by itself on the shaft. Yes you understand correctly how to measure the clearance. Using some "Putty" to confirm the clearance is the best way I know to check the clearance. But do it with out the gasket in place. If you pull the impeller back on the shaft to the point where it just clears or has slight interference, you should be fine. The actual clearance will be increased by the thickness of the gasket. If you pull the pump, increasing the size of the return hole in the water pump housing is rather straight forward and easy and should help. Your short time frame may prevent you from doing any of these things I've suggested. Yes, your description of what to do with the pump impeller is correct.

    I'm not aware of using white vinegar to clean the water jacket. As to CLR..........I guess it might work. If the block was properly cleaned, I don't see the need for further cleaning. But you should use a Rust Inhibitor along with anti freeze when you refill the radiator.

    If you have questions, let me know. I'll check this site again on Monday morning .

    John

  3. My right side (passenger side) power window can be inconsistent. It goes down with no problems, but coming back up it needs help.

    How much would a replacement motor cost or any suggestions?

    Thanks

    Look into adding a second spring and rewiring the switches and motors to run via relays. You will not be disappointed with these two changes.These suggestions are in addition to those from Gunslinger. If it were me, I'd start by pulling the entire regulator , motor etc., out of the door and starting over.

    John

  4. Has anyone tried using a fiber spacer under the 4V carb to reduce heat transfer? If so, sourced where? Tnx, Bill

    Check out the Edelbrock website. They have a phenolic spacer that I have used on my R1 , but under a Edelbrock carb. I "think" it should work under your carb, assuming it is an original. In actuality , I used 1 1/2 of these spacers plus or minus. I cut the second one down on a milling machine, and glued the two together. To check your air cleaner to hood clearance, as you raise the carb, put a ball of Silly Putty on the front of the air cleaner and carefully close to hood. The putty will tell you the clearance you have to work with.

    The other thing you might consider doing is pulling the intake manifold and plug up the heater tubes that heat the carb. Then get a set of intake manifold gaskets w/o the center opening, and put it back together. Yes it will take longer to warm up, but it is a trade off, for the fuel not being boiled away...........maybe. The addition of an electric fuel pump will also help, assuming that your question is based on vapor lock or the gas boiling out of the bowls.

    Hope this helped.

    John

  5. Hello dear Avanti owners !

    I am french and I take care of an 63' Avanti R2 near Paris.

    Engine, chassis, drive trains, etc... have been restored.

    I have restored or change everything in the cooling circuit : new hoses, new HD water pump, radiator remade, new thermostat, new thermo clutch, no excessive ignition advance (just settled)... but it's still overheating a little under hot weather, especially at idle speed...

    I have just dropped the radiator to a workshop which is supposed to install a more efficient core and I will put everything back in the car soon.

    I just have a question concerning the thermo clutch (1560257) : I have changed it recently and I am wondering why is it so easy to turn the fan by hand when the engine has just been stopped but still hot... shouldn't it be hard to turn ? What about yours ?

    Also, I am changing the normal coolant for the permanent Evans (http://www.evanscoolants.co.uk/Coolants/Automotive/classic_cool_180), are there any feedback about using that kind of coolant on his car ?

    Last question : has anybody tested the 6 fans ventilator ? Is it more efficient than the original one ?

    In less than two weeks, I am supposed to drive the car to Le Mans Classic (http://www.lemansclassic.com/language/en/home/#primary) , under the sun of july...

    Thanks for your help...

    Merci !

    Daniel

    Daniel...........I can't comment on the Stock Thermo Clutch as I changed mine over several years ago to a BMW clutch. It requires some machine work to make it all work, and with a short window to solve your problem, I'd not encourage you to go that route.

    I would however suggest that while the radiator is out of the car, that you pull the water pump and confirm that the impeller clearance to the back of the water pump housing is correct. I can get you exact measurements if you wish. The fast check method is to scrape the water pump gasket off and hold the pump in the housing and turn it by hand. A VERY slight contact should/might be heard. If there is no contact you can measure the distance with some children's "Silly Putty". Place an amount of putty about the size of a marble on one of the impeller vanes and place the water pump in the housing.........again WITH OUT the gasket. Remove the pump and you will see the clearance. It should be as close to the back of the housing as possible. A ever so slight contact with the hosing is OK with no gasket in place. The gasket that I use is .004 thick and will provide the necessary clearance when in place, if you have the slight contact I described. With a gear puller you can pull the impeller further back of the shaft.

    Another thing you can examine with the water pump out of the housing, is the hole in the housing where the water returns to the water pump via the lower radiator hose. If I recall correctly that hole in the housing where the lower radiator hose connects is about 5/8 inch. Jon Myer encourages that it should be drilled to 3/4 inch to allow more water flow.

    I assume you have the fan shroud and are using it. If not it needs to be in place.

    You asked about a six blade fan. I can't comment on that I've not used one. I can comment on the optional 7 blade fan. I have one on my car and it works well.

    Regarding the Evans Cooling. My limited understanding is that it does not lower your temperature, but rather raises the boiling point. The net result is no boil over.

    Your state that the engine has been restored. Was the engine rebuilt? Were the Freeze Plugs removed and the bare block boiled to remove the rust and sludge in the cooling jackets? If not, this could be part of the problem. IF the block was not boiled/cleaned internally, and with only a couple of weeks to work on this I'd suggest that you look for the block drains on either side of the engine. Usually they are plugged with a square headed plug. Remove the plugs ( an 8 point socket works well here) and see what comes out. It could be perfectly clean if the block was properly boiled/ cleaned. Or, you might have to poke a screw driver into the drain hole to get the crude to come out. If you find crude and sludge, you have found a good portion of your cooling problem in my opinion. In a perfect world, one would remove all of the freeze plugs and scrape and flush the crude and sludge out of the cooling jackets. Replacing freeze plugs with the engine in the car is a pain in the ass. When I rebuilt my engine I found sludge and crude half way up the cylinder cooling jackets. I also found old freeze plugs in the cooling jackets that had been pushed in rather than removed.

    I've driven in and out of Paris on two occasions in June/July and can relate to the stress that one incurs. Add to that an overheating Avanti and the stress and frustration levels would reach the boiling point. No pun intended.

    Hope this helps. If you have further questions, post them here on the Forum.

    John Brissette

    Louisville Kentucky

  6. The carpet was loose. The jack and handle were in the wheel well under the plywood access door.

    He is asking about the LUG WRENCH. The jack and the folding handle had to go in with the spare tire so they could rattle around unsecured.

  7. Well, I've put the new fan shroud on, and have finally had the chance to drive the car in warmer temperatures. The car is cooling much better now, but it still shows some tendency for temps to climb at idle with the A/C on -- much less pronounced now, but it's still doing it. I am not content with this, because if it's doing it on a balmy 75 degree day, with the car parked in the shade, there's no way the car is not going to overheat if I get stuck in traffic on a hot, sunny, mid-to-upper nineties day.

    One thing about the replacement fan shroud that concerns me is that there is quite a large gap at the top. The blades sweep pretty close to the rim of the opening at the bottom, but they are also more outside the shroud than in. At the top, the blades are more or less halfway in the shroud like they are supposed to be, but there is a good inch and a half between the blades and the rim of the shroud. I suspect this is preventing the blades from working as efficiently as they should to pull air through the radiator, but I'm damned if I know what to do about it. Who makes a better fitting shroud?

    Billy..........there is another thing that you might check, but it is a little involved, but very beneficial.The clearance of the water pump impeller blades to the back of the water pump manifold is very important. When I checked mine, both the pump I pulled out of the car and a brand new pump, were out of the correct clearance range.I don't recall what that clearance should be, but a search on the Studebaker Forum, or possibly here should get you the information you need. I "pulled" the impeller back on the shaft to get the desired clearance and recall that when I put the pump in the housing WITHOUT the gasket, there was a very slight impeller to housing interference/contact. With the gasket in place, ( gasket is.004 as I recall ), no contact, no interference. The result is more water flow, which should result in more cooling. If you have difficulty finding the specs for the pump, let me know and I'll dig them out.

    John

  8. The description leads me to believe that the parts are for an earlier convertible (Ohio, not Georgia).

    You might very well be correct. I profess no knowledge of Avanti convertibles aside from the Florida Prototype, which I watched being built.

    As I stated this body was purchased by the owner in Georgia and he had it shipped to his home in Louisville, where it sits today in his backyard on the ground.

    Regardless of the year, this is cheap insurance for an Avanti convertible owner, in my opinion.

  9. There is a fella in Louisville Kentucky that has the remains of what I believe was a "Villa Rica Georgia" Avanti Convertible body. What's there is bare fiberglass, and he bought it in Georgia and had it shipped to Louisville. The usable piece that remains is the floorboard from approximately the fire wall back. The rear fenders are there, the trunk floor is there. the trunk lid is not there. The piece between the top edge of the trunk lid to the bottom of the rear window opening is there. The metal support pieces inside the door jams are there. My limited knowledge regarding Avanti Convertibles, says the rear fenders etc. on this body are unique to Avanti Convertibles.

    I post this only to try and find a good home for this piece of what I believe to be a unique body. It can be had CHEAP. If someone is interested...........contact me, and I'll give you the contact information for the owner and step back. There is nothing in it for me.

    John

    502 7 seven three - zero five nine two

  10. Be really careful that the replacement headlight does not stick out from the stainless mounting ring further than originals. you must maintain room for the glass headlight covers to clear. Many LED headlights will not clear the lens.

    Brad makes a very good point. Soooooo, if you have an interest in the Watsons Street Rod LED's, but not sure they will fit, ( Ithink they will ), I'd call Watson's and ask if they have a non functioning LED headlight that you could "borrow" for the cost of the outbound and return shipping, to test fit. The worst they can say is no.

    John

  11. I wonder if there is a direct replacement LED headlight, such as the one from TruckLite, that would fit? These new units use less power and provide more light output. While the appearance is not the same as an incandescent, I think the 'far out' look would be in keeping with the Avanti's cutting edge design.

    Look up Watsons-StreetWorks.com They sell a LED Headlight kit for $229.00

    I have not used it. But It looks to be the same size as the Xenon Headlights I have in my car presently

    John

  12. Hmmmm!,....Brad brings up an interesting question.

    JLBKY,......May I ask if the number you're seeing on the shock absorber crossmember is definitely '63R1348'.....or is it some other number, which could possibly be a Studebaker part number?

    Sorry to take so long in replying to this, but I've been doing a lot of traveling as of late.......chasing parts and collage football Now to answer your question. It has been quite a while since I looked at that number............but my recollection is that it is the serial number. Admittedly, it is a very light stamping, but none the less it is there and visable. My car is from Georgia and thus was not exposed to salt. I've owned it 43 years, and it has nver been in salt, much less rain, and always garged, thus there is no rust on the frame etc..The car is on my lift presently, with a '57 Ranchero Body, on a cart, below it. Next time I pull the Ranchero Body out I'll take another look.Some years ago, SDC in "Turning Wheels", ran an article about these serial numbers. I submitted a photo that I took, when I had the rear end out of it and they published it.

  13. Does anybody have any definite info on this one way or another? I resurrect this old thread because I am having a persistent cooling problem at idle, and after troubleshooting the system and not finding anything else wrong with it, I even went to the expense and trouble of recoring the radiator. And I still have the problem.

    My original shroud was long ago modified by a previous owner by having a panel cut out of the bottom, so that it's now like the horseshoe type -- penannular (open circle), as opposed to annular (enclosed circle). But I can't see how that will possibly be more efficient, since it opens a way for the fan to draw air from someplace other than through the radiator. From everything I have ever read, the aim is to make the fan pull all the air it draws through the radiator. An opening in the shroud should, therefore, reduce efficiency by making some of the air the fan is pulling come from around the backside the radiator, rather than through it, for maximum airflow across the fins.

    There is no doubt the horseshoe type is easier to install, and if you ever need to work on your fan and pulley, just being able to unbolt the shroud and pull it off is a Godsend. I don't want to lose that, so I am thinking of buying one of the annular shrouds that Studebaker International is selling, cutting it in half at the narrowest point on the sides, and then riveting a couple of sheet metal brackets to the sides to bolt the two halves back together. With a rubber strip to seal the seams, this should give a completely enclosed shroud that doesn't allow air to get in from the sides, but the shroud should still be easy to remove for maintenance.

    I am also contemplating swapping out the OEM 5 blade fan for one of the 17 or 17.5 inch GM 7 blade fans from early 1970s cars, which I understand some Hawk owners have successfully done, and which is supposed to pull more air.

    I've cut my shroud in half, but did it a little bit different from your description. As well, I could possibly help you with the cooling issue, but both issues will require much more time to type the responses than I can afford rigfht now. So, I'd be glad to discuss it with you in a 'phone call

    John 502773zero ,nine,five,two normally east coast time.........today central time.

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