[Idle Mixture]

I have an '82 with a 350 crate motor equipped with a Quadrajet carb. The engine / carb have approximmately 7,000 miles on them. Lately the engine quits running when the A/C is turned on. It also quits when doing a slow sharp turn, as when parallel parking. Both problems occur when the engine is fully warmed and idling smoothly at 750 RPM. My initial thought is that perhaps the idle mixture could be adjusted slightly richer (along with appropriate adjustment to the idle speed) to get more torque at 750 RPM. However, the idle mixture adjustment screws have oblong-shaped heads with two flats and are placed in recessed openings in the base of the carb. Is there a special tool for adjusting the idle mixture on this make / model year carburetor?

Carbs of that era were equipt with an idle control solenoid that boosts idle with the A/C on. Yours may be missing or non-functional. With the good stable idle you have, I'd check that out first before I'd adjust idle

Bob

[Metric Spedometer]

The phone company said that was a bad number....(I had tried previously). My cell provider want's $9 a month to give me 411 info access! (AT&T).

Brad

Here's the numbers and website. http://www.avantiparts.net/

By the way, this is the third mid-February they have missed on updating their website. In any case, they are great folks to deal with.

Bob

[Running Rich?]

Steve

Before we go any farther, Did the previous owner put a oxygen sensor back into the exhaust system when he changed it?

As for the temperature issue, 180 thermostat should be fine for your system but if it's bad it will lead to your problem. Had the same problem with a friends Firebird of the same era. Thermostat was not closing and the engine would not get warm enough. A new one solved the problem. It's not that bad to change.

Bob

[Trailer Hitch for Avanti]

Roland

I purchased my 74 Avanti II from the original owner whom purchased it directly from Avanti Motors in South bend in 1974.

He wanted the car to drive and pull a boat trailer.

Here are a couple of shots of the towing setup installed by Avanti Motors.

Let me know if you need more info.

Bob

[RQ B 2426 1976]

Hi, I am new to he forum and just become the owner of RQB 2464 which is in pretty good mostly original shape with the exception of a few minor and one major item. The car needs hog troughs but I will address that at a latter date. My current focus is the left side engine pipe that comes down next to the steering drag link. The pipe has been smashed almost flat to allow the steering arm to make a full swing. the pipe is at the end of the travel of the arm. Is this normal? Could the wrong manifold be on the engine. Is the pipe wrong? The car still has the cat and fake dual exhaust. I am thinking of doing a true full exhaust but if the d/s pipe has to be smashed to fit I guess there would be no benefit to true duals.

Tony

Jim has pretty much covered the options. My 83 RQB3156 has a Simmons 2 1/4" SS exhaust system mated to 2 1/2" SBC manifolds. I highly recommend the system and I purchased the hangers and clamps with the system. Not only is the quality good but Don's prices are also reasonable. I put mine on with the car on jackstands but a lift, Which I now own, would have made it much easier.

I didn't keep the converter and went with the dual system that fits the earlier non-convertor cars.

Remember, there is little if any difference in engines and frames from 66-84. I know the cubic inches changed but blocks is blocks with SBC's

Here's a shot of the exhaust pipe you mentioned and if you would need further shots, here's my post from the SDC Forum. http://forum.studeba...picture-warning

I've got around 75 shots if you need further info.

Bob

[1977 Avanti II]

I am looking for a good resource getting my Avanti II (1977) Aligned. I would like to know specifications. Where is the best place to have it checked out and aligned. I dont know if i trust just anyone with this Avanti, haha! Thank You!

Let me add to what Bruce said by suggesting that by you being in NJ that there should be an active Studebaker Club in your vicinity. Avanti's into the mid-80's are just neat bodies setting on Studebaker frames with SBC engines. Ask a club member whom they have had success and they can do yours also.

In my small part of the world we have an experienced shop that does trucks, cars, solid axles and about any front end variant you can name. Dave didn't even consider my 83 a challenge.

If you decide to find your own shop, find an experienced shop and ask if they have done Studebakers or 40-50's GM cars that also use a variant of the kinggpin setup.

Bruce gave you the best advice when he said to take a manual with you.

PS - If your front suspension has never been rebuilt you may hear that it needs to be done before it can be aligned. I had to rebuild mine before Dave would touch it. Parts are about $800 for a complete rebuild but are readily available. Labor, I have no idea. Hope you don't need it.

Bob

[Fuel delivery problem?]

I have an '84 Blake Avanti which will start and run for a minure or two and die. It will then just crank and not start. Could this be a fuel filter problem or fuel pump issue?

Any pointers on where to look for the problem from the knowledgable people here would be appreciated.

John Williams

Aptos, CA

John

I'm more inclined to think electrical. Of course you should replace the fuel filter and check fuel pressure first as that could solve the problem. If not I'd check the coil and module in the distributor. Most auto store can do that if you take them in. If you would like to check your own, here's a discussion on doing that http://www.truckforu...istributor.html

There is also a "check engine" light. If that's on and it's drive able have the auto store check for codes. If it's on and you can't drive it then codes can be read by shorting the ALDL connector. Just Google 84 Chevrolet engine codes.

Good luck, Bob

[Carburator Hood Clearance Issue]

Gunslinger has covered it quite well. An SBC is an SBC and an Avanti II is an Avanti II.

I have an 83 with a Pro Products dual plane manifold and an Edelbrock carb fit with about 1" of clearance above the 83 low profile stock air cleaner.

I can get any measurements you may want but it could take a day or two.

Bob

[Horn and brush assy.]

i can't help regards the parts but I am interested inwhat Grant steering wheel

fit your Avanti and why you want to change back to original. My 63 Avant wheel is

a basket case and it appears over $700 to replace it. Maybe a Grant wheel is the answer

if it will fit.

Thanks

....DickCurtis

Dick

If I recall correctly, Grant lists the adapter for the original Avanti on their website so you could use about any Grant Wheel you like.

Bob

[63 R2]

Nothing about that R2 would suggest that it would be cheap to restore. http://cgi.ebay.com/...=item53ec1117fe

If you want an R2 I'd suggest starting with one in better shape would yield a less expensive and better restoration.

All one needs to do is look at the few interior shots and see the mold and condition indicated. I've looked at a couple of those in Northern Michigan and the sensory overload will stop you cold.

On the other hand if, as described the hog troughs are solid and I'd question that with the mold and moisture damage evident, it could be a good driver with a lot on non-standard parts. But even in that case the cost to get it on the road is high.

Bob

[Searching for a 63-64 avanti to purchase]

Hey Everyone.

Im new to the site here and just started my search for an Avanti. My father was a huge studebaker Fanatic, and had a 64 Avanti back in the day. He has since passed and im now starting my search to buy one in his memory.

Im looking for a 63-64 avanti.... a project car would be fun but running is always a plus.

are there good places to search?

Thanks,

Doug Wheeler

Doug

Here are a few suggestions:

Join the Studebaker Drivers Club Forum, it free, and ask around

Go to Ebay, there are always a few for sale but be sure to check them out

Check Craigslist, use a country wide search like searchtempest or themccumbers and type Avanti into cars for sale. You will see quite a few for sale using these tools.

Also join the Studebaker Drivers Club and then ask someone on the forum in the vicinity of any car you are interested to take a look.

The most difficult area to fix are the frame, Steel hog troughs (FRame stiffeners)- and rear cross member. These are expensive to replace and first parts to be careful of.

Good Luck, I own two although newer than 64 but they are great drivers and show stoppers.

Bob

[seat spring 1347426]

Need 3 seat springs 1347426, they help move seat forward and backward and lock seat in place, SI does not have. Ken, Deltaville, Va

Ken

The go-to folks for this type of stuff is still Nostalgic motors in Wixom, Mi. If they don't you can try McMaster-Carr. I needed one for the 83 and found a substitute locally but had to modify it and it's not the best but it helped.

Bob

[1975 Avanti seat belts]

1975 seatbelt,front needed

They are pretty much a universal belt setup.

You can go to Julianos website and find them or something like this on Ebay http://www.ebay.com/...332b3df&vxp=mtr

I used a set like the ebay set on my 83 and they look just like the ones I removed. I'll buy a second set for my 74 when I get that far.

If you don't trust Ebay Julianos is the place to find them.

Bob

[New EFI system on market may be good for Avantis...]

Bruce

I'm looking hard into which EFI unit I'll use on my 74. As some are aware, my 83 has a Holley HP EFI setup that I'm quite happy with but I like the MSD unit due to the compactness of the installation.

I'm going to add an addendum to strongly consider buying a unit that has the ability to control timing. If you have a Studebaker it will take a modified dissy but with the SBC's you can use either use the MSD disrtibutor or the OEM small cap distributor from the early 90's.

My rational is when I had a Holley Carb and HEI large cap dissy on the 355 in my 83 I was never totally happy with the performance across the board. Adjusting one variable always helped but at the cost of other variables.

I finally bit the bullet and installed the self-learning Holley HP setup. It ran instantly better that the carb/HEI setup. After driving it for a hundred miles or so I downloaded the tables from the computer that it was using to control timing and other variables. I was amazed at the amount and initiation of the timing curve. It was much more than I had ever dealt with. Not total but initial and how fast it came on.

My recommendation if anyone is going the EFI route is to either purchase a system that controls timing or find a shop with a dyno to be sure you system is optimizing the timing curve. It also goes without saying that you should buy one of the newer systems that has a wide-band oxygen sensor so it can control with the fuel/air ratio.

For the Studebaker guys, Silverhawkdan on the Racing Studebaker site is thinking about modifying a Studebaker Distributor for use with an OEM Mopar system.

Bob

[Rear Brake Parts]

When I replaced the wheel cylinders on my '78, I found that '78 Ford Fairmont w/10" brakes #W37782/3 interchanged.

I'll add:

Brake shoes - Wagner "Quickstop" Z228R and I believe they are Caprice 2" X 11"

Hardware - Springs, pins etc - Carlson H4067-2

All this type of info is generally on Bob Johnstones Studebaker site.

Bob

[Tow Question]

Heading to 2012 meet this July in South Bend from Ft. Lauderdale. Stayin at the Host INN hotel.

Its a long 22 hour drive. Would like to take the 78 Avanti II. My bro says lets rent a 18 Ft. Uhaul car hauler and use his 2008 Toyota Rav4 with the hitch he has installed. Not sure what his tounge wgt is on that hitch and whether his V6 will have issues towing the Avanti . Any incites/tips would be appreciated.

Jerry

The Uhaul trailers are great for towing. I've picked up two Avanti's with them and towed up to 800 miles but you are about to find two problems.

Uhaul will not rent you a trailer to tow behind a Rav4. I borrowed a Silverado 2500HD with the 502 gas engine from my son and Uhaul liked the truck. They would not let me use my Silverado 1500 4X4 to tow their trailer.

My dealer could not find Avanti on their automobile list so they would not rent me the trailer. They did let me rent the trailer to tow a 74 Monte Carlo though.

You can go to the Uhaul website and dial in all the data to see what they will let you do.

Good luck, Bob

[1978 Transmission Repair]

Tom

Glad all went well with the removal.

Your summary of the transmission data is interesting. It continues to add to the data stream that says that Avanti had to buy ahead to get the parts from GM and we need to think along the lines of one year earlier replacement parts on our cars.

Bob

[1978 Transmission Repair]

Thanks Bob,

The fram appears to include a welded 'x' beam supporting the rear of the transmission with the rear mount at the cross. Does this whole assembly come out?

Tom

On both my 74 and 83 there is a plate that spans the X-member in front of the meeting point of the X. It's bolted in and removes readily. The trans is bolted to the plate.

Here's a shot of the 74 with the cross member in the yellow box. Sorry it's not great but you can see the bolts holding it to the crossmember.

I've not seen one bolted directly to the X-member.

Hope this helps.

Bob

[1978 Transmission Repair]

I have adopted a 1978 Avanti II for a friend who took an overseas assignment with the State Department. I need to pull the transmission (turbo 400?) for repair. Is it possible to do so with the engine in the car or does that need to come out as well?

Thanks, Tom

Tom

I pulled a 700R4 out of my 83 with the engine in place. They are about 30" long so I think your TH400 should also come out. Most of them run from 28 to 33 inches long.

Be sure to use a Jack as these things are incredibly heavy. You will need to support the tranny, pull the rear crossmember, loosen the torque converter from the flex plate and remove the trans to engine bolts. Be sure you have enough height to let it down and roll it out. I assume you've pulled the drive shaft and speedometer cable already.

Bob

[Distributor]

Hi all. My '71 350ci is equipt with points and condencer but I would like to change it to a HEI unit. is it a simple change? I am not sure about the ingnition wires etc.

Thanks in advance.

Dave...

Dave

Quite straight forward. The SBC HEI large cap dissy with the coil in the cap will drop right in. Two things you will need to do. Run a heavy 12 volt wire (12 ga min) to the Batt terminal on the distributor that is on when the ignition is on for power. You will also need to change the cap ends on the plug wires or replace them.

There are a lot of reasonably priced after market units if a good GM unit is not available. Just add the 12 volt wire, plug in the vacuum advance and change the plug wires. Good to go.

Bob

[New 1975 Avanti owner, ??post pics]

If you don't mind my asking, when did you get the Steeltech brakes, did they give you any trouble installing them, and how was it dealing with Dave LeVesque? I ask because I find myself in need of more stopping power for my '63 Avanti, and I was initially attracted to the Steeltech setup over the Turner one, because of lower cost (LeVesque uses more commonly available rotors and calipers, from a more recent model car, resulting in cheaper parts), and the larger pad and rotors -- I figure if I'm going to upgrade, I might as well get the maximum possible increase in braking performance. But over at the SDC forum, there are some threads with real horror stories dealing with Steeltech: everything from purchasers going close to a year after they paid without getting their kits, or of getting kits that were incomplete, or of problems with parts that didn't fit properly, and poor support from Steeltech Solutions. The consensus on that forum seems to be that LeVesque is not a basically dishonest guy, just one who probably isn't a very good businessman, and is maybe in over his head. I hesitate to plunk my money down if I am likely to become the latest in a long line of dissatisfied customers, so I have been thinking of the Turner setup instead. What was your experience?

And to the original poster on this thread: are you the same Joe who bought my car from Norfolk, Virginia?

Billy

I purchased the 83 with the Steeltech system in place, so I have no experience with the company. My experience with the brakes is they perform well. Stopping is straight and comparable to much newer vehicles. I know the reports are a mixed bag of experience with Steeltech so for my 74 I ordered the bracket package from Jim Turner. I then pieced the brake parts together from Rock Auto at a significant savings only because of some close out deals. However, it won't be on the road until mid-2012 so no experience.

As a note, the Turner system uses 90's S-10 calipers and the 11" Mustang vented rotors. If that's not sufficient, in your opinion, then there are a lot of upgraded Mustang rotors available. To Jim's credit, his website lists all of the items necessary for the conversion. As far as availability, I think the Steeltech option uses 70's Mopar rotors so long term availability is probably a wash. I can find the exact rotor if necessary as I have the original boxes the steeltech rotors came in and, I believe they are a Bendix part #.

Lastly, if you desire rubber or braided brake hoses, Jim is posting on the SDC site that he can currently fabricate any rubber brake hose to DOT specs or better and will shortly have braided hoses available also.

I know a lot of the SDC guys are running Jim's system with generally excellent results. I can also tell you from personal experience that Jim is just an email or phone call away from assistance and does know his system and how to trouble shoot it if necessary. He stands behind his products.

Bob

[Tremec 5 speed in 63 Avanti]

Oh don't get me wrong. Not only are you exactly right, I told myself the exact same thing. In fact, they noticed the problem far sooner than I would have, so I have likely avoided all kinds of damage to the bearings and so forth that would have occurred had I been driving it a while like this, and any amount of coolant gotten into the oil. If the trouble had to occur, it did it in the best place possible. What irks me about it all though is not just the delay in getting my car back, it's that this is a practically brand new engine. I doubt it's run even twenty hours since Nimesh built it. After what I paid him for this, and given his reputation for being meticulous, this simply isn't trouble I should be having at all.

Billy

I'm just curious if you have contacted Nemish about the issue you encountered and if has responded to that request.

Bob

[Radiator Hoses]

Thanks again Gunslinger, I had hoped to find a hose that is commonly available at a local flaps, for obvious reasons.

I received the hose, along with a set of valve cover gaskets from Stude Rich 2 days after starting this topic.

It would be nice to be able to get same day service in the event of an emergency, so I am still hoping for a hose

that is readily available, if anyone knows of one. Thanks

It's been said before but when all else fails, take the hose to your local FLAPS, match the hose to there current inventory (You may need to buy a longer hose to get the correct bends and cut it or add a Gates bushing to reduce a size) but you'll have a hose that looks stock and you'll also have a number to use in the future. That has worked for me on many occasions. Luckily, we still have couple of local stores that let me prowl to find stuff like this.

Bob

[My recent Avanti]

Bob

Would you please write the procedure in sending photos(640 X 480) from photo bucket to the AOAI Forum.

Thanks

Steve

Steve

The way I do it may not be the best but here's what I do.

The first thing is to have my settings set to upload at 640 X 480. To do that when you are in your photobucket account, click on Upload and when that screen appears, look at the bottom of the page and see "customize your upload settings" Click on that and you can select the upload size, select 640 X 480 and save.

Now when you upload the pictures will be 640 X 480 but don't be confused as the thumbnails in your albums will be 160 X 120.

So now to download to the forum:

Click on the thumbnail you want to add to the forum, It will open to 640 X480.

Right click on the picture to open the property screen and click on image properties. Click on address, which will highlight in blue and hit hold control hit c on the keyboard.

That saves the image address.

Put the curson on the spot on the site you want the picture and click on the picture icon at the top of the page. The insert image window will open with HTTP highlighted in blue. Hold control, hit v and the address will be copied into the box. Click on "save image" and the picture will appear in your post. Done.

If you save at a higher resolution in Photobucket, you can resize to 680 X 480 and use the above procedure to add to the forum.

Hope that helps.

Bob

[ECM diagnostic terminal]

My 1982 Avanti II (RQB3492) has been running extremely rich, black smoke, loading up, poor fuel economy, etc. The previous owner pulled the bulb out of the "check engine" light, annoying I guess, but I put one back in to attempt to extract trouble codes from the computer. All of the pollution control equipment is intact, with apparently an LG4 305 and electronic Quadrajet (except maybe the O2 sensor was removed when he changed to dual exhaust and eliminated the cat converter) so the system should throw come codes. These LG4 305s are no powerhouses, but are normally smooth, economical engines for everyday use. I think it is running open loop, some cripple-home default setting, so it will get around but doesn't run like it should. My problem is locating the diagnostic connector. They are usually are under the driver's side dash (like my El Camino) and ther is an odd connector under there, but it is not like the "normal" ones that GM used 1982 and later, so my scan tool plug does not fit it. Am I looking in the wrong place or did they put some kind of earlier or oddball connector in these Avantis?

Steve

I'll assume that the 82 was like my 83 and it had an ALDL (OBD1, just like GM) connector under the drivers dash. Now, the bad news is I yanked mine out and went to Holley EFI so I have no reference point.

What I do remember is that the emissions control harness was almost completely separate from the Avanti harness. So my suggestion is to find the check engine wire from a GM ECM of the same type (Part #) and follow it back to the ALDL connector which the previous owner may have stuffed some where. when I pulled my computer It was just an OEM GM unit.

You are correct about running in open loop and we both realize that the O2 sensor is required. If the owner cut out the ALDL connector you can still ground the appropriate wire to check the codes. I can't tell you which wire as I'd need the GM manual but most libraries have them.

Good luck, Bob