PackardV8
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Posts posted by PackardV8
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The Studebaker kingpin doesn't flex; the caster adjustment at the top does not have enough travel to gain positive caster. When run to the full rearward position, sometimes zero caster is all it can get. By placing shims as described, positive caster is gained and the adjustment can then be returned to the mid-point.
jack vines
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On 2/20/2022 at 1:22 PM, silverstude said:
That said, I have to mention that when I purchased the car ( new) in 1971, the dealer was a shop in College Park, Md, who was in the business of manufacturing Formula race cars. Mine was used as a demonstrator and never titled. I had taken it to a shop to have it looked over and it was pointed out to me that the alignment was reworked using shims under the lower A-arm rear bolts and the upper A-arm forward bolts, in effect tilting the kingpin rearward at the top and increasing the caster significantly. The car drove very nicely, although the steering was just slightly firmer. The front end was never taken apart until 140,000 miles later, in the late 90's when everything was renovated.
I've done this for years on several Studebaker suspensions, but have always hesitated to mention it on the various fora, as not everyone understands the forces involved, the geometry involved and there's always the guy, "If some's good, more is better and too much is just right." Adding shims requires longer bolts and a really competent alignment shop. The good news is it allows the original caster adjustment to be returned to the center of travel, removing any stresses.
jack vines
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Thank Nate Altman for saving the Avanti and blame him for taking out the original rake.
Problem with lowering the A II via front spring shortening is the Studebaker kingpin suspension does not have sufficient adjustment range. As the front is lowered, it lessens caster and there's not enough adjustment to get it back. This will make the steering feel more darty and lessens straight line stability.
jack vines
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On 2/5/2022 at 1:52 PM, mfg said:
Yes, I think that you're correct about that....It really depends on the particular car's model and quality.
I had an R2 customer with a bad block pay $1000 to have eight sleeves installed so his "numbers matching" block sleeved so it could be reused. I had another customer who dragged in a early partial flow block because he didn't want to pay $100 extra to have one sleeve installed his numbers matching full-flow block.
jack vines
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Has the front suspension been thoroughly greased? Pack a lunch, bring a Shop Manual,and don't get out from under until each zerk show grease going where it is supposed to go. Special attention to the steering gearbox. It requires a special semi-liquid lubricant and they're almost always dry.
Again, Shop Manual adjustment of the PS valve at the Pittman arm.
Check each of the six or so tie rod ends for play. Check the center pivot bearings for wear. Check wheel bearings for correct play.
Has the front suspension alignment been adjusted? By modern standards, the Studebaker front suspension design has insufficient caster to self-center at speed. Crank in all the caster the adjustment will allow.
Does this Avanti still have the original steel wheels? What tire width are the new tires?
Vibration at speed which comes and goes is almost always a tire/wheel balance issue. First, switch front and rear tires. Does this change anything?
jack vines
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On 1/11/2022 at 3:03 PM, mfg said:
Yes, you're speaking of patterns for the special R3-4 heads, exhaust headers, and the aluminum intake manifolds, both single & dual quad...Well, I'd guess it was all scrapped.
Not all. IIRC, the R3 heads used the same cope and drag boxes as the regular heads, but with different core patterns for the ports and combustion chamber. Some of the R3 core box patterns were salvaged and IIRC, Lionel Stone borrowed the intake port portion when he was trying to get an aluminum R3 head into production. Part of the problem with that attempt was the cores were for iron and aluminum shrinks 50% more when cooling:
Iron 1/8" per foot Aluminum 3/16" per foot
jack vines
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FWIW, factory AC integrated into the dash was still uncommon in the early '60s. Most of the underdash units were aftermarket, FrigiKing, Rapid-Cool and the like. The York piston was the generic AC compressor first used on the 1939 Packard and still used for most of those units through the 1970s.
As mentioned above, unless originality is the goal, there's no good reason to go with York and several good reasons to switch over to a modern rotary compressor.
jack vines
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Paxton sold so many R3 permutations over the years, it's impossible to know what the customer was told and when.
In addition to running out of R3 heads, they also used up all the R3 connecting rods and there were several bitsa versions sold with stock rods.
jack vines
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You don't specify what needs fixing.
If it's just replacing the motor, that's one thing.
The bad news is the Avanti window glass is too long and heavy for the motor and mechanism used. The weight soon destroys the motor and when the motor is repaired a couple of times, the forces begin to rack and crack the door inner structure. Then the linkage gets worn and damaged.
jack vines
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1 hour ago, Dunkin said:
Thanks to all, the reason I asked some of the cars I have been looking at in my search have the chrome trim rings in bad shape, and some have gauges don't work.
The most common fail is the tachometer. The sending units almost always fail and are difficult to find. The good news is the current production S-W tachs don't require a sending unit and will bolt right in.
The easiest fix is to buy a complete set of new production S-Ws and replace all the gauges.
jack vines
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Since Stewart-Warner was the OEM supplier, the Avanti guages are the most common design ever. While those with the red pointers are not always available, one can always find an S-W gauge which will bolt in.
jack vines
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When the in-gear carburetor curb idle speed of an automatic transmission is properly adjusted, the additional load when an AC compressor kicks in will often stall the engine. The throttle kicker has an adjustable stop which allows it to be set to maintain the same idle on or off AC.
Back when I could not find an Avanti part, I fabricated one from a GM u-pick unit. They're pretty much universal.
jack vines
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Live and learn, indeed. I had been under the impression only the first few '63s got stuck with that POS 3-speed. Now we learn they also used it in some '64s.
So the 4-speed was always an extra cost option?
jack vines
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Old query, but FWIW, my Avanti had Daytons with severe surface rust. I had them sandblasted and powdercoated gold. Since the car was gold, it looked right. For other body colors, there are choices of chrome, silver, and others. The process was inexpensive, successful and has lasted well.
jack vines
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We've seen both here, so it would be interesting to know how many round headlight cars were converted to square, "to look like the latest style" and how many square headlight cars were converted to round "to get the original, classic look."
jack vines, who prefers the original recipe, but owns the Barris custom with quad round headlights.
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The flywheel ring gear on a V8 tends to come to a stop in one of four positions and most of the wear takes place there. It was common practice to remove the ring gear, flip it over and reposition it 45-degrees to the original position; all new wearing surfaces.
jack vines
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"Stand up" depends entirely on how often you lay down the rubber. Even a strong R3 does not make 300 lbs/ft of torque low down on the RPM. An adult-street-driven R3/World-ClassT5 combination would last forever. A season of drag strip use with side-stepping the clutch above 3,000 and flat-shifting might kill it.
jack vines
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On 5/18/2021 at 4:48 AM, 64studeavanti said:
IMHO, it is easily worth twice the offer. After all, just a new set of pistons and rings cost more than that.
Yes, No, Maybe. How it's been stored and in the humidity of MN, makes estimating worth a real crapshoot. Pulling a number out of the etheric without an examination assumes too much.
FWIW, I was given a similar NOS Packard 320" fitted block and pistons which was from CA and was still usable as was. A customer sent us a fitted Champion block which had been stored in Alabama and nothing in it was usable. The rings had rusted to the cylinders and corroded into the pistons. The block had to be bored .060" over to clean up the rust pits.
Suggestion; wipe down a cylinder with an oily rag, knock one piston out and show the prospective purchaser the condition of the cylinder, rings and pistons.
jack vines
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So yes, Chevrolet V8s of that vintage were known for flattening the cam lobes.
And yes, the cam can be replaced with the block in the frame, but as mentioned, there are tradeoffs.
jack vines
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55 minutes ago, Jerry1963 said:
I am planning to install a new Tremec TKX 5 speed in my 63. I currently have a chevy 350 with a 350 turbo transmission. I have requested and received several conversion kit quotes, but all include high performance equipment and my conversion is for cruising and show. I don't need a scatter shield bellhousing, a $350 flywheel, a $400 clutch kit, or a $600 hydraulic clutch kit. If anyone has made this or a similar conversion I would appreciate any guidance.
Thanks, Jerry
Well, there's no way around needing a bell housing, a flywheel, a pressure plate, a clutch disc, a pilot bearing and a hydraulic clutch kit. How much you pay for them, whether you use OEM or aftermarket is up to you.
jack vines
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At a guess, the intent was to lower the car and the air shocks were to stiffen the suspension to avoid bottoming. Lowering the suspension also requires lengthening the radius rods.
And yes, I'd return it to original configuration and fit new spring eye, sway bar and radius rod eye bushings and the best gas shocks I could buy.
jack vines
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On 1/7/2021 at 12:12 PM, IndyJimW said:
My 1987 Avanti Coupe uses the Monte Carlo chassis with the 305ci HO engine.
I remember test driving a mid-70's Avanti with a 400ci small block and a 2bbl carb years ago.
Good luck,
Jim Wood
Over the years, I've driven Avanti II with the original SBC 327". 350", 400" and 305".
Today, there have been so many engine swaps, it's anyone's guess which engine and transmission is in a given car.
jack vines
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If one is going to all that work, suggest adding a direct reading O2 meter to confirm the jetting is optimum for your use, altitude and temperature.
Of course, on an R2, it can never be optimum. The jetting which would give the best MPG at cruise would be terminally lean at WOT under boost. The jetting which will give max power and be safe under boost will be too rich at cruise. Knowing where it is now is the first step to getting it right.
Also, confirm the correct intake manifold gaskets are being used. The R2 gaskets restrict the exhaust heat crossover. Personally, I block the passage completely with thin stainless steel plates.
jack vines
Stance/rake
in 1965-83 Avanti
Posted
Yes.
It's a bit complicated, as the front A-arm mounting bolts are not as far apart as the lower, care must be taken with different thickness shims to insure they remain in the same relationship. I had one alignment shop refuse to touch such a project. "You may not know what you're doing and we sure as hell don't know what you're doing."
jack vines