STUDEBAKER TECH HELP
The information contained on this page is to assist all Studebaker drivers, if you have some useful tips that you would like posted here please let me know..
Tires...
Most Studebaker cars and many trucks came equiped from the factory with 6.70x15 tires.. The closest match to the 6.70x15 is made by Michelin, it is a P185/380x15 they are expensive and they are a tube type tire.. Another tire that comes very close to the origional tire is the Goodyear P195-75-R15.. I have a set of these on my Hawk and I am really satisfied..
...Engine Overheating...
Engine overheating could be caused by a vast number of things, for the sake of keeping this simple, I will only cover the major causes and usually the most likely.. #1 Raditor clogged or partly stopped up. Have it steamed out and tested by someone in that line of business. #2 Engine block water passages partly blocked. This can be corrected quite easy, and with little expense. Probably the best way to flush an engine block properly is to first remove all the expansion plugs and any other drains in the block usually there are one or two plugs in the rear of the block.. Many times there is so much dirt and rust inside the block that you need a piece of small gauge wire to dig out the crap.. With a garden hose flush out all of the debris and make sure all passages are free.. Replace the expansion plugs and other drains.. #3 Thermostat closed or stuck.. Remove the thermostat and replace it with a new one, insure that you get the proper temp. range unit.. As I said previously there are many other causes but these three areas are usually the areas causing overheating problems...
...Rear Axle End Play Adjustment...
The adjustment of the axle shaft end play is actually the adjustment of the tapered roller axle bearings. Because we are adjusting the tension on a bearing we must proceed carefully. Jack up the rear of the car and set both sides of the axle on jack stands. Remove the wheel and using the proper type puller pull off the brake drum and hub assembly.. When working with tapered axles, we should always use the pressure type puller, using any other type puller can damage the axle and other parts beyond use.. After the hub and drum assembly is removed,disconnect the brake line where it enters the wheel cylinder at the backing plate. Remove the bolts that secure the back plate to the axle tube. There is no need to disturb the brake settings. However we must disconnect the brake cable on models that use the rear brake shoe for the hand brake. To give the axle shaft less end play y remove one or more shims, which are found in between the backing plate and the axle tube.. The normal amount of end play can vary from .012 to .020..
Fig #1
Fig #2
