Tractorsport Flowbench Forum Archive

Posted: **Wed Dec 24, 2008 10:00 pm**

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

A local gave me a present for Christmas. It is an old early Stude V-8 heavy metal with 232 cubes.

I am breaking it down this week to study it and see what it offers. This was the first generation motor. That later became the 259, then the 289, then the final 304 motors over a 12 year period from 1951 to 63. Came from a 52 Commander 2 door with manual 3 speed on the column and no hood. Rain damaged motor, but lots of good nuts and bolts. Now why would anyone junk a car and take the hood.

Posted: **Thu Dec 25, 2008 5:28 pm**

Gee I got a pair of slippers . . . how come I never get any mechanical things ???

Posted: **Thu Dec 25, 2008 11:25 pm**

I have it all apart now and undecided on what to do with it. Two pistons were super stuck but finally came out after serious hammering. It will need reboring. Very unique design here. Bore is 3 and 3/8 and stroke is 3 and 1/4. Made an complete sonic check on number one cylinder and the thinnest section is .234" at the very bottom in one spot. Thrust side is over .300 for most of the deck to web areas. So it will take a bore to 3 and 9/16 with no problem. Undecided if I should take it to 3 and 5/8 bore though.

The valves are super small. Look like little nails. 1 and 13/32 intake and 1 and 9/32 exhaust. The guide takes up most of the bowl. Wonder what the flow might be?

Here is another odd value. The lifters are large. 1 inch diameter. And the valve retainer has a metal curtain attached to it. I got the cam out and it has copper coatings on it. Doesn't look like a cast cam.

Learning what the ancients knew here this holiday week.

Check this factory note on the valve setting. Neat.

Posted: **Sat Dec 27, 2008 11:30 am**

#### a solid lifter cam?! that thing looks pretty awesome for an early motor. real work horse. looks like a steel crank and forged rods too.if only they had more cubes. what is the stroke on that motor?
thanks,max

Posted: **Sat Dec 27, 2008 12:34 pm**

Here is a view of the cam. Stroke is 3.250 and bore is 3.375. Walls are sonic testing rather thick. Thrust side on number one came in at: .315 / .295 / .317 / .242 (very bottom)

Does this look like a steel cam? I was told early motors had steel billet cams. If so, can't these be welded up for better duration and lift?

Posted: **Sat Dec 27, 2008 12:37 pm**

Lobes look fine too. No rust or pitting.

Posted: **Sat Dec 27, 2008 2:23 pm**

I sure does look like a steel cam to me. Some of the early Chevy 216 and 235 inline six truck motors had a steel cam and took special lifters for them. I have a set of those lifters and it says "for use on steel cam only"

It amazes me of all the neat things on this engine of yours. Safety wired main bolts, steel cam, shaft rockers, gear drive, inside painted with the red primer paint. Very cool!

One thing I heard years ago when I was a pup, we had a 1955 Chevy we were hot rodding. We put a 331 Cadillac engine in it because we could get one for $25 and a 327 Chev would have cost us $100. Anyway back to what I heard, I heard that the 331 Caddy intake would bolt up to that Stude engine. It does look the very same. We were running a dual quad manifold off of an early Eldorado engine.

John

Posted: **Mon Dec 29, 2008 11:18 am**

Found out that red color is "gliptol" varnish. What ever that is. Yes, early cadi intakes could be installed with some bolt attachment shifting. Got news recently that some stude enthusiast are trying to get an intake made up by Bulldog. Hope they succeed.

Did you know this 232 was tested for Indy 500?

Posted: **Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:19 pm**

Posted: **Mon Dec 29, 2008 3:10 pm**

That's nice to know. Amazing what the old school knew and designed. Here are some photos of the Indy 232 motor with some nice machine work and $$$$. Two were built and somehow survived. Wish I had one.

Tractorsport Flowbench Forum Archive

Stude 232 Motor