It may work out to mount the ignition coils on the oversize motor plate. With the water pump covering most of the right side, it needs something on the left side to balance out the look

The Studebaker was initially equipped with a two-piece driveshaft with center support, thus, allowing the floor to be lower for the rear seat passengers. After shuffling the engine position as low as practical, a section of the driveshaft tunnel will need to be raised. That is OK because I want the engine and driveshaft in the correct position.

Larry

I do not recommend using the loop on the heater ports. That is a lot of coolant not going through the radaitor. If you are not going use the heater port I would pull the steel barbs out and weld up the ports. I heard guys also drill and tap for a NPT plug but be carfull.

1leg,

Thank You. That is a borrowed water pump, and I may not use it. Although still in the rough-in stages, it appears an OE damper/crank pulley will not fit. So, most likely, I will do an ATI small-diameter damper and Meziere electric pump. I like that option better anyway because of giving better cool down when I go to the track.

1Leg, help me understand this. Coolant would flow in and out of those ports if a heater were part of the system. However, with a bypass loop, coolant still flows. What is the difference?

Just thinking out loud here - a heater core is a miniature radiator - it transfers heat out of the coolant just as the main radiator does.

With the stock heater core removed and/or bypassed, the coolant flowing through that looped hose travels through neither the main radiator nor the heater core, thus gets the benefit of no cooling at all.

I'm also unsure of the feasibility of an electric water pump for street use - if the bell crank steering linkage is removed, can that crossmember be notched to allow clearance for a stock damper and pump?

Sly, it is a possibility the OE damper may fit if I change to rack and pinion steering. And that may be a good option.

Also, a street-duty electric pump is available; however, the electric pump is about five times the price of an OE pump. Plus, adding an aftermarket damper and pulleys and the price is a considerable difference over OE parts.

Larry, I think what Mike & 1Leg are saying, is the flow to the heater core comes from the upper "hot side" of the coolant circuit, (exiting the heads), and is normally returned to the "cool side" of the system, (the return from the bottom of radiator to the block). So you would be pumping hot water directly into the cooled water coming from the radiator, without the temperature reduction normally provided by a heater core, so this would reduce the effectiveness of your cooling system. That heater circuit without a core, amounts to a radiator bypass, which will preheat the cool water entering the block.

Foot,

With the water pump on the bench where I can easily trace the water flow, it does not appear to work as you describe. Until I get the full explanation, I am skeptical. Also, consider all the race cars [and street cars] that do not have a heater. Plus, through the years, I have seen many situations of the heater being bypassed because the owner did not have the money for a core replacement.

I am open-minded, just trying to understand the situation. Y'all please advise.

Larry, sorry, I should have qualified my previous comment with a note that I am not an LS coolant flow expert.
My theory was based on older engine designs, and I will say some of those are not all as I described. I've seen some coolant systems where the water that is diverted to the heater core is returned back to the coolant circuit nearly where it came from, and then flows through the radiator along with the rest of the "hot side" water.
I will stay on the sideline for the remainder of the LS heater core plumbing discussion. I was just trying to further explain the possible logic behind the other comments.

I don't play in the LS sandbox either, hence my "thinking out loud" proviso. Hoping 1leg responds with a follow-up - interesting discussion.

Your Stude is a super cool project, thanks for documenting.

Lately, I have enjoyed several good work days. The overall plan is taking shape; engine mounting, trans mounting, ladder bars, rear shock mounts, and 8.8 rear housing are all working out as expected. This photo shows the very loose. "0" inch converter.

Wow is that one of those big dollar no weld endless stall converters

A little alignment pull in both the X and Y axis. Because I am using the OE Ford 31 spline axles and OE bearing ends, I decided to simply give the housing a pull into alignment rather than cut and weld the ends.

The rear assembly is coming along.

assembly

cool

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Woodfin:
1Leg, help me understand this. Coolant would flow in and out of those ports if a heater were part of the system. However, with a bypass loop, coolant still flows. What is the difference?

In the stock application they use a coolant flow control valve in the heater line that closes when the heater is turned off.

You can use Meziere water pump on the street. Typically a street car will need a higher flowing pump. When you are ready for a pump give me a call I can help you pick the right one.

Thanks 1leg and will do