QuestionI am trying to add air conditioning to a Studebaker R1 (unsupercharged, high compression) engine (Lark/Hawk front of engine, not Avanti style.) I have a factory compressor bracket and a full set of pulleys EXCEPT for the pulley on the crank that drives the A/C compressor. Since both the A/C belt and the alternator belt drive the water pump it's important to get all the pulley sizes correct. To make matters worse, they were all different sizes; the water pump pulley for the A/C belt is a different size than the one for the alternator belt and likewise the crank pulleys are different sizes as well. Apparently they got the drive ratios correct however. But what this means is that you can't just eyeball the pulleys and tell that they are correct. The problem is that I don't know what engine I have pulleys for, and looking in the factory parts book they don't give diameters for the various part numbers, so I don't know what I have so I can determine what pulley I need to be looking for. The pulleys that I do have came off of a '63 non-R series V-8 that came out of a Lark, and it did have a viscous drive fan so I ASSume that they are the right ones, but would like to double check to make sure. I will be using the R1 vibration damper, for what it's worth.
All of this is going to be dropped into a '55 coupe, but I don't know that that's relevant. Yes, I know that the factory compressor will not clear the hood, I was going to use a Sanden on an adapter plate.
Thanks much,
Nate Nagel
AnswerI think you should call Mike or Jon Myer - they are the R1 experts. If you are a member of SDC, you probably know of them, but just in case not, you can reach them at 128-130 Main St, Duncan Falls OH 43734. I'm sorry I don't have their phone number, but perhaps you can google them and get it. They have a web site, it is: www.myersstudebaker.com
By the way, if you are not a member of SDC, you surely should be- as they are the best source of technical advice for Studebakers in the hobby. I have had a few, including an R1 Avanti, a couple or three Hawks, and even two 55 coupes (and too many more to list), but I never really specialized in them the way I did in Packards, so I'm not the best source for your answers. The SDC has a group of tech advisors that know just about everything that is known about these cars, and they are not afraid of mods such as you are planning - in fact they'll be delighted that you are using a Stude engine rather than the usual 350 Chevy!
You can contact the SDC (Studebaker Driver's Club) at www.studebakerdriversclub.com
I can tell you this much - if a car had the viscous drive fan, it was a Factory AC car - a least that was evident from my own two 62 GT Hawks - one had factory AC, the other didn't, and that was the only difference in the water pump setup that I noticed. Of course being 62s, they had generators, not alternators, and I don't know what difference that would make.
So I know this isn't all the answers you were hoping for, but perhaps I've sent you off in a good direction - I hope so.
Dick
