Engine Speed

[Harry]

Does anyone know how many RPM'S a 1948 Kaiser engine would be turning at 60 MPH. With a4.09 rear

[dusty]

Hi: 409:1 standard trans, 670/15 bias ply tires at 29.29 inches diameter. 60 mph the engine will be turning 3084 rpm. with overdrive transmission the engine will be turning 2160 rpm.     Dusty

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Kaisers were not available with overdrive in 1947 or 1948 except for a VERY small number of 1948 Customs (if any) with the dual manifold 112 bhp version of the 226. 

[Harry]

Thank's for the quick reply, at 3084 RPM'S I would guess the engine would be able to run at that speed all day with no problems, am I right

[Jim B PEI]

My 49 Special (standard, no overdrive) is much much happier running just a bit under that, at about 55 mph, true speed via Garmin Nuvi GPS. It tends to run hotter above that, even with a rebuild a few years ago, and everything boiled out. I so wish it had an overdrive. I stay off 4 lanes here if possible, when the speed limit here is a nominal 100kph (62 mph), and I can't even maintain that in mid-summer without it running warm. It would be better if you could install an overdrive and keep that r/e ratio, instead of changing it to a 4.56 which they came with. Then you would have a car that could maintain modern highway speeds at a more sane RPM. The Continentals in all applications preferred lower than 3k RPM, according to my tractor sources.

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

The engine is supposed to normally reach 3650 RPM tops.  The cars when new easily held 70-80 MPH.  If you find the engine revs too much for your liking, 1947 and 1948 models without overdrive also used a 3.73:1 ratio for maximum fuel economy.  It was not supplied on cars scheduled for shipment to dealers and distributors in hilly or mountain areas.

[Jim B PEI]

Hmmm...about the 3.73, I had looked around for an overdrive transmission that would fit it without much luck, as they keep getting purchased by people with Dodges <GGG>. I'm talking a bolt-up type, and they are thin on the ground to a reasonable distance from me in Atlantic Canada. So, would a Dana 44 with a 3.73 from something else be usable with minimum fuss, i.e., could an axle place swap out the Dana 44 3.73 behind my Studebaker Wagonaire V8 with o/d into the pumpkin of the 49? I'm thinking of putting a Studebaker automatic transmission 3.54 Dana 44 behind the Studebaker V8 for highway cruising and economy purposes.

[HJ-ETEX]

Jim B: You need to look at the casting on your rear end (Dana rearends have the model number cast into the housing near the sheet metal cover). Since you have an early car (pre 51) it may not be a a Dana 44. There is a rear end with an oval sheet metal cover (Dana 30) and one with a hexagonal cover (Dana 44). My Hollander Manual says that the 44 is 60" (I think they are measuring backing plate to backing plate) while the Oval cover one is about 1 1/2" narrower.

[HJ-ETEX]

My brother & I both have 64 Studebaker Cruisers with Dana 44/3.07 ratio rear ends with the good finned drums. But both cars are parts cars and I think the 3.07 ratio is about the lower limit that will work well with a Studebaker with a 289 V8 automatic (yes, there were lower ratios available). The best running Studebaker my brother ever had was a 64 Daytona with a 289 2 bbl, straight 3 speed, and a 3.31 rear end. I had Chevy V8s in some of my Studes and the ratios were 3.31/Auto and 3.54/straight shift. Chevy V8s put out their power at higher rpms so the higher ratios are needed. 

[Jim B PEI]

I'll have to check. Now that I think of it, I have the idea that the later Kaiser cars had a 44. There might have gone a good idea about what to do with the 3.73. <sigh> Since I do mostly highway cruising, a better ratio for the Kaiser has to be found one way or another.