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« on: August 09, 2007, 10:04:37 AM »
Gordie - Thank you for your comments - Very well said. I have put different engines into Kaisers over the years - one of the easiest conversions years ago was the 49-53 Ford/Mercury flat head - I have also done several Chev V-8 conversions using the 283-327 - and for that I used the front mount assembly off a 1957 Corvette with a custom fabricated rear mount using the existing Kaiser Transmission rear crossmember. This is a very easy conversion - the front engine mount hangs on the waterpump mounting bolts and uses all chev components including the mounts and the mount support stanchions - even Chevy exhaust manifolds can used - While these parts were almost impossible to find for a few years, they are now being reproduced and are again readily available as an aftermarket item. The one big drawback however is the fact that for the engine to sit right, you have to heat and bend the centerlink and lower it enough to clear oil pan, unless you modify the oil pan, both of which I want to avoid. My reason for the post was to see if anyone has come up with a better system that does not necessitate this - hopefully one of the rack and pinion set-ups now so popular. I have a couple of sets of the Studebaker to Chev V-8 mounts that I am experimenting with as the frames are somewhat similar, but I would like to avoid the steering problem if at all possible, and not yet sure if the Stude Mount will permit that. Kaiser Bill has done a frame clip on one of his cars - it is nicely explained on his website, and that is a great way to go as it gives you modern braking as well - but I would like to come with a conversion that is less complicated and uses the Kaiser Frame - one that perhaps a kit could be designed for making it a job that most owners could accomplish without owning a machine/welding shop, or having to try and locate someone proficient enough to do this correctly. My whole purpose in this is to keep the car looking original from the outward appearance, yet give it reliability for long trips at highway speed and be simple enough that most owners could do the job themselves. Every one speaks of the reliability of the Kaiser 6 Cyl. motors, so either no one wants to admit it, or I am an anominally, but I have had no success with them at all - and I am speaking long term here as I have owned kaisers for over 50 years and even with the best of maintenance I have NEVER had a motor that was any good for any period of time - and I am not hard on my vehicles (2 of the current vehicles I am driving (both GM) have over 300,000 on them and not using any oil yet so I must be doing something right) - thus my interest in the conversions.
As an aside, I have put a lot of miles on a 53 Manhattan sedan with this Chev. conversion using the stock Kaiser rear end, suspension and brakes, and never encountered a problem - I used a set of 57 Chrysler 14" rims on the car with the appropriate sized tires, and it both rode and handled well. Even braking was never a problem. I have never experienced a rear-end failure or even a rear wheel bearing problem on any of the cars, so I am satisfied that those components are solid.
Also, as an aside on the Kaiser 6 - I have a nice 54 that I would like to keep original, but it also suffers from that annoying bottom end "tick" that is the harbinger of a crank failure, and in that vein, I recently had a conversation with a chap in Toronto Ontario who specializes in overhauling engines - particularly older stuff. He was somewhat familiar with the Kaiser engine, and his feeling was that the oiling system is lacking. This is originally an industrial designed engine that was subsequently converted for automotive use,and the oiling system was not properly addressed for the stresses that automtive use places on the design. The addition of one more main bearing would probably have solved the problem and made this a very reliable engine, but that was not undertaken. He felt that the system could be sucessfully modified and the crankshaft strengthened through the welding process so that reliability could be gotten out of the engine, but the cost is prohibitive unless you are wanting a totally original car and money is not an object. I am not into 100 point restorations - I just happen to like 51-55 Kaisers style, ever since I drove my first one at age 16, and the reason I still have 4 of them, and I just want a nice reliable driver.
Tom
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