beerczar1976

Any help? Even a picture of how you're is set-up would help!

Have a 4 piece set of the rear body to bumper stone guards ready to install on my '50 Special Sedan. Looking for a pic of hardware that holds them together and onto the sides of the fenders. I know the large outer bumper piece sandwiches between the bumper and the bumper frame (back bars) and held in place by the bumper bolts and carriage bolts under the back-up light bumperettes. How about the trunk center piece and the right and left ends? Trunk center used 4 hex-head machine screws to hold it to bottom side of body. End pieces have speed nuts built in. There does seem to be slotted holes in the fenders. Is it just a bolt and washer inside the lip of the fender? It doesn't really have a flat surface. Does the rubber plug go in facing up or down? For the outer silencers, long tab up or down? I took some pics.

The 89 Buick Regal Custom I had when in HS in '94 was also an Olympic edition. Not ever really sure what made it that per second other than plastic gold colored stick-on Olympic ring/USA emblems on the qtr panels.

By fabric, I meant vinyl. Still looking for a picture of this piece installed...lol

Yeah, I kind of figured that based on the photo of the item; it looked like it had screw and maybe even staples holes in it along the edges. So does the package tray fabric wrap over the front side of it or something? Do you have a picture of it installed? The Parts Manual I have shows the piece, but not in a '50, and it's in a rather busy line drawing. Just trying to visualize how it goes in. Thanks!

Will be installing interior back into my '50 Special this spring. Interior was out of the car when I bought it years ago. I saw in the Parts Manual some kind of metal trim that's supposed to go between package tray and top of back seat. I found one on eBay, but how is it actually installed? Can someone show me what that area of their late 40s/early 50s looks like. Here's the link to the part...https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F401823661700

Fixed it! Found that the self-remember on the pillows were exerting to much pressure. Second reason MIGHT have been than on ends of the cables there is a small bead...think of those that are on the end of a bicycle brake or shift cable. One had slid in about 1/ 32" further than it should have been to the slotted retainer on the transmission link effectively shortening the cable by about 1/32" .

Knobs should have a small Allen head screw holding them to the shaft. Once knobs are off the shaft, should be a notched tube type nut that sandwiches the dash material between the switch and the notched tube nut. There is a tool for it, looks basically like a socket that has prongs sticking out of the end. But usually can also be spun off using a flat head screwdriver on an angle or with long low profile needle nose pliers. Once nut and wires are removed from switch, should easily drop out from back side of dash. On some switches, the shaft is also removable by putting a stiff piece of wire thru a hole in the side of the body of the switch mechanism. Shaft is held in by spring tension. Pushing the internal release should allow it to slide out.

Yes. Wiped it down. Like I said, inside, was quite clean, figured it was going to be nasty in there. Either still sealed up well from factory, or had been rebuilt. I had somewhat similar issue with my clock too. Wasn't working even with brand new wiring. Took it out from dash, open it up and found inside to be near immaculate...couple drops of oil and away it's ticked and rewound the spring on it's own since then about 3 years ago. I give it more of a go and try to add more lube to entire system...I had already tried the white lithium on a few spots on the transmission as well, but might not be hitting the right places yet.

I figured I'd try to get my vacuum wipers working now that I went thru the whole process of installing a new windshield gasket on my '50 Special...Yeah that was fun... Put on new 7/32"id vacuum hose, connected up to the switch, wiper knurls turn in only one direction (opposite to outboard of car as they should), no return back to start position unless I shut switch back off. Well after messing around with it, checking connections, etc., I finally pulled off the motor and opened it up. It didn't really look all that well lubed, seemed a bit dry, had a little bit of gunky grease residue here and there, but really clean. Based on internal cleanliness and overall look of unit on the outside, my guess is that at some point it may have been rebuilt. Lubed it up, hooked it up to vacuum line, motor runs like hell when not attached to cowl. Suffice to say when mounted back to the cowl it would run again in only direction only. Pulled unit back off (kinda pissed at this point...LOL), added more lube (been using a combination of white lithium grease and brake fluid), unit on it's own still runs like a clock. Mount back on to the cowl, this time wipers work beautifully. Awesome, until I shut of car, and cleaned up work area. Upon re-start, same damn issue, no wiper movement again... I have not yet even bothered to put the actual wiper arms on the car, so it's not a dry windshield issue. I don't think it's a vacuum pressure issue since when testing the wiper fluid it sprayed near clean over the roof of the car...plenty of pressure there. I think my final question comes down to how tight should the under dash cable transmission set-up should be? I did find initially that the external part was pretty tight to turn by hand and was kind of crudded up. Somewhere in the past, car had been repainted and cowl was left in primer white. The transmission area had been sprayed over and may have caused some binding due to paint, years of sitting, etc. I cleaned all that best I could, and it now rotates pretty freely by hand. Anything I'm overlooking? I did see that their is an access plate on the transmissions where they go thru the bottom side of the dash on both sides of the car...maybe I need to try and lube in there as well? Like I said, I did get the whole unit to run great for about 10 mins on it's own before I shut off the car that last time... Very strange. I did notice on other years that motors have rubberized mounting collars. The '50 only has the diecast collars that accept screws that lead into the cowl. Is there maybe supposed to be a spacer I'm missing? Maybe with a spacer, there's enough offset that motor to transmission junction is not as tight?...

Agree, start with cable. Found out mine didn't work due to the internal cable that's inside the outer jacket snapped at some point and had turned itself into an octopus...It was pretty jammed inside the housing. Replaced internal cable and sent out head for servicing. Biggest thing to remember is to cut the new cable to exactly as close as possible to what the shop manual calls for, otherwise new cable will tend to "whip" inside the housing causing a ticking sound, or worse, binding. Lubricate cable as recommended, which is coating only the lower end of the cable; lubing all the way to the top will cause the grease to work itself back up inside the head of the speedometer. I'd see if you can get by with a new cable first as the speedo servicing is not exactly cheap. I sent my out to a shop in Michigan, Bob's Speedometer Service, if I recall.

The "el" bracket on mine had been lost to time as well. Went to hardware store, found a couple different length that I though might have worked (they come in a 2 or 3 pack), and then drilled the hole bigger to accept the flange bolt. Trickiest was finding a bracket long enough on the bottom side to clear the edge of the flange, but wasn't too long that would allow for the spring to attach. All that spring is meant for is to keep the butterfly valve in the heat riser from flapping when it's been totally freed up/working properly.

If your heat riser manifold valve is still stuck, try using the specifically formulated AC-Delco Heat Riser Valve lubricant. Comes in a spray can. The lube is in a foam consistency when applied. Spray it on both ends of the shaft that come thru the cast iron heater box and let it soak in. As you're able to get it to budge, keep applying and tap the shaft so it slides in and out of the box; this will eventually work the lube into the bearings that are cast into the box and will/should, after some time, free the butterfly valve back up. Be patient, and don't try to muscle it too much. The arm with the counterweight is somewhat easy to bend out of shape.

I've had success finding the glass fuses individually at very well stocked hardware stores. While we were living in VA a local store had pretty much all the fuses and small bulbs I needed, but they were often found in different aisles. Check beyond automotive in the Electrical aisle, the aisle with Appliance parts, etc. The store had the bins in a couple different spots, each seemingly with different sizes and styles of fuses...

BTT