New member, first question

Glad I found your forum and just today was able to get in the system. Question 1, which is probably the first of many from a brand new member. I just aquired a '39 Buick Special, straight 8 and completed it's first oil change. The oil filter canister "hold down nut" has a gasket to seal where the nut threads to the stem. I noticed a groove in the nut that looks like it would take an 'o-ring' but none was on the nut when I removed it. I'm inquiring if there is significance to this "groove" and if it needs an o-ring, or if there's some other purpose. Thank you for your time and wisdom! OneSpecialBuick

Welcome to the Forum, and congrats on getting a '39 Buick Special - we need to see photos! As to your question about the oil filter, there were numerous brands of oil filter units that were installed as after market or dealer installed units. The filter on my '39 Special has a bolt through the top that threads into the stem, and there is a washer between the bolt head and the top, but no o-ring. There is the rubber gasket between the top of the filter and the body. I'd say an o-ring was optional if it doesn't leak without it. Will be interested in other comments since my filter appears to differ in design from yours.

Mine is a 41 but the oil filter itself has a o-ring gasket molded on it (goes towards the top ) bolt that down then the gasket on the container then the top gets bolted down . Some of my older wix filters came with a 1" or so sized paper gasket (pictured upper left of picture - this is where mine end up as extra's) for the filter top to bolted down with .

Welcome to the forum

Filters were not standard on '39's. So will be after market or from a later Buick

You can join the '39 Buick Team http://forums.aaca.org/f165/39-buick-team-membership-342274.html

Thank you all for your input regarding the oil filter bolt. Since it's an aftermarket device, I can see that there could be dozens of possible installations, but I'll go without an o-ring since there was no leak, as suggested by "jvelde." I've always been a M*pa* person, but my son and I picked up this beauty from Colorado and it's truly an incredible car! I'm replacing the water pump after a rebuild and then when back together and out from under the cover, we'll get pictures posted. Thank you once again!!!!

I believe he has one like the one on my '50. Inside, against the top[lid] is a tapered coil spring about 1 inch tall. The top of the spring snaps into the grove he speaks of. The spring holds the cartridge tight to the bottom.

Ben

I've tried to add a picture of the nut that holds the oil filter, but unsuccessfully. It looks like the groove at the open end of the nut would have been cut into the nut to take an o-ring, but again, there didn't appear to be any leaks without one. But I LOVE the thought that a tapered spring snaps into the groove to hold the filter canister down to the base of the filter frame. I had been wondering how to account for the slop in the filter. SO, First Born, you're saying it's a 1" tall tapered spring? Do you happen to have a picture of your installation? (Of course don't take one if you don't have one, until it's oil change time!) Thank you once again.

Welcome aboard mate !!

Yet another one turns up, Love it !!

Always room for another '39er.

Danny

Thank you Danny... such a warm group of '39ers.

Hey! We '40ers are pretty nice and helpful too!!

From one Newbie to another, Welcome. These people have been more than generous with their advice on my 39 Special and believe me, I need a LOT of advice. I am a little bit behind you unfortunately in getting it on the road.

You just answered a question that I was going to ask, 39_Buick. I was wondering why I could not find an oil filter in any of the parts boxes!

Guy W.

Silver Spring, MD

Some amazing folks here that's for sure! I can't wait until I get mine up and running. Welcome!

Oil filter was optional on all '39 Buicks. I have left all three of mine alone, no oil filter. I tried one on one of the cars and it made it almost impossible to change a fuel pump, so I just took it off. I figured if the cars have gotten along okay for 75 years without one, they can get along without one as long as I'm going to care. Heck, I'm 76 myself!

The oversized oil pan is actually a settling basin for particulates (sludge)to settle out.

Just don't use "detergent oil" that is made to suspend solids for an oil filter to remove.

Another question, well actually two.

firstly, how do I pop open the air vent just below the front window?

I also assume that that is what flows into the Buick Air Control. Which leads to second question.

what controls the air control? I haven't been able to find anything. (Car is and will remain stock).

thanks!

This lever was the subject of recent discussion. Have a look see here.

http://forums.aaca.org/f165/1939-cowl-vent-assembly-help-383865.html

With the Air Control Heater, mine is a Holden body and doesn't have provision for the defrosters.

It just draws air from within the cabin and recirculates it.

Do you have a control 0n/Off switch mounted under the dash ??

And a hot water On/Off cock at the thermostat housing ??

There is a nice diagram setup in the "1939 Buick Parts and Service Bulletins"

Well worth getting if you're going to tinker with your '39.

If needed it can be scanned and posted.

Danny

There is a handle just below and to the right of the steering column, on the bottom of the dash. If you push it down, the vent pops open. Most, if not all, of the time this is out of adjustment. It should have 4 distinct settings that you can feel when you push it down. 100% mechanical.

The heater is completely separate from this. It should have an on/off switch located wherever the installer decided to put it, but usually also on the bottom of the dash. There were many different heaters installed on these cars after they were delivered. Photos would help.

John V.

Im having difficulty getting the oil filter gasket to seal. The gasket that came with the new filter seems slightly small, so I cut my own, but they each leak when engine runs. It leaks at the filter area. Do you have any suggestions on how to seal the oil filter cap to the base so it doesn't leak? ( I've had other old cars with similiar issues, but never this much of a challenge... We have tried it 4 times and still no seal.

thanks.

-John, Will

Have you tried using an old inner tube to make the gasket the same circumference as the lid, that might seal better than normal gasket material.

Good luck.

There is a handle just below and to the right of the steering column, on the bottom of the dash. If you push it down, the vent pops open. Most, if not all, of the time this is out of adjustment. It should have 4 distinct settings that you can feel when you push it down. 100% mechanical.

The heater is completely separate from this. It should have an on/off switch located wherever the installer decided to put it, but usually also on the bottom of the dash. There were many different heaters installed on these cars after they were delivered. Photos would help.

I seem to be having problems loading photos onto this forum. So I loaded them into my gallery. Hope they are good enough to see. But I have no clue what these switches do. ( see gallery ).

I don't see anything in your gallery. To post an image here, host them on a photo site and then copy the image link here. I use photobucket.

I don't see anything in your gallery.

Good stuff. I thought it was just that I was useless and couldn't find it. :)

Failing the above, email them to me and I'll post them for you.

Danny

This should work. This is the link to photo bucket.

http://s95.photobucket.com/user/Will_Stuckey/library/

I have no clue what these switches do. ( see gallery ).

No.1 is the fresh air vent lever. Push it down and the vent hood should pop up to open. If not, read as per above. It may be stuck.

No.2 is to reset the trip meter odometer. If I remember rightly, I think you pull it down a little to engage the drive mechanism to reset the trip to zero.

It too may be stuck or frozen.

No.3 is a bodgey switch that could operate who knows what. Follow the wires and see where they go.

Danny

Welcome to the forum

Filters were not standard on '39's. So will be after market or from a later Buick

This quote is partially true. Filters were a factory accessory; therefore some undoubtedly were bought new with the factory filter. I have seen '39 Buick Specials in junkyards years ago that had a filter. In fact I have two take-offs in my garage that I always intended to install, complete with all the hardware (brackets and lines). They are probably aftermarket filters, but with no markings it would be hard to tell. I did, in fact, have one of them installed in my sedan. Later, the fuel pump failed, and the filter was directly above the fuel pump. The mechanic had to remove it to get to the fuel pump and strongly advised me not to reinstall the filter. Since no '39 Buick I've had among the ten had an oil filter, I decided not to reinstall it. I had a '35 Buick Series 40 with a filter. That one did not impinge on the fuel pump because the hood opened so wide.

You can join the '39 Buick Team http://forums.aaca.org/f165/39-buick-team-membership-342274.html

See above