Kosage Chavis Posted April 30, 2017 Author Share Posted April 30, 2017 1 hour ago, MrEarl said: So one circuit breaker and one relay handle both the power seat AND the windows, correct, and they are both located in the drivers side kick panel, correct. Yes to everthing. At least that's what sounded like to me Mr Lamar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted November 18, 2017 Author Share Posted November 18, 2017 55 power brake question...cars equipped with power brakes, don't these cars have a fitting that threads into the front, top area of the intake manifold that connect up to the brake vacuum line? My car doesn't have power brakes but still has the fitting seen here...The fitting shown here is sort of like a 90 degree flared fitting. I am assuming cars with power brakes have a tee fitting instead, which allows connectivity to the fuel pump and brake vacuum line simultaneously. Is my assumption correct? Thank you for any help. Please provide pictures that show power brake setup for this fitting if possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 (edited) I remembered reading this a while ago and just remembered, having seen in another thread posted by Greg, the T-fitting. Here it is, both from my car and his thread: On the end of the line is a really big one way check valve where the vacuum tubing hooks in. I don't have any pictures of it, unfortunately. I do however have a spare, and I may have a T fitting. When I go back for the holidays, you can have them if you want for the cost of shipping. The vacuum check valve is pretty corroded and would probably need to be taken apart to have the rubber piece replaced. Edited November 28, 2017 by Beemon (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted November 28, 2017 Author Share Posted November 28, 2017 (edited) 20 hours ago, Beemon said: On the end of the line is a really big one way check valve where the vacuum tubing hooks in. I don't have any pictures of it, unfortunately. I do however have a spare, and I may have a T fitting. When I go back for the holidays, you can have them if you want for the cost of shipping. The vacuum check valve is pretty corroded and would probably need to be taken apart to have the rubber piece replaced. Thank you for the pictures Ben! That helps a lot. I assume this is the factory set-up? Are the spare T-fitting and check valve that have now factory? Could you send me some pictures of both? I am very interested in purchasing. Let me know and thanks again? Edited November 28, 2017 by Kosage Chavis (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted November 28, 2017 Share Posted November 28, 2017 Yep that's factory set up. The hoop in the brake vacuum line is to clear the throttle. This is for a 56, so it may vary for 55 but I think the steel line part is the same. I've got two weeks left at the university before I'm back home, so I'll get the pictures then. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted June 14, 2018 Author Share Posted June 14, 2018 Anyone know what type of socket to use to remove spark plugs on a 1955 322 engine? All of the sockets I have are to big in diameter to clear the spark plug bore. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 Find yourself a thin wall socket, the bore is just a bit too small. Or sand down your old one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted June 14, 2018 Author Share Posted June 14, 2018 7 minutes ago, Beemon said: Find yourself a thin wall socket, the bore is just a bit too small. Or sand down your old one. Where can you find a thin walled socket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1956322 Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 My craftsman 13/16th fits just fine... Tried others and they just barley wouldn't fit 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted June 14, 2018 Share Posted June 14, 2018 Google: 13/16 thin wall socket... But it is easy enough to grind down: apply to turning grinding wheel with the socket attached to an impact wrench. If the cavities in the head are dirty, any socket will stick. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted July 4, 2018 Author Share Posted July 4, 2018 Questions concerning the bench testing of a starter motor. Question is, can I bench test even with one of the smaller connection points broken off? If so, what points do I use to hook up to the battery? How do I repair the solenoid, or does it simply require replacement? What should I be looking for when testing the starter for proper operation (other than the obvious things like gear kick out and rotation)? Thank you all for any advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 Rotate the bendix clutch (big drum behind the gear) and check for smoothness. When you're checking the solenoid, there's only really two things to check for and that's if it spins and throws out. Not much more to it than that really. You'd be best to open it up and replace the brushes and polish the armature and commutator. With the bakelite destroyed, you do need a new solenoid.. or at least a new cap. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted July 4, 2018 Author Share Posted July 4, 2018 What about connection points? There are 4 altogether. Which ones do I hook up to the battery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 4 hours ago, Kosage Chavis said: What about connection points? There are 4 altogether. Which ones do I hook up to the battery? Battery to the big one, then start switch to one of the small ones. The other small one goes to the ignition coil. There should be a letter next to the unbroken connection.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted July 4, 2018 Author Share Posted July 4, 2018 22 minutes ago, wndsofchng06 said: Battery to the big one, then start switch to one of the small ones. The other small one goes to the ignition coil. There should be a letter next to the unbroken connection.... What about when the starter is out of the car and you are connecting straight to the battery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 Same principle....clean a place on the starter to ground, run a positive cable to the open, large comnector on the solenoid, then jump to the appropriate smaller connector to throw the solenoid. I believe there's an "s" and and "i" or maybe "r" next to smaller terminals... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ttotired Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 Its simple, B+ to the big top stud B- to the body of the stater A small wire attached to the one remaining stud Hang onto the starter (I put my foot on them) or have it firmly in a vice Touch the small wire to the B+ and the solenoid should kick the pinion out and the armature should start spinning The mentioned ignition terminal on the starter is an output for the ignition or ballast bypass and wont stop the starter from working, but normally should be tested to make sure it works As said, better to go through the starter anyway (it looks ratty) or buy a new one. I found that the starter from an "International" (brand from International Harvester if your not familiar with it) is the same except the nose cone which is easily swapped and a bolt hole in the field housing that supports the P clamp for the B+ cable. This was all on my 58 364, so it might be different 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank DuVal Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 The small terminals are marked S and R. The S terminal is what you apply +12 volts to to engage the solenoid. The R terminal is to bypass the ignition resistor during cranking. No need to hook any wire here during testing. If the S terminal is the one missing, time for a solenoid. P.S., B+ in your case is +12 volts. B- is ground (negative battery terminal). 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted July 6, 2018 Author Share Posted July 6, 2018 20 hours ago, Frank DuVal said: 23 hours ago, Ttotired said: 23 hours ago, wndsofchng06 said: On 7/4/2018 at 1:35 PM, Beemon said: Did exactly as you all suggested. Thank you for your help by the way. Performed the test. Two things happened...the wire arced out and the motor gave a very small jolt, as if it wanted to spin but was stuck. The S terminal was still intact and was tested, but the solenoid did not kick out. Not sure if you can fix a solenoid, but I definitely need to open the motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 You can buy solenoid repair kits bit they're hard to come by and maybe just a bit less expensive than an actual solenoid. The armature not spinning is most likely the brushes. You can test the motor directly by grounding the case and applying 12V to the armature terminal (bypasses solenoid). If it still doesn't spin, then it should be inspected and cleaned. If you notice any broken copper wires, the armature needs to be replaced or repaired by someone who can rewind it. Hopefully it's just brushes! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 The solenoid did not kick out (in)? Yeah, it looked too rusty. Theres probably nothing really wrong. Take it off of there. The plunger and spring should come out. Clean it all up. Take the back (bakelite) cover off. take the nuts off of the little terminal remaining and the big bolt on the bottom that goes to the starter motor. Then you should be able to take the bakelite thing off. There is a spring loaded copper disc in there, and you should be able to take it out. It is mounted on a pin that has to be able to move. It is also spring loaded on the pin, and that has to move. Check both windings on the solenoid for continuity with a multimeter. Measure from the little terminal to the solenoid case (this is the hold-in winding). Measure from the little terminal to the big terminal that connects to the starter (pull-in coil). If these are both ok, the solenoid is fine. Look at the two copper bolts. They might be hosed. Maybe not. The copper disc comes back when the solenoid pulls in and shorts the two bolts together. Over time, the heads of the bolts burn off, and the copper disc can no longer reach them. On some versions of the GM solenoid, you can turn the bolts 180 degrees and get a second life out of them. Maybe someone already did that. As long as the disc hasn't burned the bolt heads way down on the side of the bolt head that is in use, you are good to go. You probably do need to change that bakelite piece. The missing terminal sends 12v to the ignition while cranking. Does your Buick use that? It probably does, and it improves starting a lot when the battery is a little down. Inside the starter, look at the brushes, bushings, and starter drive (gear). If the bushings are shot, you will be able so see a shaft-shaped bunch of wear on the side of the bushing that was taking all the thrust. Check them for looseness too. If you don't see that wear pattern, they are probably fine. Sometimes new replacements will be looser than originals, if the originals don't have a bunch of wear. Look at some new brushes online. Judge yours by length. If they are really super-short, get new ones. The brushes would have to "wear in" to match the curve of the commutator, and that much wear happens really fast. If your old brushes only have that much wear, consider them new. Grab the starter drive by the round part and turn the gear part. You should be able to turn it one way, but not the other. Shine up the commutator with emery cloth, wipe it off with alcohol or brake kleen or something to get rid of the grit. Put the armature in the tailpiece, and get the brushes in. Thats the fiddly part because there are usually four of them and they are spring loaded. Once you have the brushes in, drop the field coils over the top and then put the nosepiece on last. Lastly, there is an adjustment (I think) for how far the solenoid pulls. The plunger should be threaded where it attaches to the linkage. The shop manual will show you how to set it. There should probably be a boot over the solenoid plunger. It looks like it takes the same one as a prewar Buick starter. If so, Bob's has them. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted July 6, 2018 Author Share Posted July 6, 2018 Mr Lamar, would it be asking too much if you could dust off and post some pictures of your rear speaker knob (at different angles including backside). One of our Buick friends, Mr Al, put me onto a website that specializes in antique radio knobs. Here is a picture of both Mr Paul's and yours... Now, here's a few knobs from that website... Some look identical. Especially the black one pictured at the top left hand side. This would be a huge help to me and hopefully gets me a step closer to finding this illusive knob. Thank you so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 Kosage, I’ve dug through my parts closet twice looking for that switch and can’t find it. That’s the only picture I have of it I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted July 6, 2018 Author Share Posted July 6, 2018 47 minutes ago, MrEarl said: Kosage, I’ve dug through my parts closet twice looking for that switch and can’t find it. That’s the only picture I have of it I think. That's okay Mr Lamar. What do you think of the picture of the knobs compared to you and Mr Paul's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 assuming the 2nd one down in left column has a set screw in it I would say it would be close enough for BCA judging. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted July 12, 2018 Author Share Posted July 12, 2018 On 7/6/2018 at 7:35 PM, MrEarl said: assuming the 2nd one down in left column has a set screw in it I would say it would be close enough for BCA judging. All have set screws and are made from bakelite. I think I am going to buy an assortment. I will then post pictures and have you help me pick out the correct one...or the one closest to correct. Is that cool? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 How pricey are they. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted July 13, 2018 Author Share Posted July 13, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, MrEarl said: How pricey are they. Very cheap Mr Lamar. I am going to buy an assortment between 4 different black ones. The differences are very subtle which is why I was hoping you and whoever else has knowledge of this part on Buicks could help me. The guy was going to charge me 1 dollar per knob, but that was for just 1 particular knob. It might vary a bit on the price for the others. He has a 20 dollar minimum. So I will be buying at least 15. If you'd like, I can send you a few when I get them. I will let you know. Edited July 13, 2018 by Kosage Chavis (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Is this what you re looking for? PM me an address if so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted July 16, 2018 Author Share Posted July 16, 2018 30 minutes ago, Bloo said: Is this what you re looking for? PM me an address if so... Exactly what I was looking for, but as you already know a package came in today. I really appreciate your offer and time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Anytime :) Glad you found it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted August 8, 2019 Author Share Posted August 8, 2019 Been a while since I posted a question here, but I have a new question. At some point (hopefully sooner rather than later), I plan on building a detached garage in my backyard. I plan to complete a total off frame restore on my 55 Century in it. But here's the issue. I have kids that play in the backyard all of the time and I don't want to take up too much space back there. What is the smallest amount of perimeter inside a garage that still allows me to accomplish this type of restore to my car? Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted August 8, 2019 Share Posted August 8, 2019 14 hours ago, Kosage Chavis said: Been a while since I posted a question here, but I have a new question. At some point (hopefully sooner rather than later), I plan on building a detached garage in my backyard. I plan to complete a total off frame restore on my 55 Century in it. But here's the issue. I have kids that play in the backyard all of the time and I don't want to take up too much space back there. What is the smallest amount of perimeter inside a garage that still allows me to accomplish this type of restore to my car? Thank you. You will need the equivalent of a 3 car garage. One bay for the frame; one bay for the body; one bay for the big loose pieces like seats, dash parts, engine and tranny, fenders, hood, trunk lid.... Put the kids to work on the car and tell them it is fun play time. 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 On 8/8/2019 at 11:54 AM, old-tank said: You will need the equivalent of a 3 car garage. Unfortunately, aside from a slight exaggeration (maybe only 2 1/2 car garage ) I agree. As you're already finding out, everything takes up much more space when no longer bolted to the Buick! All I can offer is to perhaps consider adding a loft to the garage (if not a full 2nd story). That space could be dedicated storage with as much adjustable shelving as you can muster. You'll still need ground level storage somewhere for heavy items, though... 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 I just built a 2 car and am already cussing about space! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 If you are doing a body off listen to old tank. My shop is 32 X 48 X 12 and i was cramped at times. Don,t forget work benches, tool boxes, compresser, bead blaster, shelves, cabinets, drill press, buffer, grinder, etc etc etc all chew up square feet and a lot more than you think because you need to allow room to move around them. Also the inside measurement is smaller than the outside which most folks refer to. If you can do a 12 ft ceiling do so. .....bob 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 4 hours ago, Bhigdog said: If you can do a 12 ft ceiling do so. I concur - my 10 foot ceiling is good, but tight with a car on my 4-post lift. Another 2 feet would be great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted August 12, 2019 Share Posted August 12, 2019 2 hours ago, EmTee said: I concur - my 10 foot ceiling is good, but tight with a car on my 4-post lift. Another 2 feet would be great! Never satisfied, are we? Ben 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted August 16, 2019 Author Share Posted August 16, 2019 When removing the rear windshield, do you just cut away the old gasket or can you remove without doing so? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted August 17, 2019 Share Posted August 17, 2019 Less likely to break it if you cut the gasket. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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