Lawrence Helfand

Did mine a few years back on my 41 66S . First attempt was a rubber seal which leaked and then back to the original tried and true long lasting cork with shims which seems fine with only an occasional drip spot which is fine by me.

1941 Century 66S ............Eight thousand miles on my Hancook tubeless radial blackwalls have been very impressive. Handling steering response ride quality wear all A + . I like to drive with confidence and safety so tubed bias ply tires are not for me and black walls rule!

I have tried many over the years and Valvoline racing oil with zinc is what I now use in my 41 . Zinc is wonderful stuff for vintage motors. Lab tests have Kendall at the top of many performance trails of non syn oil but can be hard to find in stores. FYI among the worst was Castrol which is good as a cheap break in oil as rings seat quickly. Oil pressure on my 320 increased from 30 hot idle and 45 off idle another 2/3 pounds once I got around to dropping the oil pan for cleaning and replaced the totally sludge clogged oil pickup. My motor has under 40K miles and does not burn a drop but sludge buildup was a problem for these poorly vented crankcases. Also Redline makes a synthetic transmission oil specially blended for vintage vehicle syncros and its excellent stuff that you can really feel right away.

The Strombergs original to your car would be the way to go. 97's not so much. What you want is 2 AAV 16 7-42 series front carbs and a parallel linkage. Carter 509S is also suggested. Sorry but 97's should go to a Flathead ford

Best setup is matching stock jetting front carbs with rear intake weighted flap removed. Twin chokes are required. Using Summit racing linkage kit to front carb and from front to rear for parallel linkage. I use two Carter 528S carbs but Strombergs work ok too, tried both and Carters were a bit better off idle. I have been using this setup for several years and works beautifully. More balanced mixture and more even heat as well as smoother idle and more power off idle as well. Gas mileage has not increased and may be a little better. Easy starting hot or cold. I also pinned my heat riser flaps in the open position for a cooler intake. Overall its a big improvement with no downside.

Cloudiness is improved with any product that infuses the aging and dry opaque paint making it reflect less light back,,the wetting effect. I use all kinds of marinades depending on what I am trying to achieve. When it comes to a wood finish real or painted there is a wide range of taste. I have a vintage Mercedes with lots of wood which originally was a medium dark low sheen satin type finish but many restorations make it lighter and glossier and its looks great for some but not me. Dont be afraid to experiment with benign products like Pledge which really works! Waxs that dont dry white or leave residue like Butchers and polymers like Armour All will infuse the paint surface reducing cloudiness.

I strongly advise against spraying any clear coat over your original wood grain paint. As a long time restorer of a variety of industrial arts items I consider clear coating an amateurs solution to almost everything in regards to restoring a finish on almost anything. Lots can go wrong and its not reverse able many reasons why its a bad idea in my experience. I also would not use any polishing or buffing products on such a delicate nuanced surface. Cleaning and a petroleum or acrylic based wax is safer. WD 40 a refined kerosene product and 100 percent safe on everything and lifts dirt out of paint without the drying and dulling nature of detergents. Knowing what the factory luster was is a good starting point to determine what to use. I worked for a high end furniture restorer as a youth and he had shelves of expensive imported waxs and oils but I would sometimes catch him using Futura acrylic floor wax on some pieces for the effect he was looking for. Always use products that can be gently removed from surface. My 41 Century has lost most of its dash grain but a wipe of Armour All or a spray of Pledge leaves a nice low luster sheen.

Two different switch designs were used and are interchangeable. Later switch does not use a diaphragm and works better. Looks very different with a black phenolic body. The Buick motor can idle down so low you think its died but its still running so the switch protects the flywheel/starter gear. Set up correctly it works like a charm.

Most roads were still dirt across America before WW2 and mud was plentiful and horse poop dwindling. Horse poop is not that sticky with all the grazing fiber holding it together and does not cling much to surfaces.

Will you sell without carbs? $/? Thanks Lawrence

My 41 Century has a very long manifold with twin carb setup. I used all the tricks I know from decades of fear of the cracked manifold. First I use a thick copper gasket and there are a few available but go for the slightly more $ thicker one. I make a slurry of graphite and motor oil and apply to all sides. I use Belville (spring) washers as sold on ebay for Jeep Wranglers which like the Buick has a lot of movement in the heat cycle and these washers maintain tension that allows some creep. Most important with that fat gasket is lower torque setting then factory. I use 18 lbs and vacuum is great which makes for happy windshield wipers. Also always tighten incrementally from center out. I use a standard nut and anti seize on threads.

Very happy to hear of your results James and congratulations on your rare and gorgeous acquisition. Is this the Frank Delaney car? Great low sporting stance. Guessing interior is blue leather? Reminds me a little of a Riley. Wondering what else is in your stable! Kind regards Lawrence

My 41 Century had good oil pressure and even better after I replaced clogged pickup. I dropped my pan to replace gasket and even though mileage is under 40,000 miles the crud coating was horrifying. The oil pickup can and screen was badly blocked. Once restarted I picked up 5 lbs more pressure. idles hot at 30 and cruising is 45/50. I have used several different oils over the years and the zinc packed Valvoline racing is my favorite. If your pickup is clogged your pump is still working hard but cant draw enough oil from the pan for good pressure..

I had sealing issues as well and tried a few seals the best being from looking through the box at my local O Riley's. Still had leakage from both pipes and ended up using a muffler paste to seal every crevice. As its water based you can gob it on and clean up with a sponge to keep it neat. Its my nose rather then my ears that tell me I have a problem as engine fumes easily enter the cabin even on the fairly well sealed Buick firewall.