1956century

I'm looking for a 1956 right hand (passenger) exhaust manifold. Thanks

I'm trying to figure out the inside diameter of the draft tube hole in a 322 valley pan. Does anyone have one handy to measure? Thanks

@Gary Best that looks great. Any more pics?

Indeed a familiar sight.

Had the same issue, it was the throttle linkage. Remove, clean, regrease, install.

A couple of pics showing how mine lined up. I made my own adapter.

Do you have any pictures of the misalignment? Mine lined up perfectly with the steering column using a 1/4" adapter. Also, the frame has slotted holes which allow for vertical tilt adjustment of the steering box (it pivots on one of the holes - top/forward IIRC). I did notice that once installed, the intermediate shaft sat a bit higher on the steering box side. I was able to adjust the idler arm upward to level it out.

Also, I did not tap the bottom two holes. I threaded on grade 8 nuts from the backside. The only threaded hole was the top middle (referencing your drawing) as it overlaps the new steering box.

Beemon, glad to see you're moving forward with the Jeep steering box conversion. I'm not sure if I ever sent you a picture of my bracket, but it looks very similar to your design. The top forward hole (facing the front of the car) is reused, and the rest fall into place based on the bolt pattern of each box. The Buick frame curves inward in that area, so you will need to experiment with the spacing (similar to the washers used on the adapter you bought). The adapter needs to be as close to the frame as possible while maintaining clearance in order to line up with the steering column. I would advise against the cutout center in your design. The steering box will have some flex when turning the wheel. You'll want to make the adapter as strong as possible. Here are a couple of pics that were taken during mockup:

The shims slide onto the tip in the fourth picture. This end then slides into the centering hole in the third picture. You want to use the shims to space the drum out enough so it doesn't hit the rotating magnets. I added shims (after I collected them off the floor) until I had enough clearance, then I installed the drum and tightened the adjuster. I turned the speedo with my drill and loosened the adjuster just enough so the drum would turn freely and the return to the zero position correctly, as seen in the video. On the left is a shim I made. On the right factory ones. It takes a bit of trial and error to get the spacing right, but it's not too difficult.

Posting in case someone finds these pictures helpful. I had a wonky speedometer in my 1956 Century. The faster I drove, the faster it spun. It did not register a speed, it just kept spinning internally. In my case, the issue was the return spring on the passenger side - it was twisted and tangled. I was able to source parts from a spare cluster. Video of it fixed and working: Be careful when removing the drum. There are tiny shims that ride on this tip. They will fall out if you're not careful. Adjust the tension and tighten the jam nut.

Thanks old-tank. Do you have any measurements handy? Inner diameter of the panhard bushing retainer? Did you use a steeve for the bolt?

This may or may not be of interest to you, but I spent a lot of time searching for a suitable electric wiper motor before landing on one that would work. It will require some work, but I feel it is worth it. I found that the rear 2-speed wiper motor out of a 3rd generation (2010-present) Toyota Sienna is a great candidate. The wiper relay is built into the unit, which makes the wiring very simple: high speed (brown), low speed (green), washer function (grey), power (blue), ground (white/black). The shaft turns in the correct direction and the sweep is fitting. I don't recall exactly, but it was a bit over 90 degrees. Alternatively, the Toyota Prius (2010-2015) rear wiper has a sweep of exactly 90 degrees if that is required, however it turns in the opposite direction - this can very simply be reversed by opening it up and clocking the gear 180 degrees out. You will need to make a custom mount and modify the shaft to suit. The motor comes with a sheet metal bracket that should be trimmed/modified. The motor itself is very small, although it may look large in pictures online due to the factory bracket. The best part? You can pick one up for $25. Just make sure to ask them to include the plug/harness. If you ever want to return your car to stock, simply unbolt it and reinstall the vacuum unit.

Not yet unfortunately - it's parked for now.

Let me start by saying this: adding power disc brakes to the front of my '56 this summer is the best upgrade I've done to the car. I can say that it stops as good or better than any car modern car I own. I kept the stock rear drums. The Scarebird brackets work quite well. Off the shelf Astro van calipers and Riviera rotors. I bought all new parts it was fairly cheap all-in. I bought Timken bearings and they were all USA. You will need to upgrade to a dual master cylinder with a proportioning valve. Power booster highly recommended. I used a 1 1/8" bore disc/drum master from a '71-'78 Impala/Electra/Le Sabre/etc. and a CPP disc/drum proportioning valve. Hanging them off of the firewall is easiest, but will require fabrication, and is not a job for a novice. To clarify - my manual drum brakes were fully rebuilt and were in excellent working condition. I would assume the majority of the "difference" is felt by adding power assist, but the entire package works very well together.

I hooked mine up to a vacuum pump when cleaning up the distributor. Here is a video. I also did the tongue-on-hose check (it's not that bad).

That inspires confidence. Unfortunately wide whites are not in the budget, so I will go with some thin whites to get me buy.

I've had better lock with nylon/fiber washers over the copper for the drain plug. They are about 15 cents each. Fiber: https://www.dormanproducts.com/p-21587-097-018.aspx Nylon: https://www.dormanproducts.com/p-375-097-004.aspx

Vacuum advance test for those interested:

It seated in the same position and engaged the oil pump shaft. Rotor was pointing in the same direction. When it came time to set the timing, it was off.

I had the exact same symptoms. I wire brushed all the mating surfaces and put it back together with chassis grease at every joint.

After disassembling, cleaning, and lubricating the distributor, the chirp was still there. It turned out to be the throttle linkage. I removed it from the car, cleaned, and greased it, and now the chirp is gone. I marked the distributor before removing it. Interestingly enough, when putting it back at the same position, I had to turn it further clockwise in order to get back to 5 degrees. Not sure what's going on there - maybe cleaning the breaker plate and vac advance freed it up and changed the timing?

Spent a little time on the Buick today. I took the cap, points, and condenser off, then cleaned everything up a bit. I noticed pulling up on the shaft makes a chirping sound (see video). I lubed everything up and put it back together with new points (US made). Still chirps. I bumped up the idle a bit and went away for the most part. Likely going to pull the distributor next.

I made sure the cap was on straight. Here's a video:

I had replaced the cap and rotor with an old set I had. Before I put them in, I cleaned up the contact points and coated them in a thin layer of dielectric grease. The noise went away for a few miles and then came back.