Lockhouse

Thanks very much for all your replies. I wil do as you suggested and test the speedo head out and see where I get with it.

The speedo seems to work OK for 10 minutes, then the cable snaps - how can I check that it's OK? Thanks.

The first time is was the just the cable I had replaced, the second time I thought it might be the housing so I had both replaced. Thanks

Hi, My 1952 Super keeps breaking speedo cables. It's a 3 speed manual trans and they keep snapping in the gearbox end. I've had two made brand new, have run them without any sharp bends etc and they have both snapped within 5 minutes. Can anyone tell me is this likely to be a problem with the speedo gear in the gearbox or the speedo head? If so is it going to be expensive? Thanks, Andy

As I said on another thread, there's a GM Manual on '50s glass removal that comes up on eBay on CD occasionally. It describes how to replace the glass including the trim.

There is actually a 1950's GM Glass Replacement manual that talks you through step by step how to replace the glass. It crops up on CD on eBay occasionally. Well worth it.

Disconnect the vacuum hose at the wiper motor and check you have vacuum with your finger - you should feel the sucking on the hose when you put your finger on it. If you have vacuum and a rebuilt motor then the wipers should work unless there is a problem with the cable transmission mechanism under the dash. I would check that all the pulleys under the dash turn freely and the cables are clean and lubricated with WD40. I had a sound deadening pad that had come away from the underside of the dashboard which had coated the cable with fluff stopping it from running over the pulleys properly. Once I'd cleaned it all up they were fine. Thanks, Andy

Sorry to thread hijack but is this the same for a '52?

Thanks Derek. "Betty" was built by GM in South Africa and imported into the UK in 1984, hence the right hand drive. She is a Model 52 Super Sedan. The odometer reads 59,000 miles and seems ballpark. I've had her 8 months and bought her from a friend. She's spent 5 of those 8 months in our local restorers having a facelift (I can't do body\paint). She had an expensive restoration 15 or so years ago judging from what I've discovered whilst working on her but had got to the stage where it all needed doing again to bring her up to pristine condition. (The pictures on the website are pre-paint by the way). So far I've had both sides repainted, the bonnet straightened and repainted and every piece of external brightwork rechromed or replaced. She's got a manual gearbox. I prefer the manual gearbox to the Dynaflow (I also have a '49 Super Sedan with Dynaflow) as it allows me a greater degree of control when things aren't going "quite so well". Andy

Doug, Many thanks. I have just got some new vacuum hose and some mini hose clamps. I'll replace the hoses one at a time (at the weekend) and see if that cures the problem. Thanks also for the info about the washer jar. It was playing on my mind but it's very useful to clear that one up. Cheers, Andy

Hi from the UK! Looking through the previous posts I wish I'd found this site sooner! I've got both a 1949 & 1952 Buick Super which we use as wedding cars. They are both in reasonable condition but there's always a list of jobs to do as long as your arm. On my '52 Super I have no windshield washers. The wipers work fine (I've just fixed them). So onto my questions: When I press the centre of the wiper switch to prime the washers I hear a sucking noise. Is that correct or does it indicate a leak (in the vacuum hose)? The washer jar is non-standard and the lid doesn't fit. I've got a proper jar on order but does the lid need to be an airtight seal for the washers to work? I cannot detect a vacuum at the washer jar by the way. All the vacuum hose looks OK - is it likely the wiper switch is faulty? If so how do I remove the wiper switch? I've seen the earlier thread but is it the same for the '52? My '52 is a RHD and the wipers switch is behind the fuse panel - access is limited. If someone can assist me with my diagnostics that'd be great. Hopefully I'll be able to share some of what I've learned whilst working on the cars as well. Thanks, Andy