autodeco57

Look for the "Fisher Body Service Manual", in reprint. Mine is for 1926 through '31, but the cutaways and exploded views would be very similar to yours. I see them on ebay all the time. Too, there might be one for newer models out there that would be exact for '33. If you strike out, repost and I'll try to get you some scans. Steve Gorthy BCA #44510 1931 Model 87

Buick friends, I found a gear cutting business about an hour from home who says he can cut me a blank with the right spiral teeth on it to mesh with the cam. I'll just have to machine out the rest of it, which is do-able. He needs to inspect the cam itself, which I can take care of. Another hump, I think, surmounted. Stay tuned for further installments of "New Advances in Buick Therapy for the Mentally Impaired." If anybody needs one, let me know because this would be the time to double up on production and reduce the cost. (Unkown cost at this point.) Thanks to Mark and Stuart.

Stuart, thanks again for the information.

Thanks, gentlemen. My interchange manual doesn't list the drive gear on the end of the shaft where it engages the cam, just the two meshing gears inside the pump housing. (if I'm reading it right.) Stuart, you're right about the possibility of the 32 series 60 being interchangeable. When I saw that the 60 series listed the "oil pump gears", as the same, I thought, "aha, maybe the same oil pump." But what I found when I looked again after taking the pump out of it was that the driven and idler meshing gears were, as stated, the same, but the single drive gear on the other end of the shaft was different. So I now have two pumping gears as backup, but still not the one I need. And I'm with you on the numbers...clearly what I need is either the "oil pump, driven upper," or the "oil pump driving" gear (I suspect it's the former on account of the "upper.") But it's hard to tell what's meant without a picture. Is 1.643 a Chilton number and 1235063 a Buick number? Mark, after tearing into the 60 series motor, I'm pretty well convinced the only interchange is between the four years of the 344...though most stuff on the outside of a 29, 30, and 31 car is the same, every mechanical item underneath on the 80's and 90's is orphan as to interchange. I read in the Bugle that the executive in charge of developing the "monster" eight running gear through a hissy fit whenever anyone on the design team tried to use an off-the-shelf component anywhere in the project. So most everything fits only 80/90's. Thanks much for the suggestions and I shall keep digging.

I'm hung up, pre-war guys! I'm moving into the realm of having a spiral drive gear custom cut for the oil pump drive in my '31 model 87. (Not the meshing pump gears, the single one at the camshaft center.) Non of the dealers I've contacted can help; Egge had one on the books but it turned out to be unusable. Mine is knife edged and not worth putting in. Anybody got a source or a good used gear? I've got some '32 mechanicals I'd sure be willing to part with...a 50 series engine, a 60 series engine, a 50 series transmission, front and rear ends for both. Even some Joe Krebs reproduction hubcaps and center covers for wood wheels. (I got wires.) HELP!!! Any assistance or ideas greatly appreciated Steve Gorthy BCA #44510

Anyone have the drive gear for the oil pump shaft where it engages the cam for a '31 344 ci? The interchange manual shows the "oil pump gears" are the same in 60's and 80/90's for a couple years, but I took one out of a '32 60 series and it's only the internal pumping gears that are the same. The drive gear is different. Egge had one in stock, but when pulled from stock it was corroded and unusable. Any of these out there? Steve Gorthy BCA #44510 31 Buick Model 8-87 12 Model T speedster 15 Model T touring 54 Nash metropolitan

I'm still waiting for something easy to come along on this project! (Overhaul of 31 Model 87 344 engine.) In fitting new rollers and pins to my old tappet barrels, I'm finding that the new rollers are about 4 thousandths thicker in cross section than the old ones. I've more or less perfected the technique of pressing the pins in and getting the side clearance right so they're free to spin, but the result is that the outside diameter with the thicker roller in place then has an interference fit with the inside bore of the tappet block housing...they're too fat by about the extra thickness of the roller. Tons of hand work ensues, trying to keep clear of the newly installed roller while gingerly filing and sanding. I'm thinking of mounting up my tool post grinder on the lathe and taking the 4 thousandths off the outside of the tappet housing (roller end) before I install the roller, but I'm a little leery of that fork-shaped circumference clacking against the grinder and then the resulting need to polish/finish. Any machinist advice out there before I chuck one up and court disaster? Steve G. BCA #44510

Update on the request for roller tappets...I found that Egge Machine has the rollers and pins available to fit the tappet housing. Problem solved.

Do you still need this pushrod? I'm taking a '32 60 series apart and the pushrods don't fit my 80 series but they seem to be what you need. Let me know and I'll fix you up if I can. By the way, I need four roller tappets that are smooth and spin freely. The 60 series' motor's are interchangeable...I don't suppose you have any extras? steve Gorthy BCA #44510

I'm rebuilding a 344 from 1931. Four of the rollers in the tappets are corroded on the follower surfaces...I need replacements for either the units or just the rollers. The interchange manual says there are 14 total uses of the same piece but they're all Buicks, sixes or eights, between '28 and '33. (Series 60, 80, 90.) Anybody got some nos or good used ones for sale or trade? Steve Gorthy BCA #44510

Yo Mike in Colorado, Thanks a bunch! That gives me another direction to move. Looking up "loose ball bearings"... Steve in Oregon

Does anyone know where to source the shouldered ball that swages into the end of pitman arm to form the ball joint with the drag link? (1931 Model 87.) I thought I could just go hire the front end shop to put in a new one but they said they don't work on balls. Went to a machine shop and found out that there's an item called a shouldered tooling ball that might work but they don't come in the right sizes. All the catalogs that stock "all years of Buick" usually skip 31. The ball looks to be 1 1/8 (1.125") diameter with about a one inch stand off from the bottom of the shoulder to the center of the ball. I haven't ground off the bottom yet, but I'm guessing the shank diameter is 5/8". Of course, the interchange manual doesn't even list the pitman arm. Anybody got an idea for a source, substitute, nos part?

Great information! Thanks for the benefit of your experience.

Look at Grain-It Technology on the web. They seem to be the group that have taken woodgrain restoration research and practice the farthest, at least for the amateur restorer like me. They have manufactured reusable stencil sheets based on those used in the original factories. (Remember this finish was originally created by unskilled labor!) They have a variety of grain types in their available stencils and can even tell you which one was used for your particular make and model. They put together DIY kits with your specific basecoat, grain color, grain pattern and tools along with instruction videos. You can even look at the videos on their website. I have a friend who bought one of their kits and did an old Plymouth...you wouldn't believe the incredible finish he got with it. It absolutely looks factory new. Once you know the secrets, this process is craft, not art; you don't have to be an artist to do it. No, I don't work for them...but I willingly would! Strictly a high class outfit in my estimation. Costs a few coins, but what doesn't these days? Steve Gorthy BCA #44510 31 Model 87

I'm interested in your wheels. They look pretty good in the small thumbnails...is the wood solid? Snap rings and inner rim surfaces cratered with rust or pretty smooth? When you say hubcaps included, are you talking about the threaded caps and the trim rings both? If you prepare more pictures for the other party, I'd like to see them, too. Steve Gorthy BCA #44510

I looked on two 32 front ends I have and they're smaller and threaded on the outside. Sorry.

I was taught a technique that I thought could never work, but I tried it and it did...worked like magic. Fill the void behind and inside the bearing with thick grease (the thicker the better) and then use a blunt shaft the same size as the pilot shaft to slide in on top of the grease. Smack it hard with a mallet and the resulting pressure on the grease creates enough compression to force the bearing out toward you along the shaft. Calibrate your whacking to just short of squirting grease all over yourself!

Colin, The suppliers have paint listed as through 30 and then 32 and later. I've seen 31 engines painted both green and black. Do you know which is factory correct? Was it a running change during the 31 model year? Steve Gorthy 31 Model 87

Keith, I did a rear door for a 36 a long time ago but I don't remember much in the way of specifics. A couple of things I will say about wood coachwork in general...there's always got to be a reference to theoretical plumb and square, but by 36 things were so rounded and compounded that it's literally just that; theoretical. In order to maintain your reference to curves and angles out of sync with the base planes, it's sometimes helpful to bandsaw a contour maintaining both the component and the waste piece intact and then tape them back together to continue to use the original square surface for further layout and saw operations. The previous comment about using the door latch and hinge pillars for layout instead of tracing the deteriorated door post itself is right on...that's what it has to fit finally. The 36 door I did way back when was an hour and a half away from me and I thought I could bring it to my shop and duplicate the pieces, then just take it back and slap it on. Boy was I wrong! The contour was wrong by a couple of inches at the bottom. Possums and racoons could have walked through the gap. One other thing; Minwax makes a system called Penetrating Wood Preservative that is almost magically good. It's one of those products that's way better than they claim. It acts like a catalytic mixed resin but it requires no mixing. If wood is surface-soft but borderline usable, using a junk brush, paint this stuff on and keep adding coats until it flashes off. At that point the stuff (along with the brush, can, and anything you're drizzled on your pants) hardens instantly. It's one of those liquids designed to be wetter than water so it penetrates fast and deep (I forget what they call that but it's like agricultural spray enhancers). Anyway, it soaks deep into the wood and plasticizes it when it goes off. One drawback is that it doesn't re-infuse fiber strength like the original. It will stop deterioration, allow drilling and milling, accept filling and coating, but it will still be more brittle than it was originally. It's outstanding for stuff like the window winder panels that are marginal with frayed corners and busted screw hole locations along the edge. Sometimes you can re-use something like that if you can toughen it up just enough to glue repair pieces on and keep it from deteriorating any more. Also, regarding the duplicating router discussion, there was a guy with a site on the web who ponied up a repeating carver using regular hardware store items. He was selling plans for it and I bought a set. I had looked into buying a Master Carver (furniture industry repeating router system with multiple router heads) so I knew a little bit about the concept. I was pretty impressed with what he came up with pretty low tech and low bucks. In one of our later interactions, I learned that he was sick and I was actually dealing with his wife. I haven't been back in a long time, but if he's still up and running, I think you could find him with search terms like duplicating carver. If that turns out to be a dead end, get back to me and I'll dig out my hardcopy stuff. By the way, I ended up making a double station repeating router system out of three Sears Router/Crafters. Gives you the simultaneous indexing system you need to keep the original and two copies registered together. There are tons of those things out there...thousands of guys got them for fathers' day and I don't think anyone ever used them for what they were designed for (spindles, screw threads, etc.) Steve Gorthy BCA #44510 1931 Buick Model 87 Southern Oregon

Hey Buckfarmer, I have to chime in...outstanding woodwork on your roadster! I did a 27 roadster body some years ago and it looked just like your 30 framing. Re; the statement about wooding a four door sedan; I agree people blunder into way more than they bargained for buying pre-37 Fisher bodied cars, but if you know what they consist of and you want it bad enough, you emulate the beaver damming a major tributary and start in...one stick at a time. You gotta want it! Steve Gorthy BCA #44510 1931 Buick Model 87

Mark, I think I lucked out...I found two of them on eBay using the old Chilton interchange number as a starting point. New Old Stock with the right numbers and they appear to be correct. Verification this week when the gear guy reassembles. I'm getting ready also to have a batch of stuff plated. Do you or anyone else tuned in know how much interchange there is on the chrome tubes that fit vertically under the headlights? I have two base plates and one tapered bottom tube. They're definitely correct since they came off this car. I need to find the upper tubes and nuts for the top at the base of the headlights but I don't know what all might fit. Anybody got hints or hardware? I think I can make convincing replicas of the upper sections if I can find as little as one more of the tapered bottom tubes. Steve Gorthy BCA #44510 1931 Buick Model 87

Has anyone researched the original woodgraining patterns on dash and moldings for the various models of 1931's? The manufacturer of woodgraining pattern stencils tells me that he has one in his shop now and he's determined that it uses a mahogany pattern. He didn't say, though, which model it is. I've seen some burl-looking patterns on restored 80 & 90 series...have those just been upgraded, or were there different patterns used for different models? Mine's not quite legible enough to be able to tell. (Model 87)

I found a pair of nos bearings on ebay. I also found out through the truck shop's set of books that there's a modern bearing (they even have some in stock) that's pretty common that nominally matches in and out diameters and appears to be the same depth. Problem solved, I think.

John, thanks! I appreciate your taking a look. I'll take my list in this coming week and see if I can find a superceded piece or one by dimension.

Help!! I just posted my need for carrier bearings for my 31 Model 87 on the Buy & Sell forum. I won't cc the whole thing here, but please look at it if you have big series 31 stuff. I just found out I need carrier bearings at the inner ends of the axles in the rear end. Mayday, mayday, mayday.:eek: Steve Gorthy BCA #44510 Southern Oregon 1931 Buick Model 87