Beemon

Buick Imperial?

I was told the composite low compression gasket felpro was the one you wanted tho avoid. This gasket was identical to the OEM gasket. If it's just this port, though, then hopefully my issues will go away.

It's Dad's Weekend at WSU and yesterday there was a car show up on the mall. This is the photo album. A lot of the onlookers that stopped by made comments about the Buick being the only one worth looking at. I don't agree or disagree with that statement, but there definitely seems to be a huge disconnect between what people did back then and what people do now.

That's the intake manifold gasket.

Well it's been longer than a day. John nailed it, it's got a massive leak at the front of the driver side cylinder head under the intake manifold. Is this a common problem? The head gasket was the same as the Victor it replaced, stamped sheet with the same raised edges. The leak developed after a few miles, too.

The idle speed screw is completely out? As in not touching the throttle arm?

Before you start playing with ignition timing, you need to verify ignition timing. What is it? 18 in Hg is too high for a 56 322, the idle vacuum should be 15-16, as reported by the factory. You're probably too far advanced. If one idle circuit does not respond the same as the other, then your idle circuit on that side of the engine is plugged. You can try using compressed air on the affected side. When was the last time the carb was cleaned thoroughly?

Reminds me of how the 56 Buick taillight lens would be modified to fit a 56 Chevy taillight assembly. Something about making Chevy's look better by making them look like Buicks?

This thread went from 0 to 100 then back to 0 in relatively short amount of time.

Running a transmission cooler will not hurt your transmission, in fact it will help it. It will do a better job than the "pre-heater" in the stock radiator. It will also help your engine run cooler. http://www.hometownbuick.com/portfolio/1956-buick-shop-manual/ This link has all you will need in order to properly maintain your 1956 Buick Roadmaster.

You know, I do recall an algae reef growing in my float bowls.

John, was this at the front or the back? I think it may be leaking from the head gasket. I'll double check. I didn't think it possible to leak from the valley cover. Oil pan and timing cover are okay, timing cover was not messed with. No not yet, I was going to do it over the weekend but its scheduled for tomorrow most likely. It will give me an excuse to check the heads for leaks. Dipstick is the correct part number I believe. When I do a full oil change, it takes the correct amount of oil. Oil filter is tight, it's always the first thing I check after an oil change... that and to make sure I put the drain plug back in! lol Thank you all for chiming in. I will report back tomorrow.

3 qts missing max. It never drops below 3 qts missing. So there's about 4 qts in the crankcase, which I guess is enough because I've never lost oil pressure.

3 qts per 500 miles, but it doesn't drop below 3.

Its hard to say. If it is, it is very unnoticeable.

Okay, I told a fib. No pictures yet, and I ran out of time - already back at school after a very emotional weekend for the family. I have noticed after my drive back that I'm consuming oil again. I can't find any leaks. I swapped out the aluminum valve covers for my good chrome ones that actually seal, and I'm loosing more. Nothing off the back of the engine that I can see. A lot of the oil marks seem to be below the cylinder heads, but that could also be because I didn't clean the block before putting the heads back on. Last time I checked, compression was good. The valve stems have viton seals. Any guesses? I don't have anywhere to work or store the car anymore, so I'm at a complete loss in terms of getting stuff done now. I have teased the idea of removing the engine from the car and going through the bottom end pretty comprehensively. The machine shop that did the heads said it would be about $300 to bore the block and balance the rotating assembly.

I have yet to see damage in any of my cars that run on ethanol.

I am too poor to afford ethanol free gas, so I always buy ethanol. ?

We found some literature today at my grandpa's house. The original bill of sale and all the showroom tags were found. The car was delivered June 2, 1956. Pictures are soon to follow.

Use 87 until it knocks, then use 91.

That blue and white 55 has the tri-5 electric wiper motor. Interesting.

What do you need them for? You're better off just buying hardened steel studs and and installing them with red loctite and using a standard lug nut than searching for something that doesn't exist.

A little bit happier news tonight, my prototype was printed and mocked up. It works as it should, but needs a lot of post processing. For instance, although the shaft works fine, it's prone to minor bending. It's nothing to worry about, I must have cycled the linkage a hundred times or more, but I'd prefer it solid instead of with a little flex. I don't have an air cleaner on this side of the mountains, so I might stomach the $25 for a store bought one. I'm heading back home this weekend to visit with the family, and I'll be coming back with a spare stock filter bottom. I'm going to chuck it up on the lathe and spin down the inside, then probably weld in a bottom from the store bought air cleaner. The air valve secondary on this carb makes it very difficult to use adapters.

Before I went to school, I was the only grandchild that regularly visited. I'd take him to the store or the doctor's, and we'd show up in the old iron. We were pretty famous at the blood clinic at Valley Medical Center, Haha. Anyways, he always called me the enemy because I went to Washington State and he went to UW, and it was tough moving 5 hors away. Granted, my mother did more than I did for him (we both lived 5 minutes away), so he wasn't without help. We would talk at least twice a week, depending on school work loads. And let me tell you, depending on how my head hurts, I don't get up until 1 on Saturday mornings. So I was late to the news by 3 hours. He always told me to get my junk out of his house: a used 56 Dynaflow, a 322 engine block and various other parts lying around in and out of the car port. Joking of course, but now I have 30 days. On the bright side, I don't have to go to two different places to show off the car to my grandparents anymore. The Buick is going to lead the procession to his final resting place. Thank you all for the kind words.

When I replaced my rear wheel bearings, they would not seal with the O-ring. You can get lucky and find an O-ring that might work at the hardware store, but if it's not viton, it might not hold up. What worked for me was making axle flange gaskets and using RTV. Haven't had an issue since.