Beemon

I won't talk further about the case, but my gut instinct says that if he has nothing to offer, but begging to have the case shut down, he's scared of the outcome. In Washington State, you have a guarantee of getting your money if you win. It may take years, but you get it one way or the other. He does have a 57 Chevy Bel Air and a 56 Chevy pickup, so it's not like he's broke, or doesn't have anything to offer...

"It's out of warranty, there's nothing I can do"

Does anyone have experience with porta-walls, too?

Bernie, last cruise-in I went to, I bought this really nice red velvet pillow that I put on top of the air cleaner. On top of it, I pushed the wrist pin out so it was sticking halfway out of the piston and gently set it atop the pillow. People would ask me "what's that?" "Oh, that was Nailhead 1. This is Nailhead 2." At the end of the night, the defendant had walked over (I didn't know he was there), and he told me he got his papers and was asking what was wrong. So I handed him the piston and allowed him to push the pin all the way through. "On all 8?" "Yep." "Well, looks like the rod lost it's press fit. It happens you know, I've seen it with other engines and even differential bearings. You know my warranty was 12,000 miles or 1 year, whichever came first. There is nothing I can do." "I see." "Is there anything I can do to make this right?" "You just told me there's nothing you can do." "Well I hope you'll see through the kindness of your heart to drop the case." "We'll see." So he knows.

They measured the same size so I didn't bother, but here you go:

Makes you wonder what they did with the motor and transmission.

There were rumors in middle school he had removed a pair of ribs to do questionable things... come to find out years later it wasn't true.

The second measurement is the stock rod and the first is the "modified" rod. Take my word for it that the wrist pin and pistons are the same measurement. My micrometer is off by 1 thousandth, but the stock wrist pin is .940. The old rod still has a knurled finish, whereas the mod rod is smooth as silk.

I appreciate the advice, but I will continue forward. I'm not afraid of being blacklisted from anything. About the only thing I see myself getting blacklisted from is the weekly cruise in, and even then he's not part of that club. The machinist I'm talking with now told me to pursue him, so I'm not worried about being burned there, either. On top of it all, he lied to me to save face. I'm sorry, but I am not letting him off the hook. And if anyone on this forum had done the same, don't think twice that i would consider out of the kindness of my heart I would back down because you thought I didn't know any better. The guy, even after being served, continues to think I don't know any better. I have done a Rockwell hardness test, both rods are made of 1141 forged steel and the machined one is not fatigued by heat. I have the math for the coefficient of thermal expansion to prove that even if it were heated to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, it would still retain it's press fit (not including the fact that the wrist pin also goes through thermal expansion and will expand into the rod). I won't be in the area for two years or more after, anyways. So go ahead and burn me, it's not my reputation on the line.

I'm assuming you have compound carburetion? I'm not familiar with the 41 Buicks by any means, but did you synchronize the carbs?

I know I'm reviving an old thread, but this information is extremely valuable and I'm thankful for the knowledge gained on these forums. My contact points were stuck, but after a few winds and some light oil, my clock is ticking!

I guess if it is made from aluminum, it should be as light as the power steering pump, so makes sense! Thanks for the pictures, I have never seen the original bracket before. I'll most likely use the 401 bracket as a template, and then use the bolt spacing of the compressor to make the top, like you did. Looks like the driver side compressor bolt hole is in line with the water log bolts? What's the spacing from the top log bolt to the compressor bolt? If you have that on hand, that is...

Mike, no rear bracket? How sturdy is it? Does it bounce?

I had the same problem and did the same until I dug my original out of the trash.

What were white wall height for 56 (same as 54,55?)? 2 3/4? I ask because someone near me is selling 4 new Diamondback Radials 235/75R15 with 3 3/4 width white walls for $850 and I'm wondering how big they would be in comparison. I have no comparison photos to look at the differences. I doubt I'll be able to grab these tires anyways, but thought to ask just in case...

Looks fake to me.

This thread is a blast from the not so distant past. Brandon, what was the name of the place that did your work? Wouldn't mind finding something like that near me, that's about all I can afford.

I would take the old hose to a local auto parts store that has vacuum hose by the length and get you some new hose. NAPA is usually pretty good about that kind of stuff. No sense re-using the old, brittle hose. It got 60 years out of it, maybe lay it to rest? Use weather strip adhesive. Apply it to the booster, not the hose, and then slide it over and let set.

Before you pull it back apart, the pin at the brake pedal should be offset to allow the pedal to be moved up and down. Did you try adjusting the pedal first? You should be able to oil the booster at the vent on the side, if it has one. Just keep oiling until it's noticeably wicked through. From what you said, it moves just fine without being attached to the firewall, but when the pedal is attached is when it binds?

I would probably flush your coolant, double check your t-stat with maybe replacing it with a new one. Double check your rad cap, too. Brass radiators don't like any more than 7lbs of pressure. Maybe even pop out some freeze plugs and see if the block needs some cleaning? Coolant does break down over time and just like brake fluid, should be replaced every couple years whether you drive it alot or not.

I think a spacer would be more like a shim between the booster and master cylinder so there isn't slop. For example, you go to put your foot on the pedal and the booster rod moves a little before contacting the master cylinder plunger. Since your braking is pretty good, I doubt you need that spacer. I would guess it's the booster, too. The master cylinder would more than likely be spring loaded and allow the rod to return easily, but the diaphragm in the booster could be stuck, or something is not allowing it to return, like how Joel noted. Also, like Willie said, there needs to be some sort of vent. On the original boot, the vent came from out of the vacuum chamber stem and flowed through the boot back to the cylinder (at least on the old units). If you have a boot on there that looks more like a cone than a cylinder, you could be restricting the flow to allow the booster to release. Cleaning the booster is probably your best bet! Willie, did you use the repro boots or the original on your rebuild? I had chucked my old one for a new one, only to find out the new one was restricting flow since it tapered at the top. The old one works without any holes cut in it.

There should be an adjustment at the brake pedal to align the rod with the pedal. You might have a slight bind that is keeping it from returning. If the adjustment doesn't help, then the leather cup is too dry and is not allowing it to return properly. The 56 shop manual says to lube the leather cup with ATF, not sure about 58. And by lube, I mean soak that thing really good until it's completely wicked. Likewise, just with all old rubbers, that hose in the booster should have been replaced. The old one was glued, so this one should be, too.

You should try for one day taking off the mechanical fan and see how it runs. You might be surprised how much of a difference it might make. Or it could go the other way, but you never really know. It's not a flex fan, is it? They say for optimal flow through a fan shroud, you need 1" spacing all around (18" fan in a 20" shroud - this is for engine flex), and the fan has to sit halfway in and halfway out. Also what kind of thermostat are you running? How many pump vanes? What type of coolant? Cap pressure?

While you guys are busy exhuming the intricacies of the photo composition, I've been examining the curvature of the show piece...

You would be wise to follow Willies advice! I rebuilt mine twice because I thought it was good enough and it ended up putting micro cuts in the seals. Also if those tiny holes in the front are clogged, then the system will not work properly as they are for fluid relief. Also did you replace the leather cup for the vacuum side? Using the original may create a vacuum leak. All these parts are available, don't assume they are good to go, you will be kicking yourself when you start sucking fluid into the intake or it starts dripping on the steering column at the broken seal relief port (that's what those tiny holes you were asking about are for). I don't know where it is on a 58, but on a 56 there is a small piece of rod that hangs from the hole. With all new parts, it will be a very reliable brake system. Don't be fooled by others who believe a dual reservoir system is safer, because it's not. All the dual reservoir does is proportions the fluid pressure and nothing more. The only way to have a dual system is to have two or more master cylinders with separate reservoirs.