Beemon

Okay so I've ran into an issue with the WCFB and I'm not sure what's wrong. I started experiencing engine spark knock from idle to part acceleration. I had to retard the engine to about 4 degrees for it to be negligible. On a whim yesterday I swapped the WCFB for my Rochester and the spark knock condition went away, which leads me to believe the idle transition may be too lean? I checked the primary throttle plates and they both seem to be closing around the idle transition ports at the same point (checked with the depth gauge on the calipers). I'm thinking it's something to do with the idle transition jets? AKA the low speed idle jets with the emulsion tubes? Something I noticed on this carb after driving it, is that my primary throttle shaft is really worn on the WCFB. I can grab it and shake it about at one end, like it has a 1/32" play to it. Also when I unscrew the idle speed set screw, the car idles at about 450 RPM and doesn't die. There are no vacuum leaks at the gaskets but it will suck WD-40 through at the throttle shaft. The WCFB handles so well, I'd hate to throw it on the shelf until I can afford a proper restoration, but this problem has me shaking my head. I even tried opening up the idle adjustment screws to richen up the idle, but to no avail. I'll give Carb King a call this morning, but I thought I'd open the floor for discussion.

You have to be careful. If the gap is too wide, then adjustment might not be possible.

Matt, I'll take the Sonomatic for spare tubes and that speaker.

Nice one Doug! Try checking/replacing your ballast resistor for the ignition system. If it's original, and after sitting, the resistor spring may just be corroded and causing ignition issues. Other things to check, distributor wire of course...if you're getting fuel, then it's gotta be ignition. It doesn't hurt to put a pressure gauge on the fuel line, either, though.

I saw this question did not get answered. There are only two connections on the switch, the third screw pictured is just the switch mounting screw, as there is an identical screw underneath. It doesn't matter which wire goes to which terminal. Good luck on your Buick project!

Bloo, truth be told that is exactly what we used... stainless steel Scotchbrite pad... lol good stuff.

There are probably better ways to do this, but this is what I did. We started by grinding the edge off the Stant caps to open them up. It was just a sponge material with no internal baffling. This was going to be our donor material until... We did the same with one of the stock caps. They were "junk anyways"... a quick few taps would knock out particulates. The kicker was this internal baffle system, which was pressed into the housing. It could be removed, but I figured it would be better to have it than not have it, just like a PCV baffle, and is probably the reason why the Stant caps make my valve covers so dirty. I calculated that with size differences, they were pretty close to the same internal volume. However, without being able to cut that plastic sponge material to stick in the breather cap, we had to source up some stainless steel wool from Home Depot. They were pretty dirty, blackened with 30 years of oil mist and littered with rust scale from the wool mesh. After filling them, because the stamped lip was ground off, my dad TIG welded the top and bottom together. I guess I could have forked over some cash for "reproduction" caps, but the repros say AC OIL on them and these say OIL twice. Plus it was an excuse to drive down and see my dad, who's going through a bit of a decline. Anyways, I hope someone takes away from these photos. There's more to it than just sticking new medial in through the bottom. In hind sight, it would probably be better to slowly peel back the stamped edge and then carefully press it back around the lip.

A bit off topic, but between Tacoma and Seattle is by far some of the worst highway driving I've done in my Buick, with the worst being from HWY18 to I90 to Colfax.

Get yourself a kiddie pool and fill it with water. Plug up the holes in the radiator with rubber expansion plugs and then tap one for an air compressor. Then use no more than 7psi of air and see exactly where the bubbles are coming from. Once you find the leak, use brass solder and patch it up... I paid $75 for a radiator shop to repair my radiator like this. Kind of wish I knew about it sooner!

You may be able to zero a dial indicator at the low spot of the cam and then rotate the crankshaft to measure the height of the cam lobe. Then cross check it with the specs in the shop manual and see if that's where your geometry is off.

In the mean time, bookmark this page and start reading up. https://www.hometownbuick.com/portfolio/1955-buick-shop-manual/?portfolioCats=116

The first bullet is both a blessing and a curse.

I haven't been in the game long enough to really know, but my guess is: It's not a Chevy Lower demand for parts The 322 changed piston and combustion chamber design almost every year of production The pistons are made by one supplier

In any case, if you don't use the secondaries on the 4 barrel very often, you'll probably get better gas mileage. I'm not 100% certain for 57, but in 56 the two barrel carbs had much larger venturis and internals vs the four barrel counterparts. If you're buying it for muscle, just be prepared to watch you wallet shrink. I always tell myself "this fill up, I won't dip the secondaries"... and then I dip the secondaries leaving the gas station. There's a few 57s at the junkyard I go to. I'll stop by this weekend and see about heads if you're interested.

I can't answer your question about judging, but if I wanted white wall radials, I would go with Diamondback... 40,000 mile warranty on new tires produced within the year, DOT certified... which can't be said about the Coker tires in recent years. I believe the term is show quality. Just my opinion, though.

They don't have the correct dome height to match the compression ratio. So if you wanted a good 322, it would probably be best to get some stock pistons and sleeve it vs boring it out. This is something I'm also considering as I get closer to my tear down, so I'll be following.

Where the smoke is coming from on Google maps, in conjunction with the picture of the woman

Unfortunately, everything is being made in China these days. There is no way getting around it. White Post Restorations can take your original wheel cylinders, bore them and sleeve them, but it costs extra $$$. For that bit of extra cash, you know you have something with a lifetime warranty, vs. the stuff you get on the internet for $20. My wheel cylinders were from NAPA over the counter, and they usually have two lines - 1 is made in China and the other, while a bit more expensive, is usually made somewhere else like Mexico. Doesn't sound like it's much of a huge step in the right direction, but the quality is far better than the made in China stuff. The wheel cylinders from NAPA that I bought were the stuff made in wherever else that isn't China, and I have had no issues. Business is all about big gains, and without getting political, stuff will never be made in the USA unless they can afford to. The new thing the companies are doing is putting "Engineered in the USA", but you have to watch out. Just because it's engineered here, doesn't mean its manufactured to the same USA standards.

JohnO, you forgot the other jump. Jumping from S to battery will cause it to activate the plunger for the pinion and energize the armature. But if you jump to the other terminal, it should just spin the armature. A good way to test to see if it's either the armature or the solenoid, since jumping to the other terminal bypasses the pinion contact points and goes straight to the motor.

Is that what's back there? I always hoped it was a nuclear reactor.

I'm not sure if anyone else has this issue, but I drive my car when I can yearly. I just filled up the tank yesterday and I guess they changed fuel blends. I used to run mid grade with no knock all winter and now I'm getting some spark knock on acceleration with no load. Don't you just love oxygenated fuels?

It's okay, I fell for it. lol

Did you find the chicken?

All that work on paint and interior, yet no love for the engine compartment...