Beemon

When in doubt, pay out - a lesson I learned when doing brakes. Better to have it and know than to leave it and go.

Except back then, couldn't you teach them a lesson they'd never forget with little consequence?

This weekend was my college orientation. I wish we had gotten more photos, given it was a 5 and a half hour drive to the campus from where I live, over the mountain pass and through the Eastern Washington plains. My buddy is the photographer. Everyone told us not to take the Buick. I was determined to take it with me and prove to them that it is as reliable as any other car I've ever driven. So this is the point of no return. The on-ramp to the pass. We got in around 8 PM but the offered spaces for transfer students was already booked, so luckily there was a really cheap motel 5 minutes from campus. I parked her under the neon sign. The old girl worked hard that day. Here she is parked on campus. I wish there was more college flair, but I suppose you can spot the WSU Cougar in the background there... And the same day with us getting ready to go back to the motel... Funny story here. My gas gauge only ever went to half full, despite being filled up. Yet in the photo, it's at Full. The roads in and out of the campus were so beaten by all the agricultural shipping trucks that they must have jarred something in the gas gauge and it started working properly... I couldn't believe it! What I learned on this trip? My electric wiper kit arrived after I left, so it reinforced the idea of getting rid of the vacuum wipers - especially if I plan to make the trip to and from school a couple times a year. There isn't a NAPA on campus, rather an old mom and pop store that is no better than a cheap Autozone (which is unfortunate) - however, there is a NAPA 15 minutes from campus in the nearby town and they are all very nice a knowledgeable folks. They came out and the first thing out of their mouths was 322 Nailhead. A PCV system is better than no PCV system. On the way in I had it hooked up and we averaged 18 MPG. On the way out I took it off and swapped breather caps and at best got 14 MPG. Also if the engine wasn't broken in before, it sure got a run for it's money when I pushed 90 MPH at 4000 RPM in our voyage home convoy.

If it's a carter, probably something off an Edelbrock/late Carter would work. You just need to measure the diameter of the plastic cap and then cross reference the size. If the vacuum tube comes off the base, you'll need a cap. Otherwise, it comes off the cap you're good to go. I have played with both in your situation. The heat choke works okay but takes a really long time. The electric choke works best but doesn't stay on long enough on really cold mornings. Good luck!

Isn't that the little optical illusion thing for seeing stop lights?

Hey now, nothing wrong with synthetic oils... Without getting too into it, I wouldn't use anything but Mobil 1 EP or Castrol EDGE if using Synthetic. At least it wasn't Purple.

Doug, I'm sure you're already aware, but are new tires in the budget? That front tire looks to be a little underinflated. Best wishes to you and your family during this difficult time.

I feel like this is a very overlooked part that plays a large role in the performance of the brake system. I always have good brakes, but it's always at the firewall, or close to it. I've never had issues stopping, but the shop manual says that the pedal should go halfway to the firewall under properly adjusted brakes, not all the way. When I pump up the brakes, it builds resistance, but if I let it set, the pressure drops. For those that don't know, this is a 2 way valve that restricts flow in one direction (back to the master cylinder). In the aftermarket world, these are known as residual valves. It's essentially a weighted diaphragm that allows free flow towards the wheel cylinders, but then builds pressure back to the master cylinder so the fluid can't all drain back, and keeps the lines primed for the next stop.These residual valves are essential for master cylinders mounted below the wheel cylinders, because due to pressure differentials caused by height differences (specifically gravity), all the fluid will naturally drain back to the master cylinder vs stay in the lines, whether properly bled or not. These systems are not required for master cylinders that are at the top of the firewall because gravity keeps pressure on the lines. So in essence, you're working against gravity. Enough of the theory, how's how I did it: I put the large piece in a vice and hit it with the impact gun to break the copper compression washer. Once it came apart, it's broken into 3 pieces: the pressure spring, the one way check valve, and a rubber gasket seal. When you push your foot into the pedal, fluid flows through the 1-way check valve (top hat) and into the wheel cylinders. When fluid flows back, it's opposed by the check valve and must overcome the spring force to return to the master cylinder. You can't see very well from the photo, but the top of the bottom piece where the valve sits was rusted across the top. I couldn't find anything wrong with the check valve, except it was allowing flow in both directions, but the rust was the same on the bottom of the top hat. I took 220 grit sand paper and scuffed the rust off. Also, hard to see, but the rubber washer was also badly corroded. These are the replacement parts. I've had them sitting around since I rebuilt the master cylinder. I kept asking myself "what the hell are these for? Spare parts?" Old rubber pulled off, it's just a rubber washer. Note the discoloration and wear. And finally how it all goes back together. Pretty simple design, really. Looking forward to giving it a test drive after my NOS front wheel bearings arrive tomorrow. And for those who care... I finally got my hands on some 1955 Roadmaster drums and backing plates! Painted the drums red for "high performance" braking action... my car is kind of a bastard. Also please excuse the finger... I guess I take after my grandfather after all.

Nothing like a flush firewall and chrome aluminum radiator... oh wait.

XFord the river >Take the ferry >Go around ->Caulk the wagon and float The river rapids were too strong and the wagon sank.

Waxing Rain-X on the windshield is just a band-aid fix, though. Not saying it's a bad product by any means, but I would like to use it in conjunction with good working wipers and not wipers that quit uphill. Plus, alleviating the vacuum load put on the engine by the wipers, I'll be better set going over the mountains when oxygen gets a little bit thinner. Bernie, my girlfriend has the same problem.

It's like the Oregon trail, he's crossing the river in his wagon.

When you ate it, did you close your eyes and pretend it was something else or did you man up and watch it go in as a spider?

Do the ones you have not pump up right or are they expanding in the jacket due to heat? Why not try rebuilding them in the interim?

See RainX just doesn't do it for me anymore. I sprayed it on the windshield before leaving in anticipation, and it was still difficult to see. By the way, I just ended up grabbing the pintle with needle nose pliers and breaking it off. I feel so ashamed to have abused such old parts...

Idk, my car hadn't been touched in 30 years, it was shy at first but once we go past the awkward stage, it really opened up to me. It has definitely seen better days, too! Probably the only older lady I'd consider getting in to.

So I'm just about done with vacuum wipers. I mean you can only go so far before you can't see anything at highway speeds and need to pull over or take the back roads in excess of an extra hour out of your way. Last Saturday was the local Model A swap meet and it was a downpour the entire morning. Other than the show being a complete waste of time, it demonstrated that these vacuum wipers just aren't up to the task for modern traffic driving. To be fair, they work great around town. I had them professionally rebuilt and have never had an issue before. But now that I'm going off to a University 5 hours away, where 2.5 hours is in the rainforest and and mountain pass and the other 2.5 hours is open desert plains, that's 2.5 hours coming home to visit with terrible wiper system. Simply put, they just do not wipe fast enough and even worse, they slow and sometimes stop on acceleration and uphill climes (which will be TERRIBLE for going over the pass). So here's what I've done so far... I purchased a Newport wiper kit. Pricey, but at least I'll know it'll bolt in. I gave a lot of thought to the 55 Chev motor I have and I would spend at least $20 on getting the right control slider, and then have to hope for the correct bowden cable base to hook up the vacuum coordinator to work the washer pump correctly, which would include either spending the money on that or buying a new washer pump lid. Then I would also have to remove and cap a bunch of lines under the dash, too, to avoid a vacuum leak. The Newport wiper is the best route, in my opinion, for ease of installation. The con: it doesn't look as cool as the bulky 55 wiper motor. I also purchased a mid 50s Cadillac/Packard/Lincoln/Mercury wiper jar lid that has an electric solenoid for the wash check valve, making it an electric system. This was the other problem. With the Newport wiper, unless you put an electric pump inside the old jar (nothing fits without mods, again you'd have to get crafty...) the washer jar is now unusuable. The electric solenoid valve will work with the electric switch that comes with the Newport kit. So it fits, no fiddling, just a rewire and good to go. I ALSO purchased (or salvaged) a wiper switch off of a 55 Special at my favorite junkyard. The bowden worm gear was broken, so I just pulled the switch and bezel out. It's a 1/4" shaft, which is the same as the supplied switch. The rotation of the 55 switch is the same as the switch supplied, so now I'm set. The only set back is that I need to find a way to remove the wiper switch needle from the washer button. Everything should be here next week, so I'm looking forward to strapping it all in. I'm hoping that it may be here by Friday, but I won't hold my breath.

buick man, I would do the fuel pump like the late 50s fuel injection. Run the stock pump to a sump with a high pressure pump. The MSD distributor would be a crank trigger essentially (ok cam trigger, but basically the same thing). You could get a coil pack off of like a modern car, stick them on the spark plugs and run the wires, but the MSD distributor is all electronic so it really does the same thing. That's why the MSD distributor and Atomic TBI kit go so well together.

Did you run the power lead straight to the battery or to the voltage regulator?

Open it up, it's got a mercury contact switch in it.

KC, be very careful with that trunk light. it's got enough mercury in it to kill 10 men.

What did it taste like?

She's definitely seen better days.

I don't know, I was more interested in the 5 window coupe than Harrison Ford's 55 Chev in American Graffiti...

They're different sizes?