Beemon

I'm wondering if on one side you could have a one way fill valve installed and a drain pet cock (or some way to pull vacuum to suck all the oil out) on the other that way you could experiment with different shock absorbance rates while it is still mounted on the car. Kind of like air shocks? I've just always heard gas is inferior to oil but I wouldn't know any better. I guess I have a winter project lined up, lol. I guess the hardest part would be to isolate and seal the leak.

Did some digging, and found this: http://www.hotrodwires.com/product/dash-light-socket.html http://www.ebay.com/itm/1955-1956-1957-CHEVY-DASH-LAMP-BULB-SOCKET-PIG-TAIL-/131074267961?fits=Year%3A1956|Make%3AChevrolet&hash=item1e84a29b39:m:mSmGeXLlDdPt0sqzZDfrhVg&vxp=mtr Good old tri-five merch. Fits up to 57-2CP lamps, which is the dash lamp for the 56. Might be the same for 55? It's a one wire, you would just need to splice into the current wiring harness and clean up either with a butt connector or some good old fashioned electrical tape. Before purchase, you may want to consider measuring the size of the socket hole and see if it is 5/8". You can probably find others, but NAPA only turned up twist on, and so did other chains (RockAuto, etc). Didn't find anything on Bob's, CARS, etc.

I'm just bored, thinking of what ifs, asked if anyone has done what I was proposing or if anyone knew of anyone who restored oil shocks. I have new shocks on the car but I have the originals, too.

I don't know how many carburetor changes there were for your year in terms of 2-bbl carbs, but you could check the part number for the Stromberg in the shop manual for your specific year and just *assume* its that number and go from there...

Thanks for the info, guys. I wonder, if these old oil shocks are junk anyways, maybe there's a way to drill and tap a pet cock to drain the old oil out and fill with new oil? I guess you would have to mount a magnet somewhere, also, since the shavings from the drill and tap would be present inside.

You'd also need a bellhousing adapter for a modern transmission. No sense keeping the Dynaflow when going to an open rear end frame.

My donor 56 at the junk yard has the complete setup, maybe I should go fish it out... I have a Sonomatic, and I've never seen a Wonderbar style radio except for the one at the junkyard, but are they more sought after than the push button radios?

What I've taken away from talking to the local rep for the bypass filter I plan on getting is that they're not necessarily used to lengthen oil life, even though that is a byproduct of filtering condensation and decreasing oil breakdown into harmful acids, but the efficiency to remove particles in the 2 micron range. It's actually more beneficial for newer engines that have machined tolerances within the 5 micron range because you're removing the change of micro sand paper wearing out bearings and rub surfaces. As stated, even the best modern filters only filter down to 15 microns and that's because they need to flow or the pressure build up of a thick filter will bypass the filter all together. That's where longer intervals come in, because those harmful particles you purge with an oil change are no longer the threat they once were.

The stock 1956 filter also has an oil bypass in it. As far as I know, all OEM filter housings have some type of bypass so the filter doesn't load up on cold starts. These bypass filters are wired directly into the same port the oil pressure line is routed, so it gets constant pressure, and thus filters all the time - not just when it bypasses the primary filter.

It's ok, I already have two 4GCs, I just wanted a WCFB. Cords needs a 4 barrel carb, sell it to him.

If referring to me, I would much rather see it go to someone that needs it rather than myself.

You would use both in tandem. In differential equations we did problems where siphoning mixtures would eventually reach an apex where all the fluid in a container becomes 100% diluted. This could take upwards of 30 minutes and really depended upon size of container, capacity and flow velocity. It always fully mixed, though. These filters may only filter 10% of the oil at a time, but will filter 100% of the oil after a period of time. My grandfather had a T installed at the oil pressure line that would send oil to both the pressure gauge and the bypass filter. The line then ran to a port around the stock filter that dumped back into the oil pan (I haven't found this port yet, I know it exists because he didn't tap the oil pan, but I haven't really looked either since the filter element is old and they don't make replacements). The unit I have been specifically researching is a Harvard 152L because it has the same flow rate and capacity of the Luber-Finer 200S. They guarantee 2 microns at 96% efficiency. On big rigs, filter life is 20,000 miles before changing the filter in the bypass. It also pulls water out of the oil that is the #1 cause of caustic acids in the oil (hydrogen ions bond with the elements in the oil after the water breaks down). Pretty interesting topic to explore I think.

I've been looking into these recently. At the last cruise in I went to, I drew a crowd because I have an old Luber-Finer 200S mounted on the inner passenger firewall of my 56 Buick. It's disconnected of course, and the element is obsolete, but everyone who pointed at it said they were serious accessories that were proven to extend engine oil life. My grandfather was a firm believer when he installed it in the late 50s, stated that every oil change the old oil was just about the same viscosity as new oil. Today's bypass filters can filter down to the 1-2 micron range, where it's been stated that the 3-5 micron range is where all the harmful damage occurs. The stock cartridge filter only filters to 25 microns, and the best spin on filters get you down to 15. You see them all the time on fleet vehicles and heavy machinery, but does anyone still run them on their car? I'm familiar with the TP filters, but it's equally interesting to see these lab tested filters in the industrial world, whether spin on or cartridge, all look like TP with a sock wrapped around them.

I guess what I meant to ask was, has anyone opened up these old oil shocks (not gas charged) and restored them? I have already replaced them, but I have the originals lying around.

Are these serviceable? I replaced mine with gas shocks, but kept all four of mine because I guess I'm a hoarder (mother made me toss the mufflers because they were too big, kind of regret that one). I hear oil shocks are the ones to get, but mine were seeping oil and would jerk both ends of the car up and down on acceleration/braking. Just looking for things to do while the car is in storage... Thanks in advance!

All true, but the question was about interest, so from my perspective it's the cost of trading and acquiring old parts. Forums that build communities like this are amazing, and people like MrEarl do a fantastic job of helping spread the wealth. But when it comes to the younger generation, it's just too expensive to even start when junkyards sell cores for the same price as a 90's rice rocket that runs. Beautiful speedo, by the way. Sorry to get off topic in the buy/sell forums!

Well, that's not entirely true... From my perspective, it's hard to get into the hobby when people want $3000 for a junkyard shell just to start. Young guys like me don't have that kind of money and would rather spend $500 on a beat up Honda on craigslist to race Friday nights down the industrial strip. If my grandfather hadn't have given me my car, I would have never started it. The engine alone took four years of scrimping and saving through senior year of Highschool and then working to pay off school, mixed in with tax returns. I was ecstatic when the Dynaflow only cost me one tax return. Hopefully 2017 will be enough for a decent paint job or at least a weatherproof foundation. On top of ridiculous prices for shells, components, etc, you also have to buy tools when you get started, which is almost as costly as a rear end rebuild. Stacked on top of rising tuition debt, young people don't have the money to even think about getting started in the hobby. It also doesn't help that the aftermarket panders to Ford, Chevy and Mopar. Good luck with anything else if you need hard to find parts. Got a tri-5 Chev? You can build one from the ground up in a weekend. Anyways, sorry for the rant. When I'm your guy's age, the hobby will probably be only for the millionaires that can afford to have pieces custom manufactured. No offense to anyone!

I misread the title, I thought you were just looking for two, but another gentlemen on the forums is selling a 4 barrel WCFB off a 1955 Buick 322. They're a little different from 56 but should work.

Mine was rebuilt with a kit from Fatsco. I refrain from buying any kits on Ebay simply because you never really know what you're going to get and returns are hit or miss. Fatsco also lists the 1955-60 Dynaflows as their own category, whereas this vendor lists 1948-56. Your call, but the guys at Fatsco will forever be my saviors. My Buick died in 1978 because of a ring gear failure (the one that goes around the planetary gears). They just happened to have one NOS on the shelf.

Unless it's NOS and you plan on showing your car off at the shows with a lift, I don't think it would make much of a difference what muffler you use. I threw both of my old mufflers in the trash because one was split at a seam across the top and had developed an exhaust leak (driver) and the other had a collapsed baffle (passenger). When you hit them with a rubber mallet, they rattled with rust on the inside and no amount of turning could get the particles out. Used mufflers will most likely be the same. When I had mine replaced, I just used straight pipe to take up the difference between the two mufflers, any muffler shop can do it. Muffler technology is also far more advanced than back then and use environmentally packed contents so when they brake down, you aren't pumping more toxins into the air. The muffler channeling is also less restrictive. Granted, I probably could have cut my mufflers open and had modern stuff packed in there, but I don't know how much that would cost and how to even go about tackling something like that.

For $30 you can buy the generic Mr. Gasket dual quad linkage kit and bolt it up. Some shims may be needed for final install, but it looks and works pretty good. Nice Edmunds! When I was looking for a dual quad intake on Ebay, there was a bid going for an Edmunds that was already way up out of my price range and I foolishly settled on a late model Weiand intake for larger carbs. I ended up having to adapt the large carb base back down to a smaller carb base to run dual '56 4GCs. More trouble then it was worth. Good luck!

I was just thinking about that. Unfortunately where the car is parked, there aren't any girls I would want physically on the car so it may be a long time before I post in there.

It may be mis-adjusted and you're forcing the pedal to the ground when really the parking brake is already engaged. Check the adjustment under the car and see where it tightens up when you push on the lever.

I would love to get my hands on it but I'm in between paychecks right now and this next one was going towards securing a known good rear end... after that is school tuition checks. If it's still around by then, then I wouldn't mind snatching it up!

We fortunately got it figured out last night. Drove two hours in the pouring down rain from Seattle to Ocean Shores (where my dad lives) and put it up in the barn for the winter. Guess I'm now on restoration vacation, but at least the car is safe.