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skyler

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About skyler

  • Birthday 01/05/1949

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  1. there is a 53 near me that is a driver, in rough but driving condition. not sure of price, but it is a 4 door. i am near wilmington, NC. dennis 9102626629
  2. companies that sell tops have videos available to show installation info. it is not all that difficult for the guy who is good at do it yourself projects.
  3. rusty, you reminded me that I have to get a laser thermometer. I guess any auto parts store has them. I did have one at some point, so I will look in the old tool box. I just don't recall seeing it lately. I have a 180 thermostat, so the temp. of the head should be close to that? thanks skyler
  4. this boat is a leg up on all my others, maybe more than one leg!
  5. pump sent to the Dutchman yesterday. I have studied what I think is the water flow, and it looks like the water from the rad. comes in to the bottom of the impeller, pumped to the dist. tube, into the block, and up to the head, past the thermostat [ a little goes to the heater core] and then to the top of the rad. the critical clearances look to be between the bottom of the impeller where the water comes in, and the top of the impeller to the housing. well designed impeller blades will also be critical. not sure I got this right. I looked for a diagram of the water flow, but it is not in my manuals. I am thinking that since the oil system is so important that dropping the pan and cleaning it out may result in the oil running cooler and helping the engine temp. overall. I would love this engine to be more reliable when the north carolina summer is at its peak temps. also, when in stop/go traffic and parades. a lot of work for my 71 year old bones, but I think I can do it. just waitng for a little cooler weather. I also had the power brake booster rebuilt and will put that back in. it has been eliminated from the brake system since I bought the car, so it is not a mandatory repair right now. I still have brakes. I want to get back to driving the car instead of just working on it. hope all are well in this covid time. skyler
  6. still, I have not pulled the pump yet, but what got my attention was the water leaking from the back of the pump. leak could have been caused by the impeller being loose. I will post later when pump is off. also. tom, I have closed off a lot of the areas where air can get in without going through the rad. fins,but a minimal if any change there. I am sending my older original pump[ the one with the grease fitting] to flying Dutchman and he says he can put a better impeller and do some machining to increase the flow at idle. I can visually see where that pump has a wobble in the impeller, so even though it was rebuilt about 12 years ago, it never worked well and I replaced it with a newer pump that actually does show a slight flow at idle. I am also pulling the water tube and flushing in there, and may pull the core plugs also. they will be easier to pull as I have replaced them with the dorman plugs that go on with a socket instead of banging them in. thanks for all the help and replies, I will post my success, or lack of, at a later date. dennis
  7. still out there, you must be an engineer, but you are still not answering the question here. I do think you are on track about the oil. I have considered dropping the pan to clean it of crud that holds heat, and maybe keep the oil cooler and doing a better job for that half of the cooling system. I believe that my water pump is not producing the volume that the well paid engineers designed it to produce. at idle you cannot see any flow in the top of the radiator. if you rev the engine then you see water flow. I am not an engineer but the new pumps, and even rebuilts may not meet the original design standards. I have looked at rebuilders and flying Dutchman looks like a good choice. thanks, dennis
  8. it is leaking from behind, not the front weep hole. I assume it is the gasket, but I have not removed it yet. just thought I would replace it while doing the labor anyway. I am just looking for more water movement at idle as that is a weak point in trying to drive this car on hot days in town.i tried the electric fan but that did not help, seemed a little worse if anything. I have replaced the dist. tube, but I will pull it and try to flush in there. I have flushed thru the core plugs, but not much came out there. rad is recored and has good flow. I know these engines can run cool, just not mine. dennis
  9. thank you john. did the rebuild include sealed bearings or do you still use the grease fitting, or is the grease fitting removed? dennis
  10. I need to replace the water pump on a 54 Windsor, 265 engine. the one on there I got from rock auto about 5 years ago. are there any pumps available that will give more volume, especially at idle? are any that are American made? I still have the original [with the grease fitting] but I do not think they pump as well as the newer ones that are available. the engine is leaking water from behind the pump. just figured I would replace it since I am doing the labor anyway. anybody have suggestions for the best pump? thanks dennis
  11. I have had 6 volt cars for years. jumped them many times with a 12 volt car.the 6 volt car will turn over very fast and will start quickly, assuming it is just a dead battery. I had an old wood boat from the 50's and I converted it to 12 volt. I could not locate a 12 volt starter. the mechanic at the marina told me to leave the 6 volt starter in, and as long as I did not have to crank the engine excessively, the 6 volt starter would be fine. 10years later and he was right. and that boat started real fast. I do not think you can jump a 12 volt car with your 6 volt car. remember to keep the polarity correct. skyler
  12. beauty of a car. over heat can be a variety of things, but it usually boils down to the radiator if it truly is completely unrestored. brakes grabbing is likely rust in the system as in wheel cylinders,master cylinder.if you are considering driving it very much a complete brake job is needed. if you don't have the time or knowledge it can be done by any competent brake shop. find a car club in your area and they will be a great resource for a good shop. if the engine is hydraulic lifters, the tick may disappear after some driving, including an oil change. terry b is so right about having the motors manual and the factory manual. craig at mobile parts is a great resource for good parts. use him. the Cadillac site here is also a good place to start. I think you have a great car to start with, and you can get it driving without it being a money pit. good luck, skyler
  13. those often have a thin nut on the back of the fixture. feel back there with your hand and you should find it. you may be able to loosen it by hand. if you follow the wire back you may be able to test for power, and then you will know it is the bulb.there also has to be a device that activates the light, so that could be the issue. trace the wire back and you will find it. hard to work under there. a wiring diagram will help. skyler
  14. I will try some east coast junkyards. should be one somewhere. the brackets look spot welded to the radiator frame. skyler
  15. I used them for a door latch for my 54 Windsor. the one they sent me was too rusted and locked up to use. when I told them they quickly sent me another. I judge a business on how they respond to issues like this. they passed the test. would use them again. dennis
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