dibarlaw

Ben: I have just secured the modern equivilent of "steam cylinder oil" the 600W now is ISO VG 680 I am trying to secure more for some of the other car colectors locally. Particularlly for Model "A" Fords. I just asked the steam engine club where they got theirs. Hopefully this will solve my "crunching" in my 1925-25. Larry

I agree with Lief to go to the Buick site and give more information. Is the car a master or standard coupe and model number. Larry 1925-25

Sent PM. I will gheck if they are adaptable to my 1925 Buick-25. I think they would look great on the front. The rear may or may not be a problem with the spare. Most applications I have seen are seperate left and right segments for the rear. Larry

Lief: Thank you for posting the photos of Lenhardt's beautiful 27-25. I have a 25-25 and have been asking in the forum for interior and top photos since my interior is pretty bare. Nothing has shown up yet. Missing robe rail carpeting and foot rest and bow rests. The photos in the parts book are very poor and nothing on the bow rest. The pictures are great! They will help a great deal. Also I believe my top assembly is made up from another (larger) car as it apears to have been cut and rewelded. Larry DiBarry

I replied to your E-mail this morning but it kicked it back. Don't exactly know what is required in the 27s. But just went thru the service manual for my 25. Steam cylinder oil for transmission, differential and steering box. Should not be a problem in Florida weather. In winter the manual states transmission application to mix 50/50with engine oil. One of my problems is that I can't start in neutral /won't go ito gear. If I start in gear with the clutch depressed once running shifting is no problem. One recomendation was that I used the 600W steam cylinder oil. Model "A" and"T" Fords use this also. Slows the gears enough to get the initial shift. Also this lubricant is much kinder to all those bronze bushings in our machines. Tell me more about your 27. We were trying to buy a 27 model 54 sport roadster last July out of Ohio. Still for sale I believe. Also run these questions over on the Buick Pre War Fourm you will get better answers. Larry

I have a 1925 Buick Standard Touring car. And reciently went looking for the 600W "steam cylinder oil" as called for in our manuals. Checked local tractor supply places here in south central Pa.They didn't have any but I got leads to the Steam Engine clubs and that lead to an old line distributor outside of Harrisburg Pa. 5gal @ $48.00 plus something for the governor. Then my son who drives truck to well drilling sites outside of Indiana Pa. Said it was no problem finding it around the pumping sites. I should have 5 gal from him on monday. We will see what it is like. If you wish, send a PM or e-mail and I can get you a number for the Harrisburg supplier.

Still trying to find former owners of my 1925 Buick standard. Would like to know what was done to it when it was brought back to life in the 1970s. I bought it from a New York owner who had it aprox.10 years. He remembered it comming from Wisconsin. Any one out there remember some one having a 25-25 with burgandy paint, black fenders and wheels,tan top and blackwall tires(tires may be that old). Help! Larry Chambersburg Pa 1925 Buick-25 1937 Buick-41 1987 Chevy S-10

John: I have plenty of rope packing for the water pump. Thanks anyway. I take care of that each time I run the engine and made up some wrenches for that purpose. I will have to make a new shaft as it is pretty well scored. The flow I refered to was oil from the shaft suport bearing between the water pump and the DELCO unit. There is always a trickle of oil while running the engine. Also thank you for the top hardware link. Now just need pictiures to see what the bow rest is to look like. Larry

Still trying to drive my Buick:( The radiator has been boiled out, I back flushed the block. Now it runs cool. The next issue was the oil slinging fan hub. Which I rebuilt and made new bearings for. Also made a new leather belt. Made new gasket for pushrod cover which slowed down the amount of oil leaks. But still leaks well between cylinder block and crankcase. Also the starter-generator water pump shaft bearing has a steady flow from it. Any Ideas how to stop that leak? I have secured a supplier for the 600W "Steam Cylinder Oil" for the transmission and will pick up saturday. Met with a fellow about 1 1/2 miles away with an unrestored 1924 model 45 and compared notes. He gave me a crank that did not fit his car. But it fit mine perfectly! Well last sunday, (since it was finally properly insured) I thought I would take it for a short drive. This time it reluctantly started and drove about 50 feet where it stopped and wouldn't start again. Keeps flooding.. The elec fuel pump is set at lowest output.(Planned to restore the vacuum tank this winter).I had to tow it back to my garage with my 87 Chevy S-10 and push it back in the garage. Boy is it heavy! Glad none of the neighbors were out... How humiliating! Larry<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Still trying to drive my Buick:( The radiator has been boiled out, I back flushed the block. Now it runs cool. The next issue was the oil slinging fan hub. Which I rebuilt and made new bearings for. Also made a new leather belt. Made new gasket for pushrod cover which slowed down the amount of oil leaks. But still leaks well between cylinder block and crankcase. Also the starter-generator water pump shaft bearing has a steady flow from it. Any Ideas how to stop that leak? I have secured a supplier for the 600W "Steam Cylinder Oil" for the transmission and will pick up saturday. Met with a fellow about 1 1/2 miles away with an unrestored 1924 model 45 and compared notes. He gave me a crank that did not fit his car. But it fit mine perfectly! Well last sunday, (since it was finally properly insured) I thought I would take it for a short drive. This time it reluctantly started and drove about 50 feet where it stopped and wouldn't start again. Keeps flooding.. The elec fuel pump is set at lowest output.(Planned to restore the vacuum tank this winter).I had to tow it back to my garage with my 87 Chevy S-10 and push it back in the garage. Boy is it heavy! Glad none of the neighbors were out... How humiliating! Larry

I did dissasemble mine, bored out the ends and pressed in bronze sleeve bearings. Then bored out to fit the shaft +.002. Made a cork gasket for the shaft end. Repainted , resealed then 1/4 full of gear oil rather than engine oil. So far it's spinning not slinging! Also made up a new leather belt. The next task is to secure the 600W oil and change out what is in the trans. to see if that solves the"creeping " start situation. Larry

A great resource of technical info can be had on Google patents. # 1,743,712. The only info on the hub was Automotive Fan & Bearing Co. and 2 patent dates. I did a search with this much and now have patent drawings and full documentation on operation. My hub was filled with grease (to be aprox 1/3 full with engine oil) which was pretty solid untill things got warm. Then oil was leaking around the fan to hub face gasket soaking the belt. None was leaking at the rear even there was no seal! The solid grease plugged the oil holes/grooves. I believe the tollerance should be about .005 since the shaft is .745 its entire length. That is if the bore on the bearing was originally.750, it is now .755. Debated about boreing out the ends and inserting bushings and then line bore them both for a closser fit to the shaft. Then check with my local electric motor rebuilder for an adaptable end seal or make my own out of "compressible cork" as the patent calls for. Or make up the" Buick Technical tips" solid hub with sealed bearings. Thoughts/any advice? Larry

Today we wrestled the radiator back on the 1925-25. The correct shell mounting bolts made it a bit easier. I ran it at idle for about 20 min. kept it's cool! :)Now to concentrate on the ever lengthening list of things to address. Also made a new gasket for the front push rod cover. One leak out of many taken care of. I guess next is to take care of the oil slinging fan pulley hub. Before I ruin another leather fan belt. I believe there was someone selling the sealed bearing kit. I will check with the parts people. I have to work on the parking brake to get it to hold. Would like to talk with other 1925-25 owners to see if they have restoration photos of what the top bow saddle looks like so I can fabricate them. We would like to drive with the top down by next spring.

My problem with my 1925-25 is that I have the key and it locks/unlocks. But I am afraid it will break to try and remove it. Good Luck! Larry

Dwight: Labrandi's did my 37-41 bumpers and bumperetts over 3 years ago which were not in bad shape. $1,650!!! I am repainting my 25-25 radiator shell with 3 coats of Mastermark silver primer wet- block sanding and respraying in a nickel/chrome like enamel. After all its to be a driver. Larry in Chambersburg

Radiator cooked out. The radiator guy said there was some crud. Mostly lime scale. I backflushed the engine with high pressure and got about a handfull of the same stuff. Now have to repaint and reinstall. Since the shell was painted silver I have been building up the pitted surface with the Mastermark silver primer then I will respray with a nickel tone paint. Spent $1650 getting my 37's bumpers and guards done 3 years ago. Ouch! Don't feel it would be a worth while investment to have the shell re-nickeled. Would like to find a set of period bumpers for the 25 though. Larry

I asked before if you had a leather belt for a 1925 Buick Standard "6". 33 1/2" Larry

Ken: Check my Thread on the BUICK Pre-War General site "Looking for a driver Buick" about my misadventures! Larry

Rob; Thanks for the "pepper-upper" I need these comments. I hope both of us find some time to get our other project cars completed Regards: Larry

Also just for reference it looks to be for a standard model. Could this fit a 1925 Standard? Sizes at base, bottom to top,offset from mounting brackets to bottom? I can check my sizes. Larry

Thanks about the Model"A" But we had been looking for about 6 months and any" A "Phaeton in good driver shape was well over $20K Those arround $17K looked to be #4 cond or worse. But again right place at right time.

Any luck with the EH you were looking into? To me if I hadn't wanted the sellers 1923 Buick, that would have been a great choice. Larry

Thanks Rob for your opinion. I must admit I would have gone slower on my enthusiasim for the quest. But I wanted to have a little time to drive our "driver" before winter. And any minor issues would be taken care of over the winter layup. As it is we did not get a"driver. It has already become a project with the radiator still in question. Other issues the side push rod covers leak badly, which I need to make gaskets. And the clutch adjustment which was the only problem originaly noted. Overall we understood that there was to be some upgrading along the way. I had hoped to be working on my 37-41 over the winter to be able to get it in shape to go to the 2012 Buick nationals. I have come to the realization that I can't do all this myself. I don't have anyone local inclined to help. Just afraid at times I will do some unrepairable damage. Mainly it is just encouragement from all the members who have responded to this fourm that keeps me going. Some indicated I should have waited to get a "done car"but we realy needed to stay within a budget. And "done cars" were at least double the price. This has been a repeat of my 37-41 experience of 24 years ago. Clutch problem decomissioned this car immediately. With family, school and money issues I was just able to get back to it 6 years ago. Then health issue came calling. Just want to drive my"driver" before anything else happens! Larry

Well I have the radiator out and at the local radiator shop. The shop has done many antique ones over the years. ]Owner said it looked plugged solid! Don't know if it can be saved/ repaired yet. Keep you posted. Larry

I did the experiment that Dandy Dave suggested and no bubbles. And the water rose up to the overflow within 5 min. So I just wrestled the radiator out to take to one of the local old line radiator shops here in Chambersburg. We will see what the verdict is. I would of had it off in less than an hour except it was secured with chrome capped bumper bolts. Tough to get an11/16 socket with universal and extension up in the frame chane. l Will get the repro ones from BOB's Stay Tuned: Larry