yellow_cad

I definitely do drive it. It was just since I got the newest paint that I thought about going further before stone chips.

I have a 1954 Cadillac CdV and just got a fresh repaint so I looking to prevent stone chips. I have thought seriously about that clear film that clings to the contours of the car. I would only be doing just the front's most vulnerable areas. I am concerned about the transition where film stops and paint continues. Does anyone have any advise or success stories? Thanks, Jim

I haven't located a sticky telling how.

Where is the posting photo sticky?

It is clean and oiled. I'm having a little trouble figuring out exactly which are the points. One side I see but the one on the lever is not so easy to see. The one I can see looks clean but I'll touch it up just in case.

The clock has run for years, but just recently in began to make a stuttering sound. It is out now and I have been on it for days so I'm reasonably familiar with it. The lever that spans the two coils that also has the main spring winding pawl on it should recock every few minutes when the contacts touch. Instead it continues to go back and forth not staying reset. I have two of these clocks. My most presentable one and another but they both do the same thing. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Jim

Sorry I didn't state the make. It is a Cadillac.

On my 54, I'm trying to get the steering as tight as it should be. With car jacked up and using hand pressure right now pitman arm end play is only perceptible with rotating (back and forth) shaft movement appx 1/32" measured at the drag link end of the pitman arm and this translates to appx 1/16" of movement measured out at the tie rod end. I would assume that there really shouldn't be any back and forth movement in the pitman shaft but can't seem to find this out for sure. Any help would be appreciated. Jim

Price lowered to $2000. Must sell so please make an offer.

What's so strange about it is that it covers three heat ranges for one year of one motor. I'd call that totally noncommittal. That must match all the warning labels they put on their products these days. In other words, steer clear of liability.

From Sacramento and it was 106 today.

Thanks 'B,' what is the date of that AC application guide?

After looking into it, I too am a little surprised the 1954 Cadillac recommends an AC 46 heat range since from listening to other 50s Cadillac owners regarding AC, Champion, and Autolite as well as the specific recommendations of Autolite in their 1958 spark plug catalog, one heat range is specified for Cadillac 1949-54, then the next coolest range for Cadillac 1955, and finally the next coolest range for Cadillac 1956-58, so basically 3 ranges in three years. I am just wondering what factors are causing this drop in recommended plug temperature. Especially puzzeling to me is the drop between 1954 and 1955. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Jim

The stock recommendation for spark plugs on my 54 Cadillac is AC 46-5. I was running AC 46 and it is definitly a short plug in as how far it extends into the combustion chamber. I have switched to some Autolite plugs that are in the same heat range as the 46-5, 46, etc. Even though these Autolite plugs (A82) show to be used in place of AC 46-5, etc, it is noted that A82 is an extended tip spark plug. With these extended tip plugs the electrode is definitly more exposed (sticking out at least 1/4 inch longer). Initially I made sure there was no contact with the piston. That was fine and I would think the extended tip would give me better combustion, but I thought I would check to see if anyone had any specific knowledge of the workings of this type of plug in these engines. It runs fine now but I would hate to burn a hole in a piston when the car is hotter and engine is working hard. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Matt. I live at sea level (even though not on the coast) and most of the summer driving requires some pretty long grades with 90+ temps. It was such that I had to do that driving in the cool of the morning or I was going to get too hot. My motor is in good condition and my cooling system clean. To lessen my chances of overheating, I recently recored my radiator to have more capacity and better fin cooling than the stock radiator. I am running distilled water with Water Wetter. I did install a new 180 degree thermostat but I have a few Robertshaw 160 degree summerstats that look to be much better made the poppet type 180 I installed. So, the reason for my question is to determine if changing to the 160 degree would be a step forward or a step backwards in preventing engine overheat.

Yes, the factory specs on the radiator cap pressure is 12 to 15 lbs. Also, to Cadillac in that day (as reflected in the manual) 160 degree thermostat was standard and 180 degree was considered high temp. I assume from this that they intended for owners of new or reasonably new cars to run 160 in the summer and warmer months and 180 in the winter. Fifty or more years later, I believe that when 160 degree is recommended, it is done so with the idea that most all driving is done in warm weather and if the radiator kicks in 20 degrees sooner, it provides a little bit of a jump on the car heating up. My car does OK in regards to overheating but after pulling a few grades in 90+ temps, I have to mind my Ps and Qs.

I live in hot country and wonder which is best for my stock 1954 Cadillac, a 160 degree or a 180 degree thermostat. I'm only concerned with part-time summer driving.

Complete car for parts or full restoration. California car for $2500 or best offer. Please email helenhearnsb@gmail.com for photos.<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Sorry Tom and others, forgot to put in the email address where you can get photos. Please email helenhearnsb@gmail.com for many photos of the car.

On a 1954 Cadillac, I am setting up the Trico winshield washer. I acquired a few of these units in order to get the best one. It is difficult to swap parts on these primarily due to the use of rivits and the nature of the finish. It turns out that the unit that is the best (others are quite a ways down) has the 6 volt solenoid and my car is 12 volt. Before I go to a whole lot of work that may not be successful, I thought I would ask if anyone knew what would happen if 12 volt went to this 6 volt solenoid. Would it get hot, not function, or what? Or is there some way to reduce the voltage? Obviously, I am not going to run it very much but just wondered if I could run it at all. Thanks for any input. Jim

Can't remember what it is called, but I have one dangling in my radiator to be the bait for corrosion. It can be done to a larger scale when you have lots of aluminum. Jim

I got hold of Redline tech and they said, 15% anti-freeze is only needed if you might experience freezing temps or if you have air conditioning. I don't quite understand the air conditioning but they say ww is sufficient lube with water preferably distilled water.

Absolutely NOT true. See attached quotes from "The Engineering Toolbox": "Note! The specific heat capacity of ethylene glycol based water solutions are less than the specific heat capacity of clean water. For a heat transfer system with ethylene glycol the circulated volume must be increased compared to a system with clean water. In a 50% solution with operational temperatures above 36 oF the specific heat capacity is decreased with approximately 20%. The reduced heat capacity must be compensated by circulating more fluid" and "Increase in Flow required for a 50% Ethylene Glycol Solution Increase in circulated flow for 50% ethylene glycol solutions compared with clean water are indicated in the table below [TABLE=class: large] <thead> [TR] [TH=colspan: 2]Fluid Temperature[/TH] [TH]Flow Increase (%) [/TH] [/TR] [TR] [TH](oF)[/TH] [TH](oC)[/TH] [/TR] </thead> <tbody> [TR] [TD]40[/TD] [TD]4.4[/TD] [TD]22[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]100[/TD] [TD]37.8[/TD] [TD]16[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]140[/TD] [TD]60.0[/TD] [TD]15[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]180[/TD] [TD]82.2[/TD] [TD]14[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]220[/TD] [TD]104.4[/TD] [TD]14[/TD] [/TR] </tbody>[/TABLE]

I believe that I already have the spacer in there. Can't find any riser, sort of remember putting the spacer in, and have full exhaust on both sides right at start up. But still, my two center passages of the intake manifold are exhaust hot all the time (I checked it with a temperature point and read tool). Is there a way to stop the exhaust from going through the intake manifold. If not, should I just wrap these or would this hold too much heat in the intake manifold?

But the bottle also states that "Water Wetter provides excellent corrosion protection."