TexasJohn55

http://forums.aaca.org/f162/once-again-im-having-brake-problems-355259.html Did you say front and rear bleeders on the master?

What is the coil voltage at the moment it dies?

Missing or broken ground straps?

Dave, the only clue I got from your post is that the voltage at coil fluctuates with corresponding engine miss in park. That would suggest that you have an engine surge or miss, possibly from idle mixture off. That added load on engine not properly tuned kills it when dropping into gear and loading the engine below a critical threshold. I would concentrate on engine tuning first. The A/C cannot draw enough current to kill the engine, it would blow a fuse. The compressor cannot draw enough power to kill the engine without squealing and smoking the belt first. Check tune first, closed up points could easily cause this as well as vacuum leaks and idle mixture settings.

I would bet that Willie's is r134 and could address that. Or buick5563, or.........?

Search the forums for r134 conversion, I'm sure there has been alot of them converted. I would expect similar results as other years that have an expansion valve setup. If search does not produce what you need, start a new thread on that issue.

Most engines are designed and manufactured to be either internally balanced or externally balanced. Internal balancing allows the damper and flywheel to be neutral and does not affect the balance of the engine. Externally balanced engines require additional weight to be added to one or both to counter the imbalance of the engine internal, crank and rods, etc. If the engine is externally balanced, the damper will be obviously heavy on one side and the weight is maintained in that position by being keyed to the crankshaft for balance. If the flexplate is used for balancing, it will be designed for one position mounting. A vibration damper or harmonic balancer is commonly built with inner and outer members bonded together with rubber. The primary and most critical purpose is to control torsionals (twisting) in the crankshaft to prevent breakage. Some dampers are fluid fillled with an internal weight sandwiched between teflon belts at close tolerances. The heavy viscous fluid controls the rate of slippage between the memberts and also acts as a lubricant. The engine shake could just as likely be an engine miss, bad plugs or wire, etc. A good mechanic can throttle the engine out of gear and tell if it is missing. You can feel it in the body and watch the engine quiver. You can also hear it in the exhaust.

Willie, I read your thread, good info. I think "Red" indicated performance rating or composition of the liining material, not sure how many lines of shoes/pads they have now. Now days, they post ratings as good, better, best, racing etc, as well as "OEM original,better and best" "Meets or exceeds original OEM" seems to be the popular phrase for the cheapest line of a particular product now. Lifetime Warranty may have little meaning except that I never buy pads again for that car.

OK, my son uses Raybestos "Red" exclusively for shoes or pads. His problem had been with fade and after trying different ones he settled on those. He experimented on 2 different vehicles before deciding. He thinks they may be classified at semi-metallic but not sure. His 67 ChevyII would fade on freeway exit ramp and "hard pedal" without stopping. Red fixed it. This is 10 year old info so things may have changed with other suppliers quality........As always, arc the shoes to the drums.

I would guess that today's brake shoe material is as good or maybe better except for the asbestos. I would not expect a performance issue with them but I can't say for sure. Don't know for sure what mine are but they brake ok. Shelf life should not be an issue if they conform to the metal shoe and are not warped or obviously exposed to water or fluids. They are inherently brittle and will crack or break if bent too far from relaxed shape. Just my opinion and not to be taken to the bank. Edit: my son has some firsthand knowledge of braking performance issues concerning various brands and he only uses one brand now. I will get back after talking to him about this. TJ

Lamar, do you have a brake riveter? I have a small boat load of vintage linings. I bought my new wheel cylinders at O'Reilly along with new rubber hoses, I think AutoZone also carries them, all probably from China. John

Willie, that is interesting. My boot also is "tattered" so I haven't experienced that problem. I read your post several times and can't quite get my head around your explanation of why. Are you saying that the front of the booster vents to atmosphere in the confines of the boot, and if sealed, the booster cannot return? Soooo.....the vent is not pulling air to the vacuum side but simply air pulled by displacement when the booster piston travels internally? I will have to get my manual out and study up to fully understand. I would assume there is a vent filter there. I have rebuilt mine but too long ago to remember all the details. I'll get back to you after studying up on it. The only problem I've had with mine is that the pedal groaned and was sticky a few years later, after smearing a little grease on the input to the booster it was smooth again. John

Hoo rah! Fingers crossed. Check back in in a week or two.

Sorry to hear the bad news. Obviously the engine is locked up. First, loosen all belt driven components to eliminate them as cause. If you can, pry the crankshaft forward and aft to check for thrust, you may need to remove dust cover from bell housing. If crank moves freely back and forth appx .010" or more it is not siezed on a main bearing. After that, unbolt the trans torque converter if automatic so it will spin free from the engine. Last resort is pull the oil pan and check bottom end for stuck bearings on rods and inspect for metal in pan. Something has happened since it was cranking, maybe it was trying to sieze when you put 12v on it, sounds like starter burnt up from tight engine. Did you just make some repairs or install transmission?

Yeah, pretty common I think. Mine had a good pedal but could not bleed, rubber lines were so plugged up no fluid would pass them. Time for new wheel cylinders all around, 3 new rubber hoses, master cylinder rebuild and probably new shoes and drums turned. Wheel cylinders and brake hoses are now available at local auto chain stores, not sure about the other stuff. Just be thankful that your park brake cables are not siezed yet. Progress feels good doesn't it!?

Grouding the circuit is not a recommended practice. The one time connection for a millisecond is not harmful but any longer may overload the circuit and component also. If the circuit is a PWM circuit, direct current draws a tremendous amount of current in the circuit which it is not designed for and can cause the "smoke to leak out". Everyone knows that electronics are sealed units and once the smoke leaks out, they are no good. Your engine likely died because the computer saw an overload on the injector driver circuit and turned it off. Your problem, as others have mentioned is likely a bad connection or wiring from the computer to the engine on that injector circuit. You will need to do a "wiggle test" on the harness and connectors while engine is running to find where the problem is. You can also hook up an ohmmeter to both ends for continuity and do the wiggle test. Good luck. Don't forget there are 2 circuits to trace for the injector. You may also have to check both circuits for intermittent short to ground while wiggling wires. Yes, a short to ground on the ground wire will cause a problem because the ECM can not control injection. The ground is not grounded, it is a return controlled by the ECM.

Nice looking car, wanna sell it before you ruin it? I also own a 55 Special but I am a bit of a purist and want to keep mine all original as possible. You seem to be mechanically inclined so I think that engine overhaul and transmission reseal would be the way to go. Possibly much cheaper in the long run because you keep same driveline and rear end. Engine and trans changes necessitate drive line and differential changes as well, not to mention all you engine accessories, motor mounts etc. The 264 is no hotrod but it gets the job done. As for brakes, I have original power drum brakes and believe me they are up to the job for normal braking and reliability and I don't consider single cylinder master to be a safety issue. All new rubber hoses and wheel cylinders with a master rebuild is as good as it gets. I run my original generator but I don't have a mega sound system, electric cooling fan or such which might exceed 35 amp draw. I vote to refurbish as original, I think you will be more pleased with yourself in the long run and it will be far fewer unforseen problems that you didn't think of than a repower. If you go to that extreme to change out running gear, why not just drop the body on a late model rolling chassis? Just my thoughts, that's what you ask for wasn't it? TexasJohn

deburt65: I apologize for wandering off into unknown territory. After posting, I realized that you probably did not have an overflow hose on your radiator and therefore could not test for compression with a bottle and hose. The theory is still good but useless for your application. I shall stay out of this discussion and leave it to more knowleadgeable owners of the 1928 era automobiles. It looks like you already have some capable folks helping. Regards, TexasJohn

stude8 gave some insightful information. By removing the water pump belt you not only stop forced flow but also eliminate the possibility of the water pump suction pulling air into the system at the suction hose circuit. It is rare but has been known to happen. If there is compression entering the system, a good check is to put a hose on the radiator overflow nipple and route it into a clear plastic drink bottle filled halfway with clear water. With engine cold and cap resealed, run engine up till operating temperature stabilizes. As the system warms, expansion will pressurize the system and air bubbles will appear in the bottle. (don't top off radiator before the test, it needs the normal amount of air space for expansion) As thermostat starts regulating and the temperature levels off, the bubbles should slow and finally stop as normal expansion has ceased pressurizing the system. After that, only an occassional bubble should appear. If there is a continuous stream of bubbles after temperature levels off, then that may indicate compression entering the system. Be sure the lower radiator hose is good and sealing at both ends before tearing into the engine. If it has a heater hose also connected to the water pump suction, it may be suspect also. If this test indicates no compression or over pressurizing, then consider flushing the system good and filling with fresh coolant mixture. PS. if you have an electric fan, the temp will go up and down with the fan cycle which will cause a pressure fluctuation in the cooling system and could possibly pull water from bottle and then back into it with the temperature fluctuation.

Yep, Nathan is on the right track, bad connection likely, voltage drop tests in order. Jason is correct about the electrics don't care but the battery does.(A car with an alternator and electronics is a different issue, they won't stand reversed polarity) Also,the battery charger has established the polarity is correct on the battery if hooked up Pos to Pos.

Me thinks polarity matters to the battery and the electron flow. A hot battery hooked up in reverse polarity from the generator will result in a short when it tries to charge the battery backward won't it? I have seen a battery connected reverse polarity, after completely discharging, it may indeed recharge reverse polarity if the generator doesn't smoke, only likely it survives if the battery was dead when installed and boosted off. Consider this: take 2 hot batteries and connect jumper cables between them Pos to Pos and Neg to Neg, no current flow except trickle from hottest one to the lesser charged. NOW take the same 2 batteries and connect jumper cables Pos to Neg and Neg to Pos, !!!!!!!!!!!!!BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Don't try this at home! You can only tell if a battery has correct polarity with a volt meter.

Is this a "test"? If it is, the next question will be about torque values and sequence. Seriously, don't you have any kind of manual? If not, it would be a wise investment. I understand we like to spend time on the forums but this is basic stuff. If you really need some help, ask away. First off, does the distributor go through the intake? Secondly, does the carburetor cover access to torquing any intake bolts? Thirdly, one man job if you do situps and have a six-pack (not in the fridge). A good hard look at your engine will tell you what is bolted to the intake and what has to come off. Good luck.......

If you are still having problems starting paragraphs, try this, Post 31 and 32 may hold some potential. John http://forums.aaca.org/f131/ok-heres-something-weird-348988.html

I personally still run points but only because of the cost considerations. I would fully recommend a simple "points replacement" system for reliability and simplicity. You could still carry a spare set of points. This would be a viable option if your distributor is still in good condition with good bearings and advance mechanism, etc. As for the replacement systems or distributors that have multiple springs, weights etc, It is a pure PIA to get them setup and tuned in properly, not worth it in my opinion. Tuning an engine for maximum performance AND driveability is a nightmare if you modify ignition or fueling from original setup. Ask an engine builder. John

That is a beautiful car! I also love that white '55. I can see that you spend your money on "already nice" instead of the fixer-uppers, gives you more time to drive and enjoy! TexasJohn