gregleck

Sound advice, but ... ... I know this car inside and out, have spent hundreds of hours redoing things and adding all sorts of original parts and period correct aftermarket parts. Plus, have been looking for another one for the last eight years - Hemmings, Bring a Trailer, Craigslist etc - and not very common, at least the model and condition I am searching for. Most collector cars which are customized to the owner's taste and level end up being underwater in terms of cost recovery. They are, after all, just inanimate collections of metal, glass, rubber, etc. But they become imbued with experiences, memories, and emotions that draw us to them and value them more than the economic sum of their parts. If that were not the case, forums like this would not exist.

Motor mounts are NOT the same. Will need to make some other modifications as well. However, I spoke with Dave Tacheny this morning who told me the engine in question, from a '53 Buick Special, was probably from a car with factory automatic transmission. It currently has a flex plate mounted. Dave said it COULD be swapped into a '37 Buick Special with standard transmission, but the crankshaft would have to be re-engineered and modified. NOT a simple swap. And yes, I am being given the shaft, but not by the engine rebuilder.

Here is an update. 1. Divorce proceedings now past EIGHT YEARS (no kids involved, by the way). Procedural rules of the court state a report is issued after 30 days of the last hearing. Last hearing was NINE MONTHS ago and no report. Lawyer knows of three other cases which have been waiting over two years for the report. All in front of the same individual, who apparently does not even work for the court anymore. No one wants to complain for fear of retribution. And apparently higher ups in the court have no way to pressure this individual since she is no longer employed by them. To top it off, wife, who had nothing ever to do with the car, has put in a claim for possession. Merely out of spite. 2. Bought a 1937 248 engine from Dave Tacheny. He was told it was running when taken out of the car. After arrival, had someone open it up. The valve train is in pretty rough condition with 3 severely bent push rods and a fourth that was broken & welded back together. The rocker arm shaft is badly worn and appears to have been assembled wrong at some point in the past, which likely caused the bent pushrods. I put down a $4,000 deposit for a rebuild. It is now two years later, engine apart but pretty much no progress. Have heard nothing in a year. Was told to expect about $10,000 bill, total. 3. Bid on a rebuilt 248 cid engine from a 1949 Buick Super, thinking it might be easier to drop it in instead of waiting for the rebuild. Dropped out of the bidding at $3700. Still don't have the car, though, so just as well. 4. Am continuing to look for engines, though. Will a 1953 263 engine swap in to 37 Buick Special? I am guessing yes, as long as the modifications (mounting plate, peripherals, etc) are taken care of.

That's it! As soon as I saw the website headliner photo I recognized it. Thanks, Ben! Also, thank you 54Coupe - the Facebook group Straight Eight Flathead Engines looks helpful as well. Greg

I own a 37 Buick coupe and I am currently rebuilding the engine. I am very familiar with the 37–38 Buick group since 2015 and have a lot of their publications, the torque tube. The club I am looking for is not limited to one make only.

I recall seeing a web page for a club for those interested in straight eight engines, or for those who owned a car which had a straight eight engine. I tried to find this again on the web, including using terms like "str8" or "I 8 engine" but had no luck. Other clubs did come up on search, but they were not exclusively for straight 8 engine owners or enthusiasts. Can anyone help?

When a college student in the early 1980s I needed to replace the ball joints on my 1962 Olds Dynamic 88. Sent away to Kanter Auto Parts and in due time they arrived. Then was told they were wrong because the thread was right-handed and I needed left-handed thread (or vice versa, don't recall specifically). I don't know if it was because they sent the driver's side (left side) when I needed the passenger side (right side) or if two different versions existed for that year. Now, I need the left (driver's side) lower ball joint replaced and am looking for the part. 1. Is the right and left lower ball joint the same, or do they have different threads? 2. If the same, did they produce both left and right-handed versions, or am I misremembering an event from half a century ago? 3. Can the ball joints be interchanged with 1961 or 1963 full size Olds models? Thanks, Greg

Exactly. Am waiting for new BA15d socket to arrive. Hopefully that will solve the problem.

I found a 3000K LED bulb which produces a warmer, slightly yellow colored light, as opposed to the blinding white 6000K bulbs which are out there. I've heard many of the complaints about bright oncoming lights actually are because these 6000K lights are more likely to blind drivers. The bulb I decided to use has eight LEDs on two sides; two rows of 4.. On low beam, the row on each side closer to the top of the bulb lights up. On high beam, both rows of four light up. They were designed for the Ford Model A and are simply plug and play. They have a BA15d base. In my case, I had the same problems as above - one headlight worked fine, the other was erratic. On the second socket, it will work, but commonly illuminates high beam only. If it does happen to illuminate the low beam, after it is switched by dimmer switch to high beam it remains, there, and does not return to low beam when the lights are switched back to low beam. Other times, when low beam is activated, the low beam diodes illuminate but the high beam row of diodes flickers. I can also create flickering by moving the wires leading into the base, which leads me to believe there is a short in the socket. When I switch light bulbs, the problem is created in the same socket, so it is not a problem with the bulbs. I don't see how the socket can be disassembled, so now I am stuck waiting for mail order. Went to two auto part stores. Was told I need a specific model year and make (Mine is a custom) and one counterman told me he never saw such a socket in his life. Things sure have changed since I was a kid...

Late to this thread but wanted to relay my own experience. Bought a replica. Has 3-1/2 inch whitewall radial tires. Looks great. Did not even realize they were port-a-walls until I went to buy new tires. I put 6,000 miles on these tires, at speeds up to 80 mph. No wrinkling, no grooves in the radial tires, no flapping, no problems. I do not know the brand, or who installed them, but whoever did it did it right. Do they get dirty? Of course. Just clean them when needed.

Two more points for anyone who finds themselves in this situation. 1. Although the boosters are not interchangeable, they can be made so by taking the plunger out of the Bendix master brake cylinder and installing it in the Moraine brake booster. 2. If you are replacing an aftermarket brake booster, or a post 1964 booster which was put in your older car, the newer boosters contain a vacuum suspended check valve inside the booster. The older boosters do not have these and rely on an inline vacuum check valve located in the vacuum line between the engine and the booster. You can see the location in the photo of the red car above. So by going back to the original design, you will need to install the inline check valve since the newer boosters did not need them.

Thanks!

Wouldn't dream of it. Once it is out I will tear it down to see what happened, then have it rebuilt. I actually found a 1937 248 engine. It is running but I will still take it apart to replace the babbited pistons and use metal insert bearings. Thanks to all for the tips and tricks!

Would anyone have a part number for the high pressure hose for the power steering pump used in the 1962 full sized Olds? Most likely the same as the 1961 models. Tried Fusick, currently out of stock. Computerized systems at auto parts stores state "part not used on this vehicle." Thanks, Greg

Lots of loud noise. Exhaust manifold is also cracked. Someone who rebuilds prewar engines took a look at it - put a long piece of wood against the block to use as a listening aid and the knocking seemed to originate down in the crankcase. I purchased a lot of odds and ends from Dave back in 2014-2015. Is he still active?

Engine is free already, or at least it did a year ago. As part of the divorce the car had to be valued and the evaluator said the car cranked but would not turn over. Not surprising considering it was last started over 4 years ago. But I do know there is a major problem and the engine needs to be taken at least partially apart to diagnose it. But I cannot do anything with the car until the divorce is over, and that is going to take at least another year and a half. That's why I thought I would move ahead with plans to build a new engine now.

I've got a '37 Buick 46S Sport Coupe with a 248 straight 8, likely original to the car. There is some serious internal problem going on. Engine turned and started five years ago but there is problem deep in the engine - crankshaft, rods, piston - who knows? Car has been held hostage due to a long running divorce - now five years and no end in sight, though I have been told by lawyers and court official to expect another 18 months. However, I have been thinking of obtaining another straight 8 engine and having it rebuilt. I am at the age where time is now more valuable to me than money. I figure if I get a rebuilt engine, by the time it is ready I could have the car back, and "just drop the new engine in." What could go wrong? The engine I am looking at is a 1951 Buick 263 - with non-Babbited bearings, which makes it more attractive to me. It's mated to a standard transmission in the donor car, and of course my '37 is standard transmission also. Am I correct that the 263 engine swap for the 248 should be pretty straightforward?

And THIS is why the two systems are not interchangeable, not because the bolt patterns don't line up.

Here is an update: Sent the Moraine out to Brake Boosters in Portland, Oregon. 12 week turnaround due to protesters, rioters, and Postal Service delays. When it came back, even though the bolt pattern fits, the new, reconditioned Moraine did not fit my master brake cylinder because the plunger would not work with the master brake cylinder, which is either a Bendix or an aftermarket replacement master brake cylinder. (No identifying marks) At this point, I looked at the Fusick Olds catalog and it looked like the master cylinder from the 1960-1961 full size Olds should fit my Moraine Booster. 1962 used 1961 master brake cylinders and boosters, either Moraine or Delco. I was ready to order it but when I asked about returns, was told "once you buy it, you own it." Instead, it was suggested that I send in the old master brake cylinder which had been attached to the junkyard Moraine booster I purchased from a salvage yard in Idaho. Of course, it was not that simple, because by now COVID was playing havoc with the USPS and it took weeks to get to Fusick, a week for them to figure out that yes, the 1960-1961 Moraine master brake cylinder would work, and, despite Priority mail, another two weeks to get it back. So now, I have a new OEM Moraine master brake cylinder, a reconditioned Moraine brake booster (painted black!), and a nicely refinished vacuum tank. All I have to do now is get them in. Thanks to all for your help and suggestions.

Hello Matt! I'm the original poster. I think I bought a stainless steel center hood molding from you for my '37 Buick Sports Coupe a few years ago. I believe the transmission connection for standard transmission changed sometime after 1938, and of course if the engine was originally mated to a Dynaflow then you would need an adaptive plate to make the swap. I want to put a Buick straight 8 into a very high quality replica of an Auburn speedster which is currently running a GM 305 crate V8 engine and what I think is a GM 700R4 automatic transmission (haven't crawled under the car to look for the transmission numbers yet) It will need an adapter plate but my first concern is that the engine fit into the space. The 320 from the Century, Roadmaster, and Limited series is too big. In any event I want a 263, not a 248, to avoid the babbit bearings.

Have a Buick straight 8 engine block and am trying to determine year and displacement. Number is stamped on the right side of the distributor: 63271355 initial numeral looks like "b" and fifth numeral looks like "I". Can anyone confirm this is a 1951 model 263 engine? Will it mate with a 1937 Buick Special transmission, or will an adapter plate be needed?

After a long wait, my power brake booster has arrived. I also obtained a reserve vacuum tank. The tank is fastened to the driver's side front fender, inside the engine compartment, under the hood hinge. There are three pre-drilled holes in the fender, which line up with three holes in brackets attached to the tank. What type of fasteners (and size and length, if known) were used to attach the tank's brackets to the fender? Based on other parts attached to the fender, I am guessing a hex head sheet metal screw, driven from the engine compartment side, through the bracket hole, and through the fender. Or was a bolt, washers, lock washer, and nut used? Thanks, Greg

No one mentioned the term "replica." I have a very well done replica of a 1936 Auburn Boattail Speedster. Occasionally someone will ask, "Is it real?" I tell them if it was real, I wouldn't be there in front of them - rather, I would be on my yacht in the south of France. I will never own a "real" one - not at $800,000 to $1 million dollars. And if I did, I would not be driving it. I've driven this "fake" about 3000 miles in the last year, with the longest trip 700 miles from home. The reliability and availability of parts allows me to do this. But the biggest joy is the smiles I get from kids, age eight to eighty, and the opportunity to talk to others about cars.

Yes, what I found in description by other people: Moraine - brass colored, two studs for master cylinder, held together by locking tabs. Bendix - black colored, four studs for master cylinder, held together by eight bolts. Yes, that is the same conclusion I came to. There is no T piece. And when I looked, there was no vacuum reservoir tank. And though the booster is black, there are only two studs for the master cylinder. Nevertheless, I did drive the car on a 500 mile trip last month. My theory is the car did not come from the factory with power brakes. At some point someone decided to add an aftermarket brake booster. (And to think the auctioneer kept crowing, "100% original!") I was told the Moraine and Bendix units are NOT interchangeable. I am guessing this is due to the bolt pattern? At this point I decided not to worry about the "name" of the booster and instead match the bolt pattern. Gave the salvage yard the measurements. They sent me a reservoir tank and booster/master cylinder unit from a '62 Olds. Now here is what is odd. The master cylinder has "Moraine" stamped into the metal The booster is gold colored, and is held together with clips. BUT IT HAS FOUR STUDS FOR THE MASTER CYLINDER. And the bolt pattern fits my existing master cylinder. Photos are posted for future reference to help anyone else trying to sort out their brakes on a full sized 61-62 Olds.

Have sent the Moraine brake booster back. They are going to send a Bendix, which I will have rebuilt. Have determined the current brake booster is aftermarket. It also appears the reserve vacuum tank is missing and the aftermarket booster does not have the fitting for the reserve tank. I see two bolts in the firewall under the driver's side fender. Is this likely where the reserve vacuum tank was attached? Illustration in the '61 shop manual is not very good as to location.