Ttotired
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Posts posted by Ttotired
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I have a couple of questions for those in the know if I could please
Firstly, I am sure I read somewhere that the cam shaft was/is retained in the block by a circlip that you need to remove the core plug at the back of the block to access, I didnt have to do any of that, there is no grove or anything that looks like its missing?
Its an auto and I read in the service manual that there are supposed to groves to indicate its an auto cam and they are there
Did I just confuse myself or could this be a wrong or aftermarket cam?
If alls good (what I hope), what controls cam end float? Maybe, just the distributor gear?
Second one involves a rebuild kit
I have seen listed on ebay kits for the 364, but I noticed one place specifies a difference between the 40 series and the rest
I looked at the specifications for the engine and noticed that the compression ratio of the 40 is lower as is the horsepower
Is it ok to use the higher compression ratio/horsepower kits in mine?
I assume that the difference is just the height of the piston crown and if its going to fit, then why not have more horsepower?
I also noticed that there are 2 different sizes in the valves (stem length, I think it was) but I have forgotten whether that was for 59 and up engines or 40 series to the rest
All advice is most welcome, especially any tips and tricks
The building will be a bit drawn out because once I get the machinist bore recommendations, it normally takes about 3 weeks from time of order to parts arrival here
All the crank journals look excellent, so I wont have to do that, but the valves are shot due to rust
Mick -
Block is almost stripped
Havnt found anything more exciting with it yet
Mick
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Really enjoyed reading this and I will be following along as I do up my special
I polished up 4 of my grill diamonds and they came out good, only another 156 to go
My engine is out and apart as well
I will be studying your pictures a lot
Mick
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Try Big M Automotive (John) in California
He has an extensive mopar collection of parted out cars
You could also ask here
http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/category-view.asp
Mick
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So, you think this might have actually happened before I got the car?
I still havnt gone any further yet, stupid work keeps getting in the way
Nice little time bomb to thing about, isnt it?
Mick
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Not sure exactly what caused it, the fracture surfaces dont look that new, but the engine was locked and took a bit of effort (and killing of a starter) to get it to free up
I was just assuming that as I was trying to free it up, that I was slowly crushing the piston and the locked part was the wrist pin being suck in the piston
Thats a guess though, might see more when I finish stripping it
There isnt a mark in the bore, but I havnt had a chance to see if there are wear marks showing the shadow of the break if someone still drove it for a while with a knock, kind of doubt it though
Mick
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Found it
Bad, but not as bad as it could be
#1 piston lost 1/2 its skirt, it was sitting in the slime in the bottom of the sump
I havnt pulled the rest of the pistons yet, but it looks like the crank didnt get hurt, even the bore looks ok, worn out a bit, but ok
Its going to need new valves, water pump ect, but it will go again
Looks like the big ends are still standard, but I havnt checked the piston size yet (might do that on one that all there )
Lots of sludge to scrape out, kind of surprised it could even suck oil up through it all, what a mess
Mick
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Thank you
I am going to find the knock today, fingers crossed, its not a big disaster in there
Mick
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Thanks Bob
Got it out
Could have saved myself some time by not unbolting the engine mounts, they were broken and just fell off when I lifted the engine
I had a bit of trouble with the gauge capillaries, the temp one was stuck, so once the engine was on its way out, I had to get the core plug out from the back of the head so I could lever the bulb out, so saved the gauge
To get the oil capillary off, I had to unbolt the oil filter mount so I could get a spanner onto it (steering box in the way)
There was really not a lot that could be left on, exhaust and intake manifolds, that was it, everything else had to come off to gain access to something or to give clearance for removal
So now its out, will the trans release from the torque tube with the 4 bolts undone from the torque tube?
Seems silly to me to have such great access to it now and to not take it out and at least clean it up
Mick
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Definitely a 2x4, I have one on my 60 phoenix
The air cleaners are another pricey item as well as the bumper wings
I also think the rear bumper is out of alignment and there are a number of other "incorrect " things with it as well (engine block should be silver, like aluminum ect), but its a really nice car (by the pictures) and the builder resisted the very (now) cliche red and white
Be interesting to see what it goes for
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The fun has begun
I got energetic yesterday and decided it was time to pull the engine out and try and find whats knocking and wanting to get out, only thing is, with the 3 service manuals I have (bought the ones on CD), none of them say what the correct method is to remove the engine (or anything else from the looks of it)
So, I was trying to see the bell housing bolts above the trans and couldnt, so, I took the trans rear cross member off, undid the 4 bolts bolting the torque tube to the torque ball (I have to have a look now, read somewhere last night there may be 5) trying to lower the back of the trans to look for bell bolts better and successfully lowered it an inch, great.
The flange at the torque tube hasnt split yet (dont think I need it to yet now)
I was going to pull the engine and trans out together, but now that I have undone lots of stuff that was in the way stopping me from seeing down the back of the engine, I see there are no top bell housing bolts, so I will pull the engine by itself, then pull the trans
Any advice is very welcome
The torque tube is leaking fine oil (not thick) from the flange near the diff, does that mean the trans is leaking oil into the tube?
I really dont know much about the driveline in these things yet and the service manual (I have to say) is a bit of a disappointment
Oh yeah, just for a little added fun, my car has been converted to right hand drive, so clearance down low on the right is minimal
Mick
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And if he (the mechanic) is like most automotive tradespeople (including myself) he will be diplomatic and wait till you walk out, then throw it in the bin and fit whatever he had worked out can fit or can get from his regular supplier
Mick
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To read your first post, I would not be that concerned with the compression readings (all in or around 10% of each other)
I am concerned about sudden loss of oil pressure and knocking from the engine
Hard to say without actually hearing it, but my suspicions would be more towards the bottom end
Spun bearings will have virtually no impact on compression readings
A stuck valve or a bent push rod or a wiped cam lobe will effect compression readings as well as ring or piston damage
A wet test (with oil) really is only to see how bad the rings are, if it makes a considerable difference, the rings are shot
I hope this helps, but its not good news
Avoid running the engine if you can until its sorted, the less its run, the less its damaged
Mick
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You would have to say the needle and seat (or float) after so many pumps
I am watching this with interest as I need a new fuel pump for my Buick (its spraying onto the block a bit)
Mick
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Another thing that can cause an alternator that uses a warning light to excite is if the wattage of the warning light is to small
If the light you have in the ashtray is one of those small pilot lights with a small wedge bulb in it (1/4 W), that can cause it
On the older alternators, the warning light bulb was the same as your instrument illumination bulbs (3 to 5 W)
I wouldnt worry to much about it myself, but if it bothers you and you have the small warning light, give the 5 watt one a try
You are right about the regulator as well, I have had alternators kick off at differing revs with different makes of regulator, but the difference is not usually very much
Mick
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Just posted this on the "forward look" forum, may help
Good luck with your sale
Mick
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I am not a purist, but I would have thought a nicely done 4 door roadmaster would be worth a lot more than a 2 door clone?
I know if I went to look at a car and found out it was a bodgey (Aussie word for incorrect, made up), I would walk the other way
Being an Aussie, most of the cars we got back in the day, were 4 doors, so I dont really get the bias (hate/loathing) that the 4 doors get over there
I am in another forum as well, and its the same there
Yep, I own a 4 door sedan, a 4 door hard top and the latest is the buick, and thats a coupe (46R)
Mick
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The only problem I see with how I think it should work is that the positive supply to the relay (that then goes to the alternator to excite it) could get cut off (by the operator) if the engine fired quickly, causing the alternator to not excite
If this happened, I think the switch on the throttle would stop the starter re energizing while you gave it a rev to kick the alternator off
But as I said, I havnt done it and mines all gone from my car to play with it
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Oil switch is no good because it means as soon as you get oil pressure, the starter kicks out
If you use an alternator with a warning light circuit in it (has exciter diodes), that should work (I havnt done it)
The warning light circuit works by sending power via a light to the warning light terminal of the alternator to excite the alternator
Once the alternator is charging, it then sends a power back up the warning light wire, so 2 positives cancel out the light
Same thing should work using the starter relay coil in place of the warning light
Mick
I am a Buick newbie, so specific fitments are unknown to me
What I was explaining though, was why an engine needed to be revved to "kick off" an alternator on a car that was originally fitted with a generator
I did explain about using an alternator with a warning light circuit built into it as a possible remedy to the start relay problem (read above)
I would prove this with my own car if I could, but at some time in its life, things got changed around a little and the throttle start system is no longer there
I have thought about getting it all back (I think its cool, just like the push button trans on my dodge), but I am more concerned with getting the car on the road first
I am an auto electrician, so, if I had a specific wiring schematic, I could easily answer this better (If how I think it works is wrong)
I have a cd version of the chassis and body workshop manuals, but the drawings are sort of washed out and the detail has been lost
Mick
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Your pulley size explanation is backwards: the smaller the generator or alternator pulley the faster it will spin.
You are correct that a smaller alternator pulley will spin the alternator faster, but I was talking crank pulley, so smaller crank pulley will spin it slower
Mick
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The 10si alternator is a pretty agricultural alternator, the air gap between the rotor and stator can vary quite a lot
The closer the tolerance, the quicker it will kick off and the better it will charge, so you may have got a "loose" alternator.
That said, the other thing is your pulleys, the crank pulley for a generator car is generally smaller than one that had/has an alternator
The generator is not that good at handling high rpm (windings fly apart), so they kept the crank pulley as small as possible
The alternator is much better at handling high rpm, so a larger pulley was used, which then, means a later car (with the larger crank pulley) does not need the engine revved a bit to kick the alternator off
Your idea of a red light in the ammeter is a good one, but a 30 amp fuse in the charge wire is not, the main wire (B+) for the alternator must be fused to at least alternator max current capacity + 20% or you will be continually replacing the fuse
Obviously, the B+ wire must also be able to handle the current as well (this includes the ammeter or shunt if it is wired in), this is why if your not modifying the car much (things like GPS ect draw almost nothing, but some stereos can be major power suckers) its possible to fit a low capacity alternator (I have a 55 amp one on my 60 dodge) without changing much at all
Unless your running a big stereo, thermo fans ect, you shouldn't need to go bigger than that, but if your making your old car a modern car, you need to upgrade to what a modern car has
Mick
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The exciter diodes are internal to the alternator, so, no extra diodes or switches are required
Is that what you meant?
Another thing to remember if your car has an ammeter fitted is to not go to crazy with the current output of the alternator you choose
The ammeter was designed for the size of the original charging system and you can easily burn them out with excessive current flow
It can be bypassed (and really, its better to run the battery + wire for the new alternator directly to the battery (via some form of fusing, I use fusable links on old cars, more period correct)) and a volt meter fitted somewhere, but I have to admit that I hate knowing something in my car doesnt work
Mick
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A G Backeast can make the "silver" one (I believe)
I have a 60 plymouth and its silver tag is missing (VIN) and it can be re made
I looked into this a while ago and I think the tag was going to cost around $400, but I am not 100% sure on that
Mick
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Oil switch is no good because it means as soon as you get oil pressure, the starter kicks out
If you use an alternator with a warning light circuit in it (has exciter diodes), that should work (I havnt done it)
The warning light circuit works by sending power via a light to the warning light terminal of the alternator to excite the alternator
Once the alternator is charging, it then sends a power back up the warning light wire, so 2 positives cancel out the light
Same thing should work using the starter relay coil in place of the warning light
Mick
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58 special engine removal
in Buick - Post War
Posted
Thank you very much for that
I hate getting stuff over just to find out it doesnt fit
Mick