rodneybeauchamp

Hi, welcome to the world of Buick Rivieras. I purchased my bolt kit from Centreville Auto along with a new timing cover. The stainless steel bolt kit included ones for the water pump. Several of these bolts go into the water jackets so threads need to be coated with a suitable sealant. Kit in their listing below. Remove the cover first to inspect it and confirm it is usable. Mine wasnt 😟😟😟😟 Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Well, at long last we have HEAT! Yup, all the work so far has really paid off. We have been away on holidays so haven’t posted for a while. Spent some of yesterday and today putting the heater core and housing and the blower motor housing back in. The cork gasket worked a real treat after cleaning up the mating surfaces on the firewall. You can see some of the gasket in the blower housing and on the outer edges of the metal. Once proven, I will just paint them black. Burped the system again and let it idle in the garage on a wild, wet and windy day about 16.1C (but feels like 4.1C) Even at about 140 degrees on the temperature gauge there was warmth and at 160 degrees the heater was quite warm. As it neared 180 degrees I am sure it would have been uncomfortably hot if sitting inside with the top up. Allowed it to get to 180 degrees by putting a towel over the front to reduce the air flow as I wanted the thermostat to open. It gave a big burp as it did! So I am more than satisfied that the heater core now is allowing coolant to flow as it should. Heater valve and hoses were too hot to keep your hand on. One modification made was removing the insulation piece entirely. Have yet to test it on the road and waiting for it to cool down overnight so I can put the cap on and test it under pressure. Anyway, pictures otherwise it never happened 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀

That’s the method I used first up but found by removing the heater hose was way more effective. Then the last time I bled the system I disconnected the top heater hose and filled the core until it ran out the top outlet then reconnected everything back up. That way I was sure that I had gotten rid of all the air. It surprised me how much was trapped inside. Once air is trapped inside all it wants to do is expand with the heat. Forcing it out by having the fill level higher than the radiator inlet was the only way it was going to shift. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀

Ok, a bit more progress. Enjoyed what I got done too! Cleaned up inside all the blower and heater core housings while it was all apart. Got Rob, my radiator guy to try and seal the heater valve that had a slight weep, hence why I bypassed it. We think we have sealed it but will know once we hook it in the system. Tested the heater valve temperature regulator ( the coiled up tube which must expand and contract , much like a thermostat) Yup, she no longer works which is why PO put a long screw and nut in its place. Not too fussed but put it back any way. Flushed out the core and filled it with Cleaning Vinegar and left it for two days. Not too sure how effective is was as most of the calcium deposits came out by rattling the nuts inside. Was worried about the CLR being too aggressive on the brass and whatever metal the core is made from (copper or brass). It seems to flow well so will be interested in the results. Also removed the old insulation inside the heater distribution box as it would restrict the air flow. Was concerned about permanently sealing all the housings back up using a sealing compound in case it needs to come apart again so came up with the idea of using cork gaskets. Had some sheet cork about 3.0mm thick and traced out the patterns. With a new knife blade was able to neatly cut them using a steel rule for an edge. Used a hole punch to cut the holes which only need to be large enough to take a 1/4” self tapping sheet metal screw. Using a Permatex sealant on the housings, glued the two gaskets down and left them to dry. Had some 4mm strip rubber with adhesive backing that I used to seal the core to the housing. Just waiting for it to dry so it can go back together. We all like pictures so here they are. The bright screws are temporary to keep the holes aligned. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

Just getting back on track. Can you check that the Ariel (antennae) is connected and the connections are clean and making good contact. Also by touching the Ariel does it make any difference. just my thoughts Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Imagine if it were that easy just to ‘cut and paste’ 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Yep, just keep doing one thing every day and it will get there. At times you might have to improvise to keep the project moving until the right part comes along. BTW there are some excellent posts on here about these and similar Buicks that are worth researching for information. Enjoy the journey. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

If I remember the garnish mouldings around the rear quarter and rear window are the original dark wood grain finish. I think the rest of the dashboard and door surrounds would be the same. It is not too difficult to replicate with some practice and there are several posts on here how to go about it. I used a light brown base coat and a darker wood stain on a ‘40 Pontiac dashboard and finished over the top with a clear. It was not perfect but credible. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Jim, I am going thru similar problems with my ‘63 Skylark 215. I think that the issue was an airlock in the cooling system (read heater core). Was able to eventually burp the system by filling the core with one heater hose disconnected. Was amazed how much extra coolant it took 😀😀😀😀 I was thinking like you about shrouds and fans but if everything is clean and working, it should not overheat. My temperature gauge was sitting in the 200-220 range in stop start traffic on a very moderate day, yet as soon as it gathered speed, it would cool back to 180F and lower with 180 degree thermostat fitted. I pulled the pump and thermostat and flushed it thoroughly with a garden hose and found very little debris. Radiator had been recored about seven years ago but had it checked not that long ago. Checked cap was holding and releasing pressure , all good! I put it down to incompetence in the mechanic that I use. Never thought these cars had air lock issues thinking that was more the problem with modern stuff. Heater was giving little heat so in the process of trying to unblock that. Just my thoughts Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

I was able to repair the sender on my ‘38 Buick with parts from a ‘37. It used to read OK until it got to about half then it would violently fluctuate. The backing for resistor windings had broken giving the error. Swapping bits over and it all worked as it should. Worth a try. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

The other concern I have is the heater air distribution box on the passenger side of the firewall seems very restrictive. In an earlier post I had cleaned it out and turned over a piece of insulation to keep it original. JohnD made a comment about using a better material and I may revisit that and use a thinner material that gives less resistance to the air flow. The insulation seems very close to the core and the flaps that direct the air are almost in the way. This might assist air flow and help the demisters as well, noting the driver side doesn’t clear very well. I think I might play HVAC engineer and see what I can do to improve things. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

Had a great breakfast out with our regular monthly crew, taking the Skylark out with the top up. We encountered four seasons on the way with a medium fog at the last leg. Back home decided it was too damp to mow the nature strip so tackled the heater core instead. Not an easy task to take it out due to the locations of some of the fasteners but removing the blower motor and motor housing gave a bit more room. A few surprises met me when it came away, including some debris caught in the fly wire in the heater core housing. A bit more rubbish on the core as well all restricting the air flow. But the airflow of the heater has not been the issue. Flushing out the core back and forth loosened some debris but putting three 5/16” nuts inside and rattling the around gave better results, loosening a lot more white calcified stuff. Thinking I will invest in some CLR unless other have got better ideas. Photos of what I found so far. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

It is a mechanical arm that is used for signalling for turning and for stopping. When turning left or right the arm and hand is fully extended. The arm can come up at right angles for stopping or slowing. Drivers behind and in front could see what the drivers intentions were. These were used mainly on commercial vehicles. Tried to find photos on the net but nothing was suitable. Perhaps others could post some. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

What prompted me to add fuses was when I saw the true power and destruction that SIX VOLTS could possibly do. The ‘40 Pontiac was my first experience with a six volt car and being naive thought it would be pretty feeble, being half of twelve volts. Besides on its maiden journey home at night, the lights were poor and dash lighting was dim ….. A few days later when shutting the glovebox door, the clock lighting wire got caught and jammed. With the crumbling insulation from the original wiring, it did not take long to start arcing and sparking with a tremendous noise until I could release the door and trapped wire. Scary stuff! Scary enough to want me to start rewiring it almost immediately and more importantly ensure there were fuses added to the loom. I was not so concerned about originality as protecting the Pontiac from going up in smoke. Besides all those fuses were hidden up underneath the dashboard! A lot nicer knowing they were there! Just my thoughts Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀

Staying at the same motel the day before the run. And this one has incorrectly spelled Buick on the plate. In fact the owner said it is a ‘25 Dodge.(not 1926) He bemoaned the fact that he has another Dodge which cost him plenty and has spent the purchase price again on restoration but this is the one everybody flocks too. Typical bushy Australian innovative repairs when you look closely. Enjoy! Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

And a few more photos of Bay to Birdwood. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Not mine but at the recent Bay to Birdwood run in South Australia. Didn’t see owners so no information. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀

Wayne, I have fitted “kill” switches to both the Riviera and Skylark. In the ON position they ground the coil wire input so that even by hot wiring the ignition it still will not start. Am sure it will slow thieves down long enough to move on to something else. And with a convertible they are easy enough to get into. just my thoughts Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

I did my own on a ‘40 Pontiac many years ago as I was on a budget and enjoyed the challenge. I started by removing and labelling each wire until the seperate harnesses were disconnected. Drew a sketch of where they went (before digital cameras and IPhones and IPads). Pontic remained six volt so used heavy wires to reduce voltage drop. At that time I used heavy gauge standard automotive wire and taped it over with insulation tape. If you want to keep it original you can buy correct wiring from the vintage wiring suppliers using the colours supplied in the wiring diagram. Otherwise you can chose your own colours as long as you record where they go. I added HD Bakelite inline fuse holders with screw on caps in the circuits and labelled them as there were none apart from the light switch thermal overload. I made sure there was extra length in the wires when making up and taping the loom and cut them to correct length after it was installed. Also added extra wires for turn signals. I soldered the connections as well and it came out really good. None of the smoke ever escaped too 😀😀😀😀😀 Just my two bobs worth. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

Emtee, did exactly that, reclocked the wires to their correct position and then moved the distributor back one tooth. Book talks about a notch on the distributor body but I could only find a faint scratch. Yes, I should have just marked where number one tower lines up. Your right about what the OP did. I’m sure they did not have a shop manual or if they did, never used it 🙁🙁🙁🙁🙁🙁🙁 Points are Bosch which should be reputable. I’m not a fan of the spring to hold the wires but my LPS had them in stock. I set up the new points with the distributor on the bench so could see what was happening. Smallest gap that I could achieve was about 0.020” and Buick suggest 0.015” as a start point. I tried several springs from two old sets with same result so cutting a coil from one worked. When I have some time I might revisit the timing as it wants it set to 7.5 degrees BTDC @ 1050rpm and my idle screw would not bring the rpm up that high. It did not want to idle at 400rpm either which is the alternative method given ( 5 degrees BTDC @ 400rpm) Both settings with vacuum advance disconnected. I might clean up the mechanical advance weights as well and recheck my work. Happy that it is getting closer. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Next step is to remove the core and check that it flows properly and flush it out. Thinking it must be the problem as there is little else. Luckily this core is a straightforward remove.

And for interest, this was the style of filler used to bleed air from the system. Works really well too! Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀

Following the shop manual I managed to get it wrong first try but have got it correct now. At the same time installed the body O ring that was MIA (go figure) and modified the contact set adjusting spring to get the 30degree dwell setting required. I found this problem once before where the adjusting screw would bottom out before the correct dwell was reached as the spring was too long in its compressed state. Nipping a coil off reduced the length enough to get it right after setting it to an initial 0.015”. Coolant level after the initial running was down a smidge but all good now. It does seem to run better and start readily but heater performance is marginal. But am working on that. Pictures otherwise it never happened. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

Reporting for duty. Took the Skylark for a good run and noticed two things. Temperature stayed normal (but it was a coolish day) and the heater performance was abysmal. Very disappointed as I thought getting all the air out of the system would have made a difference. OK, let’s check the timing as I found out that I had timed it using the right hand front lead (which is number two) instead of the left hand front lead (number one). As I start to match things up I noticed this. After marking number one ….. Spot the difference in the photos. Yep, number one should be alongside the window opening for points adjustment. So the little elves have moved the leads to the next tower when they put the distributor in. &$&$$##@###$ So I spent the next few hours, removing the LH rocker cover, getting number one on firing and removing the distributor. At the same time put in the new points and checked the mechanical and vacuum advance was working.

Yes EmTee, my thoughts as well. Four blade fan and no shroud which is standard equipment for Skylark V8 yet the V6 uses a shroud. Interesting that the blade is almost as wide in blade width as the radiator is tall, meaning it should be plenty big enough. What concerned me the most that sitting at lights in N and using part throttle, the temperature did NOT drop at all. Which is why I delved into the water pump and thermostat to see if there were a restriction or blockage, but all was clear. Am confident that air lock is the problem in the heater core. My observations are that it reduced the system capacity by as much as two litres. Before I tore into it, I did bleed some of the air out of the system and noted two things. 1. Took much longer to heat up just idling 2. Heater performance improved 7.07am here so will test it out later this morning and report back. Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀