EmTee

I concur with the sway bar assessment - they should reduce body roll with little to no effect to straight-line ride and handling. Sway bars with poly bushings sounds like one mod I should make. I like the way my car sits now, however, I know the springs are tired because someone has installed those 'twist-in' cast aluminum spacers in the front coil springs (and I think it still sits probably 1" lower than new). What I'd like to avoid is installing new 'stock' springs and having the car sit up like a 4x4... Are there stock-spec springs that others have used with good results? Another question: Has anyone boxed their rear control arms? It seems a heavy car like this would benefit from that modification as its effect, like the sway bars, should only be felt in the corners. Make no mistake; I love this car for what it is. I am not trying to make this into an autocross car. All I am looking for is more positive response with less 'jello' when changing direction. As I said up front, it may be that just rebuilding the suspension gets me 90% there. I'm looking for recommendations for components that others have used and would recommend - noting that my prime directive here is to not spoil the straight-line signature Riviera ride.

Thanks to all for the terrific feedback! I think my next step is to research some of the suggestions above and come up with a plan that will meet my goal of sharper cornering without making the ride harsh. Oh, and of course there's always that darn budget to consider. Then again, there's nothing wrong with a Phase I, Phase II approach... My immediate take-away is that there's probably no need to swap-in '69/'70 front spindles. It sounds like tweaking the alignment settings to take advantage of the radial tires can yield nearly the same benefit. Springs and shocks are definitely part of the plan and I do like the idea of the 1" lowering springs that 70rivme mentioned. He notes that the springs are stiffer (apparently to compensate for the shorter suspension travel), but how is the ride quality? I don't want to feel every expansion joint in the roadway. I was originally thinking OEM shocks (i.e., Delco or equivalent) however, that choice is probably subject to further consideration if I were to choose the lowering springs.

Since I'm planning to rebuild the front suspension (springs, ball joints, tie rods, etc.( in my '67 Riviera this winter, I'm interested in tips from others regarding suspension/handling upgrades that can be made as part of that project. I'm particularly interested in any OEM parts upgrades. One I have read about is the change Buick made in the spindles for '69; I think it results in improved camber angle in turns. My '67 is a drum brake car and I prefer to keep it that way. As far as aftermarket parts are concerned, I may consider things like springs & shocks, but I don't want to kill the ride quality -- just tighten-up the cornering response. It may be that simply installing the new parts will get me 90% there...

Looking forward to the post-Allentown 'hotwash'. Last word was nearly 1000 miles and no issues; I hope that the post trip inspection is just as uneventful!

Only 89K on my '67 Riviera -- still an infant by comparison!

Just found this on Craigslist not far from me (central NY). Being 1 of 500, what's the consensus on the asking price? The last thing I need right now is another Riviera, but I do like the '79 -85 FWD cars and this would seem to be the one to have... It even has the real wire wheels Ed mentioned! http://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/5678880873.html

Another option: The previous owner installed a set of yellow Accel wires on my '64 Grand Prix and like 'Riviera63' I wanted a more original appearance. So, since I was assuming I would need to replace them anyway I decided to try spraying them black. I removed them and sprayed them with some Krylon flat back that I had on the shelf in my garage. After drying I installed them and was quite satisfied with the result. Looking at them from the front of the car you'd never guess that they were anything but black wires. The only hint that they are not naturally black are a couple of tiny chips in the paint where they clip into the wire looms. I could touch those with a brush, but honestly you'd need to look closely to see them. I'm happy with them as-is for now, until I decide to replace them with an OEM set.

In my experience, the main benefit is preventing the spark plug boot from sticking to the ceramic insulator. It will make future removal of the wire much easier and avoid damaging the boot/terminal.

As beautiful as this car is, the exciting part for me (selfishly, perhaps) is the detailed knowledge of how these cars were originally built that Jason gleaned from the restoration. That knowledge may now be passed-on to the benefit of dozens of future restorations. Finding an original, unmolested car such as this one and then documenting the deconstruction is what really impresses me. Anyone can strip and rebuild a car in 'Overhaulin' fashion -- it takes someone who really appreciates the car, its design and the people who constructed it to take the time to understand how to properly restore it.

Awesome job -- I've been away and just catching up on the 'saga'. I was feeling queasy while reading your account of the initial start-up sequence; I absolutely understand the worry with all of that racket, the smoke, vibrations and smells of burning oil and paint... Sounds like she's turned the corner now and should perform better and better as miles go by. Thanks for all of the detailed notes and pictures -- I learned a few new things that will undoubtedly help me in the future! Hope all goes (went) well in Allentown!

Exactly!

CPI = 1.0 SPI = 0.85

I hope it's better than what someone used on my 430 -- mine looks more orange than red...

Another question I have with the home made engine stand is what will provide the load for the engine? The engine will need to run at a high idle speed to break in the camshaft and without proper load it can easily overspeed. If a dyno session is out of the question, I agree with JohnD and think it's best to bolt in into the car. In any case, definitely pull the plugs, prime the pump with a drill and spin it over as Old-Tank suggests. I'm less fond of starting it dry, simply because if it sounds good I'd want to get it spinning fast and keep it there until the cam is fully broken-in before shutting it down. Also ensure you are using a high quality break-in oil with higher levels of ZDDP (e.g., Comp Cams).

Personally, I'd hate to risk screwing up my brand-new engine on my homemade hardware store engine stand... Given the time and effort you have invested I would consider finding someone with an engine dyno in your area. That would allow for a proper break-in (especially considering all of the valve train tribulations you have been through). I'd at least get the cost/availability info to add to the trade-study (home made stand vs. dyno session vs. "go for it"). Of course I have no idea what a couple hours of dyno time would even cost...

First, I'd pull each drum (unless you know the offending wheel) and check for contamination (oil, grease or brake fluid) on the shoes. It doesn't take much rear axle oil from a leaking axle seal to make the brake very 'grabby'. If no leaks, look at the friction material and how it is attached to the shoe frame/backing. Bonded shoes (no rivets) are particularly prone to separating from the steel backing with age. Rust can form under the friction material and eventually 'pop' them loose. If the leading edge comes loose, it will prematurely engage the brake on that wheel.

Yes -- grounding the sender wire should set the gauge all the way to"L" (low). I have a couple of used senders from other vehicles in my garage that I'll check using compressed air to see how much resistance they have full scale.

Well, it took longer than I had hoped to get to this, but I finally made the resistance measurements on the sending unit in my '67 Riviera. I checked resistance between the stud on the sender and ground (engine block). I started with the engine cold, at fast idle to get the highest reading and then let it warm 5 ~ 10 minutes and checked the reading at idle in gear once it was warm and the choke had opened. Readings summarized below: 1. Engine OFF = 0 Ohms 2. Engine Cold, fast idle = 185 Ohms 3. Engine warm (~5 mins.) in PARK = 142 Ohms 4. Engine warm (5~10 mins.) in DRIVE = 112 Ohms Note that with the sender disconnected (infinite resistance/open connection) the oil pressure gauge reads full scale (HIGH) with the key on. These readings seem to align with what I see on my gauge. At startup (cold) it reads almost fully at "H", then about 3/4 scale at idle (PARK) and finally just past 1/2 idling in DRIVE. So, it seems that the correct sending unit must have a maximum resistance of approximately 200 Ohms.

Others may have additional options, but here's one: http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=211811&cc=1016255&jsn=418 CARS also has one: http://www.oldbuickparts.com/cart/camshaft-1967-76-buick-400430455-p-3380.html You should have no trouble sourcing parts for this engine.

So, now the question is what was the root cause? Since the cam sprocket was steel (not nylon) that was not a factor. From the photos provided, my guess is that the distributor bushings may have failed allowing the distributor gear teeth to climb over the cam gear. How much lateral play is there in the distributor shaft? Are there any cracks in the distributor housing near the cam gear? I would expect that you will need to find another distributor also.

It's a 4DHT -- so I like it!

Concur! I have my grandmother's '56 Chevy 4-door HT and have only seen maybe 3 or 4 others (one a '57) over the last 40 years. With the windows rolled down (as in the photo) the effect is stunning -- the rear doors seem to disappear!

The timing chain may have jumped a tooth on the cam sprocket. I'm 99% certain that your engine has the dreaded nylon-clad aluminum cam sprocket. These are notorious for the nylon cladding cracking and falling off with age and/or mileage. If that's what you do discover, then in addition to simply installing an all metal replacement timing set, be sure to drop the oil pan and clean out all of the debris (both cam and distributor gear trash). Leaving that crud will only lead to trouble later when it blocks the oil pump pickup screen...

Thanks, that all makes perfect sense. "The glass half-full" analysis of your situation is that you could have blindly assembled everything and the engine would likely have seemed to run fine until you started randomly bending push rods or breaking valve springs. Then you would either be traveling with half a valve train in your trunk next to the jack, or you'd be stripping the top end while installed in the car (much more inconvenient). One lesson I'm taking from your experience is to make those tedious measurements! As you noted, the older our cars get the smaller the remaining the stash of OEM/NOS parts, and we're more dependent on the aftermarket. That leads to the 'homogenization' of parts across broader applications and the need to account for it in a rebuild plan. Like you said, changing one thing at a time might be OK, but if you had built the engine with the 1.5 rockers and later decided to go to 1.6, you could have unintentionally gotten in trouble. Another plus in your case is that once you're finished you'll know *exactly* what you have in that motor and can evaluate any future part replacements or performance 'tweaks' with your eyes wide open.

Ken, how many Yuenglings and/or cuss words might have been avoided if you had stuck with the stock 1.5:1 rockers? I may have missed it, but why did you choose to go with the 1.6:1 ratio? Was it to increase valve lift before you discovered the 'real' specs of the cam you purchased? (Now, if only you had received that cam card... )