XframeFX

This has been my theme all along; My project (my Riviera was a few steps from being hauled off before I saved it) required too much to farm tasks out. DIY'd most of it. Three most expensive components are labour intensive; Paint, engine rebuild and plating. So, this is good, improvement non the less. I have nothing to chime in, just soaking up all these tips for when I get to it. More of this would be even better, Thanks All!

Also, the Optikleen bottle. I see yours is accessible, the '63, not. The line from the drie passes directly over the bottle!

I'm in envy of your engine bay, very nice! For my '63, I have only the "Buick OK" stamp. No decals as far as I know. I've noticed long ago the 1964 and 65 1st gen Riviera having a longer compressor discharge line with a loop. This must have something to do with a pulsating resonance maybe? The '63 Service Bulletins had some work-around regarding a complaint in this area if I recall correctly. Again, excellent job down to detailing to OE!

Hilmor 1891192 SMTHC220 Hole Cutter, 2" to 20"

Strategic bids at auctions for Museum Units hitting the block? If so, it appears some museum cars are keeping the market lively. There's that harvest gold '73 Boatail that was once from the Sloan museum and a 1946 Town & Country as recent examples. Auctions Houses, even with their stiff Ts & Cs or because of those rates continue to do well. Of course anything 426 HEMI and Big Block GM A-Body cars will continue to increase.

So I thought. I would like to avoid modifying my bracket especially for when I make my in-operable AC a project which may entail a 508 style Sanden SD5H14 compressor. Reason, I may try to exchange my new camshaft for something else at Barrett Jackson next month. Cast Valve covers come to mind. Quick answer to original question, there's no AC KIT for 1st generation Rivieras. You already have a Fan shroud. So, to continue, yes, you'll need OE Vents for correct look. Desert Valley Auto has dashboard vents to start the project. Beware, wrecking yard quality.

Few People posting issues follow-up with outcomes so, I thought I'd share this one here. For decades, the panel was left hanging by its harness. I always lifted the harness when closing the driver's door. I should've used a zip-tye to hold it up. Someone closed the door on what was a nice un-pitted piece, an early '63 piece. I say that because its missing the tab at the rear and most importantly, a different angle. Not interchangeable! After a surprisingly successful repair (above), it was undone trying to conform to a different base (angle), cracking the plastic base I had just re-finished. Sourcing attempts for a nice piece failed. Why X-border purchase for a pitted piece when I have a spare pitted non-power vent panel? Only my spare went missing. So, I continued 3+ years looking for it while searching for a perfect piece for sale, with or without power vents. Searching attempts for my spare resulted in only the passenger side. One day, I stumbled upon a wrapped item, "ya, right, that passenger side again" my thought while unwrapping it. No, it was that AWOL driver's panel! So, cutting that rectangular opening began with the last image being the final result:

My '63 has grown on me and thankfully doing a custom touch to headlight placement has long passed. So is/was my desire for a 1965 Riviera from the very start. However, seeing this and the other post wanting AC, my desire for a '65 is back! Very Nice!

So, what is the deal with the rear A6 AC Compressor bracket with cast valve cover again? I recall there's a conflict. A Special 2X4 Bracket?

Motor mount did not shatter my Fan Shroud. Know-it-all Tow Truck Operator took care of that task.

I have a spare Red Crinkle Pancake Air Cleaner which I was going to follow your lead. No available elements, no sense now. I would've thought K&N to come to our rescue but they tossed their molds. Bad timing all around. No more custom filters.

So, stereo with one channel for the front and the other for the rear. I could technically do the same since I have a 1964 dashpad in my '63 except for conflict with HVAC Controls. I blocked the speaker grill with a painted corregated plastic panel and mounted an acoustic excitor. Sound quality only good for talk radio. Rear 3-Way 6X9 belts out the tunes in mono from a 12W Amplifier, no conversion.

I normally would have stocked-up on extra elements. But before they transitioned to forever back-order, they were BLACK. I was holding out for RED Elements like the current FRAM I have now. Hind-sight is 20/20.

Awesome! Are those 1964 knobs or '63? What mods were done to it? A Conversion? If a stereo conversion, front/rear 3-way speakers instead of left/right?

Last month. I was humming & hawing over a 1st year AM/FM STEREO Delco in a 1966 Coupe deVille at the wreckers. I spread the word in my circle but, only interested if AM/FM Mono. Still. I returned to retrieve the radio with proper tools but, too late. Someone hacked it out. Knobs on the stereo had set screws and not interchangeable, the reason for the butchered dash. I now understand why the Mono radio is more desirable.

Yes, while that difficult cover is off, change it if failing an inspection. Failure mode of a die-cast piece would be a fracture (crack). There was mention of a failing nailhead impeller that was kept contained within the timing cover cavity but due to the rub, caused damage. It still held pressure. As for cavitation and associated engine noise, you'd never know without an accelerometer mounted. Where to mount? Can't use a magnetic pickup being aluminum. Also, without baseline data, how to recognize a bad profile? And I agree, the design should prevent cavitation from occuring. More likely to have air trapped in the system.

Good thing replacement Chinese water pumps have the larger drive-end bearing. Cavitation is not unlike white noise where energy is spread over a broad band.

I too have a tested 1963 BUICK Wonderbar Radio with foot switch that is looking for a BUICK Dashboard here in Canada.

Most of these old radios can be restored with a simple capacitor refresh. Need to google the Delco model number to find a schematic in a Sams Photo Fact volume first. https://m.facebook.com/theschematicman Or, for considerably more $$$, these old radios are excellent candidates for a Tier-1 "Aurora Design" conversion: https://www.tech-retro.com/aurora-design/home.html

Something to be said removing the balancer bolt by hand. Not noticeable using an impact. All morse chains become loose with minimal mileage. It's those cracks that are the ticking time bomb. My sprocket had only 1 crack. But, when I purposely mis-aligned the crankshaft sprocket to tighten-up" the original chain for a dry run degree'ing the camshaft, a chunk of nylon broke off. I wanted to familiarize myself how to degree a camshaft and acquire "as-found" data. Turns-out, I did not change the camshaft. Repeating the process with the new timing chain (as-left" data) produced the same results in the 0 degree keyway. The repeat took only 15 minutes and glad to have the data. Recommend barring over the crankshaft with the new timing chain to check chain tightness before assembly. There could be run-out! Hmm? I thought timing cover replacement would be required because of improper cooling system maintenance allowing corrosion of the aluminum water pump cavitiy? Cavitation is new one on me. Replacement timing chain covers come with a new crankshaft seal on the exterior.

I took Tom T's advise and went with 8mm Taylor Spiro-Core. Was more efficient than those carbon core from out distant past. I think 900 ohms for the longest lead, 550 ohms for the shortest. Also, these high tension wires fit in the holders where 7mm were. Taylor is part of the same group of companies as Pertronix I believe. They should have them with angled boots. I purchased the straight boot set.

Long is 944 and short is 636 ohms for Sparkplug Wires #1 & 7. I can't imagine that pushrod with the slight bend on Cyl. #1 would be my smoking gun? No ticking what-so-ever. Engine Analyzer above would make a good purchase but still can't justify it for one time use. I ordered a couple of these on Amazon.ca with yesterday's Cyber Monday Sale. Hopefully they will help with further analysis:

PicoScope from the UK has a reputation for analysis tools but there's this direct from Canadian manufacturer with Sparkplug wire clamp: https://gtc.ca/product/gtc505m-engine-ignition-analyzer/

Thanks Bernie, more to consider. I'm scratching my head on how rocker shafts could be upside down? I've dealt with them on several occasions. Maybe I goofed early on? I had the Rocker Shafts last off in June and did not examine them too closely. I noticed some ridging on some rocker tips when others were perfect. Pictures, Pictures, never have enough now that it's together. I thought my last inspection had all pushrods as straight. But a pushrod on cyl. #1 must bent slightly. I say "slightly" because it has a good spin when idling. Again, Lifter per-load was good on all 16. Status of all 16 pushrods for both Banks while idling: Below are Bosch Plugs for the right plenum before the AFB rebuild summer 2021. Cyl. #7 is less black than #1 and #4. Left Plenum plugs (not shown) were tan to white. As for your timing chain noise. A lot of trouble to inspect! Tom T. had a fuel pump eccentric problem on a double roller camshaft sprocket that was too thin. I wonder if that noise was similar? Maybe you can inspect that eccentric by borescoping through the fuel pump hole?