NickG

Thanks mate, I hope so too. Unfortunately I'm having an issue with the pedal bottoming out. The system has been bled, shoes correctly adjusted at all wheels, no leaks that I can see; am I missing something here?

*I had this posted in the 'Technical' section, but have since had it removed and relocated here. I believe it is more pertinent here* G'day everyone, I thought I'd share my experience in having the power brake unit from my 1956 Buick rebuilt. As many of you may know, the 1956 Buick power brake unit is a one-year only part (one of many), which makes sourcing parts a challenge; it is even harder in Australia. So, when it came time to rebuilding it, there weren't many options. I should also mention, I wish to keep my cars as close to original as possible. Yes, the thought of dual-circuit disc brakes has crossed my mind, and the safety in knowing there's a second circuit should one fail is reassuring, but when making modifications such as those, we have to ask ourselves, "where do we stop?". (No pun intended). The first option was to have it sent over to the United States; I have read about a place in Calverton, New York, whose name is similar to that of a fruit, and people's experiences seem positive. Of course, the shipping costs would be enormous; the time for it to arrive and be sent back to me would take months; and there is always the possibility of it going missing in transit. But, these are the things we risk. For now, this seemed like the most sensible and feasible option. I mentioned this plight to a colleague at work. He suggested taking to unit to a place in Campbellfield, in the Northern Suburbs of Melbourne. After four weeks, I have the unit back, and it looks great. It wasn't cheap, costing the best part of $3K, but hopefully the unit will outlast me. I'll post a few pictures so you can judge their work. I decided to not mention their name here, but, if you'd like to get in touch with them, drop me a line and I'll be happy to pass on their contact information. Cheers, Nick

Thanks for the followup, Rodney. I'm glad and relieved to hear places still exist who aren't afraid of the Dynaflow; it is very comforting. I'll definitely call them, despite be in Victoria. They may know of someone locally, or, it might end up being a nice trip to South Australia. Thanks again Rodney, glad to know your Riviera is a step closer to being back on the road. Nick

Hi Rodney, Sure thing. Message sent. Nick

Hi John, Sorry for the late reply. That's a good point which I completely overlooked. The old balancer, aside from this incident, doesn't appear to be damaged in any other way. I've read about that fix in the 1956 Buick Product Service Bulletins manual, now that you mention in. Still, I will be rigorously checking the torque specification on all engine bolts after this at annual intervals. Nick

Hi Mick, I'll send you a PM with some further info

Hello everyone, Just an update; the car is back together and is up and running – until something else happens. Sourcing of parts was the biggest challenge. I ended up buying a harmonic balancer from the Damper Doctor in the States and a two-groove balancer pulley from Centerville Auto Repair, also in the States. It was an expensive endeavour, but it had to be done. I have read reports of the balancer cracking due to improper installation and thus being loose axially, regardless of bolt torque. To quote from the Service Manual, the “flat washer bottoms out on the end of the front of the crankshaft” – my question is, are all 1956 Buicks impacted by this issue? To overcome this, what washers have people installed to provide sufficient clearance between the end of the crankshaft and the thick washer on the balancer? Or is there an alternative method to overcoming this issue? The car seems to run well, but I am concerned of a repeat. Importantly, what is the correct torque specification for the main bolt holding the harmonic balancer to the crankshaft? I have read a few sources, each of which states a different torque. Also, what is the correct torque specification for the three bolts holding the pulley to the harmonic balancer? I have not yet referenced the Service Manual. Thank you all for your help. If I have missed anything, or if there is something worth knowing regarding this issue (be it bolt torque, installation tips, belt tension, and so on) please feel free to drop a comment. Any and all help is appreciated. Nick

You're quite right, it is interesting. six pulley-bolts would seem sufficient; three appears to be lacking, especially when driving a generator, A/C compressor, power steering, fan, and water pump. I've removed the balancer and will be removing the bolts shortly. However, after looking at the rivet heads, I've decided to purchase a rebuilt one. I've gone with the DamperDoctor in California. John was very helpful in accommodating and arranging shipping to Australia. The pulley is another issue. I'm, having great difficulty souring one here in Australia and the States. Short of buying an engine, I'm not sure what can be done. Repairing it, too, would is also out of the equation; finding someone with the knowledge and skill is as difficult as sourcing a pulley. A stunning car indeed, with the 401 to go with it

Thanks for the link, avgwarhawk. Looks like a good part, but I'm not sure it will work on this model of Buick, and, unfortunately, doesn't look like they're willing to ship to Australia; that's half the challenge with these things. I will keep everyone updated as to how everything is progressing. The DamperDoctor haven't replied to my email yet, and I'm having difficulty purchasing from their site, so, it's going to be delayed for a while whilst they sort things out. That would be ideal and would love to do that. However, being in Australia makes things like that difficult. It would have to be sent over to the States, repaired, and then sent back out to Australia; not only will that take considerable time, the cost, too, would be astronomical. Then there's the issue of it getting lost in transit. Thanks Bill, for the link. I have emailed Matt in search of a pulley and HB; hopefully they have the pulley so the car can move under its own power. I also saw a reconditioned water pump for the '56. Will be adding that, too, as that is another issue with the car. That's a gorgeous looking balancer there. What year is your Buick?

Thanks for the sources. I'll be sure to check them out. It would be nice to have the one on the car rebuilt, but I believe it will be less trouble to replace it completely. Thanks for the confirmation, old-tank. Yet another year-only part! Great to hear. It's looking promising so far, so let's hope it keeps going. Thanks for the info about the blocking plate too. I've checked out their site and they look like professionals who know their trade. Unfortunately, being in Australia makes it economically and financially unviable to do so. Of course; I also keep a look out for all sorts of parts. Not that it is important to the longevity of the car, but an NOS tissue dispenser came up. A nice little piece to have. But yes, you're right, eBay is a great place for NOS and OEM parts. Thanks for the information. I know it's to suit the 1956 year, but it looks completely different to mine. To my eye, it looks to have an outlet that doesn't exist on the current one.

Thanks for the information. If it is the original HB, then it is definitely worth replacing. In my travels I came across this: https://damperdoctor.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=314. You have pretty much confirmed my suspicions as to the quality of the rebuild. The more I look, the more disappointment I see. If this HB cannot be repaired, then I may look into souring the one in the above link. Thanks for sharing the story. Must've been interesting (and hot) working in the foundry all those years ago. Quite surprised to hear the loosening of the bolts over time was okay and not a cause for concern. As your story highlights, every grade of bolts has its own application. Finding the appropriate application is key. How uncanny of you to mention "we are already behind schedule". You see, the start of the rebuild was quite slow. However, as time progressed, it changed from a moderate pace, to rush, rush, rush; the car had to go. I'm certain some aspects were overlooked, and this could've been one of them. I'm not surprised at how often it occurs, but rather, disappointed. I suppose it goes back to the old story of, 'if you want it done right, then do it yourself'. Thanks for the information, old-tank. Grade 5 bolts are definitely on the shopping list. Considering the engine was rebuilt six years ago, and assuming this started early on, then the six years is an appropriate time-frame for the sheering to occur. I also wouldn't be surprised if the elongated holes were there prior to the rebuild and the pulley was thrown back on. Quite possibly a balancer from another year. This is Buick and they certainly loved their one-year parts.

The goal is to source a replacement pulley. It is proving quite a challenge to locate one, so, it looks like this one is going to have to be repaired. I'll have to keep that one handy if I'm desperate. Judging by this rebuild so far, I wouldn't be surprised if the rocker cover gaskets were made from one of his old Weet-Bix boxes. Thanks for the suggestion, but certainly not in my part of the world I'm afraid. Parts for these cars are getting harder and harder to find in the States, let alone in Australia. As for what years will work, I'm not sure on that one. I assume any HB for the 322 may work, but, I wouldn't be surprised if it is a one-year part only - this is Buick after all!

Thanks for the information, John. I was aware of the differences in the '55's cooling system, but didn't relate that to the pump's inlets and outlets. You're right; they may align on the timing chain cover, but yes, on a '56 those ports would be redundant and may look unsightly if plugged with caps. I'd like to keep it as close to original as possible, so, I think I'll go for the '56 pump. Do you have a particular vendor from which to purchase a pump? You're lucky to have found a NOS pump; that would be ideal here, but I doubt that is going to happen.

That was my first thought, actually. If I recall correctly, they were the same bolts installed on the pulley before the rebuild. You're quite right there. Perhaps over time they loosened due to engine vibration - which is a since-rectified problem. It's a 1956 Buick Super. I'll be checking those bolts on the other ones too! Thanks 60FlatTop - I would never have guessed the bolts on the timing chain cover were incorrect. I know the type of bolt you're describing - if I could source them, I will change them one at a time. I'm surprised it's only three too - considering it's the main auxiliary-drive pulley. When time permits, the torque wrench will be coming out and the car will get a good looking over. Ha! Cornflakes box gasket - I've heard it all now. Interesting about the low trust scenario - it is starting to set in regarding this rebuild. There is a noticeable vibration through the accelerator pedal, so it will be worth investigating; the transmission mounts and engine mounts will be looked at too. Thank you, NTX5467, for your in-depth response. It had not crossed my mind that the incorrect size bolt may have been used. I'll attach a photo of the bolt head I managed to recover from the road. The pictures will tell the story; they had been loose for quite a while, but I believe they were the correct size. I will definitely consult the manual and (attempt) to replicate the specifications outlined there. The biggest challenge now is trying to repair the pulley - if it is repairable - or trying to source one, which will likely come from the States. Now that you mention it, the power steering belt was quite tight; the last time the power steering belt was adjusted was when I had the pump and box rebuilt - about two-and-a-half years ago. I tend to agree with you there; if problems were not caused back then, they should not be occurring now. The balancer is going to be removed; the only thing in the way is trying to crack the nut holding it on. Will have to call someone over to mechanically lock the engine, then attempt to crack it. Perhaps the Grade 5 bolts will do the job; you're right in saying there's always going to be a sacrificial component - and I want it to be the bolts in this case. Interesting how you mention orange Loctite; I have four colours here, but not orange. Is this is a new type? I agree that none should be used if everything has been followed correctly, however, after the other day, a drop won't hurt. The auxiliaries do spin, however, they don't spin true. I believe the bearings in the PS pump, generator and A/C compressor all may have been damaged; but this is an unrelated issue that has since been corrected - I hope. Thank you again, I will keep everyone informed as to what's happening. Although, needless to say, I'm fast becoming unimpressed with the quality of the rebuild. Once I extract the threads, I will references them to the manual and compare them to the size of the bolts holes in the pulley. I would hope the engine re-builder had at least used the correct size of bolt. If not, I'd hate to see what the inside of the engine is like. That's what I'm thinking. Perhaps it was an off-the-shelf bolt that managed to fit in the hole. Thanks for the information regarding the grading of bolts. Grade 5 it is and a medium thread locker to help. That is also another possibility. Are you able to provide a photo of the HB on your '56? I would like to see the head of the bolt you have used and if there is a rubber ring in the pulley. It would also be nice to see the condition of the rivets on your pulley. Here's the photo of the bolts. On inspection, it would appear they are just a standard bolt - although I am certainly no expert. Also, there is a section of a washer that was once between the bolt and pulley. Thank you everyone for you help, information, and insights. It is invaluable and I'm deeply grateful. Cheers, Nick

Hello again everyone, Firstly, sorry for the flood of posts; however, this one deserves its own topic. I was driving the Buick home the other day when an almighty noise came from the engine bay. Immediately I lost generator output and power steering; a broken belt or two, I thought. After pulling over and opening the bonnet, I was surprised to see the main drive pulley, which is attached to the harmonic balancer, had completely sheared off! The three bolts holding the pulley to the balancer were no longer there; their threads stuck in the balancer. I should point out that this is the same Buick whose Dynaflow has been troublesome and has only recently started leaking coolant. This one has me stumped. The engine was rebuilt five-and-a-half years ago, and, whilst it has been driven quite regularly, failures of this nature should not be occurring - nor should they ever occur for that matter. In that time it has been well maintained and looked after, and the driving it has done has certainly not taken its toll on the engine. My questions are: how could this have been diagnosed? How could this have been prevented? What can be done to ensure this doesn't happen again? I would hope that the engine re-builder used the appropriate high-tensile bolts and even a drop of thread-locker. Perhaps auxiliary drive belt tensions may be a factor? Needless to say, pulleys don't just fall off; certainly, this could have been much worse. If I was on the freeway doing freeway speeds, the pulley could've been thrown through into the radiator or into the bonnet; it could've even fallen on to the road and into someone's windscreen. And any all thought appreciated. Cheers, Nick

Thanks, avgwarhawk, for the information. I'll be sure to check out Kanter and go from there. I've found a kit for the two outlet ports for the crossover and the O-ring for where it meets the pump as well. It's interesting, however, that the leak only occurred after changing the coolant in the car. That's what I thought too, JohnD1956. It's a mystery as to why these pumps are being cast with the port where there isn't a use for it. Looking at images of a 1955 Buick water pump, it does not have the port cast and looks like it will fit a 1956 engine.

Hi everyone, Changed the coolant in the car the other day and have run into some trouble. A leak has appeared from the stem at the top of the water pump; it would appear that the coolant crossover manifold sits atop this stem. I assume there is some seal in this stem; is there a gasket kit available to stop the leak? Or is this indicative of a crack in the manifold? I've attached of a photo for reference. Also, I am considering changing the water pump. The pumps offered for sale have what appears to be an outlet cast into the body for a hose to be clamped on to; the issue is, the pump on the car does not have this outlet. There is, however, an outlet on the thermostat housing, which runs off to the heater core, but, as I said, no outlet on the water pump. Was there a design change which either added or removed this outlet? Or are there a few different types of pumps? Cheers, Nick

Hi Rodney, Thanks for the advice. Through the Forum I've been able to connect with many Buick Club members regarding this matter. I have received immeasurable help, guidance, insights, and advice from Club members. You're quite right in calling them a helpful lot. Glad to report that I've been given a contact who knows these Dynaflows and is going to work on the Buick; the only problem being that everyone is away on holiday! Cheers, Nick

G'Day everyone, Firstly, Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year; I hope 2022 is better for all than 2021. The Dynaflow transmission in my 1956 Buick Super has been causing some trouble for a while now, but it is now time to stop delaying the repair. However, the problem I face is the lack of contacts. Being such an esoteric transmission, it is quite a challenge to find someone willing to work on it; being in Australia adds further difficulty to this challenge. My question is, mainly, to the Australian Members of this group, but everyone is more than welcome to add their thoughts. Does anyone have a contact for someone who is familiar with the Buick Dynaflow transmission? Preferably in Victoria, but Australia-wide is not a problem. I also want to stress that the engine, toque tube assembly, and rear differential are all okay; it is definitely a problem with the transmission - I was thinking an out-of-balance torque converter, but I cannot say for sure. Here's a brief description of the problem; The trouble lies with the transmission; there is a constant vibration through the car which gets worse the more you increase speed. It is most noticeable at the 90 – 100 km/hr. range. It is also noticeable in low range, although at a lower speed. Cheers, Nick

Thanks for that. I had thought of the conventional in the past, although the oftener changes were a little off-putting. If it does the job then that's all that matters, and it sounds like it does pretty well That's a modest drop in oil pressure and an interesting indicator. 2500-3000 miles sounds about right. I don't let it go for much longer than that. If it's seldom driven, then changing it annually is pretty good. We still get the 20 litre drums here, which come in handy. Particularly so if it doesn't like staying in the engine Hi Marty, if you don't mind me asking, what was the reason for the change? I'm not questioning your decision, but I'm interested as to why. Very interesting to hear about the early cars, especially the '15 Hudson. Must be a breeze at oil changing time, the use of one oil must make it easier. As a side note, how's the '54 Cadillac on the NAPA Full Synthetic 15W-40? I have a '58 Fleetwood, unrestored, and I'm a bit unnerved at the thought of using a full synthetic. It seems to be working quite well in your case, but I'd love to hear a little more about the Caddy

Hi bryankazmer, The cold starts aren't too much of a problem down here. We get the occasional cold morning, but nothing compared to your winters. The higher temperature protection is what's mainly required, as it isn't unusual to have 110 degree Fahrenheit days here. Naturally the engine's temperature will be pushed to the limits during those days. Couldn't agree more with the multi-viscosity, it's a must. Hi padgett, Price isn't too much of a concern here, more than happy to pay more for something if it's going to do a better job. The oil filter is always changed with the oil. What's your change interval for the Mobil 1 High Mileage? Hi 56buickinga, I can't say I've seen Shell Rotella around here. I tend to agree with you about the zinc additive, I like to use it too. Hi plymouthcranbrook, It seems you've got a larger selection of engine oils over there, I haven't come across this brand before. Couldn't agree more, even the cheapest oil is better than the best from fifty years ago. Hi 1956322, is this the semi-synthetic variety? Great to hear you've got a '56 daily driver, how's the engine doing twenty years later?

Hi pontiac1953, thanks for the input. I'll keep this in mind. Hi 37_Roadmaster_C, thanks for the great reply. I had no problems with the oil he suggested, I was just after a few opinions. I had thought the same thing, but would the thicker oil be better suited to the engines that haven't been rebuilt? As for simplicity, it makes a world of sense. I tend to agree with you about synthetics; although. semi-synthetic has been okay so far. Interesting to hear about the synthetic gear oils. I'll be keeping this in mind. Thank you very much for your thoughts, I love to hear it. I'd like to know your thoughts, and others' thoughts, about having a '56 Buick as a daily driver. I was considering posting this as a separate topic, and may do so depending on what people have to say. It's treated me well for so many years, but I'd like to hear what other people think, list their pros and cons, and so on Cheers, Nick

G'Day everyone, I have no doubt this has been asked in the past, and I don't wish to start a war, but what is the general consensus surrounding oil recommendations for a 1956 Buick? The Shop Manual states that for temperatures not lower than 10 degrees Fahrenheit, single viscosity SAE 10W or multi-viscosity SAE 10W-30/10W-20 will do the job. Needless to say, this was applicable to a brand-new engine in 1956; however, this particular engine has been rebuilt. With regards to the climate, here in Melbourne, Australia, extreme cold isn't really a problem, so 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-23 degrees Centigrade) is definitely on the safe side. A few things to add to the dilemma. I now have three '56 Buicks. The Super Sedan and Century Wagon have been in the family since new, but I've added a Roadmaster to the line. The engines in the Century and Roadmaster have not been rebuilt and are as close to original as possible, although the Century's is getting tired. The Super has been rebuilt, about four years ago now. The bloke who rebuilt the engine in the Super recommended Penrite semi-synthetic 10W-40. The Century and Roadmaster run Penrite semi-synthetic 15W-40. So far I haven't had any problems, aside from the usual leaks, but I'd like to get a few opinions. It's worth noting how the cars will be driven. The Super is now a daily driver. It'll experience all aspects of modern-day driving - traffic, stop-starting, city driving, all weather, night time, and so on. It now averages ~10,000 kilometres a year. The Century was a daily driver, but is now limited to weekends. Although, I'll take it to work every so often. The Roadmaster will seldom be driven. As an all-original, all-optioned car, It'll be taken out a few times a month. The Super's engine will be made to work, and considering it was recently rebuilt, it should be up to the task. However, the engine oil is also going to have to work hard. I'm most concerned about the Super; the Roadmaster and Century seem happy on 15W-40, but I'd love to hear what you all think. Sorry for such a long post, but I feel that all of this information is relevant. Cheers, Nick

G’day all, After a couple of years of very little action, I decided to take the Buicks out for a spin. To my surprise, both of them fired up, ran, and, drove perfectly, despite sitting for so long. Yet another surprise was the fact that both of them, whilst sitting, and after being driven, had not leaked a drop. So I thought to myself, all’s good. Well, like most Buick-related problems, it was ephemeral; the power steering system on the Super has got an almighty leak. Now, this could be down to a few things. For one, time; the cars have been sitting for a while, only driven rarely – about once every two or so months. Secondly, this occurred the other day, I had to do an extremely tight reverse parallel park. The power steering system got a workout then, going from left-lock to right-lock a number of times. The car-parks here in Australia are just too small! I am fairly certain that the latter of the two must have caused something to go wrong somewhere in the power steering system. Also, a few things worthy of note: the leak is most evident when the engine is running, obviously; however, the reservoir attached to the pump was almost completely drained when I checked the following morning, despite having topped it off after I shut the car off. Thus, I think it is fairly safe to assume that it’s leaking with the engine off. One last thing, the pump itself looks pretty good, and the power steering gear housing looks good to me; the top portion of it, where the hoses screw in, is clean and doesn’t appear to be the source of the problem. In the near-future I’ll be putting the car up on the hoist and having a good look underneath. Hopefully it’s something as simple as a few seals or gaskets. Getting parts to Melbourne is a pain. What I’m asking is, would anyone have any suggestions as to what may have gone wrong, or what’s the best way to about this? As I said, I’m fairly certain it was the stress placed on the system during that reverse parallel park that caused something to give. In any case, the seals are the best part of sixty-three years old, which isn’t bad mileage. Thanks for all your help. Cheers, Nick