Bloo

There is mechanical compression ratio, and there is dynamic compression ratio. Mechanical compression ratio can be calculated, at least if one chooses to ignore the leaks. Dynamic compression ratio varies with RPM. Neither are available on a compression gauge. The pressure you get on a compression gauge varies with temperature, barometric pressure, altitude, valve timing, valve overlap, valve lift, lobe center angle, cranking speed, port efficiency at cranking speed, whether the throttle was open or closed, how many "pumps" were used in the test, size (cc) of the individual combustion chambers, and cylinder leakage, mainly through the rings in a healthy engine. Compression gauges are looking for evenness, 20% or less is typical if nothing is really wrong. All cylinders extremely low would also be a red flag. One cylinder down at 25 or 30 pounds is almost always a burned exhaust valve, but any big leak in the combustion chamber, like a holed piston or a blown head gasket can also do this. A leakdown tester along with your eyes and ears will tell you which it is. You can sort of check rings by putting oil in each cylinder and seeing if the compression gauge pressure comes up a lot. If it does, the rings are leaking. Who knows how much? Probably too much. Be sure to squirt the same amount of oil in every time so you don't skew the readings by changing the volume. If only one cylinder comes way up in an engine where the others don't come up much, you probably found a broken ring or piston. That cylinder will need boring. Trying to figure out what the actual number of PSI should be is like asking "How high is up?". Some manuals give a number. It is a guideline. If the number is 210psi, and you have 73psi, then I guess that would be a red flag. Maybe the valve timing has jumped. If it was 170psi and even between cylinders, I wouldn't give it a second thought.

That VIN tag doesn't bother me at all. I don't recall if they were painted or not, but otherwise it looks normal. The other tag under the hood is painted by the factory for sure. Also, it still has the certicard! You will find the original (or second) owner's name and address on that.

1937-38 Buick fender top parking lights. A tasteful road to signal lights, but you can bet they didn't grow there.

As much as I don't really like those, it would be hands down the best answer on a car like this if you just HAD to have A/C. I can't help but wonder if a modern compressor would fit down low on the passenger side. Probably not, but it's a nice thing to think about.

You can expect a Washington state car to be rusty in the bottom of the rear quarter panels, behind the rear wheels, where the dirt sits. There are plugs to wash it out, but nobody ever does. I sure would not expect to see rust way up high like that. Probably dents. The lowering job probably didn't damage that much. The front suspension cranks down (and back up) with a wrench. They probably did that, and then put lowering blocks on the rear springs. Maybe they cut the front bump stops off. Maybe it is just sitting on them. It probably needs the rear springs re-arched if you really want to go all the way back up to stock ride height. Sometimes a wee bit lower is fine...... A/C is probably a liability on that car anyway. They were R12 (of course) with a big "V" compressor mounted up high right in the way of everything. Most Washington state cars didn't have A/C in those days, so it isn't at all surprising to see it without.

Yes. Rock solid. The trans in particular is the most reliable one ever made. It has adjustable bands, and many owners don't know that, so when you get it, drop the fluid (torque converter too if you can!) change the filter, and adjust the bands. The 383 is bulletproof. It doesn't do as good on fuel economy (per displacement) as other Chrysler B/RB engines, but lasts a long, long time. When overhaul time does finally come, you will find a non-symmetrical ring ridge over by the spark plug, and it will need boring. Don't worry about it for now. If it is new enough to have a plastic timing gear (1968 on LA engines, I forget what year on 383), get the damn thing out of there as soon as you get home. Unstick your heat riser (carefully, don't break the bushings loose). The 383 is probably gonna use oil (even though it might not smoke). If this bothers you, change the valve seals. They are umbrella type, and they are bad. You can stuff one cylinder at a time with rope and do this without taking the heads off. If it gets cantankerous about picking the oil back up after oil changes (due to a gazillion miles), just change the oil pump. You wont believe how easy that is.

Looks like a 1936 to me. The headlights look wrong, but by 1948 it probably had a sealed beam kit.

Is it anything like this 51? Apparently the 51 was riveted over a washer and needed it's head ground off to be removed. That would explain the new pin that takes snap rings, as the old one wouldn't be reusable without a bunch of work. http://www.buicks.net/years/51/51_fuel_pump.html I am having a little trouble visualizing where the screwdriver slot is. Do you have any pictures? FWIW if that pin is riveted, I would try to verify that it is not worn, and if so, I would leave it alone.

When were the last cars with points sold in the US? 1981? Detroit was all done with them by 1976 or so. A 1981 car is 37 years old, and probably relegated to hobby use by now. I remember in 1991 discovering none of my co-workers owned SAE tools......

The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from!

Buick? Speaking in a general sense, it would make no sense for a slinger to turn freely, because it's whole purpose is to sling oil. It does not take any significant power to turn however, so having it keyed would be unnecessary. I would expect the other parts to stack up and hold it by clamping from the sides. Will it be clamped tightly when the crank pulley is in place? Is there another key the slinger has to pass to go on?

I think you should message a moderator and ask if they removed the ads, and if they did, why? If it is the guy I think it is, he had ads like that for several makes including Pontiac. I can't find any of them.

Yes, people used to do that. I think that is more of a "get home" thing than anyone's attempt at a repair, though during the depression, or the war, who knows. Parts and materials were expensive or scarce. Cars that had been allowed to knock often had a flat spot on the journal. It would be pretty tough to fit a bearing to a journal that isn't round....

I agree, it is probably the flasher causing the fast flash rate. How many turn signal bulbs per side does a 63 Riviera have? If it is three or more, you probably have a flasher that is for 2 bulbs per side. It could also just be defective.

Freeze plugs serve as a handy indicator that you have just broken the block. Kind of like those little red pins that pop out to let you know the turkey is done.

What kind of a Saginaw is that and what did it come out of?

Walla Walla? Dry and dusty hot summers, snowy cold winters. Thats pretty much the story for anything east of the cascades in WA. Look for Stevens pass, Snoqualmie pass, or White pass on a map. Anything east is dry.

So it does. Good catch! I wonder if such a car existed? It sure looks like an EMF to me...

Well... there's good and there's bad. I think those hydraulic switches were an incredibly stupid idea, because putting something that moves (at all) in the brake hydraulics is going to remove a little pedal travel, add a little sponginess, and add one more spot for a leak that could cause your brakes to get full of air. On one particular car, when I went to retrieve it after buying it, the hydraulic switch shorted to ground and tried to burn the wiring. Fortunately I was standing there and just disconnected the battery. That could have been really bad. It sure wasn't confidence inspiring. I have also heard people complaining that the hydraulic switches don't trip easy enough, and also complaining (as the guy in the video does) that they are incompatible with silicone fluid. New replacement switches are available that trip easier. I believe they have an "L" suffix on the part number. They do have a more modern look, using the flower-shaped socket for removal that you would expect to see on an oil pressure switch. If you happen to need a hex-shaped one for authenticity you would be stuck with NOS, and the higher trip pressure that comes with it. Either way it wont trip as easily as a mechanical, which can be set to trip before the brakes even start to work. I have heard that Harley Davidson uses pressure switches, and that they have been using silicone fluid for years. A genuine Harley switch might be a cure for that problem. I have not attempted to verify that, but it is a possibility to check out. Mechanical switches are better, but I wouldn't mount it where he did. It should be under the dash. Maybe there was no other way on that Studebaker. I predict it wont last long under the car.

I think it just about has to be EMF. Studebaker cars before 1913 were generally sales partnerships of other brands, notably Garford and EMF for gasoline powered cars. It doesnt look much like a Garford. 1909 EMF?

Glad you got it sorted out!

Pay close attention to your check valves. See if they hold vacuum. If they are assemblies with an elastomer inside you MAY want to replace them.. maybe... If they are a phenolic disc and a spring, NEVER screw with one that is sealing properly. The kit will include new parts. Don't get hung up on using it all. Make sure those valves seal while the pump is apart. If the spring has an open end, note which way it is installed when you take the pump apart. If you are going to check fuel pressure, that should be done on the car because how high the cam lifts the diaphragm affects the pressure. Good luck!

That is correct, H4 just burns one filament or the other, not both (just like sealed beams). Glad you got it sorted out! Where did you get those relay sockets?

My 1936 unbolts and comes out like the one in the picture above. It was frozen solid. I soaked it in "mopar rust penetrant" every day for 3 or 4 days, and drove it a few times between, then started lightly tapping on the shaft.with a piece of brass. When it budged a bit, I soaked it some more and let it soak another day. Then I just tapped it back and forth a bit with the bolts removed and took it out. Moderation is the key. There was no damage.

That is, in my opinion, the exact definition of a "matching numbers" car. It was almost never done in the prewar days. Apparently Oldsmobile in 1932 is an exception. The practice of stamping the same number in different locations became common in the US auto industry in the late 1960s. The number of locations stamped increased as time went on.