56 Buick

Hi all I am looking for new or good set of used rear brake drums for a 56 Century. I understand the rear drums are the same for years 53-58 on the Century, Super and the Roadmaster. I understand also the front drums (if the hub is removed) will be the same as rears for years 56-58. If anyone is aware of a retailer selling these or if they have items they are willing to sell then please let me know. You can certainly PM me also. Thanks Drew

There are also the wrecker yards dealing in classic cars. And there are also adds for parting out cars on ebay.

Not sure where else the car is advertised but you should try sites such as Hemmings, etc. that will reach a wide audience. Just my opinion. Hope snatches it up.

Hi all I have some questions regarding generators that someone may be able to answer. As i understand it, generators usually have the model number stamped on a small metal plate attached to the outer casing but if that plate is not there then is the model number ever stamped directly onto the casing itself? Would a 55 Roadmaster generator be a 30 amp unit or 35 amp unit? Can someone also please explain what 'CW', which I presume is 'clockwise' means in a generator designation? And would there likely be any issue in using a 1955 Roadmaster generator in a 1956 Century? Any info or advice would be appreciated. Thanks Drew

Good spot Ben. I checked the generator and it is only providing charge of about 1 volt. I know little of generators but i think that may mean the brushes are worn. Question is whether i replace the brushes or just locate a rebuilt unit. What is the cost difference?

BTW when i bought the car and there was no starter relay, the key ignition switch was wired direct to one side of the aux button switch and the other side of the aux button switch was connected direct to the solenoid. This obviously would cause the starter to run on when the aux button switch was depressed.

Hi John Thanks for the assistance. Soon after I bought the car I went an retraced the push button start wiring. The active wire comes from the battery to the key ignition switch which then goes to the neutral switch and then to one side of the aux button switch. The other side of the aux button switch then routes to terminal # 4 of the starter relay. The relay is wired up now per the shop manual, so the relay is between the aux button switch and the starter solenoid. Terminal # 1 of the starter relay has the continuous live feed. The starter relay is normally open and will close when there is current into terminal # 4 - that is the ignition switch is on and the gear shift is in neutral or park and the aux button switch is activated. When the starter relay is closed this then allows current to flow to the starter solenoid (running from terminal # 2) until the engine fires and the generator feeds current to the voltage regulator. Once this occurs then the current regulator (within the voltage regulator) should feed current to terminal # 3 of the starter relay that then opens the starter relay circuit and stops current flowing to the starter solenoid - despite the fact I may still be holding down the aux button switch. That is what should happen and everything is wired up to work that way. Just thinking aloud now but the only other issue may be that the carquest branded starter relay is wired differently and perhaps I need to swap terminals # 3 and # 2 around - that may explain what is happening or rather not happening? If these 2 terminals were incorrect then when I hit the aux button switch that would close the relay circuit but also send current straight to the solenoid and keep sending current to the solenoid while the aux button switch is depressed. That would cause the starter run on. The closed relay circuit would also cause the live current from the battery to run to the current regulator - that is while the aux button switch is depressed but I have no idea what that would do or effect it would have? Anyone have any idea of what damage I may do by swapping the 2 terminals if there they already are wired up correctly? I think I am going to have to pull the starter relay and see how its wired first.

Thanks Ben

The starter is starting only because i press and hold the button. The current available to the starter stops when i release the button. It seems to me the current coming from the voltage regulator may not be suficient to open the starter relay circuit again. I also bought a new voltage regulator thinking the issue may have been there but no change. It seems to me that the starter relay is failing to operate correctly by opening the contacts when the engine fires. Now i am not sure whether that is because the generator is not supplying enough current, or the starter relay is just not functioning correctly. I think i will have to take the starter relay apart and check its operation. If the contacts are fused then i will know the issue. If the contacts appear good then i am not sure how i can exclude the generator being the problem by not providing enough current.

The starter is starting only because i press and hold the button. The current available to the starter stops when i release the button. It seems to me the current coming from the voltage regulator may not be suficient to open the starter relay circuit again. I also bought a new voltage regulator thinking the issue may have been there but no change. It seems to me that the starter relay is failing to operate correctly by opening the contacts when the engine fires. Now i am not sure whether that is because the generator is not supplying enough current, or the starter relay is just not functioning correctly. I think i will have to take the starter relay apart and check its operation. If the contacts are fused then i will know the issue. If the contacts appear good then i am not sure how i can exclude the generator being the problem by not providing enough current.

This will run the starter and cause it to run on after the engine fires until i am able to stop the current.

Have I got this correct that a 1956 Century can only use rear drums from a 1953- 1956 Buick series 50, 60 or 70? Thanks

So I bought one of the carquest starter relays off ebay that Oldtank had located. However, after fitting this relay the starter can still run on after the engine fires and it causes that horrific grinding sound. The starter has done this ever since i bought the car but there was no starter relay on the car when i bought it, so i presumed the lack of the relay was the issue. The relay is supposed to stop the current to the starter after the engine fires but that is still not happening even with the new relay fitted. There is no accelerator switch or carb switch anymore as they have been bypassed. The ignition switch and nuetral switch are now incorporated into a new button switch that is pushed and held until the engine fires. The current flows from the button switch direct to the starter relay where it closes the relay circuit and sends current to the starter. Anyway, I have wired the relay according to the shop manual with the light green wire coming from the generator regulator going to the 3rd post of the starter relay. When the engine fires, the generator should send current to the generator regulator and then the current should flow through the light green wire and cause the starter relay circuit to open and stop current flowing to the starter even if the button switch is still sending current to the starter relay. So I am now stumped as to what the issue is? Is it possibly the generator not supplying sufficient current or is there something else that I am missing?

Yes, as you say once the primer is put on then the colour must go on to stop the rust. I remember a friend back in the day thinking he liked the look of the primer so he did nothing else and drove the car...what a mess! 😂

Thanks Scott. Looks good. Perhaps that's who I should have used. But hopefully this will help soneone else out.

The air filter base diameter adapter size you need is the older 4 7/32" to the modern 5 1/8". Ebay will have them for sale. I used this adapter between my Rochester 4bbl and a modern air filter.

The pistons giving higher compression teamed with a 4bbl will give the horsepower difference between the special and the other models. BTW you can certainly use more modern air filter assemblies with the 50s era 4bbl carbs, you just need an adapter due to the size differences.

Thanks. When you say the seal will need to be matched do you mean there are different sized shafts that were used by Buick? I would prefer to get a replacement seal and gasket in before i start the work, so there is less down time. Unfortunately the shop manual is silent on specifics other than to say there is a gasket and a seal.

No way of knowing for sure but i have a sales type sheet from when the car was sold at auction some years back and the sheet refers to the car being restored and the dynaflow being rebuilt ... but i have no way of knowing if that is true and whether that means all the seals were replaced - unless in doing some portion of a rebuild all the seals have to be replaced?

Hi all I have just seen a puddle of transmission fluid under the car. The leak appears to be coming from the gasket or seal at the shaft bearing on the high accumulator of the transmission. I will have to repair this issue at some stage but in the meantime i was wondering whether to use a leak stop additive. Anyone have any advice on whether this is a good idea and which additive to use. Thanks Drew

Hi JohnD, unfortunately i know little of specific history. It was apparently restored to some degree around 2011. That owner indicated the dynaflow and the engine were reconditioned but that could realistically mean anything. I did put new spark plug wires in the car and they have been routed to avoid crossfire. The valve in the passenger side exhaust appears to still be there. I am yet to confirm its existence and whether it is operating correctly but on the face of it the same amount of exhaust gasses are being emitted from that exhaust as the drivers side so it may not be an issue. I did try and blow out the passage of that unresponsive idle mixture screw as suggested by Beemon but it had little effect. Unfortunately i haven't had much time lately to do a lot but i did buy more spark plugs. I had previously bought some new plugs supposed to cross reference to the AC Delco 44 but they did not have the extended tip. These more recently bought plugs do have the extended tip (this plug was recommended by Beemon and others) and so far the car is idling much better. Hopefully i will have more time soon to look further at the issue but i am certainly happier.

I was looking at some compression tests on youtube and it appears i should have opened the throttle. Not sure if that affects the reading dramatically. The other bank compression readings were much the same. After the test there was a shockingly loud tick that sounded like a sticking lifter or something... The sound eventually went away after revving for about a minute or so. Anyone ever use that Rislone oil treatment that is supposed to free sticking parts and rings / improve seal and compression? Anyway, there is still no obvious reason why the idle mixture screw was unresponsive on that side. Also, i still have a general rough idle. The idle improves somewhat at a higher idle rpm. But I assume now the cause is the carb. And either try a rebuild kit or instead use a different carb.

Have done compression test. On the bank with the unresponsive idle mixture screw, the figures were from front to back - 110, 125, 130, 112.

I am going to have to deal with that one side idle mixture screw that is not responding. What is the easiest way to deal with that? Do i need to buy a repair kit, remove the carb and overhaul. Thanks

So i found an AC Delco prefix reference chart. A prefix letter may or may not be used. R for example means its a resistor type. The first number denotes the thread size so 4 = 14mm. The second number denotes heat range (0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10) so 5 is mid range. Then there are various suffix letters which can refer to all sorts of things. For example suffix S means the plug has an extended tip. And L means long reach and XL means extra long reach. Unfortunately this does not help me to know what reach should be used.