Michael J. Barnes

How far back do the Fisher body manuals go? Was there one for the cars of 1924?

By the way, I would still welcome you back in the EarlyV8Cadillac forum. The member who said unkind things was subsequently expelled from the group. Other members were very interested in your car, and you were kind enough to upload photos of it. Cheers, Mike Barnes, Vancouver

Jo Bo: Check the owner’s manual or service manual. My 1924 Cad has a special screw at the base of the pumps that needs to be turned to a certain position. It has an arrow on it. That actuates a cam which raises the accordeon-style thermostats and permits complete drainage. It does not matter in my case as the thermostats are absent. And I can’t speak for your car: whether the pumps were configured that way.

On other AACA forums people sometimes post pictures from Fisher body catalogues from the late 1920s, showing how the wood bodies were assembled. Does a manual like that exist for the Cadillac cars of 1924? Thanks, Mike in Canada

Speaking as an outsider (without irony) I would say Americans’ finest traits are their courtesy and civility. And now I am going to wrestle the topic back to the original post: if anybody goes to the link of additional pictures, they will see that the car has some interesting, rare, original bits on it. Mufflers for instance. Gabriel snubbers still hooked up. And leather gators over the springs that look like they have not been unstitched ever. The brake and clutch pedals have a hard rubber layer I have never seen. Why am I interested? Because, like Cadillac Carl, I own an underappreciated 1924 V63 touring. Don’t know if I will undertake a comprehensive restoration on a working car. I know I would not get my money out — even doing a lot of the work myself. But I’d have a car I could be proud to drive around in (slowly). Richelieu, by the way, means place of riches. True!

That lucky group of owners is well served by the OTHER early Cadillac Yahoo forum, on which I based mine. I was helped to set mine up by the moderator, Steve Hammatt, who lives not far south of me in Washington state.

The “ish” can apply to the start or the end year. Like all these clubs, you don’t have to own one to be a member. I take it you have a 1929? Lucky you. I set the cut-off arbitrarily, thinking that those 1929 and newer cars were already easier to find parts for. You are invited. Mike in Vancouver.

Don't forget -- if your nickel car happens to be a Cadillac, or you just happen to like 1915 to 1928ish Cadillacs, there is a forum out there: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/EarlyV8Cadillac/info. Apply to join today! Cheers, Mike Barnes, Vancouver, Canada, moderator

Stewbud, Here are some suggestions. 1. Go to the AACA forum "Cars for sale." 2. Pick an appropriate headline that is not your name. 3. Post good pictures. 4. State your price. Good luck, Mike Barnes, owner of a 1924 Cadillac V63 touring Vancouver

For comparison, the 1924 Cadillac, with an 83 hp V8, offered three rear end ratios: 4.91:1, or 4.5:1, or the high speed 4:15 to 1. I have driven my car with the low gearing and now the middle. I have wondered about the stated ratio for the Hudson, because it would require reverse and first to be VERY low geared — just to drive slowly — and then what would second look like? These cars need to be geared down from third to second going up hills. If the Hudson gearing made second as fast as my third, then the car would be underpowered in second, and the driver would have to shift to first to go uphill. But first would be very slow! A four-speed transmission would solve this, I suppose.

I had exactly this problem with my 1924, and it proved to be a weak fuel pump. The engine was simply starved for fuel when I hit the gas, though the car would idle all day just fine. I replaced the fuel pump and the problem went away. Took me months, but then I am a very slow mechanic. It is true that fuel was being delivered with the old fuel pump, but apparently not enough to make the engine rev up. Good luck. Mike in Vancouver.

I do not mean disrespect, and I value the advice and technical information provided by helpful folks here! What is nagging at me is the fact that my four inch adjusting screw was tightened in fully three inches: the spring was nearly fully compressed. And that with brake pad material that measures very close to 1/4 inch now (except in some uneven worn patches). I didn’t say it here, but I am wondering if my brake bands are the wrong size — a bit too big. It is only these weird (to me) factors that would make me wonder if I should choose something other than the correct specs. Apologies for seeming to sound dismissive in the face of kindness.

Much appreciated! Material on there now measures around 1/4 at the ends. I am inclined to ignore the manual and install 5/16” given I can draw the nut 3 inches tight along the adjusting screw. Or am I not thinking of a downside here?

I will answer my own topic for the curious. The big flat nut has flanges: to tighten it you place a screwdriver against one of the flanges and tap it around. The nut is split: it tightens on itself. So I tapped it half way round and that brought the tightening screw to the top. It feels tight already, yet not so tight I cannot turn the nut. There is very little access here. Clutch shaft is directly above, and there is only a little clearance to the tranny wall. So only at a very specific angle is it possible to place a screwdriver against the clamp screw and tighten it effectively. And the clutch can only be tightened in more or less exact one rotation increments. VERY IMPORTANT: There is a drain hole under the flywheel. As soon as I scraped it clean, lots of oil began to drip out. This has probably been lubricating my clutch. I have used a 2x4 to hold the pedal down. Next I will squirt gasoline onto the leather, then neatsfoot oil or some modern equivalent. Manual says clutch pedal should never be pressed down farther than necessary. Makes sense given that only half an inch or so of clutch movement should be necessary to completely separate clutch from flywheel. Oh the Dodge brothers! Those tightenable split nuts are also their way of holding the rear wheels on the cars.