Chuck S

Hi Marty, thanks for the feedback! On all the ones I have they have, they had been plugged off long before I got them. Which leads me to believe they had failed and been terminated at some point in the distant past. I've had 2 of the cores out, and both looked to be in really good condition to the eye anyway. I have to bring one of the radiators to be repaired and flushed and I think I will bring an oil cooler along with me and see if they can do something with it. Regards, Chuck

Hi Mario, I can't thank you for all the great info you shared! That is a good reminder to check the springs out. I had gotten into the oil pan a while back to clean out the sludge and reassembled with a plan to do a second pass through there. I had read through a lot of posts where people were speaking of bypassing coolers but I really wanted a bit more confirmation on plugging vs shunting which you clarified well for me. Also I appreciate the oil recommendation. I took a quick look at the Castrol classic and it looks like it may be a better option than the Napa 30w non detergent I've been running. Regards, Chuck

Hi folks, I'm hoping Bob E. or someone with experience on the Buick external oil coolers can chime in here. 1933 Buicks are beginning to pile up at my garage... I've read several posts that recommend bypassing the external oil coolers as a core leak leads to coolant exchange into the oil, which I feel is a relevant concern. I have 5 of these engines. 4 of them have the oil cooler lines Plugged. And on the 5th it is not hooked up at all. In my mind, bypassed means a loop of pipe that ties the input to output. The way these oil ports are plugged has me questioning if the oil circuits have the appropriate pressure. I assume the pump has a bypass of some type, or perhaps the system simply doesn't care due to it's design? So my question being, is it ok to leave these plugged as is? And if not, is there a recommendation on the size pipe used in the bypass to keep the pressure balanced? Hope all have a good holiday season. Regards, Chuck

Thanks Ed! The good news is that I have another car that I can borrow the shaft dimensions from. Provided that there are no surprises when I open that pump.. I have an old lathe that should get me through. I do have a good machinist but his time is hard to get, so I tend to make sure I'm backed into a corner before I bother him. I think the worry now is locating an impeller. I've got a call out to Paul R hopefully he has something. If I had a way to get brass to melting temp I'd try casting one but that's probably a last resort. Regards Chuck

Thanks for the reply! I did call Bob's the other day and unfortunately he doesn't carry one that fits a 50 series. I won't be running it in this state as there's a whole lot that could go wrong of that pump binds. Thanks!

Ah thanks now I follow! I couldn't wrap my head around how such a system wouldn't fail, so it being a cob job makes more sense. Much thanks!

Thanks for the reply, it is very worn. The car has been cold since the '60's. I want to see if it will run before I set it aside, but everything is gunked up and needs cleanup badly. It will all have to come back apart and be done properly. The shaft does not extend through the impeller. The shaft ends about 1/16 before the impellers face. And that bushing on the rear cover of the water pump is a larger size than the shaft diameter, it does not seem as if the shaft is intended to enter that final bearing. So no shims can be place there. The way it appears is that the impellers face just kisses that end bushing.

Hi all, hoping someone can help. I picked up another '33 model 57 that is somewhat dismantled. This included the generator / distributor / water pump assemblies. All are being freed up, cleaned and inspected etc. On the water pump the impeller is a bit corroded and looking to replace. But my question, is this impeller just suppose to bank off the rear bearing surface? With the unit assembled I can pull the shaft in and out quite a bit. I can see where the lovejoy type coupling at the generator limits it's forward travel. I also see where the retaining clamp for the water pump neck is set, dictates how much play there is between the impeller and rear bearing surface. However it doesn't seem right that the impeller is just bouncing off the back of the water pump. It would seem that any clearance would cause the coupling at the generator to disengage at some point. Conversely if it's too tight then it could bind or cause teeth to break on the impeller. Am I missing something? Is my unit worn more than I realize? Or is this just a setup and adjust with finesse situation? Thanks, Chuck

Greetings, I am hoping someone out there has some knowledge on pre-war torque balls. I have a 33-57 minus a rear end. I've located one out of a 1936 40 series. Torque tube length and axel width measure up. Lug pattern and brakes do not but I can work with that I believe. The seller who is a few hours away was kind enough to take measurements for me and the biggest issue is the input shaft size is 1/4 inch smaller on the 36 and the flange bolt spacing is different. He has the transmission that goes with the rear (which doesn't match up to my bell housing). Of course.. And the bell housing has the starter on the wrong side. Last ditch effort on this one, does anyone out there know if the torque balls from a 1936 and a 1933 are interchangeable? I'm almost certain the answer will be NO, as nothing else seems to match up. FYI the 36 has a slightly more forgiving ratio at 4.4 where '33 was 4.7 This plays into my motivation to make this work as does the lack of availability or the part itself. Thank you for reading all this! I am in upstate NY and if you have a rear or other parts please contact me and thanks! -Chuck

Hi all, sorry i hadn't realized I had replies! Hrodger, at first glance I'd have to say our cars are twins! I hope someday mine will look as proud as yours. Although I went into this fearless, I can say I understand your fears. Upon discovering the lack of available parts as well as discovering the lack of Buick interchangeability for these years, well let's just call it an opportunity to exercise ones creativity. Please keep in touch and I'd be interested in a health report on your exhaust manifold. Mine appears to be terminal... Cheers, Chuck

Hello all, I recently became the proud owner of a 33 Buick 57. Either that or I have just become owned by a 33 Buick, I digress. In either case, I'm lucky enough to have found a mostly unmolested barn find with little rust and little remaining interior, which I am in the process of upholstering currently. The one thing that has been messed with between the barn and my purchase of the car is that someone removed the rear and replaced it with one from a late 50's Oldsmobile. I think they got to the part where they didn't know how to make the driveshaft work and gave up. The replacement rear also has hydraulic brakes and the wrong bolt pattern for the rims. I am in desperate need of a torque tube rear that will fit this car and hoping someone will be able to help me find one. I have the Chilton cross reference and will be posting more details in the parts section soon. Last but not least, I wish everyone well in these tough times. Be well, Chuck