cron1984

I had a rough time pulling the wheel on my 38 Oldsmobile, which looks somewhat similar to your wheel. I had this custom puller made, put the nut back on the wheel a couple turns and used an old socket between the bolt and the nut. I put some cut radiator hose between the ring and the wheel. It took some whacks with a mallet, I couldn’t believe I didn’t break the Bakelite, but it finally popped off. Way more stubborn than I ever thought a wheel would be. Hope that helps.

Good evening, I think this is probably straight forward but wanted to triple check as I may only have one shot to get it right. Got some parts back from chrome and I need to reassemble the latch handle to the rear quarter vent. I’ll ask my questions with the pictures as a reference. - Would the retaining pin go in knurled end first or smooth end first? - should the pin go in from “front” to “rear” or the opposite? - Any tips on best practices with regards to tools used, lubricants, etc would be much appreciated. Thanks you for your input.

I did. Still awaiting a response.

Good evening, I hope the pictures I attach are helpful. I purchased running board rubber specific to the 38 olds from metro moulded. I’m prepping the steel to glue the rubber on, but I can’t quite figure out the orientation of the mats. The big mat is obviously oversized and pressed to look original, however on both ends there is an etch that says “Do not trim”. I can’t envision a scenario where I wouldn’t trim this mat down to fit once it’s adhered to the steel. My other problem is an apron piece that was included with the lip. This piece presumably goes on the inside of the running board under the rocker. I’m trying to figure out if it’s glued on the underside of the running board or on the top. It has a thicker side with a lip. My garage lighting isn’t great so I’ll add some descriptions with the pics. Thanks for any help. New rubber. You can see the press where it looks like it would be trimmed. The do not trim stamps are on each ends. Do Not TrimAnother angle of the new rubber. Apron piece with thicker lip. Apron piece. Cleaned up running boards. Original boards. The rubber was painted over with some flex seal type stuff.

Thanks for the tips Bloo, Can confirm this wiring configuration is correct. The IGN lead is taped off and tucked away from the regulator. Yes, it is a negative ground with the negative battery cable running to the starter. There is a strap running from the engine block to the firewall, I don’t know if the paint is prohibiting a good ground. There was no change in illumination when I flipped the switch, I may try again with a better ground. I’ve kept a battery I bought brand new on a trickle when not in use, I’d be surprised if it was low but I’ll test it. Thank you again Bloo for sharing.

Ok thank you. I’ll try running a lead from the GRD terminal to the generator and see if that helps. thanks again.

Good evening, Seeking some guidance with regards to wiring - I’m trying to learn as much as I can about electrical, but I’m still useless with understanding how to troubleshoot wiring. I’ve read a few forums on this specific topic but I still need help. BLUF: I connected the battery after I wired everything up to see if the dash lights, horn, tail lights work. Not trying to start the car yet. The gauges worked, but that was about it. The dash lights didn’t work, when I grounded the horn it just clicked, and I didn’t check the brake lights out of fear something would get hot, so I disconnected the battery. The wiring harness is new from Rhode Island, and the voltage regulator is NOS fresh from the box. All the gauges were restored and new bulbs put in. The old voltage regulator I took off the car was a 4-post (F, GEN, BAT, IGN), but was not repairable. I assume it was grounded through the firewall. I don’t believe it was the 5814 original. The new regulator I have has F, GEN, BAT, and GRD ports, and I made sure not to connect the ignition wire to anything, so the ground port is empty. The wiring harness I purchased only had the ignition wire for the regulator, no ground. Assuming I wired everything correctly, should I be grounding the regulator somehow? With fresh paint on the firewall is it likely not getting a ground? Or is it more probable that I messed something up under the dash? I used the original shop manual as my guide, and RI did a great job matching the tracers on the wires, I’ll add some pictures below. Apologies in advance if this is vague, but I don’t know if this is a simple fix or more digging is needed. I’d be happy to provide any additional info. Thanks to all of you who make this forum a great resource.

I might’ve snatched one up…Thanks for the lead. The machinist didn’t say anything about the original in there now, but I thought a new brass one would be beneficial, thanks again for the tip!

Pont, Not to worry, it’s been my intent to do things right from the beginning, and there may have been some confusion - deviating from the service manual was not my idea, another forum member brought up those options. I have all the hardware laid out, torque specs pulled from the manual, and am waiting on a new pan gasket from Fusick. Sorry I messed with your sleep!!! Bloo, timing marks are on both sides of the flywheel and I’ve identified TDC, we’ll be good there. This forum has been invaluable with the restoration- I appreciate everyone’s input and level of concern. This was my Grandpa’s car and has been in the family for about 70 years, my mom learned to drive with it, so the importance of doing this right isn’t lost on me…or my pocketbook!! Full write up coming soon, it’s taken much longer than I was hoping, the engine took one year to get rebuilt, for a number of reasons. Thanks again for your help.

She’s a sedan. I appreciate the offer but I have the lights. But if you have a lead on where I can find 1 piece of cowl molding that’s the only part I’m missing! The heads of the bolts are slightly thinner than the nuts, if they were put in reverse the nuts would rub on the block (I tried getting away with it….)

Thanks for the response, your Buick sounds pretty much identical to what I need to do. I appreciate the info and tips. I’ve marked off TDC and will get the ball rolling on flipping this pig.

Probably should mention the engine will not fit back on the stand with the flywheel on.

Good morning, Seeking guidance on the logistics of installing the flywheel on a 1938 Olds 6-cyl. I got the engine rebuilt and painted her up, the machinist cleaned up the flywheel and bellhousing for me but left me to install that and the clutch. I realized once I went to install the flywheel that the oil pan and rear main cap have to be removed. The flywheel is fastened with nuts and bolts, and the bolts are inserted through the shaft from the engine towards the rear of the car. Anyways, I’m trying to figure out the best way to install everything - I have a crane and engine stand, but I will not attempt to put the engine back on the stand with the bellhousing on. The bellhousing is able to be installed with the flywheel on, but I don’t see any other way of getting the oil pan back on without being upside down and fighting gravity. If I put the engine back on the crane it will be swinging a bit, and I don’t know if I can drop it back in the car (the body is off) then install the pan again. Hopefully that all made sense, thanks for any input.

Here are some pictures from my ‘38, not sure if they’ll be of any help. If it’s anything like mine, I wouldn’t try to remove the screen on the vent as you’ll still have to get to the screws holding the brackets to the riveted swivel brackets attached to the body. My vent was spot welded on, yours may have some spot welds hidden underneath (unless someone previously took it off). The cowl vent body will still block access to those screws I believe.

Thanks for the input everyone. Finding one of these may be difficult- I’ll see if I can get creative or maybe the boys at work would be able to replicate it somehow. thank you again.

I hope Gary offers some guidance - His elaborate write up for his 37 Buick was the inspiration for me restoring my grandfather’s car! Once this thing is done I’ll share some details, but I can promise it won’t be as thorough as Gary’s thread.

Good evening, Engine rebuild on my 38 olds 6 is almost complete and I’m in need of a rubber seal for the water pump bypass. I believe the part number is 408500 but I have no idea where to find one. I’ve checked most of the normal sites (fusick, etc) without luck. I came across something similar on eBay but the part number is different and it has a slightly different look. Flathead 6, 230 cubic inch. If anyone has any guidance/leads it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. chris.

Good Morning, I was looking for some assistance from anyone living in the Cheyenne WY area. I'm doing a full restoration on my Grandfather's '38 Olds, and am in need of the cowl molding (I have one side, but would take both sides) and trunk lid handle (I have the original handle, but the handle is broken off on one side). The car is located at Cheyenne Auto & Metal, and unfortunately it is strictly a U-Pull-It, no one from the yard will go out and pull anything. If anyone has had a similar situation and was successful I'd appreciate any advice - flying out is a last resort right now, but I may have to. Anything from the best way to compensate someone for their time, how much to send before getting the parts, etc. https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/cars/down-on-the-junkyard/junkyard-find-1938-oldsmobile-touring-sedan-44496621 Thank you!

Has anyone had experience with the replacement mats from Steele or Metro Moulded Parts? I’m considering this but the only replacement for my olds is from MMP and there aren’t many reviews out there for their quality.

Good Evening, Quick thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge, especially all the guys with threads on their pre-war projects. This forum has been a great source of information and inspiration as I restore my Grandfather’s 38 Olds. I’m currently rewiring and cleaning up the Harrison heater. I was able to disassemble and solder new wiring in the blower motor, however the defroster motor is giving me some fits, I can’t seem to get the stator out of the motor housing. The armature spins freely and I can get it to pull out of the brushes, but the stator won’t budge. The plastic plate restricts my vision and I don’t want to force anything and break something. Not sure if the notches in the housing are holding it in there or if it’s just 80+ years of crud. I’ve attached some pictures that will hopefully look familiar to some folks (taped the shaft to keep from losing those washers) thank you again, Chris.

Thanks Peter, I'll have to check with my guy at the machine shop. I appreciate the response and picture!! Chris.

Good Afternoon, I'm in the middle of an engine rebuild for a '38 Olds 6-cyl (F38). We are in search of 3-7/16 + .030 pistons to complete the job. If anyone has any leads it would be greatly appreciated...or any info on compatible parts that I can search for. Thanks everyone!

Good Afternoon, Looking for a matching piece of molding for the cowl of a 1938 Olds (F-38 4-door sedan). I have one of them and it's pictured with the measurements. Not very ornate, so if anyone has suggestions on different makes/models that may be the same that would be great. Thank you, take care.

Good Afternoon, I was hoping to find a contact for someone in the Raleigh NC area who could rebuild my 3-speed manual transmission for a 1938 Olds F38? All parts are there, shifts well, but I'm restoring the entire car and want to make sure everything is gone through. If anyone has a contact in the area I would appreciate any help. Thank you very much, have a great weekend.

Thank you, I think I did see this, but wasn't too sure since it was quite different (sorry, electrical is way out of my wheelhouse). I think it's worth the $40 gamble. Thanks again for passing it along.