NTX5467

As to the "pitch switching too suddenly", from what I found years ago, the "low stall" pitch is the same as a normal, non-switch pitch torque converter with a torque ratio of 2.0 or 2.1. The "high stall" (i.e., looser) pitch is right at 2.8. Not a large difference but just enough to allow for higher rpms when needed. Ideally, the converter should be modulated by intake manifold vacuum, but in this case, it is done by electrical switches. Seems like the "Idle" is at the "high stall" position to decrease creep in gear, but as soon as the throttle comes off idle, it goes into the tighter position, for better throttle response and fuel economy. Then goes back into "high stall" near WOT. All electrically. For diagnostics, you could unplug the switch-pitch connector, somewhere? To de-power the system for testing. NTX5467

Berrymans B12 is basically a fuel additive, but also had the automatic transmission cleaning functions mentioned elsewhere on the bottle, back then. Basically, a "varnish remover/liquifier in nature, whether in the fuel system or elsewhere, to me. There are other transmission "clean up" additives on the market now. How well they might work, I'm not sure. NTX5467

Agree, NOT a switch-pitch issue. More of a valve body issue. Might get some cleaner/additive to put in it for a while and see if it might get better. You can always put it in "N" while slowing to a stop, then back into "D" to drive off, if needed. We used to use Berrymans B-12 (pint) to put into atf before it was changed, to clean things out. Not dirt or debris, but varnish accumulated over time and such. Turned the atf black quite quickly. Then a full-drain and new filter usually fixed things, back then. Might check the vac lines going to the vac modulator, if it has one. If the car has a two-piece drive shaft, also check the u-joints and center bearing assy (and its mount) for wear/looseness. Just some thoughts, NTX5467

After dealing with the generally low ride height of my '77 Camaro, I put the factory Z/28 15" wheels on it to raise it up enough to clear curbs and parking lot "stop" and such. Saved the front air dam! Then I learned to gauge how close I was to curbs, too. That's why teh factory air dams on most '75-'77 Camaros are not there. People stopping when the wheels hit the curb, crunching the fiberflass lower valence panel in the process. Then came a normal muffler replacement on that car, with the factory-part number Z/28 cat back exhaust on it. Of course, a larger muffler might be better, clamped too. Good thing I got it clamped as it dragged on the slightest dip in the road! I fought that deal, re-adjusting the system upward, then getting better clamps, than getting normal '69 Z/28 resonators for it. At best, I believe I have about 5.5" ground clearance on the resonators now. No issues with "dragging", although I am still sensitive to those things. As to a lower ride height, just be glad the Rivs don't have the same rear body length as Electra 225s . . . and all that might mean. Take care, NTX5467

Are you sure you need a control module rather than actuator? Might check www.gmparts.com for good measure. NTX5467

There are shocks for normal ride height vehicles and shocks for cars with lowered ride heights. Which can usually mean the shocks are physically shorter so they are not damaged when the car "bottoms out" on dips or bumps. Bilsteins, with their 300psi internal gas pressure, usually raise the car about 1/4"-1/2" over mid-pressure (KYB) or "gas charged" shocks, from what I recall. People who don't like air shocks as they put ride forces where they would not normally have been, to support the car, should not use Bilsteins for the same reason, it seems to me. Just some thoughts, NTX5467

Yes, I found that out when I was searching for KONI shocks for my '77 Camaro in the later 1980s. Lots of places offered them, but only a few had them in stock for immediate shipment, when asked via a phone call. If nobody has them in stock, but their main supplier warehouse has them, then might be best to use the closest place to you where you can drive to pick them up. Possibly building a relationship with somebody more local rather than somebody "on the other end of a phone line". NTX5467

No real need to go to Amazon when a new car dealer "down the road" might have what you might desire, in stock and for sale. On the USA side of things, the "find a dealer" function works well. On the Canadian side of things, only the distributors are listed, from what I could see. PLUS . . . a full line of their products are listed on their main website. Enjoy! NTX5467

Somewhere I read the points adjustment procedure was: "Insert Allen wrench into the hex on the points. With the engine running at hot base idle, turn Allen wrench left until engine misfires. Note position. Turn Allen wrench to the right until engine misfires. Note position. Turn Allen wrench 1/2 way to the lh direction misfire location. Set ignition timing." That's from the days when a dwell/tach was a very sophisticated piece of test equipment, as was a timing light. NTX5467

Problem is that the more efficient you make the combustion process, decreasing HC and CO, the "heat of combustion" rises and NOx production is increased. So ignition timing "tricks" and less mechanical advance at lower rpm levels (and initial timing, too) helped address those things in order to get them past the IM240 test each year. Allegedly, above 2500 rpm or so, all of the ignitioni timing functions were supposed to be close to what they used to be, before emissions. In about the 1973-74 time frame, there were some publications which had instructions of how to re-tune the engines for best results. That was when it was discovered that most any '72 Olds Cutlass 350 4bbl COULD average 20+mpg on road trips. Back when the normal Interstate speed limit was 70mph. NTX5467

Plating the item would make sense, but "paint" would not. Thanks, NTX5467

If that's what T/A sells, the thicker ones must be OEM specs, so no shims needed under the rocker shaft, unless you want to tun over 5000rpm or so. Rather than wear the tops of the valve stems, wear the inserts instead, as the "sacrificial part" of that situation. One more little bit of Buick Engineering going a step farther than other GM brands in this area, it appears. Only thing better would be roller-tipped rocker arms. Thanks for that information, NTX5467

I suspect the trunk would have been painted before the fuel tank was installed, as would be the underside of that metal panel. Therefore, I suspect it should have been "natural" rather than painted. Considering the order of assy of the car body. Red 600 grit Scotchbrite works well for those things. Leaves a satiny finish on it, from my experiences on fuel lines. and such. With that much accumulation, might want to soak it in some lacquer thinner or similar.

That thing was not on everything back then, but some applications, as I recall. Most of them got unhooked sooner or later., or vac hosed "around", running the vac advance from the carb itself.

Is there supposed to be a deflector under the core support to help make air go through the radiator, on the bottom of the core support? A flap on the bottom of the hood that might be missing, over the core support area? Call the airline and get your ticket converted to a "TRAVEL VOUCHER", good for about a year. That used to be possible, so worth a try now. NTX5467

We saw that on many of the earlier GM diesel V-8s and some of the gas V-8s too, back in the 1980s and such. Most common reason is that the starter bolts will get looser with age, unbeknownst to anybody. The first thing that happens as the starter is used with the looser bolts is that the holes in the end housing get enlarged. Digging into the Chevy parts book, I discovered that for some applications, they had a "starter brace" which went between a (already there) hole in the bottom front edge of the starter, to a corresponding hole in the cyl block. Once installed, no further problems. One for small blocks and one for big blocks. Similar with the heat shields for the starters (that few people knew about, too). When the starter bolts got loose on the GM diesel V-8s, they could also break the starter bolts off, leaving part of them in the block. Those starters had OEM braces, too. The brace is quite simple. An L-shaped piece of metal, curved, with holes drilled in it for the bolts. On some starters, a stud is screwed into the bottom hole for the brace to slide over and be secured. On the Chevy V-8 350s, about 5" long or so, 454s shorter. GM Group 2.077 72 350-455 Starter bolts w/extensioni 1941111 GM Group 2.077 67-72 All Bracket, cranking motor mounting 1378215 Listed in the catalog section, no picture in illustrations IF the starter was ever changed or removed, if it had an OEM bracket, it was probably not re-installed as "Not Needed" extra parts. On so many engines, no braces were needed, for whatever reason. Usually, as long as the valve cover gaskets didn't leak and the starter bolts stayed tight, no issues. In reality, though, every starter with a mounting like that NEEDS a starter brace/bracket to keep things "right". Hope this might help, NTX5467

Would put a bit more preload into the valve lifter, I suspect. Might need to put some shims under the rocker shaft to compensate? BUT if those are the OEM thickness, no issues, I suspect. Were the ones you got specified for the Buick Nailhead engines? Just curious, NTX5467

www.bgproducts.com gets you to the front page of the website. From there, you can search for a local distributor by state and county. From the result of the "Find A Distributor" search, you can then proceed to the "Find A Shop" search via zip code, after the prior search. The "Find A Shop" page will bring up a map with the shops listed on it, including their addresses and such. Plus which level of distribution that have achieved. I suspect the dealership parts dept will sell you the items they might have, while the independent shops might also, as they might also seek to sell you the product + installation services. One of the other tool bar items is "PRODUCTS", so you can browse through that, too. Enjoy! NTX5467

BG Products, like other similar chemical products, are used by many new car dealers whose service departments sell those products and related services. Usually fuel system items and kits, brake pad "soaks", and cooling system kits. One reason they were popular with our techs was their spiff tokens in the bottom of the cans! IF you find a new car dealer's service dept that uses BG, go to the parts depart or used car department reconditioning parts department, and see what they might have. Then you might ask for the contact info for the distributor, if you can't find it online. Why new car dealers and not auto supplies? Selling the products and related services is an additional profit center for the service dept and parts departments. The sales volume is much higher, too. Our BG rep came around about every two weeks, wrote the order, and the items were delivered the next week. Hard to find an auto supply with that kind of consistent sales volume of those products. Enjoy! NTX5467

Texas (and probably other states) have a form to complete when an engine change is made in a vehicle whose model year uses sthe Engine number as the VIN. On "modified cars" of those earlier years, when an engine change was made, you could also take the car to the local DPS office and get it inspected for what it is, then the DPS would issue "a number" to use to title the car with. Which might be what the number is on the referenced title. I believe there is a way to "raise" the number which has been damaged on the first block picture? As I understand it, it can be used to see what stamping numbers might have been machined-off during an engine rebuild or otherwise. You might network with some local people to see whom to talk to at your state DMV office to see what their rules might be. Show them the title imaged above and such, too. Just some thoughts, NTX5467

After the vehicle sits overnight, or for any period of time, any oil in circulation will drain back into the crankcase, including the filter (unless it has an anti-drainback valve). The bearings and other things will still have a residual layer of oil on them, pretty much, too, so no "dry engine" starts per se. The use of the 0W-__, 5W-__ , and 10W-__ motor oils will get oil through the system quicker than a base 30 oil will. NTX5467

The type of media usually is not mentioned. To me, as long as it's a quality brand, that is a moot point. Especially considering how many miles we've driven cars with simple paper media of unknown micron-trapping specs. I've seen some filters say they are rated for synthetic oils, but I consider that more marketing hype to charge more money and give an aura of "better quality". Understandably, we all want the best oil filer and air filter available, which used to me either an OEM brand or a known good aftermarket brand. I remember when Fram was discovered to have "cardboard" ends on their filter media and flat leaf springs as the high pressure blow-off valve controlled (as coil springs were deemed much better). I believe that their higher-priced or heavier-duty filters now have metal end caps, but "t he damage" was done, at least to more vintage consumers. Younger generations were not around for those things, so they just see an oil filter on the shelf, in a nice box, now. The square inches of media area can be a concern, BUT look at the current OEM oil filters on newer engines. Smaller than my fist, usually. Even for engines of 6.0+ Liters. Granted, they are installed on engines which are completely sealed from the ambient atmosphere, but still they must filter lots of oil in 7500 mile, or longer, oil change intervals. So, in one respect, these things tend to make me wonder if the way we always determined if a filter was good or not, are really valid any more? I've always liked to use OEM-brand filters (ACDelco or Motorcraft), but after a filter test in the 1980s by "Auto-X" magazine, the Wix filters suddenly came into the spotlight, after Dana Corp bought the brand. It was the best Ford FL-1A filter application in the test. Perhaps a good measure of an oil filter is its weight. Back in the 1960s, Hastings and Baldwin were usually sold at discount stores. In looking at their websites and history, each has been bought by an international entity, improved their product, and now they are worldwide brands. BTAIM Kind of like buying an automatic transmission rebuild kit. There are inexpensive aftermarket brands, better aftermarket brands, and OEM kits. When installed, they all do their job well. Never know how good or bad they are until you pull things apart and see how they held up . . . many years later. Enjoy! NTX5467

To me, it's more about the charging system output rather than battery power. The circuits will still require the same amount of power sent to them by the harness. Just that the more powerful batteries can tolerate the load for longer periods of time before needing re-charging, typically. In general, the longevity of the harness is determined by the basic gauge of the wire itself and how securely the terminals are attached to the wire. Such that little heat is built (via resistance) at each terminal/joint in the harness. If you are going to be adding air conditioning or a powerful sound system, then some changes might need to be made. Especially an alternator of about 65amps or so (which probably can be tolerated well, I suspect). NTX5467

To the issue of parts changing from one model year to another . . . years ago, a local transmission shop owner and I were talking, after closing time. We were talking about part changes. He made the comment "If Chrysler or Ford change something, there usually is an engineering reason for it. If GM changes something, it depends on who was making decisions that day." By observation, most of the "long-lived" reputation of many import brands is due to their engines, or used to be. In many cases, GM vehicles could have been that way too, but the necessary upgrades to do so would have cost GM billions of $$$$$ to do that, none of which could have related to increases in new vehicle sales. So spend "enough" money, but not too much. At 92K miles, I put a Cloyes double-roller timing chain in my '77 Camaro V-8. It was still in it when we pulled the motor at 525K miles for leaking block freeze plugs, when a rebuilt 355 (which had been waiting a long time, on the engine stand) was installed. So, if GM had spent about $10.00 on a better timing set and another $10.00 on better valve guide machining and seals, every GM engine could run at least that long with little repairs. But as the average GM customer traded vehicles every few years, such money would not have related into new vehicle sales, while keeping a good reputation for GM vehicles' longevity increasing used vehicle values. Have to keep getting new vehicles sold to generate operating profits for the stockholders! In other words, until the marketplace forces GM to spend money on upgrades and such, they will not. I noticed several years ago that GM-Fleet noted that all GM V-8s (in pickup trucks) had their timing chains factory validated to last at least 200K miles, for example. If Cadillac had not been "chasing" Lexus, the Northstar V-8 might not have happened as it did. Similar with Ford/Lincoln-Mercury and their 4.6L V-8. The other thing is that when an engine family tooling needs replacement, design a new motor for the same money as building a mediocre one, which justifies the expense, then plan on building it for 10-15 years, until "cycle repeat". THAT is why the Chrysler Gen III Hemi was replaced after about 4 upgrades since its introduction in about 2005. Why the GM 3.5L High Feature V-6 replaced the Buick 3800 and Chevy 3.5L V-6 (2.8L V-6 engine family). Why the new Chevy "Turbo MAX" 2.7L 4-cyl has replaced the V-6 and 4.8L V-8s in the pickup truck powertrain selections. Oh well, take care, NTX5467

Out of curiosity, I did some looking around in Rock Auto today . . . . 1963 Buick Riviera 425 V-8 Oil filter Wix 51258 Black color Ht = 4.338" Wix 51049 White color Ht = 5.178" Fram PH25 Ex Guard Ht = 4.047" 1963 Buick Riviera 401 V-8 Oil Filter Wix 51049 White color Ht - 5.178" Interesting that RockAuto online catalog lists both oil filters for the 425, but only the 51049 for the 401, although the Fram PH25 is listed for both engine sizes. From the Wix online catalog 1963 Buick Riviera 401 V-8 shows 51049 425 V-8 shows 51258 Other filter listings in the Wix online catalog -- Fuel 33002 Plastic/opaque 2-5/16" lines Listed for 401 and 425 33032 Chrome w/hoses and clamps 2- 5/16" lines Listed for 401 and 425 33040 Chrome 2-5/16" hoses, 1-1/4" vapor line Listed for 425 only Air 401 only 42092 17.062" OD Top 16.16" OD Bottom Flange on top, no flange on bottom 2.92" Ht 425 only 42082 9.96" OD Top and bottom No flange on top or bottom 3.03" Ht For 1964 Riviera, only one oil filter listed -- 51049 for 4012 and 425 engines Only one air filter listed -- 42092 for 401 and 425 Fuel filters 401 33002 and 33032 425 33033 3/8" lines and 33040 Air filter 42092 for 401 and 425 For 1965 Riviera, only the Air Filter changed from 1964 . . . 42084 11.625" OD 2.36" Ht Hope this might explain some number differences, NTX5467