old-tank
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Posts posted by old-tank
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How much gas is in the tank? If you don't have at least 5 gallons the fuel pump will take a long time to pump fuel if the line is dry.
Another thing to try is to blow air into the gas tank filler, sealing with a rag. If now go, disconnect the line before the fuel pump and gas should come out...work your way to the carb. Look for leaks in all lines especially the suction portion (tank to pump) which would cause the pump to pull air rather than fuel.
Willie
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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Disconnect the fuel line at the carburetor and get a large can to catch the gas. Remove the high voltage wire from the coil to the center terminal of the distributor. Have a friend turn the engine over and see how much gas you are getting to the carburetor. </div></div>
John, you can probably do it this way on a 6V straight-8, but not on the 12V V-8 early nailhead. If you remove the high voltage lead from the center of the coil a spark will jump out to the (-) terminal when cranked even if the key is 'off'. The coil is right behind the carb under the fuel line... This is not theory; it will catch fire. I was lucky when it happened to me...I had just finished washing the car and still had a pressurized hose with a pistol nozzle on the end laying next to the car. Best to remove the wire from the (+) side of the coil ( and tape it since it is not protected by a fuse ).
Willie
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If you turned the drums and (manually) adjusted the shoes, as outlined in the service manual, after installation there will be no scraping.
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As Adam mentioned working from the bottom may help. There may be a nut plate or caged nut that can be chiseled from the bottom and then replaced with a regular nut.
Dang EZ outs have never come with good directions or indications for proper use. The ONLY times I have had success is when I break a clean lubricated bolt during installation! And even that will not work if the bolt is bottomed out in the hole. Think about it: If the existing head of a rusted bolt will not move it, how can a 1/2 size tool do any better? And when (not if) it breaks you have the additional problem with the hard steel stuck in the hole.
It is best if you leave the EZout on the shelf and drill the bolt. I use reverse drill bits in increasingly larger sizes which will sometimes grab the bolt and back it out as a shell. Usually I have to drill oversize and use a tread repair like Helicoil. I witnessed a neat trick to extract a 5/16 bolt from an installed cylinder head that could not be drilled: the mechanic placed a washer over the remnant of the bolt that was flush with the cast head and welded the bolt to the center of the washer; he then welded a nut to the washer. Apparently the welding process will not 'stick' to the cast iron as readily as the steel bolt.
Willie
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Heat is always a good thing, lots of it in this case to un-temper the ez-out. If enough is exposed choose a nut that will just slip over it and weld it to the ez-out. After you get it out drill the bolt and install a thread repair like helicoil.
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I noticed the codes but did not record them before returning. I asked Carquest if I could get an update on the disposition or diagnosis and all I got from them was a bunch of crying about how they were going to have to eat the cost of my refund. I am just glad they are gone and never again...
Willie
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Kevin
I don't know what brand or grade they used...I just asked for something that would solve the problem and it did. The shoes ended up costing twice as much as the parts store shoes. I tried to find some NOS/NORS asbestos shoes but could not find two sets of the same brand. Stay away from shoes with old bonded linings...riveted are OK.
Willie
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Bob wins with the correct solution to the problem.
I took the shoes back to CarQuest and they said they did not know if they can be returned for a refund. I said nothing and just stared...in a few minutes they asked me if it would be alright the put the refund on the credit card. By the way did I mention that these were Raybestos shoes?
Willie
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Well I finally replaced the shoes and braking is normal! I had some old shoes relined at San Antonio Brake and Clutch after explaining my problem which they say is common with Raybestos linings. Next project is to return the Raybestos linings for a refund.
Willie
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If the engine has previously been running and has been stored indoors it probably will not hurt to just start it. Just to be sure pull the plugs, put a few squirts of oil in each cylinder, change oil and filter, put a quart of oil in the filter canister before installing, crank the engine with the plugs out until you have oil pressure, do a compression check to be sure no valves are sticking open, and then replace the plugs and fire it up. Run at fast idle and watch for leaks (coolant, fuel) and watch the temperature guage. Once the temperature stabilizes shut it down and let it cool, check the coolant level and add as needed. Any abnormal noises, loss of oil pressure or temperature spikes require a shutdown and call back here for help. Oh yeah...enjoy the smoke!
Willie
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More trivia: The backside of the wheels was painted a primer color...the 5.5 in wheel used on the Special was a gray primer color and the 6 in wheel used on the other series was a red/brown primer color.
Wheels were supplied by Motor and Kelsey Hayes. The snap-in clips that attach the small hub caps will not interchange between the two wheels.
Willie
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Probably more information than you need: My 55 century CVT originaly had body color wheels, pin stripes, the small caps and beauty rings. Specials I have seen with the small caps did not have pin stripes or beauty rings, although the wheels were body color.
Wire wheels were the ultimate...
Willie
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Cherokee Red was an option instead of the standard black if the full wheel covers were used. The body color wheels were for use with the small 'dog dish' hub caps.
Willie
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Speaking of gel cell batteries I use a brick size gel cell from my deer feeder for bench testing; it is adequate for every thing incuding a non installed starter.
Mike knows why I have the gel-cell-in-delco-case unit: the last lead acid one slobbered all over the battery case and surrounding area of my CVT. Mike claims he heard me hollering 60 miles away.
Willie
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Lars
If it runs good and is quiet it may not need rebuilding. Check for abnormal blowby and the crankcase ventilation.
Take the breather cap off the oil fill tube and observe any smoke while idling: a little is normal, but alot especially if puffing is not normal. Now rev the engine again and observe: a blast of smoke is not normal. Now plug the oil fill pipe with a rag and rev the engine and observe smoke from the draft tube...it should be the same; if less then the normal ventilation is impaired. If that is the same change oil, install a 180* thermostat and drive 200 miles at freeway speeds and check again.
Short trips will cause water to accumulate in the oil and it takes a long time to "cook it out". Hopefully that is all it takes. If the ventilation is inadequate maybe the tube is plugged with a mud dabber nest, but more likely the valley cover is plugged with sludge. This is impossible to clean unless you take it apart by cutting the spot welds on the underside. This thing has some aluminum mesh sandwiched between the upper and lower parts.
Any puffing during tests indicate broken rings or a hole in one or more pistons; no change in a blast of smoke means all compression rings are eithe stuck or broken.
I drove a 55 Special 365,000 miles, drove it hard and didnot take care of it, so yours may not need a rebuild.
Willie
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Mike
Thanks for the beers. I was thirsty when I got there; that's why we worked so fast to find your problem.
Willie
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Jesse
Just buy the module that fits inside the distributor, that replaces the points. Do not but the 'Flamethower coil', use a stock coil and be sure it is installed as original with resistors if needed in the circuit.
I bought the module and flamethrower coil a few years ago and hooked it up bypassing the resistor as suggested by pertonix and it burned the rotor (literally caught fire inside the distributor)!
For my application (55 Buick) they now suggest installing as I detailed above. Right now I am using points/condensor.
Willie
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Bill
I alway pump the plunger as NTX stated and even if I spin the oil pump there is still noise for awhile. Since the engine has been running just install and then spin the engine with the starter (coil disconnected) until the oil pressure is up. Hook up the coil and enjoy the smoke again.
Willie
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I thought that I would be smart and look in the judging manual...page 34. The rim size, type and alternate size for mid 50's Buick is all FUBAR!!
I believe that Lamar's post is the closest to correct.
Group 5.803 in the 1956 parts manual does NOT list a wire wheel as it does in the 1955 manual.
Willie
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What happened to the Thread about the 2009 national??
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Bob
When did you get your shoes from NAPA? I checked today and their part number is a variation of the Raybestos number and made by United. I know they used to have Raybestos products such as wheel cylinders. Maybe Willis knows who what brands are available.
Willie
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Seems that I am adding confusion when talking about fast idle. I meant the increased ground speed of fast idle made more difficult stops.
I did not change anything is the master cylinder/power assist portion of the system. The power assist seems to be working as it should. Yesterday I disconnected and plugged the vacuum line to the booster and the brakes were a little worse with a very hard pedal that did not have the normal "feel" of power brakes.
I could easily change to different shoes, but without a diagnosis it might be an exercise in futility.
These were new shoes, not relined in an old shelf worn box...one suggestion is this is one of the leftover first examples of non-asbestos shoes. Another reason to be suspicious of this is the first shoes that the parts store ordered were relined (same raybestos) in new boxes and the shoes in the 2 sets were visibly different colored linings (the reason I did not take these).
I guess this is what I get for 'doing it right'...in earlier times I never checked or turn drums; just replaced shoes and let them adjust to the grooves in the drums...the brakes were a little squirrely at first but were better than this later.
Willie
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Thanks for the reply. Do the 55 and 56 heads have the same part number? If the chamber is the same size these pistons will work in a 55.
Willie
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On starter problems always consider a low voltage problem even if it seems mechanical. Check the obvious like battery and cables at both ends, but also any wire or connection in the starter circuit. This might not apply to yours but the 55 has an additional relay between the solenoid and ignition switch that gives trouble due to high internal resistance. On systems without this relay, my local starter/generator/alternator shop adds one to bypass resistance in other parts of the circuit.
Willie
Changing a rear main seal on a 1950 straight 8-70 series
in Buick - Post War
Posted
How to stop rear main seal leaks
I have worked with early 322 nailheads and one 47 straight-8, so yours should be similar. Some of this can also apply to other engines with rope seals.
Some assumptions: You know how to get to the rear main bearing cap and remove it and you know what a rope seal is. The engine is in the car and the crankshaft is installed.
Do not remove the upper seal. If it is not now absolutely flush take a portion of the used lower seal and stuff in the gap with a suitable tool. It is ok if it protrudes some. Take a 12 inch length of heater control wire, sharpen one end and install it into the groove that the upper seals sits in using a 6 inch length of brake line to keep it from kinking. Using vise grips push 1/4 inches at a time until it shows up on the other side. Install 2 pieces. Cut the wires flush with the block.
For the lower seal that goes in the cap take the piece that is supplied for that engine, bunch it together and flatten it and place it in the groove in the cap. Bunch it some more to make it fit while pressing it into the cap with a piece of exhaust pipe about the same diameter as the the crankshaft journal. Never cut or trim a seal to make it fit. It is OK and desirable if some seal protudes from the cap. (For situations where the crankshaft is out of the engine, remove this seal from the groove in the cap and place it in the groove in the block; repeat for the lower seal.) Fold any stray strands of the seal to the center so they will not get caught between the
clamping surfaces. Install the cap and torque to specs. Remove the cap and trim any stray strands that got clamped. Put some gasket sealer on the clamping surface of the cap. I use an anaerobic sealer. Dribble some engine oil on the seal only until it is saturated. Install and torque to specs.
To seal the groove in the sides of the cap I take some cotton twine coated with some No. 2 Permatex and hammer it to stuff it tightly in the groove using a large flattened nail until it is level with the top and cut.
Willie