old-tank
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Posts posted by old-tank
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I've never used vaseline in a nailhead...maybe that thick red assembly lube (Perfect Circle) is doing the same thing. While on the engine stand I connect an external oil guage and spin the oil pump with a drill and watch the pressure come up in usually 3 seconds. Then I crank it with the plugs out with the starter (valve covers off). Then install and start it.
I once did an old Ford L-head 6 (rings and bearings "in the truck"). There was no way to spin the oil pump with a drill and the pressure would not come up using the starter with the plugs out, so we towed it around the block with the plugs out and that worked....probably could have just started it...
Last year I "monitered" a friend's rebuild of a 455 and he used Vaseline as recommended with no problems.
Willie
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Christopher
I also recommend drilling a hole in the torque tube to check/drain fluid. If your pinion seal is good the torque tube will fill with trans fluid and it will get inside the driveshaft and give bad vibration problems.
The part about trans fluid ruining rear ends is probably sometimes true, but personal experience is different.
My origianl 55 Special routinely filled the rear with trans fluid to the point of leaking out of the axel seals and contaminating the brakes...usually washed the brakes with gasoline and removed the fill plug to drain it back to a normal level. If I had time and money I would pull the bottom cover bolt, drain the whole thing and refill with cheap hypoid 90 that did not have the recommended wear inhibitors. Anyhow that rear went about 250,000 miles (car croaked at 374,000 mi) with various dilutions of trans fluid in the rear. I pulled ther rear end a few years ago and rebuilt it...other than a few pits in one of the pinion bearing and an axel bearing there was no abnormal wear. I just cleaned it, repalced the bearings and pinion seal...it is now happy in my CVT.
Willie
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Hey Mike
Why not do something constructive like tell Lamar about the need for good wipers
.Willie
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I forgot the most important thing: brakes!
Replace all of the wheel cylinders with new (NAPA) and at least rebuild the master cylinder, replace all brake hoses and maybe the steel lines if there is crusty rust on the outside. And of course if the shoes are worn or contaminated replace them.
Also replace the seals and repack the axle bearings (front and rear).
Now you should be able to drive it around the world.
Willie
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Lamar, you worry too much. Just fill'rup and take off like you know what you are doing.
Now if you really want to be paranoid:
Cooling system service...change all hoses, belts, thermostat, flush the block and have the radiator rodded, and change the water pump if still original (don't count on 50 year old bearings and seal) and carry a spare water pump and a fan belt.
Fuel system...change the fuel pump if you don't know the history and carry a spare; rig an inline fuel filter at the gas tank since the one on the carb is useless, cannot be cleaned nor are replacements available and to me is just decoration for originality. Rebuild the carb or at least disassemble, clean the gunk in the bottom and replace the gaskets and needle and seat.
Electrical and ignition...change points plugs wires or convert to Pertronix, carry spares and a ballast resistor. Rebuild the generator (bearings brushes armature and field coils) and carry a spare. Carry spare starter, voltage regulator, fuses, electrical tape.
Drivetrain...Change the seal and gasket at the front of the torque tube; the original leather is no good anymore. The seals in the engine, transmission and pinion are shot too, but require major disassembly. Change the valve cover gaskets and replace all fluids. Inspect the freeze plugs and replace as needed.
The only things that I have replaced on the road in the 18 years that I have driven 3,000-5,000 miles to and from Buick meets is generaters (kept using old ones from parts cars)...I remember at least 5 times and a leaky power steering hose ( bought a used pump with hoses at the swap meet). I have had other "adventures" including the cam chewing holes in the lifters (limped home from Chicago on 5 cylinders) and massive transmission leak that resolved without intervention. Never had to walk a step because of breakdown and never used a wrecker or trailer.
Just fill'rup and take off like you know what you are doing.
Willie
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Bosco49
Did you ever solve the problem? My wife's 1990 is doing the same thing; I too changed the thermostat, temp sensor and the rest of the cooling system is new or refurbished. It is not getting hot but the guage is spiking, which is worrisome.
Thanks
Willie
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herkamer
The plugs on a 55 are cup shaped, not dome shaped and are installed so that the rim of the cup is even with the block surface. There should be 2 on each side of the block between the head and pan and one on the backend of each head. The ones on the block are very difficult to change without pulling the engine and the ones on the heads are impossible to change without removing the heads. Permatex or just obout any goop will work, but JB Weld is overkill for this purpose. Your local machine shop can look up the size and maybe even order some for you....not a common size.
In a pinch I have used expandable rubber plugs.
Willie
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Black with overspray from the body color coat.
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As Bill mentioned we had a couple of days of winter (should get 4 or 5 more), but by the middle of the week it will be in the mid 70's and I will be driving my CVT again....bicyles are too much like torture machines and besides I don't want to shave my legs or wear spandex.
Willie
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Here is a method that I use that works for me.
Pull the pan and the main bearing cap (that is another story...ask and I can detail that later if needed). If the engine has a lot of miles replace the rear main bearing. Inspect the rear main seal for glazing, I a mean hard glass-like surface (some replacement seals are fiberglass are nearly impossible to cut with common tools and will glaze in a short time)...if glazed both the top and bottom will need to be replaced. Replace at least the seal in the main bearing cap, being sure that there is none clamped between the cap and the block. Put a thin coat of anerobic sealer on the clamping surface of the cap and install and torque to specs. Next pack the side grooves with cotton string and No. 2 Permatex (I use a nail and hammer it in tight)...donnot use the cork or rubber thingys that are supplied in the gasket set.
My bet on a new engine is: either the seals are glazed or the side seals and clamping surface is leaking.
I once tried to replace the upper and lower seals with neoprene on and installed engine and that leaked very severely
All of this is much easier with the engine on and engine stand.....
Willie
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Thanks! That is a neat tool. I have done it previously (trial and error) with a photo editing program and then never remember what I did the next ime I need to do it.
Now if we could just adjust some of the long pictures already out there.....
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As long as you are going to make it a sticky, give some guidelines for sizing the photos so that everything including the text is not stretched so you have to scroll back and forth to read it.
Willie
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Hey Bill
Fix the synchronizers in the tranny so you can get it back on the drag strip
.Willie
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On the 55 322 engine 0.006 is the upper limit for wear (I think it says so in the service manual).
I cannot comment on knurlizing since I have never done it.
Willie
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JohnD
On well worn engines the upper ring will break and rock in the upper ring groove making it larger. Replacement rings would fit too loose and soon fail. Machine shops would re-groove larger and then put in shims or spacers (look alot like the rails on the oil control ring) to make the groove standard size again. This is at best a stop gap repair since the reason the rings broke in the first place is excessive taper wear in the cylinder causing the ring to flex (expand at the top of the cylinder and contract at the bottom).
I have done this twice on my projects. The first was a '51 Ford flathead six...I used NOS rings that failed at 20K. The next was a '55 322...I used at the recommendation of the machine shop the best moly rings. When the the engine failed at 30K for other reasons (cam) the rings were still intact and the cylinders still showed the hone marks. The engine was noisy from piston slap and had more blowby due to increased ring end gap. That engine has 0.012-0.018 wear on the cylinder wall...0.006 is the upper limit. I was just fixing this car up for resale in the mid '80's and didnot want to spend $480 for new pistons (Kanter was the only supplier back then). Anyhow I still have the car.
Willie
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Sorry, the Fisher body manual has ton of pictures but none for this...only the description. Talk to someone that has done this before like: Ken Reeves at
wheatbelt Antique Auto
Rt. 2, Box 178
Carrier, OK 73727
Phone: 580-855-2449
Fax : 580-855-2476
You probably need to buy sonething from him anyway.
Willie
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Hey Bill
Just put in the one you have already rebuilt for the Woody and then build this one for the Woody. You should really use the nailhead for the fastback.
Year ago I would have just cut the ridges on the cylinders, do a hone job and replace the pistons with new rings...any pistons with broken rings would need to have the upper ring groove cut and shimmed...should be good for 25-50k (the sparkplug change interval for newer cars) and then do it again. Or sell it to Tommy1927.
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This is from a Fisher body book: The molding is secured to the door with screws at the window reveal and door hemming flange. To remove reveal molding, remove garnish molding and upper section of glass run channel: then remove attaching screws and carefully lower molding and remove from door. To install, reverse removal procedure.
I have never worked on the large 50-70 series so I cannot comment on this further.
Willie
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Go to Walmart or equivalent and get a 'walkman' type single cd player with the adapter to play through the cassette player. If you burn your own cd's you can usually put at least 2 cd's on one...more if you burn mp3's...just get the player that will play both cd's amd mp3's.
If you need more info on sound systems ask any high school kid.
Willie
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Lamar
I cannot help you with the width, but if Buttercup is a low mileage car she will drive just fine with bias tires. Radials are an alternative to fixing worn suspension parts.
Willie
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I have a novel idea: why not put a nice set of BFG 2.5 inch wide whites on stock rims painted Cherokee red and top it with a restored set of the 55 bick turbine wheel covers.
That will solve your clearance problem and nothing will look better (except for wire wheels)
.Anyone can buy and put on a set of custom wheels and tires, but we are the select few who can do it this way.
.Willie
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I gap my plugs at 0.038 and use solid wire core as original ( usually have to buy as "off road" ). Right now I am still cleaning and regapping AC44 plugs...I tried a set of R43 which is the recommended replacement for the 44 and they fouled in 20 miles. At 18,000 miles ( my usual replacement interval for plugs ) mine still looked new.
Pertonix mentions that a wider gap can be used. Actually a wider gap is an old trick used to give a smoother idle, but with the stock ignition system the spark would blow out at high speeds and cause missing...the hotter Pertonix spark eliminates this. I also bypass the ignition resistor since all of my driving is on the highway at higher speeds (keep the resistor in the circuit if doing a lot of idling as in parades).
Willie
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The frequency of change is probably more important than the brand or viscosity used. Most of us will never drive one of out collectibles enough to wear it out even if using Walmart oil. I use Castro 20w-50 in all of my cars.
Willie
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Try this... Transmission adapter link
54-55 Heater hose clamps
in Buick - Post War
Posted
I assume that you are talking about the 'tower top' clamps that the judges will be looking for although other type of clamps were used. There are reproductions out there but all I have seen have a hex/slotted screw which is different from the original that has a domed slotted screw head.
They are a 'beach' to get off intact, but I have had some luck by backing the screw out as far as it will go and and hammering (tapping?) down the tower to expand the clamp. Then I have the correct originals replated (zinc)....or buy the repros and install the correct screw. Replating is usually best since the finish on the repros will not last as long.
Hope this helps
Willie