old-tank
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Posts posted by old-tank
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Send it back. You will weaken or kink it if you try to un-bend or re-bend, and then it will be non-returnable. Send your old lines for a pattern or make a pattern from bendable wire. With a little practice you can bend and flare straight pieces unless it is stainless which is extremely hard to flare with hand tools.
Willie
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Brad
Some more answers. From my 1955 parts book: the 322 uses a different fly wheel than the 264 whether dynaflow or standard trans. At the other end the the 322 uses a harmonic balancer and the 264 used a pully. The same cranshaft is used in both engines. I can't help with any 364 or straight 8 interchanges or with other years the 322 and/or 264 were used. I have no idea how they are balanced, but probably both internal and external: I am helping a friend rebuild a 55 322 now and it is still apart. The dynaflow flywheel will bolt on only one way as long as the alignment pin is on the crankshaft is present and of course the harmonic balancer will only install in one position. The flywheel has holes to make it lighter that are opposite the rear crankshaft counter weights making it heavier in line the the crank weights. The harmonic balancer has a built in offset weight that is in the same plane as the front crankshaft counter weights. I have had engines balanced and the machine shop needs all of the rotating and reciprocating parts: balancer and/or pullys, crankshaft, flywheel, pistons, rods, pins, rings and if possible the torque converter or clutch parts. On a previous rebuild they took material off the pistons and rods and added material to the dynaflow flywheel...on this current project material was removed from the rods and some was added to the crankshaft. You will see what I?m talking about when you get one apart.
Willie
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Hi Brad
Good to see you back.
I remember from some of your previous posts that you wanted to adapt a different tranny to your 322....check this out:
http://transmissionadapters.com/53-66_nailhead.htm
If this does not help I can check my parts book for 55 322 tomorrow.
Willie
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Was there PLASTIC? I didn't even notice. I was too busy having the good time of a lifetime taking it all in, visiting with friends and even discussing machine shop disasters with the next table. So much to do and see and so little time. You don't go to these things expecting someone to show you a good time, you make it happen yourself.
Willie
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The most likely problem is the vibrator if it does not buzz...see post from Bob Leets. The vibrator is the largest metal cylinder and will be next the power transformer, a large 3" cube. When pulled out the vibrator has 3 or 4 prongs. Sometimes tapping on the vibrator will get it working...I have even carefully opened the case and filed the points to get them working. Vibrators or solid state replacements are available (the solid state ones will not buzz). If the vibrator is OK then the next most likely problem is the rectifier tube probably 0Z4 which is usually also a metal cylinder near the vibrator and power transformer. This tube can be tested with a volt meter: if the vibrator is working you should have +/- 100 volts AC coming from the output transformer and +/- 100 volts DC from one of the other pins. (Careful: You can get a nasty shock poking around in a radio)
For clarification the way these old radios work: 12 volt direct (DC)current goes in and powers the filaments of the tubes (a red glow that you can see in subdued light) and goes to the vibrator which changes the 12v DC to 12v alternating current (AC) which then goes to the power transformer and is bumped to ~100v AC, then this goes to the rectifier tube where it is converted to ~100v DC which then goes to the various tubes (tubes are electronic switches that have been replaced by transistors...your car radio has probably 8 tubes and your computer has thousands if not millions of transistors)
If you can get some of the tube numbers I can probably find a copy of a schematic.
Willie
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Great shots!
I had this picture: http://www.buickclub.org/MemberGallery/RED1.jpg
on an old computer as desktop wallpaper and got a lot of nice comments and question from the computer shop that I took it to. On one of my visits I found the same wall paper on one of the demo models in the lobby....
Willie
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Check your voltage regulator and generator...properly connected and working units are necessary for the starter circuit to work correctly. Disconnect one at a time to verify that you have fixed the 'hot' wire problem, but be aware that a good unit is needed to for normal starting.
Hope this helps.
Willie
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Hey Tommy
Thanks for the pic...now I can show everyone what we really do at car shows!
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A few more suggestions.
Replace the whole roof from a parts car or cut sections from the parts car. If sections are used from a parts car it does not need to be the same make or model, just similar curve pattern. Or fabricate from scratch by pounding out the shape on a large sand bag.
good luck
Willie
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James
I do expect you to return that 3/8 bolt I loaned you. Actually a ride someday will be great...maybe in Plano next year.
Willie
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I agree it was the greatest show with no disappointments. If you missed it....
Willie
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Best to pull the engine. It may be possible to r&r some of the bearings with professional tools, the rear most one cannot be removed without pulling the engine. It may not possible to do any of this on your application since you need clearance in the front equal to the length of the engine. With the engine out other things can be checked and repaired.
Give it a few days and most of the regulars on this forum will be back from the centennial meet.
Willie
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Time to check out of the motel and hit the road for the 1500 mile return trip in my 55 Century (the one in the avitar).
I found 22 nice example of 55 Buicks....attached is one.
Willie
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The party is over, but WHAT A PARTY!!!! More pictures to come...more difficult than I thought on a laptop and a slow dialup connection....see attached
Willie
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Just a small sample of what you are missing in Flint. Tomorrow I will try to take and post some lower resolution pictures that will load faster
Willie
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There is supposed to be a plate on the back side that is peaned to 2 studs of the pot metal body. You will probably find in the bottom of your door. These were not meant to be repaired but you may have to if one cannot be found on ebay, etc.
I have 4 or 5 that are just like yours...broken
Willie
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Pull the engine or transmission to be sure the plate is on the crank correctly. The converter will not slide back far enough to clear the other 12 converter bolts without moving the engine and trans apart at least an inch. I am not sure but I think either plate will work as long as it is aligned on the pin.
Willie
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Joe, for all practical purposes the generators are the same. The parts book does list a different generator for air conditioned cars ( and a different armature for air conditioned cars). The air conditioned cars also have a 2 groove pulley. My low mileage original Century with facory air has the generator number for non air cars so go figure. I thinks that all replacement generators and parts after 1955 were equal or better than the those specified for air conditioned cars.
Willie
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I've been driving 55 Buicks since 1962 and until now have never bought a new or rebuilt generator. All of those I have been using were either original or used (junk yard or parts cars)or "rebuilt" by me (new brushes bushings and bearings) but all of these are now 30 to 48 years old. I carry a spare genertor among other parts and so far that is the only part I have had to replace....yearly...on the road to or from a National. So I finally got tired of changing parts in motel parking lots or even on the show field (at the first National I attended in St. Louis I replaced the generator (and solved my problem) before the show with a dirty rusty unit and then put on the pretty but defective generator on for the show and then back to ugly one for the trip home).
Anyhow I stopped by the local starter/alternator shop and asked about generators and they said they could rebuild it: New brushes, bushing and bearing AND rotor (armature) and field coils. All parts were blasted the the body, pulley and fan was painted black and the alloy end pieces were left natural...and it does work!
This was a pleasant surprise and the $120 price seemed well worth it.
Willie
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This weekend I installed a one inch front sway bar on my 55 Cenury. The verdict: WOW!! There is much less body lean on hard cornering, less nose dive on hard braking, better directional stability on lumpy roads, and the understeer is gone (I would call it neutral: neither understeer nor oversteer). The ride is a little 'busier' but not objectional (I already had heavy duty springs).
I got the bar from Quikor Suspension http://quickor.com/.
Be advised that I had a little(?) trouble getting the bar. It took them two months to send the first bar which was wrong (they said they had a pattern); then 3 weeks after I sent a bar and links from one of my parts cars I get a correct bar but no link kit. Called again (call number 19 or 29...lost track), 3 days later get a second bar but still no link kit, 3 more days and I get a link kit and it is wrong. So I installed the bar with my old links.
All this time they were friendly and did return phone calls and paid for the return shipping of their mistake. I am going to negotiate a price on that second bar so I can put it on one of my other 55 Centurys.
Willie
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Not to throw a damper on your party but that tool will work on 60's 70's 80's era cars. If your 53 is anything like my 55's the moldings will be held on by thru the body clips that you have to remove a nut to remove (usually at corners and then other pieces can slide off other clips that are riveted to the pinch weld). You need a service manual or Fisher body manual or hopefully someone here has done this and can lead you in the right direction.
Willie
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Joe
The crank and flexplate I am looking at now has a guide pin on the crank and only one guide hole on the plate...it will only bolt up one way, unless the guide pin in the crank was discarded.
Does anyone know why the 322 used a harmonic balancer and the 264 a plain pulley?
Willie
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I bet you changed the trans and motor mounts. All of my 55's have some vibration at 2000 to 2500 rpm except my 14,000 mile original that has the original mounts. My guess is the replacement mounts are of a different hardness and transmit the vibrations more noticably.
Now to respond to some of the replies. I find it hard to believe that converters and flywheels/flex plates were balanaced together at the factory(s) since the converter has to be disassembled to remove or install on the transmission. Also if you position the holes in the flex plate to access the two drain plugs in the converter that leaves you with two possibiliies and one is wrong and impossible, in other words it will go on ONE way only.
Willie
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Daytona is the correct carpet for all 55's that had carpet. Request samples and buy what matches.
Call Chester & Herod: 800 659 9138 Good price, fit and service.
Willie
50's streight 8's
in Buick - General
Posted
So what's your point? Packards don't need valve cover gaskets or valve covers? I've never had a need to run any engine with the valve covers off for more than a moment to establish that oil is or is not getting to the rockers.