davenc

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Tom, Sent you a PM. Dave

Tom, when I replaced the foam seal pad in my '36 I fabricated a pad to match the shape of the original (what was left of it) using neoprene foam pad material from McMaster Carr. Their part # is 8647K501. The specs for the foam pad are there. I also installed strips of silicone rubber between the tank and the bottom tank hold straps using rubber also from Mc Master Carr. That # is 5812T134. There were no cushion straps originally and you can't see my additions but it make me feel better when I'm torquing down on the tank straps during re-installation. While the tank is out I recommend a couple things. First, with the sending unit out look closely at the fuel pick-up tube soldered to the bottom of the tank. Make sure the tube is not obstructed in any way where it is attached to the tank bottom. There is history of poor soldering jobs at the factory and the tube becoming obstructed. You'll wonder why your fuel pump is fuel starved and not getting sufficient fuel to the carb. Secondly I highly recommend having your sending unit rebuilt. They will install a modern float. After 77 years of use the unit is not accurate at best and may not read above half a tank. You really don't want to get everything reassembled only to discover the unit is not working. You don't want to take the tank back out again. Dave

BJM, A couple things tell me this is the larger wheelbase Master series, not the smaller Standard series. The headlight shells appear to be chromed, (nickel plated), as opposed to painted as on the Standard series. Secondly the fan belt is a V-belt and not a flat leather belt. Dave

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Tom, You stumped me on this one. I've not seen that before. A good soak in clean gas and/or lacquer thinner should do wonders for it. David

Tom, Joel is correct. You're looking at 76 years of crud. The screen will pop off so you can dig the crud out. I had the same condition on my '36. With the pick-up screen 90% plus clogged with gunk I don't know how the old gal got any oil into the pump. David

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Just bought a '54 Century from a dry climate, no rust. Purchased it from the original owner's family, making me the 3rd owner. Odometer shows 22K miles. Based on the family's history of the car, that may be actual miles. My question is what would be tell-tale signs on the car that this is really 122K miles? I'm thinking maybe the condition of the front end like king pins, ball joints, etc. Opinions?

You can get the sending unit you have rebuilt. Tri-Starr did the unit on my '36 and did a great job. Rebuilt Fuel Sending Unit Specialist There are probably other shops out there who can rebuild it too. David

Keith, '36 Buicks came with a factory-installed oil filter. They look like a canister with no housing and have metal tubing from the top and bottom. As Bill mentions the filters only filter the oil going to the rocker arm valve train. Originals are out there but be careful...the originals have a cotton-like material inside and now that they are 75 years old the material can clog oil passages. Best bet is to get any "canister-type" oil filter from a '40's or '50's car and adapt the tubing to the original attachment points, right side rear-ward on the push rod cover. David

In general the answer to your question about identical parts having different part numbers is rooted in design engineering and quality engineering principles. The parts are not exactly identical. They may be very similar but they are not identical. A new part number is assigned when the form, fit, or function changes the mechanical drawing for the part. When the "same" part has two different part numbers, there is something different about them. The parts may be interchangeable but the difference is often not obvious.

Originally the wood spokes of the smaller Standard Series Buicks, except the Country Club Coupe model, were painted the main body color. The Standard Series Country Club Coupe model and the larger Master Series cars had their wood spokes in the natural (varnished) finish. All had pin stripes.

'36 dome light does not need rotation to remove. The trim ring that holds the lense is just a straight press fit onto the base. It's a tight fit and a little gentle prying is required.

www.jessersclassickeys.com 330-376-8181

I have had very good luck and service from Jessers Classic Keys for my Buicks. Give them a try.

When parallel parking your car on the street, the driver and all passengers exited from the right onto the curb/sidewalk for safety reasons. Same principle with chauffeurs. They allow the passengers to safely enter and exit the vehicle curbside.

The funnel-shaped piece is the inlet for the crankcase breather.

Actually this repair is quite easy to do at home. There is a detailed article on how to do this repair in the magazine Skinned Knuckles over the last months.

When the car stalls, is the outside of the carb wet with gas? Do you have to wait until the engine cools down before the engine will restart? Dave

nagene, The vacuum starter switch rod is Buick Part Group #2.028 and is part #1294157. This is the same rod for '36 Series 60, 80, and 90. I measured the rod on my '36 Series as 12 inches. Dave

Mark is correct about the unleaded fuel not being a problem with these old engiines. They are not high perrformance, (compression), and you won't be straining the engine like pulling a trailer. There was a move in the hobby several years ago to install hardened valve seats in engines to allow use of unleaded fuel. That just isn't necessary in these old engines. Here is a list that has worked well for me before starting an engine that has been sleeping a long time. First, be patient. Don't just hook up a battery and start cranking. Time spent up front will ensure you aren't doing damage. Before you even turn the engine over, drain the old oil out of the oil pan. If this is really black or grey and gunky, drop the oil pan and clean the oil pump pick up screen. Put the oil pan back on fill with new oil. Replace the oil filter if there is one. Remove the spark plugs. Put about a teaspoon of Marvel Mystery oil in each cylinder. Remove the distributor cap. Remove the valve cover. Turn the engine over by hand and make sure all the valve train and the distributor is moving properly. Clean and set the points. Hook up a battery and make sure there is spark at the points. Clean rotor and contacts inside dist cap and reassemble. With the plugs still out, crank the engine over using the battery for 30 - 60 seconds to pump oil up to the valve train. You can also see if you are getting spark up to a spark plug. This will also pump fuel to the carb. Check coolant level in the radiator. If all looks good and no fuel leaks, gap and put spark plugs back in. You should have fuel and spark and she will fire.

Rayclay, I made the assumtion you had the original AC style fuel pump for a '36, 320 cu. in. engine. This pump has an air dome on the top of the pump. As long as the raw fuel is dripping down inside the carb, and not outside, the intake manifild drain pipe should be draining it and the gas does not get to the crankcase. Check the check valve and if that doesn't fix it, we'll explore other things. Dave

Rayclay, I definitely feel your pain with the Stromberg EE22 carb. My '36 is a constant source of carb-tinkering. If the fuel pump was on a pressure stroke when you shut the car off, the air under pressure in the pump's air dome will push the fuel in the fuel line up to the carb and overflow the float bowl. Check the check valve in the intake manifold drain tube. Make sure the check valve is not stuck shut. Excess fuel down the throat of the carb is supposed to drain out the check valve and puddle under the engine. The check valve is in the elbow of the drain tube. It does come apart. Make sure the little ball is seating properly. Dave