Fr. Buick

Congratulations, Dick!

They are hard to find without cracks. Bob's Automobilia sells a reproduced one, I believe.

It's the business-end of an ICBM - destined for Moscow or a back yard near you!

Sounds like your return spring broke - a long, heavy thing that attaches at the point where the brake linkage pivots on the frame. A good hardware store may have something you can play with...

You got lucky and didn't have to replace the expansion valve or thermostat? Sounds like a good deal, I am preparing for the worst. So far both of my blower motors were frozen, so I am not optimistic! By the way, I found a clockwise and matching CCW replacements at Corvette Central...

Hey, Willie! Thanks for an excellent post. I am restoring a factory AC for my '54 Super, and have two questions at this point: 1. Did you find anything useful for coating the blower fan cages on the evap unit? The insullation on mine was in ugly shape, with rust issues as well, so that thick textured coating had to come off. Is there anything out there close to the insulation used originally? 2. My evap box originally came with an expansion valve that was adjustable and also had a third line - externally regulated. What is jerry-rigged in there now is a later unit - 1960s I would guess - not adjustable and not externally regulated. I see similar valves from that era are still commonly available, which is good news. Any experience on how well it would work? Thanks very much!

I just found a source for reproduced Delco motors... Corvette Central sells them. I just ordered two for my AC evap box. 1-800-345-4122. If your shaft measures 5/16 diaamater, look at these. But first look to see if it runs CW or CCW. Eyeball from the top and see how the fan would turn to force air down and out throught the sides of the heater housing. That will tell you what direction you need. CC is part number 91093, $99. CCW is 91162, $109. These are not standard Corvette parts, so not on the internet catalogue, but insist to the sales person that they do have the parts. I was thrilled to find these, since the originals are not easily rebuilt if the back bearing is stuck on the shaft.

Can we organize a tour after the Buick Show? Please, Mr. Earl?????

I have heard of an old trick - installing an in-line fuse between gen and reg in order to protect the whole system, but I have no idea of specifics. Anybody heard of such a thing?

I am slowly rebuilding a factory AC system for my '54 Buick, and need the two blower motors rebuilt. Can you recommend somebody in Southern California? I like to deliver my parts in person and not just drop them off in the mail... Gratefully for any help!

I imagine it was put in to keep dirt and oil out of the recess - otherwise it would throw off the balance a bit? Just guessing...

Is the float bowl too full? Try a larg-dia screw in the side of the float bowl. If you unscrew it while the car isrumming, the gas level should be at or close to that level, even with a bit seeping out. If it comes pouring out, you have flooding condition and need to adjust the floats.

Thumbs up on the effort to do this yourself!! I recently rebuilt my first carb for my '54, a WCFB as well - nearly identical to yours. I would check to be sure the check ball inside the accel pump hole is there. Also, the accel pump plunger is supposed to have TWO springs: --a return spring below it, soft and about as wide as the plunger, sitting in the pump hole above the check ball. This pushes the blunger back up once your foot is off the gass. --and a second spring on the plunger shaft above the plunger. This second one did not come in my rebuuild kit, so it got left out on the first try. It is there to give some smoothness to a sudden acceleration, and without it the plunger will kick in late and only travel half-way through its stroke. With performance problems similar to yours, I tore back into my carb and discovered the error, swaped in an old spring on the shaft, and problem solved... Look in your factory service manual where it describes the carb functions. There should be a picture of the accel pump with springs above and below - and the check ball at the pottom too. Good luck!

'54 only. Not bad shape. Are any studs on the back side broken off? If all there, you have a nice piece!

Power steering did not work so well - and manual steering is a real handful. Are you shure you want to loose the leverage that you get from the original wheel diameter?

So I am in the middle of a power steering conversion on my 56R. I've done a pull-and-replace years ago on my Special, so I know most of what I am facing. And I already rebuilt the new power-gear, courtesy of Mr. Earl - Thanks!! And thanks too to Old Tank for his helpful write-up. Assuming you have a solid unit, it is not a hard job to do yourself. But I found something different - At the top of the column for manual steering there is a ball-bearing to support the steering shaft, and a small collar and spring to keep it firm against the shaft, all located just below the wheel. On a power-geer, this bearing is a simple felt-packed bearing with no spring. Can I use the ball-bearing arrangement on a power gear? I hesitate only because the power gear requires the steering shaft to rise or fall slightly to actuate the hydrolic valves, and I fear the bearing may hang that up. Does anybody have any experience on this? Much thanks, and happy wrenching!

Talk to Russ Martin, Centerville Auto Repair in CA. He has parts and the best advice out there for Nailheads.

Bulb #57, with 1.5 candle power. These are the same as what lights up the dash from behind. So when looking over a parts car, pull a few!!

Thanks, Dave, I found a copy of the Life issue, and the add was right were you said. Thanks!

If you are still looking, send me a PM...

The three pulleys at the crank andd water pump are easy to do. What is hard is an AC-styled generator, which has two groves on the front, plus cast-iron end pieces on the ends, not the lighter aluminum-looking stuff on a regular generator. The back piece allows for a larger bearing as well to handle the extra load and heat. Also hard to find is the power-steering pulley, which dishes forward, away from the pump, compared to the regular one which has the grove sitting farther back towards the pump. Be patient, the stuff is out there, and even the after-market units will have some pieces like these that will work with a factory set-up.

I just rebuilt a '54 power steering box, so let me encourage you to give it a try! Send me an email if you have questions... I also have two odd tools that I would be willing to loan to members. One is an odd-sized tap to clean out the adjusting nut on top of the valve body, otherwise you get shards into the system! And the other is a plate to bolt on to the VB for adjusting the load on that same nut...

Replace your fuel filter, as said before. Also turn ignition on to "Run" and listen around the fuel tank for the fuel pump. Funny noise? No noise? They have a way of failing all at once (my '96 Impala) or gradually (my '94 LeSabre). It also may be a fuel-pressure regulator. I would try replacing the filter and regulator first. They are cheaper and easier, and on an older car not a bad idea anyway. There comes a point, though, when guessing with new parts gets more expensive than a mechanic who can diagnose more accurately...

I'm thinking the extra tank is an after-market oiling device - adds a little oil into the fuel for top-engine lubrication...??? A mechanical version of adding a little Marvel Mystery Oil at every fill-up of gas. Maybe???

What is the proper OD for the tail pipe for my '54 Super? I picked up a NORS muffler and NORS pipes from different sources. The front pipe, between the Y-pipe and muffler, is 2.5 inches and fits fine. The tail pipe that I was sent is only 2 inches, but the outlet on the muffler seems to want a 2.25. The old system on the car now is all cobbled together, so I have no idea what is correct. So, Buick fans, do I need a 2-inch or 2.25 for my tailpipe? I like the bigger dia., but that means having my muffler guy fab something new. Thanks for any help...