Grimy

Perfect! NAPA Gold filters are made by Wix, and are very high quality. USUALLY (not always) NAPA drops the 5 and their number would be 1126. I can check my files tomorrow.

BTW, even though the parts computer may not have a listing for a 1951 Buick cartridge/element, industrial equipment of recent manufacture probably uses the same element. All you need is the element number.

What's the number on the top of the cartridge? You have to remove the lid to look for it. That's the number NAPA or any other decent parts house will cross--and if they can't we probably can. Don't lose or abuse the gasket under the lid--you may have to re-use it.

Not just an Imperial (shorter wheelbase) but a Custom Imperial, about 145.5-inch wheelbase. IIRC, 1931 had hood louvers while '32 and '33 had hood doors.

tohbi, my comments above are limited to engine oil and I didn't answer your question about transmission and differential oil. For the diff, use GL-4 gear oil (O'Reilly carries it) which is for Extreme Pressure (EP), not the usually-found GL-5 (for limited slip but not as friendly to yellow-metal components which you should assume for now that you have). Your choice of weight, 90 or 140, or make a half-and-half mixture of the same brand and type. Transmission: This assumes you have stick (and hopefully overdrive) rather than Hydramatic. I use GL-1 (straight mineral oil, not EP) in transmissions and overdrives. Sulfur in GL-4 and especially in GL-5 (you can smell it in the product) is not friendly to yellow metal (brass and bronze) such as synchronizers. My Jeepster owner's manual (it too has Borg-Warner OD) is explicit to use "straight mineral oil" (i.e., GL-1) in the trans and OD, but EP oil (i.e., GL-4) in the differential. I know a lot of people who have run GL-4 in trannies and ODs for years with no apparent ill effects--even me, years ago, but I feel safer with the right product. You may have to special order GL-1.

tohbi, there are weekly discussions, sometimes heated, on this forum about suitable motor oils for our old iron. I use Shell Rotella T 15W-40 oil in all my fleet for the following reasons, with which some will not agree: 1. Multigrade for fast flow on cold starts when wear is greatest. 2. Diesel cross-over oil (also approved by API [American Petroleum Institute] for gasoline engines has more zinc and phosphorus than gasoline-only oils, not THAT important unless you're working the engine really hard. Rotella has a bit more than Chevron Delo. 3. Synthetic may leak more than dino oil if you still have original type seals, AND the cost: I change my oil every 12-15 months, usually at the end of the touring season, irrespective of mileage, because oil filters don't remove liquid contaminants like water and acid. By changing the oil more frequently--and always do it HOT after a 45-minute run and let it drain for 30 minutes, you get rid of the liquid contaminants. I agree that synthetic affords incrementally better lubrication, but it gets pricey if you change it as frequently as I do. And today's oil is infinitely better than what was available almost 70 years ago.

tohbi, that's a great story about getting a Lincoln "for a song"--literally! I've always admired the 1949-51 Lincolns with the big 337 cid engine but never had one. My moniker comes from a mod to my unusual (family) middle name coupled with my spending a lot of time on old iron, and friends had that moniker engraved on my Army organizational mug almost 50 years ago. Thanks for the kind words about my greasy knowledge :-) but I've found it necessary to see what certain terms meant at the time a particular car was built. For example, Pierces 1925-28 have zerks (new at the time) on the steering box fill, but chassis grease will destroy the gear in short order and a lever-action gun will blow the seals. Each car came with a pistol grip "grease compressor" which when pushed dispensed a small short of 600W gear oil--and that was also used on chassis fittings [but I use modern chassis grease on the latter]. And usually Pierce referred to 600-W as "Special Compound" -- where the heck do you get THAT? So some research is in order, best done thru a club specializing in the particular marque and model year range. Strongly suggest you track down a factory shop manual, either original or reprint. Not only will it answer a lot of yet-to-be-asked questions AND will have the lube chart, but such manuals usually show what types of lube equipment in use at the time the car was built. I've had my pre-war cars' (all but the 1918) grease-cup pumps rebuilt with modern materials (sealed bearings replacing bushings + modern lip seals) so that there is no more packing and the grease cups are only decorative. And the Jeepster has a modern sealed bearing pump from the factory. But in all my cars I use Pencool coolant additive, a big rig product, Pencool 2000 if you have no anti-freeze or Pencool 3000 if you use any amount of anti-freeze. Initial dosage is 1 oz per quart of cooling system capacity. It's hard to find in stores, but Amazon has best price, and I find the half-gallon (64 oz) jug the most convenient. Anti-freeze (use only green ethylene glycol [EG]) retains its freeze protection indefinitely, but its anti-corrosion and water pump lube properties disappear with time (2-3 years). I have no connection with Pencool other than as a happy customer, but have discussed which product to use with their chemist. My top-off gallon jugs have 4 oz Pencool before adding water, so this substitutes for the "make-up dose" on the label. In the 10-15 years I've been using this product, my cooling systems remain clear and clean. Please post some photos of your car! VBR, George AKA Grimy

Big difference between bias and radial pressures, too. Since DOT has mandated max tire pressure (TP) in sidewalls, those numbers are for COLD inflation. And those are MAXIMUM pressures. Back in the dark ages (late 50s/early 60s) when I worked in a gas station, contemporary cars had decals, usually inside the glove box door, with "recommended" (VERY LOW) tire pressures, like 24-26. Tires were only good for 18-20,000 miles in those days, and those "recommended" pressures were intended to give a soft boulevard ride. We gas jockeys always inflated those tires to 30-32 psi, EXCEPT... My boss insisted that any car brought in for a tune-up always got a free wash, glass cleaned inside and out, and dashboard dusted and polished, AND the tp adjusted to the recommended amount. Customers always said that was the best tune-up they'd ever had!

Thanks, Matt, I stand corrected. Always happy to learn something new....

pmhowe, I'm glad you're asking, because my answer was too short. First, 70 or more years ago there were multiple types of "grease" for various applications including chassis grease, wheel bearing grease, cup grease (for grease cups), and--of course--water pump grease. And in the 1920s and earlier, there was "liquid grease" which was 600-W gear oil. There were also various types of unusual-today grease dispensers, some of which delivered a very small quantity at relatively low pressure. A typical lever-action (chassis) grease gun delivers product at about 3,000 psi. The dedicated water pump grease gun had a short tube (perhaps 5 inches long, maybe 1.5 inches diameter) with a T-handle that would be turned about 90 degrees to dispense a very small dollop of water pump grease. I don't think I have one of those any longer, so I can't provide a picture. Today we are accustomed to a single "multi-purpose" grease for chassis and wheel bearings and u-joints, but if you have ball-bearing front wheel bearings (vs. tapered roller bearings) as did my 1939 Cad (see below), I recommend the much thicker/stringier wheel bearing grease sold by Model A Ford suppliers. 1937-48 Cadillac V8s had a grease fitting on their water pumps, and I had a 1939 Cadillac 75 for 42 years, which is now in the hands of the perfect Next Custodian, o good friend and neighbor. In the Cadillac Club I saw many owners replacing or rebuilding their water pumps because they used lever-action grease guns on that fitting. In Cad circles, many would replace their water pump fitting with a turn-down grease cup for use but replace the fitting only for judging. It's essential to use water pump grease, available from Restoration Supply www.restostuff.com or I think (search the forums) NGLI #2 calcium grease is also water-soluble, whereas chassis grease is not. A one-pound can will last you and a friend most of a lifetime: like Brylcreem, "a little dab will do ya." Non-water-soluble chassis grease in a water pump will eventually result in clogged radiator tubes, and inhibits heat transfer by coating the block. If you find "sludge" in your radiator top tank, that's where it came from. Hope the above helps.

Maybe not... As I recall, REO Company sold their cars under the RIO name in Spanish-speaking countries because "REO" had an unfortunate connotation in Spanish slang, perhaps something to do with female genitalia.

Uh, that's a OIL line in the rocker arm shaft...

For now, my friend. If you're lucky, you'll live long enough to get them, And when you do, remember your (valid) critique and try to be a mentor to the younger enthusiasts, and not the grouchy old buggers that Bernie and I remember. That said, I remember well those mentors who taught me rather than criticized, when it would have been easy and valid to do the latter. Almost all of them are gone now, but I think of them often and fondly, and try to pay their kindnesses forward.

Not suitable for AACA judging, of course, but a perfect period accessory for protecting the die cast grille on my 1947 DeSoto Suburban of happy memory. And much better looking than the MoPaR accessory overrider. The Van Auken guards were a very high quality accessory.

I'm often amused that in CCCA-speak, "multi-cylinder" means "more than 8 cylinders" rather than in normal English "more than one..."

Dear Lord, do NOT put a grease gun on any water pump fitting or you'll blow the seals! Substitute a grease cup to be turned down periodically. And water pumps require a calcium-based grease, not chassis lube.

Bernie likes to play with words--and our heads. I think he typed "aggravate" deliberately, with "aggregate" as an appropriate substitute if/when challenged, and I admire the mental work he went to in order to make that happen. :-) Retiredmechanic74, I'm sure no offense was intended, but the Frequent Fliers on this site sometimes play word games when they should be under a hood.

And http://www.pierce-arrow.org has enough to keep one amused for a couple of hours

Indeed a Pierce-Arrow, 1919-20 Series 51 due to lack of cowl lights, 525 cid T-head 6-cylinder, 4 valves per cylinder. Minor correction: Left hand steering commenced with the 1921 Series 32, introduced late in 1920. The tubular bumper is stock P-A.

You *could* look into installing a stepdown (12V to 6V) for the trans components (and for any original electrical gauges), but I'd test those components first. AND get a wiring diagram and study it thoroughly. You say someone thought the transmission's electrical components were bad, but if your original wiring was a mess they may not have worked properly--wiring condition is the most common cause of failure of the shifting, not the other components. And if you used the same-as-OEM gauge wire in your 12V conversion, it will work on 12V. 12V components use half the amperage of 6V components, and amps drive the wire gauge size (need heavier wire for 6V). Your shifter has no first gear stick position on the column.

Unless you're installing an air conditioner, going to 12V is a huge mistake. Can you reverse it? For Goshen's sake, WHY did you find it desirable? The M-6 transmission is bullet proof if a bit strange by modern standards. Did you search for M-6 troubleshooting? Going to another transmission will cost you far more than converting 6V tor 12V. Eagerly awaiting seeing suggestions from the MoPaR gurus.

Huh? What about driving the car with 20 or so amps going into the Optima? How does that differ from a "regular charger" which perhaps you should define. Your contention is not in the Optima literature. I've been using Optimas exclusively for 15-20 years and have never been reluctant to top off with a 10A charger, occasionally with a roll-around charger on "low," and have had no ill effects. Two points that are supported by Optima's literature: 1. Never use a battery lift strap (you don't need to). 2. A significantly-discharged Optima is best charged by wiring it in parallel with a decently charged other battery (same voltage of course) and charge the pair together until you get a decent (say, 6.1V) charge on the Optima. Most of my cars' battery compartments are under the floor/seat, so the freedom from checking electrolyte level and cleaning corrosion is greatly appreciated.

Don, you're probably right. I should have described my symptoms of 40 years ago: Wouldn't upshift out of first, but take it to 30 mph, move shifter to Neutral, then back to drive--then got top gear (3rd on TH400). A 4-inch piece of vacuum hose doing a 90^ bend from the modulator to the metal tube from the intake manifold had failed. I wonder how many transmissions got "rebuilt" (meaning removed and painted) for want of 10 cents of rubber tubing? So if anyone with a vacuum modulator has upshift problems, I recommend checking the integrity of this vacuum hose. Does the old 4-speed have a vacuum modulator?

If it's a Turbo Hydramatic 400 as on my long-since-sold '64 Cadillac, the upshift is controlled by a vacuum modulator screwed into the right side of the transmission case, and connected to steel vacuum tubing by a 3-inch piece of vacuum hose which deteriorates. IF you have a vacuum modulator, replace the vacuum hose, and check for oil inside the vacuum tube part of the modulator with a cotton swab. If you find oil there, replace the modulator.

Bill H is right--it's all about the front fenders with fenderwells. I've never seen another Series 80 with sidemounts, although they are a listed option in the salesmen's data book. BTW, the frozen steering box is most likely due to the original *pot metal* large multiple-diameter bushing inside, which is now reproduced in brass. Most S80-81 steering ills come from people applying a grease gun to the zerk where a fill plug should be, blowing out the seals, among other things. These cars came with a pistol-grip, push-operated "grease compressor" which contained 600W gear oil, the lube specified for all fittings. One push provided one small squirt of 600W. I remove the fitting entirely to check and/or top off the steering box gear oil.