Grimy

The good news is that only the 1937s used the slotted rod bolts. Suggest you replace them with otherwise-identical 7/16 hex-head bolts used 1938 thru 1948. Those MAY have been reproduced over the years. I've heard that Cadillac's intent was to force us to replace the rod bolts every time, and not re-use them. I've used 3/8-drive slotted-bit sockets (Craftsman) on a breaker bar to get them loose, then a 3/8-drive ratchet to finish the job. Obviously, you want the tightest full-depth fit possible, so buy two or three different sizes. For the replacement 7/16 hex head bolts, you will need a 6-point slim socket (Snap-On would be ideal) and be very careful not to apply force at any angle other than 90 degrees, or you'll split the socket like I've done several times. Good luck and please keep us posted.

1930 Pierce-Arrow Model B Sport Roadster, this year. Not shown in AACA, but driven on Western Divisional Tour. Photos are (1) "buttoned up" as required for AACA submission, (2) "less buttoned" on display with Art Deco objets d'art at San Francisco Airport March-August, and (3) the way she looks best--topless!

Depends on whether you have a complete and correct pump already. If you do, send it to Then & Now or other rebuilder for a modern ethanol-resistant diaphragm. I believe Then & Now still charges $85 for a single action pump and $135 for a double action pump IF you send them an intact, correct pump. I'm very satisfied with the three or four pumps I've sent them. The high value situation is when one does NOT have the correct pump, including ALL the correct components, including body and arm, for a rare application. Think of a one-year-only, no-other-applications, pump. In some cases, the choice of arm depends on whether on not an insulator (approx. 3/8" thick non-metallic block between the pump body and the block) is used. The insulator is highly desirable when protection against vapor lock is an issue. In sum, rebuilding costs are pretty standard. Acquiring the CORRECT core may be expensive.

Agree that this is NECESSARY **NOW** unless you want to pull the engine or trans again. Once done, you know that those parts won't fail for the next 75,000 miles minimum.

Search for those parts on napaonline.com and you'll find their (online prices). If they don't show Edsel, try 1960 Ford 6 (fullsize)

http://www.wcroberts.org/Paige_History/1920_Paige.html

1920 Paige model 6-55. Slanted hood louvers and back-slanted spares indicate 1920; both were vertical in the otherwise identical 1921.

600-W AKA steam cylinder oil. Use this in the diff and the steering box, too. Get it from Model T and A Ford parts houses. Insist on the dark, smelly, viscous stuff, NOT the honey-colored stuff which I suspect is repackaged SAE 140. Speaking of the steering box, do not be deceived by the zerk fitting. Your car came with a pistol grip push-type small grease gun loaded with Pierce's "Special Compound"--which is 600-W. If you put even a lever-type grease gun on that zerk, you will blow the seals. If you don't have the "compressor, grease," unscrew the zerk and pour in some heated 600-W.

It certainly would be good to verify that the vent passage is not blocked by the gasket or by mis-alignment of the inner tank, but either would have probably blocked venting completely. Six months ago I had a blocked vent on a 1925 Pierce 80, and the carb cleaner + shop air solved that problem--but the diagnosis took longer... :-)

Electrically-WOUND car clocks were common by the mid-30s. My 6V 1934 and 1936 Pierces have electrically-wound Borg clocks.

That the tank works better when the fill plug is removed leads me to believe that the atmospheric valve or the passage to the vent pipe is **partially** clogged. The two side-by-side valves in the pot metal "head" or cover are (1) the suction valve and (2) the atmospheric valve. They are connected by overcenter linkage and a pair of matched springs to ensure that when one valve is closed, the other is open. With the head off and the float dangling from it (head held in a vertical position), slowly work the float up and down and watch the valves open and close. the valves should open and close **sharply** and quickly. The valves are rather like small carb needle valves. They sometimes grow "whiskers" of corrosion, which can be cleaned with carb cleaner and a small NYLON (not metal) brush or toothbrush. Further, their seats are staked into the pot metal; those seats sometimes come loose. Re-staking without fracturing the pot metal can be difficult, so if a seat is loose or out of position, be very careful. Also check the pivot for the overcenter linkage for corrosion which might inhibit its smooth operation, and use the aerosol carb cleaner and nylon brush to clean the pivot as well. If the valves do NOT open and close sharply, the springs should be examined closely and possibly replaced. One of the first things to do is to remove the external vent pipe, spray carb cleaner from the outside in, then apply some shop air. Hopefully this will clear the partial blockage. Sometimes the replacement springs will be a little too tight and inhibit the overcenter linkage from operating by the minor force exerted by the rising and falling float. In such a case, stretch each spring just a little until the float moving up and down will trip the linkage reliably and sharply. Hope this helps!

It's the radio antenna--really! Although relatively few radios were installed in 1932 cars--most by dealers or aftermarket accessory stores--the cars were radio-ready.

Wouldn't hurt to check the road draft tube and any associated gauze filters for any blockage.

Just occurred to me: Is this car equipped with a PCV valve (positive crankcase ventilation valve)? They were mandatory in California on new cars beginning in 1961, but The Pipples' Republik also required me to retrofit one onto a 1950 Pontiac. I believe GM may have had them even before 1961. Just IF you do have a PCV, either factory or a retrofit installation, it should be located and cleaned or replaced, just on General Principles.

Wish I had seen your post in Sept, but I'll try to answer it now. That is not a valid serial number. 1937 V8 Cadillacs with Fleetwood bodies were either Series 70 (131 inch wheelbase) or Series 75 (138 inch wheelbase. Both used the same range of serial numbers, 3130001-3134232. That number was usually stamped on the horizontal portion of the frame on the left side, just outboard of the steering box. You may need to use a wire brush to find it. There is a body plate on the driver's side of the engine side of the firewall with will give a body "Style Number," e.g 37-7019, which means 1937 year model, Series 70, and the 19 indicates a 5-passenger touring sedan. BTW, "touring sedan" in late '30s GM-speak meant a sedan with 'hump' built-in trunk. I believe that was the only **sedan** body style available in the 70 series. The 75 series had a variety of sedans, 5 or 7 passengers, with or without division glass. If you provide the number, I'll tell you what specific body it is. On the same plate, below "style number," are entries for (1) Body Number (sequential number of that specific body for that year), (2) Trim Number (trim design and material), and Paint Number (original color). I sold my long-held (42 yrs) 1939 75 7-p sedan five years ago with most of my reference materials, so I can't tell you what color Paint Code 50 is. Hope this is helpful.

I'm not a member of their region, but if they will accept a 50+ year member of national AACA as your sponsor, I'll be happy to send you my member number and full contact info. Actually, they should just look at this thread to determine your worthiness.

You might try pushing in (towards the roof before trying to twist. I've encountered several that were just slightly corroded to the mounting ring. What does the shop manual say? When you get the bulb out, see if its contact is a round-headed brass screw, as was the case in my dear departed (but only two blocks away) 1939 Cadillac 75. I compensated for decades of spring fatigue by backing off that screw half a turn.

+1, e.g., Timken, Salisbury. etc

Definitely not a Pierce Travelodge hubcap, which were Chev/GMC truck with logo planished out, so no logo at all.

I like Jack M's idea in #92 about checking the firing order. Also, I'm sure Jeff will check all the basics like rotor, distributor cap for missing carbon button, cracks, carbon tracking, etc. How do the plug wires look? Ohmmeter check of each plug wire. May I recommend that Lebowski spend another $25-30 for a distributor cap and rotor, AND another condenser. NAPA should be able to get those within a day. I've found that condensers can cause all kinds of grief when all other components check out. Perhaps replace one of the above components at a time to determine the point of failure. Any existing component that has not failed can be carried in the trunk for future potential roadside repairs. I'd ask for parts for a 1960 FORD 223 6-cylinder. With a new collector car, I usually go thru the ignition and establish a baseline for **my** ownership, keep a computer record and a Next Maintenance mileage or date, so I know when to replace or at least look at individual components or services. Please keep us posted on what you guys find!

Lebowski, almost every vintage car I've ever bought--no matter how good its appearance--has needed some degree of mechanical "sorting," and I have learned to allow for that in what I am willing to pay. I've followed your thread attentively, and believe you probably can in fact get it running acceptably well without doing an engine rebuild. So what if it uses some oil, even 200-400 miles per quart; you can buy a lot of oil for the cost of major surgery on the engine. As someone said, compression is acceptable and relatively even, and it may well improve with some driving. I'd also check valve lash adjustment. It's a very nice, quite unusual car. Hopefully your wife will be able to enjoy the car with you and that your dissatisfaction will not linger once you have it running decently. Do you have a mechanic with an oscilloscope, as on a Sun machine? A couple of mechanic's diagnostic hours (someone experienced in pre-electronic-ignition and with old school equipment) would be money well spent rather than guessing at problem areas and replacing components willy-nilly. Valve stem seals (if that engine uses them) can usually be replaced without removing the head **IF** your mechanic has the proper tool to maintain pressure in each cylinder from shop air. Best wishes! We all feel your pain and are trying to help.

HOWEVER, odds are that any oil change bozos where you take it will only have GL-5 gear oil (for limited slip diffs) in stock. Because you likely have yellow-metal (bronze, brass) components in that diff, you must use GL-4 (that's FOUR). You have a hypoid diff (pinion is below center of the pumpkin) to you need EP (Extreme Pressure) gear oil. To get GL-4 you may have to order it from NAPA. I haven't seen any GL-4 on the shelves of the chains like Advance, O'Reilly, Pep Boys, and even Wal-Mart for at least ten years.

Mike, In the unlikely event that Carl and I are being too subtle, what we are urging is that you drive this Cadillac as if you were the Captain of Industry who originally owned it: that is, conservatively and with dignity. Your car, like Pierces and Packards of the era, were designed to minimize shifting. No need to use first gear unless you're moving from rest on a significant upgrade. Upshift early. Your car is designed for low rpm performance. The nouveau riche performance crowd bought Duesenbergs in 1929, not Cadillacs, Pierces, or Packards (except for the few Packard Speedsters ca. 1930).

Mike, here's a special capability of your Cadillac that will amaze non-old-car-people: the ability to pull away from the curb almost completely silently. This is an old chauffeur's trick: Glide away from the curb in first gear at idle--apply no throttle, just let the clutch engage gently. At about 3 mph, shift to second, engage the clutch gently, still at idle, and at about 6 mph step gently on the throttle. By this time you'll be 30 ft or more away from the admiring throngs at the curb. This is the opposite of a Corvette or Shelby Mustang departure, but you're driving a CADILLAC and you'll depart with great dignity... :-)

Carl and Mike, here's a link to the thread to which I referred (my post is #12--the last one--rarely do I get a chance to have the last word!) http://forums.aaca.org/topic/262273-proper-way-to-drive-a-80-years-old-car-in-traffic/ Carl, please copy your Magum Opus into a Word document and trot it out for the next inquiry! Your explanation is terrific! BTW, having suffered the same fate of my best ideas, and best expressions thereof, vanishing into cyberspace, I now draft a long or complex response into a Word document and then paste it into an email or forum response. I feel your pain! My 1934 & 1936 Pierces have synchromesh 2nd & 3rds, and I frequently double-clutch them to save the synchronizers (the '34 has two clutch plates). Almost 60 years ago I learned to drive on a 1934 Buick with 2-3 synchro and quickly learned that I could not expect it to shift as quickly, without clashing, as a more modern car. I agree with you completely about radiators. My Paige was the overheating queen, until I pulled the core plugs and cleaned out the block (repetitive flushing with various chemicals--AKA Better Living Thru Chemistry--did NOT do the job, AND had the radiator tanked (it came back about 5 lbs lighter than when it went in. Was doing a valve job and also cleaned out the water passages in the block and the head. CAUTION: Do NOT let a radiator shop apply more than about 4 psi of air to a honeycomb radiator; they are used to using 30 psi on modern units. Mike, admire (and respect) your Cadillac's limitations as much as its capabilities. Doing so allows us to respect these cars as the precursors to modern vehicles. "Motor" as a verb was lost after WWII until BMW brought it back. Motoring was an adventure in itself when our cars were new, and the journey was as important as the destination.