KAD36

+1 on trans fluid level. Engine speed sounds disproportionately high for takeoff speed in video. My old college room mates 56 Special used to jump with a slight tip of the pedal. One of these days when time and room permit I’d like to try a swap to a 56 trans but not a priority…. Keep after it.

Check the tension on the 2 pivots that the drum rides on first and lube them. If memory serves correct you can adjust that spiral spring as well but recommend not messing with it until you are sure the pivots let the drum turn free. If the pivots are adjusted and lubed right, it doesn't take much to return it to zero. There may be another slot above where the end of the spring sits you can move it to to get more wind up tension. My approach was to use a small piece of stripped wire insulation, put that over the end of the spring where it sits in the "slot" on the frame, and it added some extra tension. I have literally added thin strips of masking tape to add small increments of tension on the spring to get a "best fit" reading across the normal driving range. Sounds hokey but it worked.

Smart to give them a budget. Let’s see where things land. Balls in motion 😀

100% agree with JD. Consider stepping away for a few weeks then hit it one thing at a time. Ask yourself whats essential and start there. Small victories. Your list sounds like it’s under 1/2 page. Took me needing a 6 month break after my rebuilt engine self destructed and I left your place with a replacement core. Was in no mood to rebuild another either. It only had 5000 miles on it. Time shapes perspective. This is in your wheelhouse. You got this.

My issue is that I am trying to re insert the cable end into the speedo head. I get the redline turned to the point of almost 0 mph and once I insert the cable end , the speedo suddenly spins freely and goes up to 100. Is there an issue with the speedo? Am I installing it wrong? Help us understand where you’re at and what you’re seeing 1) insert the cable into the speedo head. Confirm that means you’ve properly aligned the square end of the shaft with the square socket in the head and fully tightened and seated the barrel at the end of the cable on the speedo. 2) spins freely after lubricated - how did you do that? Pull the cable out of the sheath (housing covering the center cable) enough to disconnect from transmission and spin by hand? Pull whole cable out? If so how certain are you it fully reseated in the transmission gear socket? Or was it wheels off ground and put and drive and watch it rotate? Observing the latter when fully pushed into the trans would ensure no binding when turned by the gear. 3) Am having trouble visualizing turning to zero then jump to 100 after you install. Jump to 100 and stays there with wheels stopped? That sounds like interference in the speedo head between magnet and drum. Bounce to 100 and return? That sounds like the cable winding up and binding after the sheath is effectively “shortened” when both ends are screwed into the trans and speedo head respectively, or the cable is not fully seating in either the respective sockets thereby causing it to rub excessively against an inner wall area of the cable sheath.

Cable would be an easy check. On a 56 do you have to pull the dash to unhook the cable? If so you can try going into the speedometer. The 55 large series car is also a red liner drum type. The clearance between the magnet and drum is close and if the car has been sitting for a long time corrosion can get in there and create high spots that will make that clicking sound and the drum will bounce all around. Cleaning up with a mild scotch brite pad, adjusting the pivot point tension, adjusting the spring and clearance/depth of the magnet in the drum will smooth it out and get it to read pretty close. My approach was to get it steady (not bouncing), record how far off it was at like 45 and 60, then run it on a bench with a drill at those speeds and adjust to increment/decrement the reading. Mine was off by more than 10 and after rework its less than 5 at highway speeds - good enough for me. It was actually more straightforward than it might sound but if you step back and look at it, it’s not so bad, however the dash is usually an “episode” to remove. …or you could mount an aftermarket one on the column and people will think it’s a tach 😎

Congrats on the first drive! Liked the videos!

“It makes me think of what a very wise 85 year old farmer once told me "every problem you fix creates a new problem you didn't anticipate". When I see articles about people doing it, i feel exhausted and I always wonder if it really worked out like they planned. I'm also lazy by nature so I'm looking for easier ways of doing things. This is why my mind wanders to try to figure out how to do this easier (and I have the illusion that I'm somehow smarter than others” Yep - Old cars are a playground for solutionists, improvisors and lifetime learners aren’t they? Very wise farmer indeed. When you said the exhaust was 6/8 of the way done I knew I wanted to buy you a beer. 🤣👍

You might be surprised at the pickup the 56 Dynaflow has over the 55 and 54. I added an aftermarket actuator (eBay) to switch the pitch at part throttle and seat of the pants accelerometer at part throttle feels like a 56 in its “unswitched”” mode. You might find it It’s very drivable for a 4000 lb car. 205 radials would fit, frankly my approach was also budget black walls when first getting the car going because it was apart more than it was together, and that went in phases. Broken more than working for about a year and a half even after going through everything, then like 10 years of solid service with routine maintenance only, then the cycle repeats. Curious who you got both exhausts from? PM if you don’t want to post. 2 trees make good exhaust pipe benders BTW. Keep up the good work. Makes me remember the first drive my cousin and I took after just getting the 55 going back in 83, we drove around the cemetery a few blocks down the road - the way we saw it no one would get hurt if it didn’t stop, no one would rear end it if it didn’t go, and he could fetch it with the wrecker if it wouldn’t come home.

Thank goodness that got figured out. Congrats! So no adjustable pushrods right? Think it was smart that you pulled out those shims.

Also had looked forward to meeting him someday and enjoyed following his 58 posts. Sorry to hear the news. All we get is now. RIP Doug.

Nice find and congrats on your purchase. Look forward to hearing about your upcoming “journey” 👍

How soon till it gets a victory lap drifting around the backyard? Enquiring minds want to know 👍👍

Ha. Your ghost will be the new voices in our heads “advising” us how to properly finish it. 👍 Spray bomb over the surface rust on the inside of the lower radiator support with this leftover paint from 2005? ZAP…lightning strikes. Mud says we’ll be havin none of that. 🤣

Sounds pretty good. One other thing came to mind. If you can peek in and make sure when the spring is compressed that the bottom of the top spring retainer does not hit the top of the valve guide - since we don’t know the depth of where the machinist set the guides in the head. Just another place with potential for interference. Confirm you checked inner and outer springs?

TAPerformance is also a source to consider. Thanks for contributing your findings!

They might be filled with a light weight oil to prevent corrosion of the inner surfaces during storage…..

Used to get around an interference problem somewhere in the valve train? Discovered after reassembly and easiest way to reduce lift and fix maybe? Judging from pictures…odd.

Keep at it!

Have a hunch that the increased lift of the aftermarket cam may have been discovered on reassembly by the rebuilder. The blanks are the same, hence the same B-57 number I’m guessing, but there is no telling what profile is on it. In the example from the photos, the increased lobe lift of .0120” (.270” - .258) over stock translated to an additional .0180” of valve lift (.0120 x 1.5 rocker ratio) and that increased lift, or spring compression, will work with stock Buick inner and outer valve springs because those springs can compress to less than an inch with margin before going solid. If all new aftermarket springs were used in the rebuild, some brands specified for 322s will meet the close pressure in pounds of force, uninstalled height, and the seat diameter of the factory springs but will not be able to compress as far (meet the bind spec) as the factory springs and will go solid with higher lift cams and then bend pushrods rods/break rocker arms. This was exactly my dilemma and fortunately some forum folks helped me work through the math and test process to discover that anomaly before light off or there would have been a real friggin mess. The shims under the stands may have been added by the rebuilder to raise the rocker arm shaft as an attempt to compensate for that increased lift - sounds like a red flag. Does anyone know if that’s a standard practice? How thick are these shims? My input would be take your longest stem intake and exhaust valve on each bank, make a solid 56 lifter, with a 56 pushrod, install and rotate the assembly moving that slug to each of the 4 positions. That would be your 4 worst case test points - am advising checking both heads because we don’t know if the rebuilder decked or shaved the heads equally or what thickness head gaskets were used and it all adds up. Don’t worry this is all very solvable. Alternatively, adjustable pushrods are more expensive but perhaps that is the way to go if you don’t want to do the testing, measuring and math to see what you have. They can make up for all these variables and variations we don’t know. My advice would be to still spin the assembly as discussed, use 56 lifters, and measure all the rods/lifters for consistency in length before install. Consider your first decision being keeping those shims we are assuming the rebuilder added or not. That will establish the reference point for subsequent tests/measurements in preventing any more bent pushrods.. See this ain’t so bad after all 🤣

As discussed all new 56 lifters and pushrods bought from same vendor/brand. You likely have the same cam blank and may need to check the profile for lift since that’s what we are concerned with. Put lifter in a jar of oil and pump it with a pushrod until all the air is out and it holds pressure. This is not the best method as if the lifter is worn it can bleed down slowly without oil pressure when lifting a valve but you’ll get some general indication of interference and free motion or not. A solid slug same dimensions as a lifter, or a disassembled spare lifter with some washers stacked in it so the plunger can’t compress along with some math and measurements are better. You’re looking for basic free movement and observing/measuring/calculating how far the valve springs compress so nothing jams up. Take the plugs out so you aren’t fighting compression if you haven’t already it will help you feel for tension spots. How sure you want to be is proportionate to how much you’re willing to dig in when the starting point is uncertain. I read somewhere on using grade 8 washers under the heads of the rocker shaft stand bolt heads if the washers with the shoulders are missing but I can’t recall where or exactly why. Had something to do about preventing damage to the stands when torquing down. Shims under the stands sound like a shotgun compromise for something. Maybe someone on the team can help me out if either of the above are real or myths….

edit #2. I misread your post. I thought the shims were under the valve springs. I do not recall a case why one would put brass shims under the valve rocker shaft stands. Visualizing the geometry it would seem those shims are trying to raise the rocker arms to compensate for valve stems or pushrod lifter combinations that are too long.

^———. Do that. Same crap shoot for me with an undocumented cam and wrong spec’d inner valve springs -averted a disaster - that’s why my approach was the two-step math first, then verify with measurements. School of hard knocks no pun intended. The spring bind would look like either an inner or outer or both valve springs compressed until all coils were touching and the spring essentially becomes a solid column, which will bend rods and crack rocker arms. The spec is unique to each spring part number. Typically one takes the lift of the lobe in inches multiplied by the rocker arm ratio (1.5 is 322 stock) to get the valve lift, subtracts that from installed height and compares that height to the spring bind spec and shoots for .060 of margin. See page 19 save me some typing: http://www.engineprofessional.com/articles/EPQ215_18-38.pdf After the “theory” my preference was to instrument it and measure to make sure. There are probably more experienced folks that might have other approaches. You need either a solid lifter “slug” or a fully pumped up lifter to get the full lift off the camshaft for the measurement. I don’t think that’s your problem or you’d have lots of broken parts but pay attention to the longer stems and . My hunch agrees with the others you had some stuck parts or already bent parts or interchanged parts. If everything is moving now, it’s math and the right consistent assembled length on all the assembled pushrods and lifters. Pump up the lifters, put it together and slowly tighten the stands down checking the pushrods as they tighten. There’s also a shoulder on that washer that is under the rocker stand bolt. Make sure that’s seated properly. Watch that valves open for those lifters on the lobes as you evenly torque done the stands. Little at a time and evenly. There should not be any shims under the valve springs from stock.it’s a practice I can’t seem think off the top of my head unless it’s to make up for seat wear - maybe someone can help with that if I’m gettin this wrong. I tried to avoid those shims. Regarding the cams ID, here are pictures of two examples from 1 refresh and 2 rebuild episodes, an aftermarket one based on the 401 slug from a vendor turned and reground for a 322 along with lobe lift measurements and markings, and then a stock 55 one. If you’re able to get in and measure the base circle and the lobe lift you would get an idea if the assembly will bind or not that might be hard with it installed. I think it’s easier to just pump up a lifter and turn it over by hand with correct parts and observe the workings a number of times. You clearly have an aftermarket cam. If you want to get fancy and do the degree the cam thing I’ll forward links that helped me figure out what I had vs type it. Consider trying what Chris and Willie suggest first. Hope this helps Just looked back and appears some of your numbers match my aftermarket cam…go figure.

This makes my brain itch….🤣

The 55 and 56 cams are identified with 0, 1 or 2 grooves behind the 3rd journal within that given year and you should be able to see that feature with the valley cover off. I don’t recall an obvious part number stamped on it, would have to dig in the garage and look. . If it’s an RV cam it’s likely a Melling SBC type blank for a 364/401 milled to fit the 322 cam journals and with some franken-profile on it and my recollection is those will have the melling part number cast into it. That might be visible when you rotate it. Just sharing the observation on installing all 3 variations - the melling version sold by a vendor had no specs and it’s profile had to be figured out dialing it in from scratch, same with the 55/56.. Unless there’s another good way to tell the difference between 54/55 and 56 cams without instrumenting and measuring the profiles? Is getting all new 56 lifters and pushrods an option, albeit overkill, to be sure of consistency? Wouldn't have to worry about cleaning or sticking 55 lifters. Or go with the “equivalent assembled length” of a 55 after measuring up your parts. FWIW a 56 setup also ran many many thousands of miles on my used 55 cam, and if there really is an RV type cam in there the 56 lifters would be fine.