KAD36

Difficult to tell if there is a fuel filter in the glass filter bowl? Maybe dumb question but from the camera angle it looks empty. If all you have is that screen that screws into the top of the carb that would allow something to clog up.

"it leans a lot when turning right unless you creep." Consider checking the rubber front sway bar link bushings and make sure they are tight. If you have the original rubber bushings tighten the link until the bushing expands to the diameter of the washers. Sometimes they dry up and shrink or crack. Same wtih the bushing that go around the sway bar and mount to the frame. They're pretty cheap to replace if thats it.

Does it happens with multiple keys? Locks work ok from inside? "Not engaging the lock" - what does that mean? Key goes into lock cylinder and can turn in the cylinder but doesn't unlock the door, or key goes in the lock cylinder but key doesn't turn cylinder at all? x2 what John D said for lubrication. Try rubbing some oil on the key too. Also, you can blow some graphite into the key hole and see if that works. Sometimes the tumblers can work rough. Panels and interior handles can be frustrating but aren't too hard to get off with some practice. Some cheap panel removal tools (the wide plastic type is fine, metal is better. Also one of the door clip spring removal tools) and you can get the panels and handles off with care. Actually, for the door and window handle clips my preference is a thin screwdriver with a "v" cut into the blade and the blade bent at a slight angle to get to the engage the back edge of the clip. Then pop the screwdriver handle with the palm of your hand.

x3 above and check Willies post on the dwell. Maybe these pics will help: Why won't the idle screw turn? Is it actually bottomed out (no threads left) or is it bottomed out against the throttle lever and then won't turn? Should have more than a half turn left on it

Mud - Just re-watched the open exhaust episode of Mudbones Garage. Yeah it does sound REALLY good. With the attention to detail you put into your work, it will move that Century just as well. Hey - it would be a pretty short putt to turn that engine stand into a go cart and fit that road test in. Think of the power to weight ratio.....you built it right and plenty strong

Thanks for the advice! WIll leave the engine in the car and pull the heads off end of summer. Can take a look at the cylinders then before going further. If they don't look too bad will leave well enough be. Engine is quiet and makes good oil pressure even hot at low idle. Maybe we can take a vote on fiddling with the cam and timing chain when its apart. In the meantime, this misguided car that charged all over the North Country, sometimes pushing snow with the front bumper and passing out snowplows on the NYS Thruway (ok so maybe that wasn't so smart but we were in college and trying to get to a Springsteen concert ) will keep puffing around town. Then its gonna charge across country with the rest of the fleet!

Spent about 30 min on the phone with Tom - learned a few tricks. He'll have some parts for sure but he is pretty backed up with customers so that won't work within my timeline right now. Figure I have about 2 months to do some research, identify and visit a good machine shop that will work with me. I've spent the weekend reading my 1957 Motors manual and the Buick shop manual on the engine internals. Hey Mud - if you're out there thanks for posting all your videos of your rebuild. They are absolutely invaluable.

Am asking around locally, and still looking for someone with experience that reflects proper knowledge of the engine. Not yet there. Buick-Man - great info on valve seats and parts - noted and thank you! Carmen Fasos name came up near Towanda for cylinder head work and seems well regarded. Will try calling. Egge seems to have acquired complaints against their pistons from folks with recent purchases with wieght spread (fixable), compression and overall quality. Their older stuff seems to earn better reviews. Just an observation from searching last night on this forum and the V8 Buick.

Good one Bernie - upstate is where the first cow start showing up in the field as you drive by. I'm just below Syracuse NY in Binghamton - realized the new forum doesn't add location any more. Anyplace within a few hours, either in NY, PA, CT, MA would work for me. I could deal with farming out, just not sure what all to ask about or check for. Plus in studying others posts there seems to be a general recommendation to find a machine shop that has worked on a nailhead before. Some Texas inspiration tells me I'm going to get shamed into fixing this myself with a lot of late night phone calls..... Anyone ever hear of this place? http://www.jandm-machine.com/

Well..... it might just about be that time. 105,000 miles on the clock, 40,000 miles and 30 years since heads were off and had a valve job done to fix 2 burned valves (and all "good" parts were reused). Looks like we've developed a miss. Noticed it about a few weeks ago, fairly steady puff out the exhaust at idle, not the intermittent kind that happens when the carb is out of tune. Other then that the engine is quiet and runs smooth. No tapping, pulled the valve covers off, everythings moving. Didn't pull the valley cover to check for bent pushrods, but near as I can tell the valves aren't sticking and theres no gap at the rocker arm to valve stem point. Compression test showed 7 cylinders between 115 and 120 (down from 125 ish back in 2006) and one cylinder at 40 psi, and it only jumped to 30psi on the first stroke where others all jumped to 60-75 psi. Test run warm. Oil in the cylinder raised it about 3 psi. Was hoping I could get away with pulling a head and doing a valve, or maybe pulling both and doing another valve job and a re-ring to keep costs down and considering the level of use of the car. So, then built a leak down tester and ran that test with each cylinder at TDC compression stroke, put 50 psi into each cylinder (tank source) then measured resulting pressure flowing air into the cylinder. 2 cylinders did very well - 49 psi/50psi or about 2% loss - air loss was through breather and barely noticable 2 cylinders did pretty good - 45-46 psi/50psi or about 10% loss - air loss was through breather (rings or taper) 2 cylinders did pretty lousy - 40 - 38 psi/50 psi or about 19%-24% loss - air was through breather (rings or taper) 2 cylinders just blew it - 25 - 30psi/50 psi or 40% to 50% loss - air was through the exhaust pipe, one valve on each bank (exhaust valve). No loss through carburetor, so intake valves all good. I didn't stroke the piston and take leakdown at mid or bottom piston travel points. Figured top was worse. Now I know where the blow by vapor was coming from. The car still runs pretty darn good so I'm enjoying it locally (heck in college it carried us hundreds of miles with 2 cracked heads and 3 burned valves because it was all I had) and at the end of this summer would like to get moving on fixing it. A highly regarded rebuilder on the East Coast informed me of a 1 year wait which unfortunately is too long for me. Allentowns coming up ya know and can't miss that one (since I missed JD and the Empire Express this year). The engine plan doesn't assume anything too extravegant - maybe a cam, maybe roller rockers or later nailhead 1.6 rockers, not sure what works. Maybe a 57 distributor with a window on it just to set the points easier. Definitely put the high compression head gaskets back on it - the mechanic who did the work while I was in school used low compression gaskets, the valve guide situation on these heads was new to him, and he re-used most everything to keep costs down. I'll pull the motor and drive it up to about a 300 mile radius to get it to a shop. Don't want to ship it to the West Coast. My experience is limited to 1 full rebuild of an Olds engine in my youth and I had a mentor then hovering over me. The rebuild ran great but I never knew the longevity. This car will be doing cross country runs in the future and I need to trust it. If it were more of a local car I'd go for it myself. Would like anyones experience with shops who have successfully worked on a nailhead on the East Coast and know what one is - either do the whole rebuild turn key or at least do the rotating assembly and get it right. Please share your experience? Also, any advice you might have learned along the way on how to advise a shop of parts to use (like which are the best pistons to get and from who - often a hot topic) and what are some smart questions to ask. thanks in advance

You may need to connect 1 wire at a time to the carb switch and see which leg of the circuit is causing the short. Hard to visualize how what you did caused a direct short to ground given the internals of the carb switch but that sure sounds like what is happening. Inside the starter switch is a simple plunger with 2 copper contacts zero ohms impedance that press against the terminal side of the switch where the wires hook up. Make sure they are not contacting the carb body in any way (if its like the 55s). You could ohm out each switch terminal (where the wires attach) from contact to the block and see if there is a short there before you take it apart. Sometimes we accidentally fix electrical problems when we disturb the circuits so measure it first before you disassemble the switch. Without knowing the 52 circuit and assuming it is like the 55s, you can also trace the schematic in the shop manual, find the "hot" side (current would go into the switch), only hook that wire up to the switch and leave the other off. See if the discharge still happens. If so its somewhere either in the switch assembly and shorting out to ground (which could still happen since the studs and nuts will ground the carb to the block) or the wire to the switch got grounded out somehow when you connected it. If you lifted the carb from the manifold thus electrically isolating it from the block, and hit the ignition and see no and that "fixes" it it would verify where the short is. If you don't get the problem, it suggests the short is in the wire running from the other end of the switch. Follow that from the switch to where it is terminated and unhook it there, see what happens. Since you can get it to work properly when you physically touch the two wires, my hunch is coincidentally something shorted out to the block or carb base inside the switch or in the wiring it hitting something metal along its path before it gets to the starter relay. Paul - yes would advise hooking up a fuse. Reference link below: http://forums.aaca.org/topic/90213-wiring-short-on-starter-switch-close-call/?hl=%2Bstarter+%2Bswitch+%2Bfuse Your car is looking better and better with all the work you have put into it btw, Nice job

John, You've been a great help to me and others in the club, and did an excellent job keeping the Empire Express out of the ditch leading the way to South Bend (rain, hail, fog and all). Glad to see you running. You have my vote!

Nice job Paul.

Heres another thumbs up on Mikes advice for Craytex and Bobs inspiration from his work. There are a couple ways to effectively accomplish this task. Persistence, persistence, persistence. Good luck! http://forums.aaca.org/f163/door-panel-engine-turning-project-327197.html

Well, judging is probably deserving of a new thread topic and in doing a search you'll see a wide range of opinions. While no expert, my advice would be first determine what your goals are in getting the car judged, look over the judging manual and ask questions, and be prepared to receive and act on feedback if that matters to you. Most important I think you have to go into it with a learning mentality. Note that if you choose the 400 point class, it can be helpful in guiding you to achieve a high level of authenticiy, condition and workmanship - people have told me with care you can achieve a high scoring car. By reviewing the results of the judging you can incrementally improve your car - work off the deductions like a checklist - that being said, obviously budget can be a factor. By talking to some of the more experienced people who have had their car judged numerous times they can tell you what attributes are most important to focus on in your restoration. One nice thing is there have been initiatives taken by the Club to be inclusive of all types of Buicks, not just the 400 pointers, and people are really helpful with sharing information. Your car looks in great shape - get a judging manual, ask questions, and give it a go.

Oh wow - really sharp looking color combination Tony. Very nice

Its good stuff - have used it for years, think its only been touched up once or twice. Still have the original 3 oz. Toothbrush is works it into the manifold well - good idea to add some mineral spirits - it does get thick in the container after a few years.

My experience has been using 10W40 with a bottle of STP and an occasional bottle of Marvel to top off. Changed oil and filter every 2-4000 miles. Sometimes the seasons oil sits in the car over winter. Used mostly Mobil dino oil in the 80s and 90s when the car was in constant service, then switched to Castrol later. Recently switched to Shell Rotella based on some info shared from board members. Dex 3 goes in the transmission and power steering, and think Castol 80W90 went in the diff. Stabil goes in the tank in the fall and is filled over winter. I start the car every so often and let it get good and hot. In the spring a can of Berrymans goes in on tank #1 to clean up any varnish that may have formed and I try to use that tank right up and not let it sit because Berrymans is a strong detergent. No lead additives added. Started with 47000 miles on the clock and now have 105,000 after 30 years of service. Might also add that you drop the oil pan and shovel out the gunk in the bottom. You can check my pictures. This is something I should have prioritized sooner. My only issue is the dang rear seal, which one of these days am gonna get to...... spit out about 2 quarts on the way to Indiana and back in 2013 - leaks it, doesn't burn it. Got a pic of your car to post?

Mine too. The only non-theory now appears to be to buying a deserved round of cold ones and having some laughs. Hey Mike - I think my busted up horn collar is still in the cabinet. Maybe we can leave it on the floor of Brians car like the "magic bullet"....

Phooey. No soup for them.

and hungry....could go for a burger with that beer. Maybe he needs help and we could show up and "point things out" ;:cool:. Old Bondo spreaders have yet another use Good one Mike.

Which style on Rockauto looked like Daytona? That Essex brand? This place had Daytona but no on line pricing - have to call. They had green. http://www.auto-interior.com/Daytona.htm

A little wood stove and you are set for winter. I'll bring some Killians and a folding chair and be right up....

Well done John - looks great nestled right in there and look sharp with the road wheels. Pretty smart to do the 6 foot doorway at the other end of the shed. Gives me ideas... Watch that bicycle hangin so ya don't bump yer head

Wow - crack just sitting in the box. Stress makes more sense than a tear.