Joseph P. Indusi

All voltage regulators issue a buzzing sound because that is how they regulate the current and voltage. It is important that the mounting holes have the rubber grommets in place as they will lessen the sound you hear and the cover should be on securely. It looks to me that you have done everything correctly given all the good advice from the contributors to this thread. Joe, BCA 33493

Push starting cars was relatively common back in the day compared to today. In my view, the main reason was the cars then had generators and not alternators. A generator as you all know does not charge much at idle as compared to an alternator. Then you have to consider that with a 6-volt, system you have to supply twice the current to get the same wattage as with a 12-volt system for lights, radio, heater fan, etc. I also recall that few car owners had their own battery chargers, possibly because the money was used for other more important things. Today there are many inexpensive battery chargers available. The starter motors on newer cars draw less current than on the older starter motors without permanent field magnets. Nowadays the cars use more and more LED lamps that use much less current for the same light output and I suppose that battery technology has improved over the years as well. Today the 3EH batteries I buy from Tractor Supply for my 53 Special are better than the original Delco OEM batteries available back in the day. Push starting cars also ended when automatic transmissions were built without a rear pump that was driven off the drive shaft. Your pusher car driver got the stalled car up to 25-30 MPH, hit his brakes and blew his horn and the driver in the car being push started put the transmission into Low or Drive and hoped it would start the engine. Brings back memories! Joe BCA 33493

My 1948 Buick Special had a Hill-Holder setup on it. I disconnected it because it never really worked correctly, and I didn't have the time to fuss with it. It supposedly only worked when the front of the car was facing uphill, but this one locked the brakes even when facing downhill. So, I disconnected it. I think another name for this was Anti-Rollback. It actually prevented the brake fluid from returning back to the master cylinder to lock the brakes until the clutch was let out. I don't know if it was an aftermarket item or installed by Buick or a Buick dealer. Joe, BCA 33493

The Molotow Chrome marker pen does a good job on small blemishes, scratches, etc. Sold in Hobby Lobby stores, about $10 per marker. Looks better than anything I have tried in the past including a few spray cans. Have not tried the Revell spray chrome yet. Good to know there are these to take care of small defects. Joe, BCA 33493

Last battery I got for my 53 Special was from Tractor Supply. Listed as a 3EH and just slightly taller than the older 2E and the price was fair. Claims to have 875 Cold Cranking Amps and at 5 years old still going strong. I always put it on the Battery Tender after each use until the green light comes on and then I disconnect it from the Tender. I have a heavy-duty cutoff switch on the negative side. Cables are all 00 gauge. Since I just converted to LED bulbs including the headlights, I see no need to convert to 12 volts or the dreaded 8-volt route. I think if you have a good engine in tune and correct gauge battery cables you are in good shape unless you have starter or other issues. Joe, BCA 33493

I added a fuse to the horn circuit where the voltage supply goes into the horn relay. This may hopefully prevent major damage if the circuit shorts to ground somewhere. Joe, BCA 33493

If you drive your car in parades in the summer your engine may run hotter than when moving along. I got a fan with 5 or 6 blades instead of the stock 4 blade fan. Got mine off an old Cadillac with AC as the bolt pattern was the same. Most people never detect the difference. However, I would like to know what shroud would bolt up without too much trouble on my 53 Special. Joe, BCA 33493

I have the original jack or my 53 Special but I carry a regular aftermarket frame jack in my trunk. Got it at Hershey a number of years ago. I just don't trust the original bumper jacks. Joe, BCA 33493

It is not uncommon for the clutch disc to stick (rust?) to the pressure plate on old cars that are not used often. When this happens you cannot shift out of the gear it is in or get into another gear. This would happen to me on a 1940's Buick. I would try to get it into first or reverse and then try to start it in gear while pressing in the clutch pedal. The car would lurch forward or back and then I would hit the brake. You could hear the clutch disengage with a distinct sound. One way to avoid this is to use the car more often. Joe, BCA 33493

I agree that just running the starter may not be enough to start the engine easily. If I do not use my Buick for about a month it will eventually start off just the starter but it can drain the battery and worse overwork the starter. So, I drilled a tiny hole in the air cleaner intake near the carburetor air horn and then I insert the red plastic tube from a can of Walmart carburetor cleaner and give a squirt with the choke and throttle wide open. Then I get in and try to start the engine. Usually, may take two squirts but it always starts. Caution: Do not use starter fluid as it is very volatile and may cause damage. If you don't want to use carb cleaner, then just inject some gasoline into the carburetor. However, the posts above offer some issues that you need to check out such as an air leak somewhere between tank and pump. Joe, BCA 33493

If you have lever action shock absorbers, I would remove one bolt from each shock link. Can't remember if your model Buick has them. Joe

I think Joelj is about right except I think some years Oldsmobile 98’s used the C body and some year(s) a lengthened B body. Buick Specials in these years were always B bodied while Roadmasters and Supers always were C bodied. Finally I think some Pontiacs were A bodied but some models may have been B bodied. There are others who are more certain than I am and hopefully they will respond. Joe, BCA 33493

Looks like the one in my 1953 Special. May also be the same as used in 1951-52 models. Joe, BCA 33493

I realize that the 248 engines were certainly not as powerful as other car engines were but they were not terribly underpowered. However, Buicks in the 1940's, even into the early 50's used ratios such as 4.40 and 4.45 in many Specials and Supers. I always have thought they did this because they did not have an automatic until 1948 so with these ratios once you were on the move the engines had enough torque so you did not need to shift frequently. Just my thought because I have no way to know what Buick engineers were thinking then. Joe, BCA 33493

You should not see any sparking at the negative battery terminal under any conditions. Check that the negative battery terminal/clamp is tight and clean (metal to metal), same for the positive battery terminal and the cables ends where they enter the battery clamps. A voltmeter draws very little current and a poor connection will show full battery voltage but this is not a definitive test for voltage under load. Joe, BCA 33493

I think Pete Phillips deserves a great deal of thanks from all of us Buick fans for the great job he did on the latest Buick Bugle. So many interesting articles and photos that I plan to revisit over the years. Joe, BCA 33493

I used a mixture of graphite and oil on both sides of the copper clad gaskets on my 53 straight eight. I tried brass nuts but I could not get the torque on the nuts to spec before they stripped out. An important thing is to use the correct washers under the nuts that have a very small contact area on the exhaust manifold. The idea is to let the manifold move a little as it goes from cold to hot. Joe, BCA 33493

What a deal as long as there are no hidden problems that arise down the road. Let me know if you find any more deals like this one. On another related issue, the 1954 Shop Manual diagram of the electrical/starting system is correct but the description of the operation of the system has a small error in it. This was part of the post by avgwarhawk. In the description the third paragraph says the starter relay coil is connected to the field windings on the generator to get negative 12 volts, however the relay coil is connected to the armature winding of the generator since when the engine is not running neither is the generator and the potential at the armature terminal is essentially at ground or -12 VDC because current can flow through the brushes and the heavy windings of the armature to ground. Once the engine starts the voltage quickly rises to +12 VDC or more so the coil cannot create a magnetic field since both ends are at the same potential and this kills the starter. The Buick engineers, back in the day, were very clever using this and the carburetor switch in series. Joe, BCA 33493

I agree with Matt in that a 6-volt system if properly maintained can be reliable and able to start the vehicle in most temperature conditions. I use the 3EH battery from Tractor Supply that is slightly bigger than the original 2E but fits in the tray and the cover. This battery is supposed to supply 875 Cold Cranking Amps. I use "OO" battery cables and always put it on the Battery Tender when I return from a trip. Once the green light on the Tender shows the battery is fully charged, I remove the charger cables or shut off the Battery Tender. I also use a heavy-duty battery kill switch that I turn to off when not running. In all my years of experience with various battery chargers and maintainers I have seen batteries cooked dry when the chargers are left connected after reaching full charge even though the manuals suggest otherwise. I also always use distilled water when needed to top off each cell and check the state of charge during the cold months and leave the Battery Tender on until full charge is reached. When I get a clear day with no salt or snow on the roads, I drive the car for at least 45 minutes. I never just start it up and idle it for a few minutes. Joe, BCA 33493

Thank you Al. I will be looking at my copy of 1953 Abridged Edition Product Service Bulletin for information on this. Joe, BCA 33493

If you had your front end rebuilt the steering wheel should be in the correct position while going straight and not cocked to one side. The tie rod ends need to be adjusted to get the steering wheel straight ahead when not turning. Looseness in the steering wheel could be due to several causes including loose or worn tie rod ends, loose incorrectly adjusted wheel bearings but not likely if your front end was rebuilt. Another possibility might be excessive play in the pitman arm to ball nut lash. This is adjustable as long as the bearings are not seriously worn. The end of the longer tie rod has a plug with a cotter pin to hold the current adjustment. Check your shop manual as these conditions are discussed there.

Would appreciate it. They might be similar to the 1953. Thanks.

I am hoping to find out if the seat bottom on a 1953 Special front seat is removable from the seat frame as the rear seat bottom is. I know that the front seat backs are removable as well. Just don't know if the front seat bottom is removable. Tried the Buick Post-War forum but got no help there. Maybe some Oldsmobile or Pontiac owners here may know. Joe, BCA 33439

Bump.

Is the seat bottom removable from the seat frame on a 1953 Special 45R? I know the seat backs are easily removed and also the rear seat bottom cushion is but I do not know about the front seat bottom cushion. Any insights into this would be appreciated. Joe, BCA 33493