DonMicheletti

If you scale the above photo the existing parts and this one you'll get a good idea of the size of the "strap". Properly installed there are no twists in it. It is a SOB to work on

Glad to have helped

I juist had the grille on myh"38 Special plated. Not only would you have toi sit down, need to drink a fifth of whiskey too!!!

Here are some photos. First the spring connection at the firewall. Second, the rubber "hinge" at the accelerator pedal. Checck yours, they do break

I beleive there is a little loop of sorts at the point where th firewall meets the floor pan. That is where the end of the spring goes. I'll have a look at my two "38 Buicks later today and get a photo.

WOW, how did we live before digital cameras?

If I remember correctly, a trans shop would pull the rear engine & trans mounts and lower the rear of the engine to gain wrench clearance. You'd support the rear of the engine to hold things up

Love it Ben. Don

Rather than messing with the hub / pump mechanisn, you would be better off replacing it with a manufactured hub using ball bearings. They are around. A friend, with a restored '31 Buick, had one of the original type hubs fail and the fan went into the rediator. Not good.

It is a simple single point thread lathe job to make a fitted nut. A machinist should be able to make one

Yes, the water pump has to be removed to see it

While not easy to locate, there is a second location for the engine number behind the water pump. The 2 numbers should match. Here is a photo of the number, behind the water pump, on my '38 Special

Sounds like the c;lutch is dragging and needs to be adjusted.

Actually, the '38 tubular shocks can be disassembled and rebuilt, provided the main rod is in good shape. It is quite a chore. It takes a special spanner wrench to get the big nut off the main chamber. The shaft seal can be replaced, but getting the shock seled up is a chore. I have rebuilt the original shocks on both my '38s and they work fine. Not for the feint of heart.

If you decide to have the flywheel surfacd, be sure to mark the flywheel and crankshaft flange to preserve their orientation. The flywheel is not pinned so it is possible to install the flywheel incorrectly - thus the timing marks will be in the wrong place. This is a very common problem.

The 60, 80 and 90 series all have the same engines and transmissions. A 60 series pressure plate will work. Buick used the same engine for many years and other year pressure plates will work too.

It is very interesting that Buick contradicts itself on cage nut removal. In the above Service manual it says: "using a drift is not desireable" Yet my original owners manual says: "loosen the valve cage nut using the special drift supplied in the tool kit....." So I guess everyone is ither right ...or wrong.

This is a great discussion. However, in real life, way back when, not one mechanic, or owner, in 1000 would have "fancy" tools like this. But he would have a hammer and punch or screwdriver. That is what he would use. All the cage nuts I have seen have signs of them having been removed with a hammer and punch. One advantage of using that tool that IFDPete has is that the shock of driving the punch will tighten the cage nut a lot tighter than you'd get using a socket type tool. Having a cage rotate (that has happened to me) can be a challenge to diagnose. I have always used a brass punch to tighten my cage nuts. I have always wanted to make the 2 "sockets" needed for the 1918, but for some reason in the last 50+ years havent got a "roundtuit"

Terry, Was that wrench included in the tool kit that came with the car? Or is it a Buick special tool?

In adjusting that brake rod, there should be a tiny bit of freeplay before you begin to feel resistance from the master cylinder piston. The fact that you get nothing is suspicious. I'd be surprised if all the brake lines are plugged. Have you tried to preeurize the master cylinder with compressed air to see if you can force fluid through the lines ?

Another question. Did the brakes work before you replaced the master cylinder? If they did, something is wrong with the new installation not anyting else.

Is the rod between the pedal and the cylinder adjusted correctly? If not, the master cylinder piston may not be traveling back enough to clear the reservoir port.

If it runs OK, I'd leave it alone. I would change the oil occasionally. Others will disagree.

There is no way you can compare a Buick to s model T. They are miles apart. As mentioned, this car is far from museum quality

None of this is rocket science. Mechanics have ignored the issue of the impression in the rocker arm and adjustment forever and the engines still work OK. These engines do not need to be tuned to the "n"th degree. You just do the best you can within reason.