jeff

Chris, An old friend, who used to be a Buick mechanic in the 1930's, once told me that Marvel was certainly not short for Marvelous. He said they were frequently replaced with the Stromberg AAV carbs. (my '38 is running with an AAV-167, but originally came with either a Marvel Schebler or Stromberg AAV-1.) Not sure what the appropriate AAV number would be, it probably depended on when the swap was made. The AAV-167 also upgrades the choke system to a more reliable version. You probably want to work with the Marvel as long as possible, and as long as you are successful. Just file this away in case of frustration. Jeff

Thanks to all. It now makes sense to me that the door panels are not the same stuff as the seats. The stiching pattern would get lost in the Bedford Cord pattern. Jeff

You rely on the points opening to collapse the field that the battery has devloped around the primary windings. The collapse of this field cutting across the secondary winding produces the high voltage required to jump across the plug gap (or air gap to ground in this case). The rotor and cap, of course, distribute this high voltage to the appropriate plug. So, there are two distinct functions at work here. I think you need the points working correctly to produce this spark.

Check that your point gap is correct. I have had the screw loosen on my points, and the gap close down to the point where I was not getting a spark. So, even if you have checked it recently, its worth a quick look. My local auto parts store still carries 6v coils, so if you have checked everything else, it is worth a try to swap in a new one. Be sure you have a good strong battery, fully charged. It could be that the effort to crank the engine is pulling down your battery voltage to the point that you are not able to generate enough voltage. This is what happened to my friend's Packard - we chased a number of things, including swapping coils - then topped up the battery and had success. Jeff

One spark for each time the points open, or eight sparks for each revolution of the distributor shaft, or four sparks for each revolution of the crank. (if my math is correct!) Jeff

I am getting ready to order some fabric to re-do the door panels on my 2-door sedan. I would like to know that I am getting the right stuff. The car’s paint code is 515 – “Rembrandt Black”. The wheels are either black with silver pinstripes, or optionally “Dante Red” with silver pinstripes. (currently black) The “trim code” is 400 – Tan Bedford Cord. But, does the term "Tan Bedford Cord" mean the seat material only, or both seat and door panels? As I understand it, a "Bedford Cord" has fine ribs or cords running length-wise in the material. Wouldn't that defeat the stitch pattern that is supposed to be sewn into the panels? With that assumption, the Bedford Cord would be for the seats, while the panels would have a smooth fabric of the same color??? Can anyone straighten me out? Thanks, Jeff

Please check me on this... My '38 plug is still in the original position (based on the divets left by many years of floor jacks). This is the 6 o'clock position. It's really a fill plug. The draining operation is accomplished by removing the diff cover or just removing the lowest bolt. If you rotate the diff cover, aren't you over-filling the unit? Jeff

Well, on my '38 40-series I first removed the rear springs, shocks, rear wheels, parking brake cable and suspension link, then disconnected at the transmission and rolled the whole thing out from under the car. Then, I opened up the diff (including pulling the axles), and put in new gaskets. There may be another approach out there. By the way, while the springs are out you may want to put in new isolators between spring and body. They are available. Jeff

Or, too much clearance between the spiral and the piece it rides in. That would defeat the pumping action, I would think. Jeff

Consider cutting off the rear-most section (the smaller cross-section stuff aft of the axle), and offering it for sale. When my car was rear-ended, we considered searching for a section of frame to weld in place of the damaged section. I ended up at a frame shop, but someone else may appreciate the option. Jeff

That's my recollection as well - it's what I have on my '38. Jeff

Regarding the chassis lube in your steering box... I did the same thing on my steering box - no issues. But, you are really not supposed to do this. One reason is cold temp operation already mentioned (usually not a problem for most of us), but the other reason is that over time, the volatile ingredients in the grease will evaporate, leaving the solids. This may interfere with the operation - the recirculating ball track would be the first issue, I guess. I am not losing any sleep over it. If, in the future, you have any increased resistance to your steering input, you should be able to flush with kerosene, let it run out / evaporate thoroughly, and start over. Just something to keep in mind.

There are two concerns with the installations you guys have descibed - although I am not here to tell you that you're wrong. Many people have done just what you describe and are ok with it. Personally, I haven't installed one yet, but will pass on the results of a friend's research. Here are the concerns with this in-line or series installation: 1. If your mechanical pump fails, it will usually be the diaphragm. If this is the case, your electric pump will be pushing fluid through the tear in the diaphragm - leaking onto the ground (through the vent hole) or in some cases into the crankcase. So, the series installation will work just fine for vapor lock or priming a dry carb. But it's not a good solution for a torn diaphragm. 2. If you have an accident, the electric pump will continue to try to pump gas. To minimize this dangerous situation, be sure you have a regulator in the system (separate or integral to the pump). You need to be sure the electric pump cannot overcome the needle valve at the carb float (usually about 4 psig). Further steps include wiring to the hot side of the ignition (already mentioned), or considering a momentary switch (not as user friendly perhaps). The solution to problem number 1 is to plumb the system using the Seagrave method. (should be able to search on this) This involves two tees, one above the outlet of the mechanical pump, and one positioned for the inlet of the electric. A second fuel line is run from the electric pump forward to the tee above the original pump. In this parallel arrangement, the outlet check valve of the mechanical pump keeps the outlet flow of the electric out of the failed mechanical pump. Likewise, the outlet check valve of the electric prevents the mechanical pump from pumping back to the tank. Something to think about. Jeff

Yep, I'll take some photos, but it may take a day or two to get to them. Jeff

I just carried a pair of '38 Special rear fenders up to the attic. (Specials should be the same as Century - but you may want to confirm.) The driver's side was crunched a bit when I was rear-ended, but has been correctly hammer/dolly'd back to shape. Needs a skim coat of filler to finish. The passenger side was not damaged in the accident, but has a rather large, amateur patch riveted in place. Not bad, but not great either. It was on my driver for years. Good at 10 ft. I recently found another pair that I think I will use (although they need work too!) Where are you located? These fenders are in Dayton, OH. Jeff

Many thanks! Hey Joel, your piston is on its way. Jeff

If I press in new door hinge bushings, do they need to be reamed to the correct diameter, or are they already sized correctly? If they need to be reamed, does anyone know of a tool for this purpose? Any experience out there on this subject? (My car is a '38 but I am sure the question would apply to many different years.) Jeff

OK, I'm back. Send me a PM with your address, and I will send you a piston. Sounds like you are pretty certain about your remaining shims and the health of your babbitt. Reading between the lines, yours sound pretty consistent. Mine were not - I had one or two with little or no shim left, and some with full shim packs. I took that to mean that some rods had been replaced. So again, if you take a closer look and decide some of yours are a bit thin, I may have some better rods to help as well. Here's where I could use some help. I will be having some door panels made for my '38 2-door Special. I think the correct material can be sourced from Jenkins. But, I don't have patterns - any chance you could take some photos and add dimensions? I'd need sufficient detail to hand the job to an upholstery shop. Jeff

Joel, Here's my 2 cents. On my '38, I had one scored cylinder, which was due to a piston ring gland failure that led to a ring failure and then the scoring. I had the cylinder sleeved and replaced just the one piston. Many years later (but not more than 2,000 additional miles) I decided to upgrade to insert bearings since I found a set from a 1950 engine. When I removed the head and pushed out the pistons, I found two more pistons with failed ring glands and broken rings. It was amazing to me that the engine still ran reasonably well. My only conclusion is that all eight pistons had the seen the same level of stress (time, temp, fatigue) and that they were all getting ready to fail. My final solution was a new set of eight pistons and rings, .030 over (along with the new rods). Now, if you want to replace just one, I do have the survivors in a box in the garage. Also, if any of your babbitted bearings are looking "thin" (meaning very little shim left), some of mine were pretty nice - I probably have two or three that were probably replaced at some time. Let me know. Jeff

You may be talking about the hot air damper, located in the manifold below the carburetor (I have a '38). Mine is a shaft with damper plate. On one side of the shaft is a counterweight, and on the other is a bi-metallic spring (I think!) It should open the damper when cold, to allow warm air up to the intake manifold. It should close when hot. If you will be driving in moderate temperatures, its precise function is not too critical. Jeff

Definately replace the rubber lines. Two up front, and one to the rears. If the steel lines look rusty, replace them as well. I went with Silicone brake fluid, since it does not draw moisture like regular brake fluid does, and is friendly toward everything (except maybe your brake switch). If you buy NOS wheel cylinders on-line, get a new rebuild kit to get fresh rubber seals. Don't trust the old, aged rubber. New kits should still be available over the counter at your local parts store. Just have them look up an early fifties Buick and verify the diameters are the same. My '38 had 1 1/8 inch up front, and 1 inch in the rear, if I recall correctly. So did the oldest Buick listed at Advance Auto, which was a '52 or something. Have fun. Sweet car.

Not sure what your picture is showing, and I am also not sure if it's exactly like my '38. But, I just thought I would mention that you need to move the rear axle back to take this thing apart. I have done this about three or four times, and I finally concluded that it's easiest to remove the rear coil springs. Just a thought.

I had a similar intermittant problem on my '38. In my case it was the switch at the carb (AAV167 Stromberg - from the 40's). If your carb switch is like mine, it is really simple to take apart and clean. Try this first. You also have a set of contacts in the regulator, as well as the relay on the starter. Finally, the high current contact in the starter solenoid could be at fault. But check the carb switch first. Jeff

Try to search on "Kemp's Restorations". He is in northern Michigan. I purchased a trunk floor, tool tray, and rear valence. He also makes door sills, and maybe some floor panels. They will be typical of any aftermarket stuff that's not made on the original dies.

I used 4 parts WD40, 2 parts PB Blaster, and 1 part 5W-30. (it's also good on a salad, but add a little oregano) You can feed it into the vacuum port, if the unit is on the bench. Better, might be to take the tiny little cover off of the switching mechanism (do not disturb the small parts), then feed the above in, one ingredient at a time. This way, the vacuum of the engine will continue to pull the oils to where they will do the most good. Jeff