buicktom

Hello, I bought a Delco wiper motor to convert my 52 Buick from vacuum to electric. My 52 Buick is 12V after converting from 6V to 12V. The Delco# is 5047988. The motor runs perfectly accept it has only one speed (fast). Is it normal or does it has a failure in the switch? Maybe someone can tell me if one speed is normal or not or how I can solve the problem. I am looking forward to your answers. Thanks and greetings from Germany Thomas

Thanks for the photos! Sounds good. July is a joke?! Let me me know, when you can send the mount. I would need it in late April, early May. Shipping to Germany would take 2-3 weeks. Thomas

I don't believe that the original 59 adapter will fit the 322 engine, because the 59 has three bolts and the 322 uses four bolts. Am I right or wrong? The guy who build this nice adapter doesn't accept money by paypal. Sending money is not safe and sending a a money order or check will cost me an extra Bank charge of $50. Is anybody willing to help me out. Maybe you Beemon? I can send money by paypal from Germany and someone can order it to his home address and send it to me? It's only a question. Thanks Thomas

Does anybody know what threat size it is on the 59 adapter? Would like to use an adapter for an engine oil cooler on this.

Thanks for your help. Will see, which kind of conversion I will use. Maybe the 59 and up is more original.

Hello, does anybody know, where I can get a spin on oil filter adapter for my 56 Buick? I remember there was someone on ebay, but I can't find him anymore. Thanks and greetings from Germany Thomas

Hello Beemon, Thanks for your information. But I did it like E Muscle. LLC. Today I made my first test drive with my new brake system. I put this unit into my 56 trunk. http://www.ebay.de/itm/171831259342?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT . 67-72 Chevy Truck 11" Power booster with master and valve. As donater cylinder I used a .75" master cylinder http://www.ebay.de/itm/230910285120?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT And as slave cylinder I bought a VW T4 Clutch cylinder http://www.ebay.de/itm/KUPPLUNGSNEHMERZYLINDER-NEHMER-ZYLINDER-fur-KUPPLUNG-NEHMERZYLINDER-VW-/380746597697?hash=item58a6440541 After I had everything in my trunk, I connected the unit with the brake lines. As vacuum line I uses 3/8" line out of a mixture of Copper, Ni and Ferum. First test drive was very good. Afer a short brake in time, the brake power was better as with the stock set up. May be an Chevy Astro Master cylinder for my Astro AWD front calipers will be a better choice. May be I will check this opportunity in winter, because I have a new Astro MC in stock. But now the Buick is driveable again and back on the road after this hassle. Thomas

On my post of the 13. April I described this possibility, too. Another way to go with dual brake system is to go with something which is working like an hydraulic clutch. On the mounting plate is enough room to mount a donator cylinder. You can buy it with different diameter (0.5",0.625, 0.7" and many more). The clutch cylinder is also available in different sizes. I think you can reach with different sizes of donater and clutch cylinders something like a better pedal ratio. But this is only my theory. Building a mounting bracket for the clutch cylinder on the powerbooster/ dual master cylinder combo should be no great problem. The only thing which makes it curious on my mind is to use a "single brake" to activate the new "dual brake system". I have everything for this kind of project in my garage. Different sized cylinders for sleeve and master and a master cylinder of an Astro Van AWD. Last should fit perfectly to the Astro Van calipers. I would prefer to mount it into the engine compartment. But I believe there is not enough room for it. But the the trunk is a great place?!?! I will see what I do next winter.

Hello NTX5467, Thanks for your explanation. I always thought to take a complete system of a well braking car into the Buick should be the best way. Problem is the space on the stock location. I will see, if my idea will work or not next winter. I will be back. Two weekends ago I spent a lot of time with some Fiat 2300 S Coupe Owners. Nice small cars (early 60s) with not much space in the engine compartment. These cars have a dual master cylinder mounted on the floorboard. This master cylinder feeds two power booster single master cylinder units which are located on each front corners of the compartment. One is for the front and the other for the rear. You see not enough space on the right places was always a problem. Beemon, thanks for your calculation again. Yesterday I put off the valve inside the stock proportioning valve, because I only want to use is as distributer block. In the front line I put a 2 lbs residual valve and in the rear line a adjustable pressure regulator and a 10 lbs residual valve. Think and hope this will work. Now I have to bleed the system and an find my vacuum leak. Thomas

I have rebuilt my stock power brake unit to get the 56 back on the road for the summer. With some smaller modification I changed the padle ratio from 1:2 to 1:1. That's no great progress but will hopefully increase the brake power. Next winter I will try to convert to a dual brake system on stock location again. Disc in the front and drum in the rear is for me okay. For that I will change the pedal system. Here is my idea: I don't know if it will work, but it is worth to try it. There is enough room under the dashboard. What do you think about it? Thomas

Do I need a residual valve too, if I have a pressure regulater valve in the line to the rear brake? Thomas

Hello Beemon, Thank you for your calculation. It is really a big problem to find the right combination for the the original Location, but I believe there is a possibility. Still waiting for my parts to rebuilt the original power booster. Thanks Thomas

One thing I forgot: When you measure your brake pedal you will see that the length from the mounting bolt to the master cylinder push rod connection is as nearly two time longer than the length from the push rod connection to the push plate. We don't have a 1 : 1 pedal Ratio. It is more 2: 1. It is more worse. Or am I wrong with my thoughts? Thomas

Hello Beemon and NTX5467, Thanks for your great explanations. When I put the Corsa/ Dual Booster Combo into my 56 the last time, I had not much vacuum on my system. I had no difference between runing and stopped engine. First I have to look for that vacuum problem. Maybe the diaphragm of the vacuum pump is bad. But this is no problem because I don't use the vacuum wiper anymore. I changed to an electric wiper. Think I block the line on the T-connector on the intake manifold. Hope it will solve the problem. Another way to go with dual brake system is to go with something which is working like an hydraulic clutch. On the mounting plate is enough room to mount a donator cylinder. You can buy it with different diameter (0.5",0.625, 0.7" and many more). The clutch cylinder is also available in different sizes. I think you can reach with different sizes of donater and clutch cylinders something like a better pedal ratio. But this is only my theory. Building a mounting bracket for the clutch cylinder on the powerbooster/ dual master cylinder combo should be no great problem. The only thing which makes it curious on my mind is to use a "single brake" to activate the new "dual brake system". This will be a possibility but not this summer. Now it is time to go back on the road with the 56. But I have to check with the German car Inspection, if this way will be accepted or it is a no go. Happy Buicking Thomas

Everything worked and no leaking, but brake power wasn't good enough to use the como right now. I am going back to the original power brake unit for this summer. I ordered a rebuilt kit with leather seal yesterday. Will try it again next winter. Does anybody know how much vacuum the engine should build up on the power brake unit? Thomas

I found a new way to use the Corsa Master Cylinder and the 7" dual diaphragm power booster. I ordered an original used Corsa power booster. After I got it I dismantled it because I want the original push rod. Now I measured the push rod of the 7" powerbooster. It is 9.5 mm ( 0.37"). Now I drilled a 9.5 mm hole into the 14 mm ( 0.55") alloy push rod. I cut off the wider part of the new push rod. The length is than 63 mm (2.48"). Now I took the seal out of the booster. What seal did I use with the new push rod? First I thought to use the seal of the Corsa booster, but believe it or not the seal of the 7" booster works perfectly with the Corsa seal. You also have to make the hole in the washer wider to fit. If you drill the hole in the new push rod deep enough you can use the the adjusting screw of the smaller push rod for adjusting the bigger one, but be carefull and drill it not to deep. Tommorrow I am going to put the new combo on its place. Hope everything will work. Thomas

Time for a little update. After some days of vacation I tried it again with the new Opel Corsa master cylinder. The same problem as before. The Corsa MC has a special seal to the push rod of the Corsa power booster, but the push rod of 7" power booster is to small for the seal. So it is leaking again. I thought about using the Opel Corsa power booster, but it is to big for the original place. I have to go another way.

My main goal is switching to a dual MC. Last weekend I mounted the dual diaphragm booster and the Opel Corsa master cylinder into my 56 Buick. The length of the combo fits perfect. After bleeding the system I saw the used Corsa master cylinder leeking. I ordered a new one and hope to have the time to put it in and test it next weekend.

Thanks Beemon. I only wanted to understand what for it is and how it works. It is more like a residual valve, which holds the pressure in the lines.

Have a question about the stock brake fluid distributer block or valve on the left side of the frame under the left front door. How does it work, which port is for the front and rear and does it give more power to the front brakes? Couldn't find anything about it in the shop manual. Thomas

Got the brake parts this week and installed them today. Installation was very easy with the Scarebird parts. I add some photos for everybody who will do the switch to front disc, too. After everything was installed I made my first test drive with the the old power master cylinder. Brake power was good but will be better after a longer brake in period. I had no clearance poblems with the caliper and the wheel. Next step will be the change of the power master cylinder.

I will take a look about the clearance between the lines and the inner fender. It should work because I notched the inner fender the last time when I tried the conversion with the Riviera MC. The Opel MC fit with a little play between the sides not much. Should be about 2/25", but it is no problem to bring it in the middle. When you push the booster piston it can compress the master cylinder completely. Got my Scarebird kit yesterday. Will order the other parts this week. Hope I will have everything together next weekend.

Can't wait to mount the Opel Corsa MC on the brake booster. First I thought about an adapter plate, but now I use two brackets to hold it. First I cut off a small piece of the MC mounting plate on each side. Just enough to get it between the two bolts of the booster. After that I made two brackets which clamp it on the same place like the nuts did it. See the photos. This version should be as safe as the mounting method before. Thomas

The adapter plate isn't ready know. Hope I can do it next week. Will take some photos before installation.

Short update: I got the 7" Dual Diaphragm Brake Booster yesterday. The booster and the Opel Corsa Dual Master Cylinder will fit perfectly on the stock location without notching the frame because they have the same length like an 7" brake booster and a 71-76 Riviera dual master cylinder. Two winter before I tried the last combo in my 56, but wasn't satisfied with the brake power, so I went back to my stock brake booster cylinder combo. Thomas