KongaMan
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Posts posted by KongaMan
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I'd second that. If you're in in northern California and you've already decided not to do it yourself, it might be worth your while to throw it in the trunk and take it to Russ. Familiarity has some value; you won't end up with a Chevy motor.
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The flip side of that question is if you don't drive the car enough to worry about the price of gas, why do you own it?
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4 hours ago, Golden73 said:
BTW, there is a college near me where the students have to rebuild an engine for their class (under supervision of the teacher, of course). Good idea to trust the students with that or not?
Why would you even consider having it rebuilt? If it runs now, you're just asking for trouble.
Rust on the manifolds is fine.
It's mid June. Drive the snot out of it until the weather turns before you do anything.
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Why use PMs if you're going to have the conversation here?
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I don't know about the bolt, but the nuts all look good.
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AAC also makes carpeted mats. You can get them from RockAuto for a little over $100 for all 4.
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I hate to tell you this, but you're unlikely to find a perfect match. IOW, the touchups will be just about as obvious as the scratches. Best solution is to find something close, pull the console, strip and paint the whole thing. Yes, that's a PITA.
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OTOH, racing fuel is several times the cost of regular leaded gas -- which is substantially more expensive than unleaded as it is. At some point, there's a cost/benefit ratio to be considered.
You can also buy Race Gas.
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22 hours ago, Turbinator said:
Two ways to test for water: 1. Drain about a half quart of gasoline in clear glass jar. If there is water in the gasoline the water will puddle on the bottom of the jar.
Yep. This is the gas I drained from the tank of a wood chipper that I was just gifted because "It doesn't run."
Cleaned the cottage cheese out of the carb, filled it with new gas, and it runs like a top.
That's the second piece of equipment I've scored like that with the same problem. Moral of the story: don't store your stuff outdoors.
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The garage is a good place for it.
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26 minutes ago, dr914 said:
if all of the bushings are good I really like the GS springs with bilstein gas shocks. Makes all of the difference in the world to where you then want to add quick ratio steering, disc brakes and some seats with more side support!
Just buy an Audi.
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Start the engine. Give the mice some shock and awe.
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In general, it goes like this: replace the rubber, inspect the rest. Assuming that you're the first guy to touch this stuff post-factory, that means rear control arm bushings, track bar bushings, lower control arm bushings, front sway bar bushings, and reaction rod bushings should get changed as a matter of course. Doesn't matter if "it looks good"; 55-year-old rubber is shot. You will feel the difference.
You can do this in steps. A good place to start is the track bar; it's easy, cheap (about $15) , and can make a big difference.
Rear control arm bushings are only available for something like $85 each (and you need 6). Search the forum for a low-cost workaround.
The front springs, ball joints, and lower control arm bushings go together. Fix them all at the same time (because jacking with the springs is somewhat dangerous and a PITA) . If they're apart, give the upper control arm shaft another turn towards the rear. This will give you the increased caster that you want for radials. IMHO, it's a better approach than trimming the reaction arm bushings to pull the control arm forward as it doesn't affect the geometry of the LCA pivoting. While you're in there with the inside of the spring tower accessible, replace the fuel hose with Gates Barricade (it's ethanol proof and your OEM hose is probably falling apart anyway). There are several sources for springs. CSS is highly recommended, as they can make a set to give you both the firmness and ride height you want (e.g. you can get springs like those in the H2 package but without lowering the car). IIRC, standard springs are 400 lb/in; H2 are 500 lb/in.
No need to replace ball joints, tie rod ends, idler arm, or center link unless they're bad (but fix them all at once). Outer tie rod ends and lower ball joints are readily available from any jobber. You need to go to specialty suppliers for upper ball joints (which aren't often bad to begin with, and they're spot welded to upper control arm) , inner tie rod ends, and idler arm. Those places are a crap shoot, as neither you nor they know where the parts come from. As an alternative, Rare Parts has parts they've scavenged from closeouts, or will rebuild your old parts (but they're not cheap). If the center link is bad, you'll need to have it rebuilt (there are no replacements available). That's not cheap, either.
Pay now, save later: don't cheap out on the parts. Example: I wanted a couple of the adjusting sleeves for the front tie rod ends. I figured it was an easy part to replace, so I went to the local AutoDeath and got what they were selling. Absolute POS. Flimsy, metric nuts (WTF?), etc. OEM was twice the part. So I did what I should have done at the beginning: cleaned up the factory part, put it on, and chucked the cheap Chinese crap in the trash. That bit of idiocy would've bought me a case of good beer. If they can't get an adjusting sleeve right, are you going to trust them on a ball joint? And if it needs rebuilt (e.g. your center link), get it rebuilt. Don't be driving around with a sloppy front end because you didn't want to spend the money. Your kids can go without food for a couple of weeks.
And speaking of parts: if you're running the original steering components (look for the big S stamped into the cover), don't throw them away. Even if they're loose, they can be rebuilt.
Remember, you may need to shell out for an alignment after any work on the front end, so you'll save time and money in the long run by doing it all at once.
There aren't many available shocks. They go from soft to firm (and cheap to expensive) in the order of Monroe, KYB, and Bilstein. Addco makes a beefier front sway bar (part # 1062?).
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Try using the search feature on this site. There is much discussion of this very subject.
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If it runs great, why show it on a flatbed?
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14 minutes ago, XframeFX said:
Frustrating to shop on-line for aftermarket seatbelts. Their images usually show the belt BUCKLED! What help is that!
Don't most people buckle their belts when they use them?
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Sounds like Buick cheaped out once they couldn't charge extra.
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That can be a problem, as some folks think that their taillights aren't bright enough, so they put in some million CP LEDs. As a result, your taillights look like brake lights to anyone behind you and your turn signals get lost in the eye-melting brightness.
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3 hours ago, dmfconsult said:
Need some pro advice and I’m almost embarrassed to ask, but I will anyway... I think I’ve traced my idle issue to a failing PCV valve. I’ve pulled the old one and it’s pretty plugged.
The new one won’t slip in the grommet despite the application of a bit of oil to assist and I’m hesitant to hose it down with lubricant as I’ve never had to before. Any tips on getting the new one past the old hard grommet? I stopped myself from breaking out the hammer. Or do I pry out the old one and install a new softer one?
There ya go.
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IIRC, there are two different styles of belts for 64 (from different companies). Each has a chrome latch. If you do a search on here, you can find a more detailed discussion and pics of disassembled buckles.
If you're looking for bolts, remember that the factory belts had a 1/2" hole while many (most?) aftermarket belts have a 7/16" hole. The bolts all have a 7/16" thread, but the factory bolts have a short 1/2" shoulder beneath the head. IOW, they're not a good match for the aforementioned aftermarket belts -- and the aftermarket belts are really bad fit for the stock bolts. All of which is to say: get bolts that work with your belts.
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Get a jackhammer and fix your driveway.
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IMHO, you'll get more bang for your buck by overhauling the steering and suspension than by diddling with the engine. YMMV.
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On 6/12/2020 at 1:24 PM, High Desert said:
I was thinking of buying some grade 8 coarse thread bolts for it. I don't know why Buick engineers wouldn't have used coarse thread there in the first place but I'm concerned they thought that this connection needed the additional torque retention associated with fine thread.
Can you use a longer bolt and spin a second nut onto the end of it?
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16 hours ago, Morgan Wright said:
I've been having Joe Biden moments myself lately.
Hide the women and girls.
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Should I or shouldn't I?
in Buick Riviera
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That's just a lot of standard maintenance done at the same time.
IMHO, it's a rebuild when you pull the crankshaft.