37_Roadmaster_C

Chrisrocc, The above info by Pont35cpe is exactly correct. Also, as mentioned above, a factory manual is manditory for working on these Buicks as they were engineered far beyond the current designs of the time and the manual addresses these fine points. Bobs Automobilia has reprints of the factory service manuals for a very fair price ***link to manual***. I have an origional factory manual AND a Bobs reprint, that way I can get the pages of the reprint dirty when working on the car and keep the origional 37 printed manual clean for bedside reading . Robin PS: the manual from Bobs is an EXACT copy of my factory origional.

Bud, Yours is a 2 barrel downdraft carb. I'm not sure which model, could be a Zenith, Stromberg or possibly a Carter (I think Carters were 37 or later?). Sombody else might chime in with more accurate info... R

cahartley, We have a 1946 2 ton flatbed that we use for hauling fruit to the packing sheds. The truck originally had a 235 and it was used regularly to haul 4 ton loads several times a day. It was also used to haul slightly lighter loads of packed fruit from Central Washington to Central Montana several times a month during summer months. The truck was not fast but it was reliable. My father took his driving test in that truck when it was new . The truck has since been repowered with a chev 350 and an auto transmission and she still is our primary fruit hauler for the orchard. Sorry for the hijack... I have no info as to engine numbers in a 50...

Mark, I joined to late to get a newsletter, but I do appreciate that you took the time to help as much as you did. Myself, I will always keep an eye on your posts as the information and insight is always welcome and helpful. Have a safe and merry Christmas, Robin

Bud, You could just plug it and that would keep the gas in the engine. I don't know exactly how this would effect the engine as far as flooding. Another thing that might help a lot would be to allow the car to idle in the driveway and cool down a bit before parking in the garage. A pan of kitty litter would help the mess some also. I don't remember my 37 boiling gas out much, but in all fairness the car was not driven much as we just got her out of storage a couple of years ago and maby put 100 miles on her before restoration started. I should know more next year as the restoration will be done and we hope to drive her to Springfield for the show :cool:.

Actually this might be normal. My 37 Roadmaster has the same vacuum valve on the intake which is there to allow fuel to drain if the engine is not running. The heat from the engine can cause fuel to boil out of the carb when the engine is shut off and drain into the intake. The ball valve opens when vacuum is lost (engine off) to allow this boil over to drain as to not flood the engine. Get a service manual and read up. This is addressed in the manual for my 37, so I think it would be in the 36 manual also.

Lamar, No problem here in central Washington state.

Hi All, I agree with the power steering thoughts, but what about the transmission being a quart low? Just coincidence or are we missing something? Please post pictures of the leak.

I can't swear to it, but I am fairly sure the small Buick, series 40 Special used a smaller brake drum than the big car, series 60 Century, 80 Roadmaster or 90 Limited. I will try to remember to check the shop manual tomorrow and update the post.

David, I really can't help much, but I agree with Terry as to having all of the rods done. Also, you might want to post on the Pre-War Buick forum as there are many Buick people there who would be willing to answer your questions. Mark Shaw is the prewar Buick club director and he owns simular cars and would be a great help. EDIT: I see you have posted in prewar Buick and already have one answer

+1 I don't know the actual pattern size, but I do know that Century wheels will NOT fit on my 37 Roadmaster. If you need actual measurements let me know as I will be with the car this Friday or Saturday (the body man has some questions).

I agree with both Mark and Marty, however, even if the cables are to small that would not cause the buzzing. It would most definately cause slow cranking or worse when you try to engage the starter.

Hi Brain, Welcome to the asylum... As mentioned above, Dave Tacheny is a great source for parts. His number is 763-427-3460. He is in Champlin, Mn. and I have had the best luck after 6pm central time. Dave has supplied me with parts for the 37 Roadmaster and is just simply a great guy to work with.

Joe, I just got back to this thread and I am very glad to hear that you got the situation resolved. I hope that Ed continues to do good work as quality craftsmen are rare. Hopefully, this will encourage Ed to improve his communications skills.

Ok, now I have to clean the coffee off of the laptop.

Huskyfan, I am in agreement with all of the above. Simply put, If you want a street rod this might- MIGHT be a starting point if you can get the price down below $3000.00. If you intend to "restore" to origional - for get it... Based on my current project costs I would expect the interior, minor body work and a reasonable paint job to cost you 15000.00-20000.00 at a minimum. So with this in mind, think about what you are expecting to end up with and what you are willing to spend to get there. As stated above, what is the friendship worth? If the seller was my friend I would keep the friend and loose the car

37Buick, The first thing I would do is remove the sparkplugs and squirt a little oil in each cylinder. Let it sit for a day then with the car in 3rd gear GENTLY rock the car to make sure the engine is not seezed. If only sitting for three years it would be highly unlikely to be seezed. If the engine turns over then move on to battery charge, cable connections, grounds etc... I am assuming the car was in normal operating condition three years ago. Also, are you sure the buzzing is the voltage regulator and not the starter relay mounyed on the end of the starter? A buzzing starter relay is indicative of a low voltage (battery charge) problem. Keep us posted and we will help.

I have helped a friend of mine with the cone clutch on his 1913 Studebaker and like Terry said none of the adjustments are really ideal. We also set it high and kept it loaded with neets foot oil. I am not familiar with your Maxwell so I am really not much help.

Sign the titles, transfer the registration, insure the beast and step on the gas . Quickly ....................................

I liked the Riv articles, but I have to agree with Mark about the 37 Roadmaster article being more interesting to me. Now if you look at my sig line you might think I am just a little biased . I also wish Brian the best with his last term as our president. Robin

I do not know anything specific about your car or motor, but my approach would be to get a tachometer (rent or borrow). Hook it up and get a helper to go for a drive with you. Record the engine rpm at various speeds in all gears, but especially in the highest gear. Armed with this information you can check the service manual and ask your mechanic and other Desoto owners what a safe rpm would be. Use this as a guide to judge safe speeds. Just a note.... the service manual is your best friend as diferent motors have greatly different max rpm ratings and older engines are often much lower than modern engines. For example, my 37 Buick 320 has a max rpm a little over 3000 rpm while my 60 Buick 401 would be safe up toward 4800 rpm. Also, cars seem to just feel wrong if pushed to hard. If you feel you are pushing it you probably are .

The electrolysis cleaning method only works on ferris material and really only for rust removal. It will loosen paint and such in most cases, but grease, oil and simular materials will not clean well as they block the electric current which is required for the electrolysis to happen.

d2, The 37 has a simular safety where the starter relay is grounded by an extra contact on the voltage regulator when the generator is not turning (motor not running). After the motor starts the voltage regulator pulls in the safety contact and removes the ground for the starter relay to prevent low vacuum while driving (think heavy load going up a big hill) from engaging the starter. Robin

+

Like Tom, my 37 had the system bypassed with a push button in the 40's, but the 60 still is all origional. When I was driving the 60 it was fun to tell a non buick friend to "just move the car out of the way"... Of course no key, the lock was never locked so you just turned it 'ON'... They would come asking for the key which I would give them.... soon after, back they would come wondering how to start the car... I would jjump in and have her running before the door was closed :cool:... That was simply Buick Fun. Thinking of that fun I really need to get the 60 out of storage and have some FUN.