Shaggy

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have read a recent article in Hemmings Classic cars regarding a babbit shop. I am a "modern" ASE mechanic but I still can not picture what "babbit" looks like or how the heck it works. I know a bearing surface is necessary. I know where and how an insert bearing works. But these are machined parts you can hold in your hand and just looking at them you can understand that, along with a slim layer of engine oil work to reduce friction and absorb the wear of the crankshaft or rods. Now, based on my understanding (which is minimal mind you) - babbit is "poured" onto the block, crank, rod ends or where-ever a bearing surface is required. This occurs to me that the bearing metal must be molten when poured, and that seems crazy. And insert bearing, well made ones at least, are perfectly round and even width all the way around. Babbit it seems, would have high spots and low spots. I just don't get it. Does anybody have a close up picture of what "babbitt" looks like? especially as it sits where the bearing surface should? </div></div> Google is your friend. http://www.gasenginemagazine.com/complete-archive/1352/ Among many others. (BTW, that's "babbitt" with two "t"s)

Ooo! Dream car time? My pick? No question. 3 words for ya. Auburn Boattail Speedster. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> I'll have to be content to fiddle with all my other vintage junque instead tho. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> '38 Buick 41 '50 Chev 4dr Fleetline w/wide whites, skirts and visor. (Jag V-12 transplant in progress) '63 Nova Conv. (currently in upgrade mode) '64 Chevelle Conv. 5 old Harleys (35-78) and 2 modern ones. Oughta keep me busy until I keel over. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My engine seems to have a slight miss also. Biggest issue is it only gets about 12 mpg at 50 mph, and really run out of steam after about 55 mph. Vacuum gage fluctuates about 1 inHg (how steady should it be?) when running at a fast idle. I'll be checking valve adjustment this weekend, may also swap coils. All the other ignition stuff has been looked over pretty closely over the recent past. I'll let you know what I end up with. Jeff </div></div> Jeff. Can't advise regarding road mileage, but... My rig ran a *lot* better when I discovered the vacuum advance was holed and the centrifugal advance was froze up. Replacing the advance pot and freeing up the centrifugal advance made a ~huge~ difference. Acceleration from idle became downright snappy. I know that running without enough "lead" will result in poor economy. Might want to verify they're both working properly. (Free advice always being worth what you pay for it <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />)

More than one tight one. Four. No mileage to put on at this point. Local law enforcement frowns on driving cars that lack interiors, seats and glass. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I'm going to be receiving the carb kit and ign. wires soon. I think I'm going to wait until then. Anything else is wasted gas. Please see my thread about the thermostatic idle speed gizmo. I'm tearing my hair over it.

Need inner rockers and front and rear floors for a 38 model 41 sedan. How much?

I'm stumped with this one. The cold idle control on my '38 has always just flopped around and done nothing. Close examination revealed that the pointer portion was frozen in place, so I removed it and washed out all the grit and nastyness in the bimetal element. When removed, there was the cup containing the coil and attached to the pointer, and a nut. Nothing between them. When I went to reinstall it, I discovered that when the nut was tight, it was once again frozen. It looks like the cup on the back contacts the manifold, but there's no spot for it to index to. Once the nut is tight to the point that the cup has a little friction, the pointer part is stuck again. I can't imagine the bimetal coil having enough power to overcome that much drag. The factory manual basically says it's set at the factory and don't diddle with it, except to set the pointer in the vertical position. The cam flops around independant of the pointer. I figure I should be able to move the pointer once it's reattached. Not so. Am I missing something fundamental here? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I tried doing it by the book and got nowhere. Finally gave up and did it the way I understand. Got the engine hot. Shut down Pull coil wire Bump starter until #1 intake valve opens and closes, then a hair more. Feeler gauge and adjust both valves using a .016 go .018 no-go. Continued thru the firing order. Took about 10 minutes. Runs a lot better, but... Found 4 *way* tight valves with zero lash. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> Vacuum now only fluxuates around 2" instead of the previous 5-6", but that's still not acceptable. Lord knows how long it's been run with tight valves. Likely I'll be grinding valves and resetting guides sometime this winter. That head looks like one heavy SOB. I feel like I'm cleaning up after somebody. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> Replaced all ignition but the coil and wires and still have an intermittent miss. New wires on order. At that point the coil will be the only thing not replaced. Even found a new vacuum advance canister. Still haven't received the carb rebuild kit. That may help a lot too. I'd like to get thru this part and atack the brakes, but I'm sort of obsessive compulsive about finishing a step. Not gonna quit till I find this gremlin.

I'm also seeking some 16" rims for my '38. I'll be following this thread with interest.

Found his post and replied. Thanks for the tip! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> My '38 is pretty rotten at the floor and rockers.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have been a classic car enthusiast for many years. It does not seam as though there is much help out there for replacement sheet metal parts for Buicks. I have recently purchased a complete 37 Series 40 2 Door Sedan and a 4 Door Sedan. I will use these cars for templates and trial fit up. I have restored and built many hotrods over the years. I have a small but well equipted shop. I can produce replacement parts on a small scale / low production. These parts would be all hand fabricated so the question is what parts are you interested in example (rocker panels, 1/4 replacements, floor sections, rear body panels, etc). Looking for feed back. </div></div> I need both floors and the structural part of both rockers. (outers have been reskinned) Also the trunk was redone at a 15 degree angle so the spare doesn't fit. What're you looking at charging?

Hi Jeff. Been away for a while. My "wiggle" is more like 3-5 InHg, so there's something definitely amiss. Dunno about your situation. What I did was replace all ignition components, (less coil) then tuned things as best I could. I'll be seeing the carb kit soon. Hopefully that'll give me a known basline to tune from. Unfortunately, everything I've seen points to a loose valve guide. I may be doing a valve grind this winter. We shall see.

Do you use a special wrench/screwdriver tool for the tappets, or one of those P&G gapper tools? I'm having a tough time with getting all 3 things in concert. Sorta like doing a one legged accordion solo while juggling. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Any advice would be appreciated.

Don't know about one of these. Every motorcycle I've ever owned have the mechanical tappets set on timing marks. Cold. Had a hotrodded Chev 6 with solids that was set up the same way. I've got to get a tappet wrench. You need 3 hands to do this with a wrench, screwdriver and feeler gauge with it running. Can you get the engine hot and adjust the valves like the hydraulic lifter motors? As seen at the bottom of this page: VALVE LASH ADJUSTMENT (Buicks.net)

Ah well. Thanks for the advice. That looks like a neat gizmo. This adustment while running is new to me. I'm used to using timing marks. I'll attack them tonight and let ya know.

Thanks for the history lesson Jon. I love this stuff. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Choke seems to work fairly well at this point. I'm gonna tweak with it a little and try and get it to come off sooner. I'm stubborn that way. So far it seems to work fairly well. Just slow to come off. Below 50 isn't too much of a problem here. When it starts dipping down to that point during the day I'll be driving the 4X4, as it'll likely be snowing at night. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> I'll be warming it up and adjusting the valves later. Is there such a thing as a *cold* valve adjustment for these? Much more fun to deal with a cold motor than a hot one. Was the linear expansion coefficient on the valvetrain components so unpredictable? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Heh. I heard the same thing about the Marvel. Run away! Got all new ignition parts in her today and she started up and ran smooth as a baby's behind, but started stumbling as she warmed up a little. Vacuum gauge still flickers regularly, so I'll be looking at valve adjustments next. I'm thinking I've got a tight intake valve or 2. If the level of expertise I've seen so far also applies to the valve lash settings, I no doubt have to reset everything. Fortunately, I don't believe the car has any serious road time on it since the head was done, so it's likely I won't have to re-grind the valves... (That's my hopeful side talking) <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Glad you get a kick out of it. Discovered the vacuum advance unit is NFG today. This explains the 15" of vacuum, due to the leak as well as no advance at idle. Got a wiggle on the vacuum gauge I think is ignition related. New wires, plugs, cap and rotor tomorrow will tell. Replaced the points and it made a *huge* diff. The car spent several years near salt water. (Puget Sound) and all electrical components are pretty well corroded. Looking more and more like a replacement wire harness is in the future too. Believe me, I'm having a ton of fun working on this thing. Gotta love state-of-the-art circa 1938! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Footnote: Put the vacuum gauge on it last night to see a consistent wiggle 3" above and below 15" at idle and above. This indicated to me either an ignition problem or head gasket. Compression test ruled out a head gasket. Advance dash pot on the distributor is the only thing not inspected for a vacuum leak yet. It appears to be functioning. This car sat on an island in South Puget Sound and was exposed to moist sea air for several years. I'll be going thru the entire electrical system. A new harness is a definite possibility. Inside of the cap, rotor and points were badly corroded, car ran better after I cleaned em up with a pencil eraser, but I still ordered new parts. When bumping the starter to get the points on the top of the point cam, I saw the points break while energized. Orange sparks in a pea sized cloud. In my book, that's used up. Fresh ignition parts did the trick! I'll be putting a kit in the carb soon. Purrs like a happy cat now with an occasional stumble. The consistent missing and resultant vacuum pulses were no doubt fattening up the mixture, since the plugs look good now. I figure that in 1938 this car ran perfectly well with the AAV-1, so there's no reason I can't make it do so again with a little effort. I'm not the type to give up on something and take the easy route. Otherwise I would have bought a Buick that was already restored! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hello again. After cleaning up the points, cap and rotor, my '38 Model 41 runs much better, <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> but still has a persistent intermittent miss. New parts will be in tomorrow for an ignition tune up. In the meantime, my choke seems to take forever to fully open. This fouls the plugs to black fairly quickly. I noticed a small allen set screw at the bottom of the helical element in the choke assembly when I had it apart for cleaning. (Part that goes into the heat riser) Please see the attached photo of my spare. If I make small adjustments to this, turning it a degree or 2 at a time on the shaft to take up the "slop", will it make the choke come off a bit faster? The octane selector seems to have little to no effect. Your sage advice is appreciated in advance. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Shag Kittitas, WA

Follow up #2 Cap, rotor and points are a corroded mess. Gonna do the pencil eraser cleanup for the short term, but have ordered a new cap/rotor/points/condenser package. Shag

Follow up. Not as bad as before, but still seems lean. Runs rougher'n a cob. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Haven't found any vacuum leaks either. (Though I didn't check the advance pot) I put a rag in the silencer to add a little resistance to fatten it up a bit and it's a lot happier. I'll know more tomorrow when I put the vacuum gauge on and look at it again. Choke seems to take forever to come completely off, but does eventually. I'm at the mercy of whoever put the ol girl together before me. Valves seem quiet. The stock gauge doesn't seem to show much oil pressure which concerns me a tad. I need to put a confirmed gauge on to know for sure, as the stocker's pushing 70 years old and is likely hard of hearing. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Tomorrow I pull the plugs and have a look to see if any cylinders are being bad. Then a thorough inspection of the ignition components. Hittin the sack. Shag

I'm hoping to find a complete air cleaner. I just have the silencer portion and lack the element, lid and wing nut. Guess I'll be watching ebay. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Just got done going thru my carb and choke. No kit, but just cleaning all the shellac out. What a mess!! The throttle body bores were carboned and rusty. I sat the lower section in Stoddard until things softened a bit, then took my Eastwood carburetor cleaning toys to it. Got the carbon out, but the rust was sticking pretty well. I then took the stinky, but effective PB Blaster (NAPA) to the rust and dried it with air after a few minutes. All the rust turned bright orange, which made it a fairly easy task to pick the little cruddy bits from the cast iron bore without damaging it any further. Had to use the cheaters to see what I was doing. (Had LASIK last January) The upper body had shellac plugging every port. Some air and fuel was getting thru, but not near enough. I could tell it was lean because 3 fingers on top the carb made it run much better when the engine was warm. She's clean now by golly. Those 2 big plugs are a pain to get loose! The problem with the choke was evident when I went to reassemble it. Some dope had jammed the flexible shaft in the choke unit 90 degrees out. I simply washed the dickens out of it and blew it dry with air and put it back together. Manual warns against lubricating it, though with todays hi temp lubes like some teflons, I imagine a drop on the ball bearing on top wouldn't hurt. With the carb assembled, I held a lighter beneath the bimetal coil and the choke began to open after a few moments. Glory be! Now to put it back on the car and see how bad I've screwed things up. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Best regards from Central WA. Shag

Thanks for the response. I was figuring on making my own floors, but was holding out hoping for a more sanitary solution. That choke is a head scratcher all right. I'm still studying the service manual. I believe it has the AAV1 carb, with the vacuum starter enable (which works fine) integrated with the choke. Please see the attached and advise? Shag

Hi group. Me again. My '38 Model 41 is running now. Still trying to get that choke working on that Stromberg. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> After pulling the seats and carpet, I found the usual rusted out floor. Swiss Cheese, just short of Fred Flintstone action. After Googling myself silly, I'm still empty handed. Can I assume that I'm on my own as to fabricating new floors, or is there anyone out there making nicely formed floor patch panels, like for later cars? I'm basically looking at replacing all the flat parts out to the rockers, front and back. I'm also looking for a heavy duty air cleaner as I live in an extremely dusty place, plus a headlight bucket. (One's rotted out) Any pointers from the collective would be greatly appreciated. Attached is a photo of the old girl. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Shag Kittitas, WA

Thanks! Got a set of donors from the wrecking yard. Off to bring the old girl home today. Appreciate the response. Shag