RivNut

As Tom said in a different thread, go with an electric choke. Ed

An especially good idea with today's gas and no more than the car is probably driven. Put an electric pump as close to the tank as possible and in the lowest place in the line. Push the gas to the mechanical pump and use both of them. Wire it through an IGN circuit. Turn on the key, give the pump a few seconds to fill the line and bowl on the carb. Then go through your starting process.

It may take me until June to get throught them all. WOW!!! Thanks, Ed

I've never been into all of those constant velocity joints so , "No", I don't know.

Pull the head and take it to a machine shop.

There are two horns on the car. If neither work, you can probably rule out the horns themselves, but they're easy to check with a hot wire. Start there with each horn, then work your way toward the horn button checking each terminal and section of wire until you find the problem. I bought a '66 Riviera on which the taillights and brake lights didn't work; I knew this going in. When I went to look at the car, it was something that was well worth the money ($200) so I knew I was going home with it. The seller had replaced all of the bulbs, sockets, and had run new ground wires to each side. After looking it over, I pulled up the trunk mat, pushed the rear harness into the flat harness and drove off. I thought the guy was going to cry when I left. He was apparently fed up and was selling the car because it "couldn't be fixed." You'll never know where you might find a wiring problem. Maybe the ground wire in the harness that runs across the radiator support is not connected. Who knows until you work every angle. Ed

I've taken cars to competent exhaust shops to have those stubborn nut/bolts removed. They're not afraid to get in there with a torch and really heat things up. Have someone with experience do it, don't let them assign the job to a novice. The heat will break the rust and usually the bolt/nut can be extracted cleanly. When reinstalling, be sure to coat the bolt/nut with an anti-seize compound. That's "Espicially" important. Ed

I think that a broad statement that the horn and turn signals are two separate problems has been stated, nothing in detail. No real "fixes." Just that you need to be looking to solve one problem at a time. The problem I've heard most about the broken cable is not that the signals don't cancel, but that they only work when the wheel is in a certain position. Jim Cannon has done quite a bit of research on this, perhaps he'll chime in here as well. There are numerous wires between the horn button and the acutual horns. You'll probably need to get a test light and start tracing from the horns back to the switch. Ed

Robert, I just looked in my '63 Service Chassis manual. There were two carbs for the JT (401) engine in '63. The Carter AFB is number 3503S, and the Rochester 4GC is number 7023040. Because the 425 was not planned for Buick when the manuals were written, there is no mention of the correct carb for that engine. I doubt that they are the same. My '64 Chassis manual shows different carbs for the 401 and the 425. Jon "Carbking" who owns The Carburetor Shop says that the number for the 425 is 3554S. If he says the two engines take different carbs, I'd believe him; he know his carburetors. Ed

I'm with Brian on this; two separate unrelated problems.

Here are some things you need to consider. The '63 has a dynaflow transmission: Therefore the transmission crossmember is different and sits in a different place, the 63 shifter has detents for PNDLR where as the '65 has PRND2L. The shifters are different, therefore the neutral safety switches are in a different place. The shifter has a longer throw which means the consoles are not the same length. The '63 Dynaflow kickdown is operated by a rod that runs from the carb to the transmission. The '65 TH400 kickdown is electric. You need the carb with appropriate linkage, the kickdown switch, switch bracket, and wiring to make it work. The kickdown is also connected to the brake pedal so that the torque converter goes into high stall when you're standing still. I imagine that the 64 and 65 rear ends are the same. The '63 however is different in the way it connects to the drive shaft. One uses a bolt on flange, the other uses a U-joint. I'm hoping that you got the rest of the '65 car when you bought the engine and transmission. There are lots of pieces you're going to need from it. Good luck. Ed

I got shoes, and a spring kit for my '64 from Advance Auto. Probably not on their computer but it's in the parts book and is probably something that's shared with other later models and is in stock. Plus there are bins in the bach that have each single part you need but they're not listed in the catalog either. For me the hunt is half the fun. Ed

If you know all of the specs of your wheels and the size of the tires you want to run, you can compare them to your OE tire/wheel combo by using tire calucations software such as the one I'm attaching. Make sure you put the OE tire/wheel info on the left side. Custom rims, wheel tire packages for your ride - RIMSnTIRES.com You can also take your car to a professional tire installation shop and they can fit your hub with a tool which can be adjusted to simulate your tire and wheel of choice. The tool looks like this. A friend of mine did this with his '65. After measuring everything, he had the wheel he wanted custom made. No extra charge for the custom fabrication because each wheel is individually cut from a block of aluminum and all the manufacturer does is change the settings on the computerized lathe that shapes the wheels.

I've always been curious about these charts. No matter who prints them there is something on them that make you scratch your head. In this instance it's carb #3579. In 1963, it's specified for model 4700 but you'll also notice that it's the carb for the S/T - standard transmission. Not in a Riviera!

If it's a '63, that's the only way they came; one rear speaker. No other option from the factory. In '64 when the a/c controls were moved to the console there was then room for a front speaker in the center of the dash board.

Rebuild the Carter! It's designed for your engine; Edlebrocks et al are universal. I can't say this about the '63 because the 425 is not part of the chassis manual, but in '64 the 401 and the 425 both have Carter AFB's but the 425 carb has different jet sizes than the 401 carb. There's got to be a reason. Edlebrock has not taken this into account but you probably should. Hesitation on acceleration is probably a weak accelerator pump. Pretty easy fix.

J7.... number on the block should match the VIN on your car. Another stamped number - mirror image of the VIN - shows the cubic inch displacement of the engine. JT = 401, JW = 425. The other letters are code numbers for a shift, or something that's never been discovered as of yet. The tag on the carburetor is to ID the carb for parts - can't tell by the numbers or the picture if the carb is a Carter AFB or an Rochester 4GC; it would also tell you if the carb is the appropriate carb for the engine. The Fisher body numbers are on the Riviera Owner's website along with an illustration showing what each stands for. Ed

Used to do kind of the same kind of thing with my Wonderbar radio. I'd tell a passenger to snap his fingers and point at the radio to change the station. Wah-lah a new statioin. I'd be operating the remote foot control. Especially impressive to my daughter's young friends. 11 - 12 year olds can be so gullible.

If the drums have been turned, the inside diameter is larger than the diameter of the linings. When linings are fitted, some material is removed from the lining so both the drum and the lining have the same arc.

Front and rear both are left hand threads on 1963's only. 5 on 5" bolt pattern. 63's and '64's have a large (almost 3-1/8") hub and corresponding center hole in the wheel. Wheels from '65 and later won't fit on a '63; they have a smaller hub and center hole in the wheel. '65 and later Rally wheels will need to have the register ring removed to fit on a '63 or '64 hub. Ed

It could also be the infamous 'Riviera rattle' which is caused by the fuel lines hitting each other. I've never experienced it on any of my Rivs, but someone who has can probably tell you when it's most likely to occur and what to do to fix it. Or, you could have a rock or lug nut rattling around inside your wheel cover. It will make noise when you're going slow but centrifical force will hold it in place when you're going fast. When you slow down again, it will rattle again. Did you ever put rocks through the slots in wheel covers when you were a kid just to confuse someone - like your math teacher when his car was in the school parking lot? Ed

Is there a shop in town that will reline your shoes? If so, they can "fit" them to your drums. Ed

Find a cheap auto stethoscope at some place like harbor freight and see if you can isolate the exact spot where the leak is. That will help determine where you need to begin. It could be the heat riser, a blown gasket, or even the plug on the bottom of the intake manifold. Are you sure that it's not a lifter that's not pumping up until the oil gets warm? They sound pretty much the same. Ed

Buick came out with the 325 hp 401 in 1959 but you started the '59 and maybe the '60 by stepping on the accelerator pedal, not turning the key. After that year I would think that any Carter AFB or Rochester 4GC designated for a Buick up through 1963 should work. In '64 Buick went to the TH400 transmisson and gave up the mechanical kickdown in favor of an electrical unit. So any Buick carb 1960 - 1963 will work on your '63 Riviera. It might not be numbers matching but it will work. If you know the carb number you want, call Jon at The Carburetor Shop in Eldon, MO. He has quite an inventory of carburetors. THE CARBURETOR SHOP Ed

I think that Clarks has the soup, nuts, and everything else you need; you just have to order it one item at a time. What are you looking for that they don't have? Ed