RivNut

Drummer boy for the 54th Iowa militia.

I asked him again about the vibration with the car in Park/Neutral and he said there wasn't one this time. I'm sure that he told me there was the first time I talked to him as well becasue we talked about balancers, broken piston skirts, etc. The guy is older than both of us put together - he was working in a Buick garage in 1965. But as he said, the only thing he was doing to "new" Buicks then was changing plugs, points, and condensers, or doing LOF's. Ed.

Find a body shop that has been around for a while. They might have a door alignment tood. The tool has a part that hooks onto your striker plate and a striker plate built into it. Loosend the hinges a bit, slide the tool into place, latch the door to the striker plate part of the tool, then pry up on the handle until things are aligned. Tighten the hinges and you're good to go. Ed

The pedal should be pulled straight up from the angle of the floor on which it's sitting. It's much easier to get off that to get back on now that the rubber has aged. Ed

When my wife and I bought our '93 Riviera, we drove to NC to pick it up and drive it back to KS. (We had a vacation in TN planned to coincide with this.) We took along a couple of inexpensive Cobra walkie-talkies and I know that there were at least a couple of times when we were at least a couple of miles apart and had no problems with reception. I'm curious, why does the BCA recommend a CB? Ed

Over the years, I've found that dyeing carpet from an aerosol makes the carpet stiff and brittle. The best method I've found is to use Rit Dye; your mom probably used to use it. It's still available in fabric stores. There aren't as many colors available as there used to be but you can mix colors to get the shade you want. Make the dye in very hot water, pour it into a pump spray bottle, and mist the dye into the carpet. Let it dry, then take a wet sponge and wipe it down removing excess dye. Then keep repeating this process until you have the coverage you want. If you have any spots that are discolored for any reason, they'll stay lighter or darker. This method is only good for renewing faded carpet - like the carpet on door panels. Ed

SEM it the easiest to find. They have quite a few colors but nothing like a color match system like you can find with paint. There are a couple of autobody shop suppliers here in town who add a "flex-agent" to paint to make it compatible with vinyl. The biggest thing about dyeing vinyl is getting it clean. You need a strong solvent that will open the pores in the vinyl so that 1) you can get the dirt out, and 2) let the dye/paint penetrate the pores so it will adhere. There used to be a bunch of vinyl repair franchises around, but not so much any more since vinyl tops and seats are no longer part of the car scene. You might Google "vinyl repair" or "vinyl dye" and see what you find. I used to work for one of these companies about 30 years ago. We had a subsidiary called AP Labs. AP Labs had about 12 - 15 base colors and formulae for mixing any OE color dye that you could want. Not any longer. Good luck, it's well worth it when you get it all finished and everything is coordinated. I'll tell you from experience; red is a tough color to match and it's one of the first colors to fade. :mad: Ed

Update: I just got a call from the guy up in Leavenworth telling me that his customer's car is riding "smooth as silk." Come to find out it was two things that added up to some really bad vibrations at highway speeds. 1) the original transmission mount was compressed to the point where it was totally useless. I told him how to use a TH400 mount and modify the crossmember for that, and 2) someone had put a new carrier bearing on the driveshaft but didn't reinstall the shims under the bracket. Once the $6.00 trans mount was installed and the shims (which were tucked away someplace in the frame - $0.00 for those parts) were reinstalled, he has a very happy customer. Ed

Clark's Corvair sells reproduction finned aluminum valve covers that have the large breather like you have in yours. In their catalog, they state that the valve cover comes with the breather grommet. Perhaps you could get one from them or get a lead from them on where to get one. Ed

Lasse, Glad you're squared away. No more sleepless nights now. So that no one will question you on the engine in your car, you should paint it like the other engines were painted in 1963 Rivieras. This is a one year, one model only engine color. The block, heads, pan, etc are all painted silver. The air cleaner is "wrinkle" red, and a few of the brackets are black. The correct air cleaner decals are also depicted in this picture. (This picture is of a non a/c car hence there's no thermal clutch on the fan, nor is there a fan shroud. It also uses 2 V-belt pulleys rather than the 3 V-belt pulleys found on the a/c cars. Ed (If you paint very heavily over the area where the stamped numbers are, no one will ever know but you. ) <TABLE border=0 align=right><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

The engine serail numbers are the same as the VIN. When this number on the block matches the number on the plate on the firewall, you have the magic "Numbers Matching Car." The production code number, which is on the passenger's side of the block tells you what the cubic inch displacement, horsepower, torque, compression, and carburetion are for that engine as it came from the factory. Here's a picture using the correct nomenclature: Team Buick Forum You're only interested in the first two digits/letters in the passenger's side code. The other numbers have to do with productioin dates etc. Don't concern yourself with these numbers PRODUCTION CODE: 4G is a '1960 401. The rest of the numbers are data codes for dates etc. Again, don't concern yourself with these numbers. (Your 4G engine has the same hp, cid, torque, carb, c.r., as the '63 JT motor) ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER: 6G2014497 decoded is: 6=Invicta, G=1960, 2=Flint, MI (build plant) the other six numbers are the sequential production number. This car was the number 14,497 off the production line in 1960. The engine you've posted pictures of is identical to an OE '63 Riviera engine except for the stampings. No sweat unless you try to sell the car as a matching numbers car. And we know you're not going to try to do that, you're just going to drive it and enjoy it. Ed

I dont' have any data sources in front of my now but I can tell you and easy way to identify a 364 when comparing it to a 401/425 you can measure the distance between the intake manifold bolts. <TABLE border=2 borderColor=#808080 cellPadding=5 width="80%" bgColor=#ffffcc><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE bgColor=#c0c0c0 align=right><TBODY><TR><TD>322 </TD><TD>8 3/8"</TD></TR><TR><TD>364 </TD><TD>8 7/8"</TD></TR><TR><TD>401-425 </TD><TD>9 1/8"</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Looking at an aftermarket nailhead manifold and wondering what it will fit? Try this, measure between the bolt holes... </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> The 364 has a shorter stroke than the 401/425 therefore it has a shorter deck height. The shorter deck height means that the tops of the cylinders are closer together and it needs a narrower intake than a 401/425. You can't bore a 401 out to a 425 so there's no way you could bore a 364 out to a 425. The VIN of the engine you first pictured starts with a 6, that would indicate it came from an Invicta (predecessor of the Wildcat.) Where did you get a VIN that starts with a 4? All Invictas came with the 325 hp 401 as described in my earlier post. Look for that two letter code on the machined surface where the valley cover sits. That's the only code that will confirm/deny what you actually have. The 4 in the code is for a 401, the G is for 1960. If you have a 4G code, you're good to go. If the code happens to be 3G then you've got a 364. Highly doubtful based on some of the other data you've provided. Ed

Doug, That sounds like an early California set up. I'm betting that the other 49 states used the plug and a breather that also served as a filler. Ed

Ditto on the interest. Ed

The car was purchased on ebay. DUH. The buyer brought it to this mechanic to find the vibration after taking delivery of it. I think that this mechanic is trying to check out every other possibility in order to save the buyer some bucks before tearing down an engine that was overhauled by someone else. He's ready to tear it down if nothing else can fix it. Ed

Mr. Gasket makes the push-in breathers, check with someone like JEG's or Summit Racing to see what they offer. Someone help me here. I thought only the '66 cover had that hole in at the front of the cover. Ed

Read the link I sent to you again. It says that they recommend 95 -99 GM 1/2 ton ROTORS and Seville CALIPERS. If you're sure that you want to use the Scarebird brackets, buy them. When you get them, look at the instruction sheet and see what they are currently recommending. The instruction sheet will give you part numbers if you want to go with new stuff, or you can try to find it used. Ed

Bernie, I mentioned that to the guy who called me. He told me that the engine had just been overhauled and tearing it down was the last thing he would do. The rebuilder had used some aluminum balancer on it, so it was replaced with a nailhead iron one, still a vibration. I told him that the ring could have slipped on that. He's going to check that. He then called me back and said that he'd found a totally disintegrated transmisson mount and was looking for one of those. I told him to use one for a TH400 and modify the crossmember. I haven't heard from him since. Thanks for the input. I'll be sure to forward the pictures to him if he calls back. Ed

This page from the Scarebird website states that 71 - 76 rotors should work on a '65 Riviera spindel. Scarebird states that 61 - 64 takes one part numbered bracket and 65 - 70 takes a different part numbered bracket. As was mention previously, the only thing you'll use from your '64 will be the spindle. The rotor will include your bearings, lug nuts, etc. - everything the orginal hub included. You're exchanging complete assemblies and bolting them to the Scarebird bracket. Scarebird Classic Brakes LLC Read #4. This page of their website says to use 95 - 99 1/2 ton rotors and 71 - 76 Seville calipers on a 61 - 64 Buick. The 8 Sept, 2005 revision A instructions I got with my brackets says to use 71 - 76 Riviera rotors, calipers, pads, and bolts; the recommendatiof for hoses in the 2005 instructions suggests the use of 76 - 87 "Chevette" hoses. :eek: Currently they're recommending '77 Riviera hoses. (They change recommendations quite often with no explanation.) Mount up you've got and see what you have. My instruction sheet also has part numbers for all of the parts from NAPA, Wagne, and Raybestos. I tried scanning the instruction sheet for you but ran into a compatibility issue between my scanner and computer. Send me a PM with your email address and I'll see if I can send you the instructions that way. Ed

You can tie into any 12V source that's on the IGN side of the fuse block. The pump is a low pressure pump so there's no need for an external regulator. Mount the pump low and as close to the tank as possible. Ed

My post is based on the G in the VIN. That would equate to an engine from a 1960. The nailhead for 1960 was the same 325 hp, 445 Wildcat (torque), 10.25:1 c.r. 401 cid as was found in the '63 Riviera. As BBH said, the true decoding numbers you need will be found on the passengers side (same surface but opposite of the 6G number you posted.) I think the engine came from a '60 Invicta based on this VIN decoder. 1960 Buick Vehicle Identification Number A casting number only tell you what the "cast" item started as before it was machined. Here's a list of casting #'s. You can see that the head number you posted is a number that was used for '59 - '66 364's 401's, and 425's. (J was the code for '63 but I don't know if the J at the end of the casting number is relevant or coincidental. Could be the '63 heads on a '60 block. ?????) Perhaps someone else can clarify this. http://www.teambuick.com/forums/view.php?pg=casting_numbers_nailhead Ed

I got a Carter 60504 in line electric. It's a universal full time pump that works in conjunction with the mechanical pump. They're available on-line through your favorite source. It's not that big and easy to mount. Ed

The emblem is a '64 emblem. The '63 emblem is a round disk with a tri-shield in it. If you take the Riviera emblem off the lens, the depression should be the same as the emblem. If both the emblem and the depression are ovals, it's a '64 lens. If someone has bolted an oval emblem over a smaller round depression then it's a mix. Ed

You can do one of two things. 1) Put a manual shut off in the hose that carries coolant TO the heater core. Pictured below (sorry about the size.) Or 2) Make a loop with the heater hose so the water leaves water pump and returns to the thermostat housing. Either way you're keeping water from getting to the heater core.

I finally found this video, which I saw a few years ago. Hopefully it will give you an idea what's involved in doing a Scarbird disk brake swap. The car in the video is a '62 Buick Electra, but the same kit works on early Rivieras. www.V8TVshow.com - Stopping the Sled - Cheap Disc Brakes Ed