Ron Luchene

I shimmed the pulley this afternoon and I have power steering again but I would like a permanent fix. Please let me know if you have a spare pulley for the smaller diameter shaft. Thanks - Ron

I replaced my power steering pump today which had been rebuilt about 18 months ago. Rather than go down the path of the rebuild again I decided to see if I could locate a remanufactured one. I was successful in finding a remanufactured pump and the swap was seemless today up until it was time to install the pulley. The shaft on my old power steering pump is roughly 5/8" and the new power steering pump is a hair larger than 1/2". I can only assume one of these pumps are incorrect for 65' or two shaft sizes were produced and I need to find a pulley with the smaller diameter hole. Any thoughts? Anyone have a power steering pump pulley that will fit the smaller shaft? Thanks - Ron

I need to replace the oil breather cap on my 65' and am curious which cap is correct. My existing breather cap has a hose extending to the air cleaner. My air cleaner is an after market unit. I have seen pictures of Rivieras with and without the hose connected to the oil breather cap. Was this driven by emissions standards in some states or are there other factors? I would like to eliminate the hose if there are no issues doing so.

Thanks for the responses guys. The local mechanic says he can replace the mounts for an hour of labor so that sounds like the safest route. The seal will have to wait for now. The oil leak is pretty small...maybe a spot about the size of a quarter in a few weeks time. Just a nuisance really. Thanks again!

Time to work on my Riviera to-do list. Replaced the pinion seal this weekend. One leak down and two more to go. A couple of quick questions. 1. Can the engine mounts be replaced without pulling the engine on a 65'? 4 of the 6 bolts are pretty accessible but want to ensure I can get the motor high enough to replace the mounts before tackling the job. 2. The rear seal is leaking oil. I am guessing that the rope seal needs to be replaced. Can the oil pan be removed with the engine in the car? As always, I appreciate the answers/advice. Thanks - Ron

Not sure if it is the same but I took the information from this site and went to a local transmission shop. I think the seal cost me less than a $1. TH400 transmission oil seals 400 Transmission seals

I made one from brass tubing and without the photo for reference, I chose to wrap it around the exhaust manifold and then to the rear of the block. I connected the rubber hose there and then to the brass port at the top of the carb. I bought a Choke Stove Pipe repair kit from the local auto parts store for the tube to the choke. I had some woven insulation left over from the original stove pipe to the choke and used that to cover the line from the lower hole up to where the rubber hose attached. It looks good even though the lower line isn't routed in the same fashion as yours. I'm happy with the end result as I had just about settled on an electric choke and given up on the original design.

Success!!! There was debri in the vacuum port for the Choke housing. I cleaned it out and installed the stove pipe and line from the carb down to the other port on the exhaust manifold. I let the car warm up for a few minutes and the choke opened about 50%. Took the car on a 10 mile drive and checked the choke again. Wide open! Thanks for your help guys!

I checked the manifold and the hot air tube is in good shape. It looks like I will need to insert some copper tubing or something to tie the hose to. Not sure why the choke hot air is coming from the rear port on the hot air tube as it seems it would make more sense for the choke to be connected to the hot air tub as it exits out the forward side of the exhaust manifold and the rear port connected to the brass port on the carburetor. Also, the exhaust manifold valve thermostat is rusted and stuck wide open. I assume that a working thermostat would allow the choke to open quicker but is it critical that I replace this valve?

Ed, Thanks for the explanation. The plot thickens a bit. On my car the port you are referring too is equipped with a rubber cap. I can't wait to get under the car to see what the bottom side of the exhaust manifold looks like. In addition, I guess I am drawing fresh air at this point since nothing is connected to the bottom of the exhaust manifold. More to follow... Thanks - Ron

Jon, I will check the choke housing tonight. I realize where the vacuum comes from but I am curious where it is drawing the air from. Where does the tube inside the exhaust manifold go? I would think it is fresh air since the exhaust gas would do damage over time. Ron

I rebuilt the Carter AFB on my 65' but am frustrated with the choke as the vacuum seems weak. I will be removing the carb tomorrow night to insure there are no blockages. A couple of questions. 1. The stove pipe fits into the exhaust manifold. Where is it drawing air from? 2. If I switch to an electric choke, does NAPA or anyone carry a kit specific to the AFB? I have read several posts online tonight and while the Edlbrock kit is readily available at Advance Auto and others, it seems a shame to pay $65 - $75 for a kit and throw half of the parts away. Any suggestions are welcome. Ron

Nothing like that on mine.

Thanks for the photo's! It looks like I had everything in the right place but it is always good to confirm. The only question I have left is with regard to the spring on the fast idle cam. The manual talks about the fast idle cam springing into place when the choke is closed and the throttle is opened. I am not getting that kind of response which leads me to believe the spring is not in the correct orientation but... it looks like it is compared to the photo's. Here's what mine looks like. Is this correct? Is the spring broken or out of shape? Before I rebuilt the carburetor, this cam was just hanging loose pointing straight down. As always I appreciate the help!

Rebuilt my carburetor over the weekend and thought I took plenty of photo's but not the level of detail I wish I had now. Does anyone have some close-up photos of the cam's, springs etc on the end of the primary and secondary rods? I think I have things in the correct orientation but I would like to confirm. An exploded view would be useful as well. Thanks - Ron

Sounds like you are missing the metal clips that go in the holes.

Thanks for the responses guys! The engine was rebuilt and the radiator boiled by the previous owner. All I have is the receipts so not sure why the work was done other than the obvious reason i.e. old and needing to be freshened up. Prior to this year I have not had any issues with overheating. I guess I will start with the thermostat and go from there. I have not checked the timing, vacuum and mechanical advance but the car runs strong so if these are off it would be a slight adjustment. Todays project was the center support for the drive shaft. Wow...was it worn out! Turns out the bearing is bad as well so a trip to NAPA is in order. Thanks for the advice and I will let you know how I make out. Ron

It's been great getting the Riv back on the road but it is amazing how many things that worked perfectly fine when I parked the car a year ago just don't seem to work properly today. I have plenty to keep me busy for the next few nights. The car is flirting with overheating at highway speeds. I can drive it at 60mph-65mph for miles with no issues. If I take it up to 70mph-75mph the "Hot" light begins to flicker after 10 miles or so. If I push it, it will eventually come on steady. If I back off to 60-65 she cools back down. The radiator was boiled about 15K miles ago. The sending unit was replaced last year. I put some octane booster in the last tank of gas just to see if it would make a difference. I have 3.07 rear end and it is running at approximately 3000 RPM at 70mph. If I try to spin the fan manually it will only rotate 1.5 - 2 times so I think the fan clutch is okay but maybe not. I'm running a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze. Not sure what more I can add. Has anyone experienced this with their car? Let me know your thoughts! Thanks - Ron

Thanks for the reply. It makes sense to me now but not sure why Buick determined this was necessary. Any thoughts? I can certainly rewire the circuit but if there is a good reason for the modification than I guess I should be in the market for a relay. This relay is slightly different than the one I previously replaced and I haven't found a source as of yet this morning.

Does anyone have a wiring diagram for the clamshell motor circuit that shows two relays? The diagram in the shop manual only shows one relay but I have two and it appears to have been added professionally as the harness is intact. My motor was working fine prior to parking it last year to do some interior work. It now opens but will not close. I can bypass the relays and apply power direct to the motor and it closes fine. I would think the issue is at one of these two relays. One was replaced a couple of years ago. Before I replace anything I would like to confirm how it is suppose to be wired. I appreciate any help you can offer. Thanks - Ron

65riviera925...I got your PM. Here's the step by step. With regard to mounting the armrest mechanism, it mounts to the seat frame. There is no need to drill any holes. 1. Take your back seat bottom cushions out of the car. The bottom cushions are connected in the middle by the seat frame. 2. With the seat bottom laying on the bench, place the armrest in position between the seat bottoms. 3. Now turn the entire seat and armrest upside down. 4. Insert the (4) bolts through the seat frame and thread into the bottom of the armrest mechanism. 5. Turn the seat and armrest right side up. 6. Slide the trim plate under the armrest mechanism and bend the front tabs under the seat bottom frame to hold it in place. 7. Re-install the entire seat assembly back in the car. 8. Install the trim plate between the speaker and the armrest. I think that's it. Someone else chime in if I missed anything. Ron

Here are some pics. In the first photo, the armrest mechanism bolts to the seat bottom middle frame. In the second photo, the lower trim slides under the armrest mechanism and two tabs at the bottom in the front bend around the bottom of the seat frame. In the third photo, the trim plate (Shorter than the stock plate) slides up under the speaker and then into a groove in the top rear of the armrest mechanism. I hope this helps. Ron

Just checked again and there is definitely no seal present...not even stuck to the inside of the booster. This probably explains why I can't stop the car without standing on the brake pedal! When I purchased the car locally the guy told me he had rebuilt the brake system. There is certainly evidence of this at the wheels and master cylinder. I suspected the issue with "hard brakes" was in the power booster since this was one piece he did not touch. What was odd to me is that when I performed the tests mentioned in the shop manual, the booster "appeared" to operate correctly. Since I was taking it apart this weekend I thought it would be a good time to upgrade to a dual master. Anyways, I have the new master in hand and I still need to see if I can locate the seal in town. If not, I will give Booster Dewey a call. I also noticed that the new master has two different size fittings for the front and rear lines. Do I use a larger line for the front and convert it to 1/4" before the junction block or do they make larger fittings for the 1/4" line? Seems like a stupid question but I am not familiar with what hardware may be available. Thanks - Ron I am finally at a point where I can enjoy the car some before paint and body work in the fall

If I remember right, you should (3) components. The armrest with the mechanism, the trim plate that goes under the armrest between the seat bottoms and the trim piece that fits between the speaker and the top of the armrest mechanism. This trim piece is shorther than the stock trim piece that is currently installed in your car. I can take close up photos of my armrest tomorrow if it will help you. Thanks - Ron

Jim, I will tackle the dual master swap this weekend on my 65'. I have read the article on the ROA Tech site as well as several articles in the forum. I am aware that an O ring is required around the neck of the new master cylinder but am curious to know if this was required on the stock single reservoir. I do not see it in the shop manual nor was one installed on the master cylinder I just removed. Just curious. Thanks - Ron