buick man

… we recommend just replacing the internal spring, seat and ball and cleaning throughly all the while keeping the original lifter body if it's heal face is not pitted or overly worn paying particular attention to matching it back to the particular given cam lobe it rode on … that way the lifter body will continue to match the cam lobe it rode upon without causing break-in issues which can and do happen when a new complete lifter body is set into place upon a given exiting cam lobe ...

… yeah we too saw this one from Tacoma and did not include it on our radar blitz …. because at $ 5,000 kinda makes you wonder …. It may just be a pretty painted rust turd in disguise ….

Wow ...This could very well be the Give-A-Way car of the year winner …. cause Seller says: " 1957 Buick Roadmaster model 75. 4DR hardtop. Needs rockers and some rust in quarters. Engine runs very good. Trans moves. Spare trans with car. Needs some brake work. Needs gas tank repaired. Interior good condition. Power windows and seats. Could be made into driveable car. Extra parts. $1300 … " Gee Whiz you mean we get to buy the front chrome components and get the rest of the car for free for $ 1,300 small ones ?? …. and with extra parts ….where do we sign up ? …. Located in Wisconsin - Norther Minnesota area and posted just a couple of days ago …. Someone's gotta Go get this while it's hot …… Find it Here: https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/d/1957-buick-roadmaster/6705768826.html

Found this Roady Model 75 with factory air on Craigslost … Located in Central Michigan, Grand Rapids, Battle Creek etc area … It would make a wonderful parts car and appears to be all there … no doubt a casualty of prolonged " Lawn Art " storage but still valuable and the seller wants to negotiate and as they put it ….." It hasn't been on the road for 20+ years then parked out back of the house. Would be a great parts car, we would just like for someone to take it to use for parts instead of scrapping it. Starting at $3500 boo … " Contact: (269) 625-8102 … I would offer $ 2,000 and take it home if I was in that neck of the woods cause of all the goody parts …. be a shame to see it go to the fender man …. Someone needs to save it ! Most likely a solid Garnet Red from factory just like the one I have and same interior as well …... https://kalamazoo.craigslist.org/pts/d/1957-buick-roadmaster-75/6671764701.html

Nail Head Parts Supplier and Published Nail Head expert : http://centervilleautorepair.com

… geez Airy thanks cause they'll charge me at least that much just to set up the water jet down at my local mil jobber ….

Thanks Willie … no the 57 has no interference in that matter … I did a dry fit with gasket and determined the O.C. contact point where the cover seal will interface along the harmonic balancer snout and determined best fit … then made a cardboard gauge tool that I interposed onto the snout to insure the sleeve would be installed on center with the lip seal contact point … so all good there just a matter of pressing the sleeve down onto the snout far enough to center it … first try got me about 8/10's the way there then the lip perch broke off so I had to pry off the sleeve from the snout … I am now good to go … O.K. I have a pal who runs a machine shop so I will run it past him and see what he thinks about it …. If I end up having him do it I will photograph the process and give tech details as to how and/or what he advises … stay tuned everyone … - uncle dave Edit: Oh … I had previously installed a Best Gasket timing cover urethane lip seal and did that by using my press … so as to make sure it was centered and squared doing the press fit … so good there … when setting the timing cover onto the block there is ample room between the seal and the crank snout since the harmonic balancer has to slide over the crank snout … it is the harmonic balancer snout that rides against the aiming cover lip seal and when installing the sleeve over the balancer snout it must/should be dead centered where the lip seal is located that is why a dry fit is required … but the harmonic balancer on a 57 slides over the crank snout with ease for installation … not completely clear with the problem a 55 would have unless the timing cover on a 55 nailhead is more or less the different …

Here you go:

Photo No. 2

I am in the process of sleeving the snout of my harmonic balancer with a " Redi-Sleeve Harmonic Balancer Sleeve" Car Quest PN 99199 with maximum Snout Runout of 2.003 thousands and minimum 1.997 thousands O.D. Mine mic's out at 1.999 via using a Brown's Micrometer and a Brown's Caliper for reference …. IF anyone has actually installed one and has some install tips that will insure a positive out come please feel free to give advice … if you have actually not attempted this install refrain yourself but please stay tuned to this post to learn how …. The Process So Far : When attempting to install the first time around I did all that was asked which required solvent cleaning the snout and sleeve, then applying a very thin coat of " Permatex High Heat Sleeve Bond " onto both cleaned bonding surfaces of the inner sleeve itself and the O.D. of the snout … aligned it properly, set the install cup over the sleeve as instructed and then proceeded to gently tap down onto the center of the install cup with a plastic head hammer making sure all the while the sleeve was not cocking itself but staying centered on the hub as instructed … gently proceeded to about the half way mark down onto the snout when suddenly the lower install clip broke free from the sleeve itself … the install clip allows the cup a platform on which to foot perch the sleeve down over the snout and into position. I removed the half installed sleeve by breaking it off by means of a sharp small standard screwdriver as at this point the sleeve could not be installed any further down onto the snout .. I then cleaned the snout of any Sleeve Bond material. When the sleeve is properly centered and positioned onto the snout so the timing cover seal will run centered and true with the sleeve installed the install clip is to be cut off by the use of a metal snipper and removed …. These sleeves are not cheap and run around $ 25-30 dollars each … so I do not want to fail on my second attempt and am currently open to suggestions …. The immediate and identifiable problem is the tight binding that occurs as one proceeds to apply force with the cup during the install … Now I could just of had a faulty install ring but I looked it over good before proceeding and found nothing that would indicate a problem or of faulty construction ... I am thinking that by applying heat via a propane torch to the sleeve before the install would allow the ring itself to expand and make the slide over the snout less of a bind .. only problem I do not know what effect that would have on the Permatex by possibly causing it to flash quickly and set before the sleeve could be correctly positioned or installed for that matter … I could try a dry run by heating the sleeve and setting it onto the snout and see if the heating has expanded the ring or not … If so then I could proceed by taking a similar gauge of scrape metal and apply the Pematex to that then heat it up to see if the Permatex would stay liquid and not flash set … So there you are … here are a couple photos for the voyeurs among us ….

… so you have produced the plate shown above and have effectively blocked the heat passages at the top of the manifold where the carb sits … and have had no drivability problems … Did you also block the passages at the head/manifold … ? I think some of the problems Jon reported is from blocking off at the head to manifold area and no doubt would render an ever colder upper manifold / carb interface than just a plate blocking off the heat source as the body of the manifold would still be heated … neat info Airy and are you selling block of plates or was this a one off deal … ? Another version would be to make the plate a little thicker and have it tapped to receive a potential PVC port in the making … - uncle dave

Good input guys … one approach could be tapping into the rear of each valve cover covertly and then installing a small filter canister somewhere aside or deep behind the distributor area to filter the muck then continue with the line up to the base plate of the carb … so to have a closed positive system the gases need to be returned to the intake and also a means to create the vacuum within both the bottom end and top end of the engine to draw the vapor/gases and return them for secondary burning …. That is a good point regarding the carb and the gap of your typical plug R44's may need to be gaped a little larger, trick the dwell and perhaps a Blaster Coil installed as well … this procedure may help reduce no doubt lower end pressures and real main seal and pan gasket leaking to a major extent on existing components that may be seeping already … not to mention low idle gas outs within the general cabin and engine areas ….

… I was thinking the same thing about keeping the draft tube at it's location but internally blocking it off and tapping into the valley pan port and run a real route off from there to mount the PCV at a rear out of sight yet accessible location … Install a carb base plate with the proper rear ports needed instead of going into the air cleaner and leave the booster line alone … yes the ported non-vented valve cover cap would pose an obvious covert problem … still thinking …. - uncle dave

Just thought I'd ask … so how many have successfully installed a Covert closed PVC system on their otherwise stock original nail heads with factory oil bath air cleaner … and if so how did you go about it … ? Did you keep the original draft tube and used that within the scope of install process or did you remove it and plugged off at the valley cover … where did you install the PVC valve without molesting the valve cover or replacing the valve cover cap with an after market with the preinstalled port in the cap … ?

… O,K. so probably will end up like I said making the manifold block outs and the rubber grommets, but whiz all one would think that the replacement grommets at least would her correct and easily available and such a simple copy item … kinda like the now available white air cleaner A/C and Oil Filter can decals when in reality from the factory were the classic A/C Delco orange/red silk screened color skeme … Hey … some things like this just matters and if not factory correct they should at least be reliably useable ...

… sorry to hear Jon you had so much trouble with that modification … probably because it can get darn cold out there in the wilderness of Missouri and Texas as well … the first time I did my block off was the late 60's on my first nailhead a 57 century convertible and then in the mid seventies on my 57 Caballero wagon and experienced no drivability problems whatsoever, of course the temp in my neighborhood only varied about 40 degrees year round … not the bitter cold which most definitely would have a different effect on an experience such as yours … I drive my cars at a temp from 65 degrees to around 90 degrees … if on the other hand I had to endure true cold and I grew up in the midwest so I know what cold means … where a manual choke was my friend as well as a battery charger and an in-line block heater … but that is not my situation now days and blocking off the manifold / carb heat sink allows more benefits in my particular environment and temp ranges in which I operate my cars … - uncle dave

Here is what I consider some good info and advice I got on this forum some 8 years ago from a Guest named Don regarding blocking off the "heat riser" manifold passages with real world results : " … When we speak of "heat riser" , we are talking of the exhaust passage that is cast into the intake manifold. when your valve on the exhaust manifold closes when the engine is cold the exhaust gasses pass instead of out the exhaust pipe, but up and over and into the exhaust portion of the intake manifold (heat riser) and pass to the other cylinder head and out that side…. David, some of the high performance intake manifold gaskets for Pontiac have a piece of stainless steel in the gasket to block it off, but before they started doing this the factory racers ( myself included) would go to a sheetmetal store or shop and buy a thin sheet and cut it to size and slip it under the gasket. FYI on emisson control vehicles this is a illegal procedure, but for performance minded people and where there is no law prohibiting doing the procedure the gains in engine power from straight flow of exhaust and the cool intake charge (because no heat is applied under the intake runners) increases the engine volumetric efficiency and the cool charge can take more ignition advance without detonation also for more power and MPG. Test have shown that by further insulating the carburetor from heat by using a one inch Micarta Spacer under the carb. is good for a tenth of a second at the end of the quarter mile. You might say a tenth is nothing, but it is equal to one full car length at the finish line! …" … " Some of my pontiac's I race and some are for show, but on both types of engines I block the heatriser off completely. For racing, the engine makes make about 10-15 HP more, and for show the center part of the manifold never burns off it's paint from exhaust heat. None of my cars have driveability problems even with the heat riser blocked off. On one of my cars the factory intake RA 1V dosen't have a riser crossover attached to the manifold at all. …" Don A 4-Hole Spacer … As a rule of thumb, this type of spacer ( 4 individual holes one under each barrel of your carburetor ) will increase your throttle response and acceleration. They can also move the torque and power band down in the RPM range. This is accomplished by keeping the air and fuel flowing in move of a column, which increases the air velocity. This can be a perfect addition if your vehicles throttle response is not as good as you'd like, or getting passed when you pick up the throttle coming off of the cornering. A 4-hole spacer can also help make up for something in the intake tract being larger than optimal ( too large of a carburetor, cam, intake etc. ) ...

Just like John Cameron Swaze said…. it takes a lick'n … but keeps on ticking ...

… well perhaps you need to not have the 12 volt current connected while removing and installing the fuse to the clock due to internal clock component requirements - This is the procedure when dealing with this tiny fuse on the 1957 Buick or if not followed causes problems within the clock itself as per the Buick manual …. and I am going on memory here but the fuse may blow as well as causing harm internally to a key time governing component ….

… Chris refer to the second photo above … this new replacement grommet diameter is commandingly smaller than the 1-inch washer on top of it. The first photo and third photos show the original factory grommet and washer … why would the factory place a 1-inch washer on a barely 3/4 diameter grommet ? …. To add to this the replacement grommet is of a very thick non-compressable rock hard urethane material and the i.D. is sloppy large as well and would not shoulder the valve cover bolts leaving a 1/16 circumferential gap … the factory original is of a pliable rubber base compound… firm yet not dried out and is still subtle after 60 years … very little compression and the replacement cannot compress at all and the I.D. would allow leakage even with the washer placed on top which even so ... to even make it close to working would require a smaller I.D. washer … and the only sealing one would get is from the I.D. of the metal washer … the job of the grommet is to seal and the washer's job is to provide a perch point for the head of the bolt and to allow compression onto the grommet …. Apparently I will have to make a proper grommet … I was hoping to snatch the correct one if available ….

Bump one…. wow another really nice well sorted 50 and at a literal give-away price ….. you could not paint the car or detail out the engine this one for this asking amount ….

… I hear you guys and thanks for the info … In the late 60's I was using brass shim stock plates for my first railhead that I would surgically cut and place over the hole coming out of the head and then lay the stock manifold gasket on top of that then placed the manifold on and that seemed to work well regarding minimizing any heat sink related problems and that was when you could get 98 leaded at the pump ! Yes the manifold won't get real ugly fast and the fuel will be cooler as well … any who I would like to find a source for those blocked gaskets …. I suppose if one cannot get their hands on the real deal valve cover grommet … then a uncle bob's hand drill "lathe" setup could be used to turn down a nice soft shock mount rubber and form it and slice it into the correct shape … only the top needs to be the right diameter 1-1/8 " and the profile thickness sitting on the valve cover needs to be 5/32nds thick … of course the I.D. would need be a tight fit …. just thinking out loud - uncle dave Edit: Here a comparison photo of the crappy nonsense grommet on the right and the factory original still in the valve cover .. also note the larger I.D. on the wannabe grommet … can you say sloppy !

… blocking off the heat passages in a car that operates in 65-95 temps all year round has no need for the heat passages creating a hot plate at the base of your carb that the base plate and gasket cannot overcome as one shuts off the engine and it becomes a greater heat sink area and increased percolation problems …. … the factory NOS grommets regarding valve cover sealing are by definition suppose to be soft pliable compounds not hard urethane rubber wannabes that belong on the end of your kitchen table legs … not on your engine … and yes the general blah about NOS rubber is true about having decomposed due to shelf product life span … … NOS specifications should be followed if one is going to spend the time and effort to recreate an item including the proper compounds used … what many of these suppliers are doing is just tossing in a round shaped objects either found in a bag in the corner or are sourcing them from someone with even less keeness to detail and need … the hard too small O.D. diameter and too large I.D. diameter ones are all I have found .. the Best Gasket kit looks promising and I will check that out … but believe the one I have that is too small - too hard was sourced from them ...

thanks Chris … I'll follow that lead up ... I had a NOS grommet hanging around that I can't find but it certainly was not the too small too hard too thick version that it appears every jobber is selling now … they must be getting these from the same source. Here is a photo showing the original proper grommet setup showing proper factory original hose clip, bolt, washer and grommet with factory original paint :

The photo above showing the factory original washer … yes it is softer and compressed but this original grommet even has a tighter diameter I.D. than the sloppy new replacement I have …. The photo below is showing the too small diameter replacement grommet along with a 1-inch diameter washer to represent the factory washer :