Bill Stoneberg Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 You never realize how big and heavy your old Buicks are until you have to push them for a while. You also dont realize how hilly your street can be.I took the Wagon out to "test" it yesterday afternoon. This is after finally getting it running correctly and all the lifters working. Still have a noisy valve but will continue to work on it. At least now all the valves are opening and closing.Anyway the car ran fine, got up to 55 - 60 mph, granted slowly but that has more to do with the 3.6 rear end and weight of the car. But it wouldn't do that before I worked on it. See No power thread....As I turned the corner onto my street the car died. Tried to restart, no luck. I am only a block and a 1/2 from home so call Dee to come steer the car and started pushing. Got some help from local neighbors but by the time we got it into the driveway, we were all huffing and puffing. One comment from one of the neighbors was that he plays football and he thought he was in shape.So it turns out that I cant trust the gas guage yet. While it said I had gas, the fuel filter said differently. Put gas in it, and got it started and into the garage.So, the good news is that car runs good, bad news is I have to fix the gas sending unit so its correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wildcat62 Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Must be something going around, Bill. I know another BOD member that ran out of gas about a week ago...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serb Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Bill, I have the same problem but will not go into any details just yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Love those Buicks but guage sending units were not their strong point. I don't know what's worse, the annoyance of running out of gas and dealing with all the well wishers who try to trouble shoot the problem, or the embarassment of realizing you just ran out of fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron65 Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Ugh...my wife and I developed strong calf muscles from the times we had to push my '53... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smartin Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 I ran out of gas in the Centurion last year when my sending unit went bad. I've never run out of fuel before that point. It was fixed the next day! Good thing I only had 1/8 of a mile to the gas station. I was sooooooclose to home, too:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 There was a period in my life when I ran out of gas at least once every year with the 56. The 3rd to the last time that happened I was in a very tight spot. I was on a Parkway which had cross roads for exits, not exit ramps. To make a long story short, without help I had to push the back half of the car up a small hump in the road to get off a blind curve of the parkway. All I could see was someone coming around that turn at 55 MPH not expecting a car blocking that lane. My back hurt for a few days after that.That day I vowed to fix that gas guage and untill then EVERY time I went out in the car I made sure I had sufficient gas, and I never took it on that parkway again either. But five or so years ago I had it out and was headed to the gas station when it ran out a few hundred yards short of coasting range to the gas station. Thanks to the neighbor with an extra gallon for his lawnmower.And this summer I ran out again. Seems the gas guage works okay as long as the battery is fully charged and I've got at least 1/4 tank to go. Either of those conditons not met, and it's off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buick5563 Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 I also ran out of gas three times before I took the sending unit out and bent the float (like bending a toilet float) so it says I'm empty BEFORE I don't have gas.As far as pushing goes, I had to push my car over the 1 1/2" lip into my garage once and finally had to get a neighbors help. It is truly astonishing how unmovable these beasts are when they are at a dead stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUICK RACER Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Some people in our Chapter are known to have tried to tow a car on the NY Thruway, to get told by the NY State Police, they can't do that, and had to walk to the next exit and bring gas back in 7-up liter plastic bottles, I may have a picture, same one got a gas can(empty) at the next Christmas Party for hard luck award! He hasn't had the problem since, but one of his cars has, was used by his son and won a drag race with it, and then ran out of fuel, guess who's Buick,nah, that's too easy, as I said drag race. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dan Cook Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Knowing the size of your tank and your approximate mpg will tell you bout how far you can go. That's what I always did with my pickup. I knew I could travel about 400 miles on a full tank so I would always fill up between 200 and 300 miles. Never did run out of gas.Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 75RivGS Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Last month I collected my 71 Electra from the shipper... it appeared they (?) took out the gas before it was put in a seacontainer.... apparently taking out the gas was done with too much force so that the fuel gauge isn't working anymore :mad:..... the Electra did only 4 mls and quit a few hundred yards before the first gas station.... pushing was the only option ( first hundred yards by myself before a nice gentleman helped me to poush the last distance) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Skyking Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 When I first put my 62 Invicta on the road I ran out of gas at the 1/4 mark. I said to myself, one day I will fix that float. It's been twenty years now and I haven't fixed it yet. But, I have never ran out of gas since.........Ummmm, maybe a good winter project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
page2171 Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Ran out of gas taking my son to school in my '62 Electra. Had to call my wife to have her bring gas and then pushed the car off the freeway while we waited for her. I had the day off of work so I thought I would take my son to school as a treat for her to give her a break from taking him to school. Didn't quite work out how I planned. And yes...I need to fix the sending unit in my car too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 PUSH??? A Buick? I ain't had to push the 15 yet. It has always brought me home. I guess the quality has gone down over the last 95 years. Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Stoneberg Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 Dave, You would have to push that beautiful car of yours if you dont put gas or kerosene or whatever you run into the fuel tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandy Dave Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Dave, You would have to push that beautiful car of yours if you dont put gas or kerosene or whatever you run into the fuel tank.Pure Corn Whisky.... Dandy Dave! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Stoneberg Posted October 8, 2009 Author Share Posted October 8, 2009 Shhh.... we wont tell the revenuers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buick5563 Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Shhh.... we wont tell the revenuersThat'd be Revenooers for you folks south of the Mason-Dixon line! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldwood Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 My baby blue '50 has the same problem. The guage reads 1/4 to 1/2 but ran out going up a hill. Checked fire to the points because I just knew I had gas,WRONG!!! Oh and the grief I got from my friends for running out. These heavy cars are not known for great MPG's. I'm glad I'm in the same boat as my fellow Buick owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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