39BuickEight Posted April 9, 2020 Author Share Posted April 9, 2020 Well that’s not good. I was hoping not much since it’s so high up on the engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 You can buy a big tub with a spout at the auto pars store. Let it drain down below the level of the water pump (about 50%). Change the pump and refill. No big deal. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted April 13, 2020 Author Share Posted April 13, 2020 I took the hood off today. When I put my hand under the water pump now it seems dry. Would that be possible if some ran out already while it was leaking? Is there a “pocket” of coolant that could have leaked out completely? I have not drained any at all yet. My brother is coming over Saturday with a pressure tester. I’m just thinking out loud. I checked on some engine touch up paint. The small leftover amount I had from when we painted it has hardened over the past 7-8 years. I only need a little, but they only sell it in quarts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted April 18, 2020 Author Share Posted April 18, 2020 Trunk is finished. I know these cars did not have carpet in the trunk, but they didn’t have it in the floorboards either, and mine does now. This trunk carpet set was in my parts car and, honestly, I thought it was beyond cleaning. My wonderful wife scrubbed and steam cleaned it and it came out great. So, I reused it. I made a cover for the tool tray. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 (edited) Looking good. Have you got a clamp and cast iron bracket that holds the spare wheel in place? Photo below is from Buick. Very early cars had the metal disk. Most cars have the plywood above the spare like yours To me jack is better unpainted Edited April 18, 2020 by 1939_Buick (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted April 18, 2020 Author Share Posted April 18, 2020 I don’t have that clamp. The bracket is under there to bolt it to. I might make one, might not. I would have to put a hole in the carpet. It’s stuck in there pretty good as it with the wood cover in the wheel. It really can’t move too much with the trunk closed. I haven’t decided yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted April 19, 2020 Author Share Posted April 19, 2020 Was a great day overall. Adjusted the valves and now it sounds so smooth and quiet. It’s amazing what a little difference in clearance makes. Nothing was all that off, just a few a little too much gap, a very little, but there is a huge difference now. It sounds like a sewing machine, something I have heard folks say before. I think my coolant leak was caused by one of the reproduction original type hose clamps that Bob’s sells. We were never a fan of the quality of them. I don’t know if they were better quality in 1939 than whoever makes them now, but the female side of the repro hose clamps is less than a great match for the screw). The top of the lower hose attaches near the bottom of the water pump. That clamp had come apart. I put a modern clamp back on it. I am going to check tomorrow, but running it hot today, it did not leak. Now I am nervous the other clamps might do the same. Also, the best part, the one and only child in the house that still couldn’t ride a bike without training wheels finally took off! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted April 21, 2020 Author Share Posted April 21, 2020 (edited) I am sending it out to Flying Dutchman tomorrow. Clearly leaking from the bottom hole. Edited April 21, 2020 by 39BuickEight (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted April 24, 2020 Author Share Posted April 24, 2020 Poured my go to basic beverage (Beam and Diet Pepsi, because you just can’t beat the value vs. taste of Beam and we always have some diets in the fridge) and refreshed the fasteners in preparation for the rebuilt water pump. Dad always thought it was neat how Buick bolts had a “B” stamped in them. I agree. I wonder why the fan bolts have “HC” on them? They are clearly very old, maybe not 100% original? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted April 25, 2020 Share Posted April 25, 2020 While I too love the "B" on the Buick Bolts, I would suggest you might want to consider keeping those as collector's items and replacing the water pump bolts with modern Grade 8 bolts. When I installed my water pump on my 1938 Century project, as I was attempting to tighten one of the bolts just a little bit more, it snapped off flush with the engine. Since the front end was off of the car, it was not too tough to extract the broken part of the bolt, but I would hate to take a chance on snapping one of those off with the front end on the car. The grade 8 bolts from my local hardware store were cheap insurance against having to worry about having to deal with that problem again. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted May 14, 2020 Author Share Posted May 14, 2020 Well, the water pump issue seems to have been fixed now with the rebuilt one from Flying Dutchman. I pulled it out in the sun today, but I never left the driveway because now I have little to no brake pedal. It was fine last time I pulled it out. No brake fluid showing itself anywhere.... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pont35cpe Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 When i took my `41 248 engine down, when removing the water pump all three mounting bolts(B) twisted off flush with the head. Also the two lower bolts had lock washers, the upper left bolt(the long one) had a copper washer on it, this bolt will leak coolant with a lock washer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted May 16, 2020 Author Share Posted May 16, 2020 I checked the master cylinder, and it needed fluid. Worked fine a month ago when we did the taillights. I guess sitting during restoration made it disappear??? I can’t explain it since there has never been, and still isn’t an obvious leak. Filled it back and seems good now. I was hoping to not have to bleed them, and I think I am ok. Has a good pedal now. The owners manual does say check the brake fluid every 1000 miles. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted May 16, 2020 Author Share Posted May 16, 2020 Put 3 miles on it in the neighborhood. Shifted all the gears. Nothing out of line. It had never been over 5 mph. I might just have to call the sheriff and make it road legal now. 😀 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted May 16, 2020 Share Posted May 16, 2020 3 hours ago, 39BuickEight said: Put 3 miles on it in the neighborhood. Shifted all the gears. Nothing out of line. It had never been over 5 mph. I might just have to call the sheriff and make it road legal now. 😀 Congratulations of your first long drive ☺️ Time to make it legal a for drive up the hills to the homstead. Post 1 of this thread was Dec 3 2009. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted May 16, 2020 Author Share Posted May 16, 2020 28 minutes ago, 1939_Buick said: Congratulations of your first long drive ☺️ Time to make it legal a for drive up the hills to the homstead. Post 1 of this thread was Dec 3 2009. Thanks! Slow and steady wins the race. One car every 10 years is plenty for me to handle. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil morse Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 7 hours ago, 39BuickEight said: Put 3 miles on it in the neighborhood. Shifted all the gears. Nothing out of line. It had never been over 5 mph. I might just have to call the sheriff and make it road legal now. 😀 I don't know who that grumpy guy at the wheel is, but the expressions on the faces of your passengers tells the whole story. 😄 Congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted May 17, 2020 Author Share Posted May 17, 2020 44 minutes ago, neil morse said: I don't know who that grumpy guy at the wheel is, but the expressions on the faces of your passengers tells the whole story. 😄 Congratulations! Ha! Studying the gauges. Making sure everything was as expected. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob H Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 Great news! The tortoise wins again. Bob H 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talarico8447 Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 Great to see you had it on the road. A victory lap for sure ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danhar1960 Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 'Tis a thing of beauty Billy. 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted May 17, 2020 Author Share Posted May 17, 2020 Looks like I have a rear wheel cylinder leaking. That would explain the disappearance of the brake fluid. It left a spot this morning, and when I looked I could see something has been leaking on the tire, so slowly it never left a mark on the ground until now—just left run lines all around the inside of the tire. Also, does anyone have a copy of a chassis lubrication chart? My owners manual specifically says it’s in the back of the book, but it’s not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvelde Posted May 18, 2020 Share Posted May 18, 2020 Here you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted May 18, 2020 Author Share Posted May 18, 2020 Yes! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvelde Posted May 18, 2020 Share Posted May 18, 2020 send me your e-mail address by PM and I will send you the PDF of this that is larger and easier to see. John V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted March 24, 2021 Author Share Posted March 24, 2021 (edited) This will sound crazy, and it's even strange for me to imagine, but as of today, I sold a part that makes my entire project run into the green. That's right, my 1939 Buick is now a zero dollar investment. I was able to buy one car to restore locally, buy another parts car from across the country, spend priceless time with my dad working on the car, and then sell enough duplicate parts to pay for absolutely everything. The only "expense," if you want to call it that, was time and energy. Of course restoration is rarely even something that makes sense anymore, especially on a car like mine. All a person needs is time, space, a genius father/mentor, and some planning. It can happen. ...and I still have a few odds and ends left. Edited March 24, 2021 by 39BuickEight (see edit history) 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted July 5, 2021 Author Share Posted July 5, 2021 Had a nice drive last weekend 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted July 6, 2021 Share Posted July 6, 2021 Billy, Great looking and HAPPY crew. Lucky guy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted July 6, 2021 Author Share Posted July 6, 2021 12 hours ago, Larry Schramm said: Billy, Great looking and HAPPY crew. Lucky guy. They make me look presentable, that’s for sure! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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