A whole pile of new questions- '17 Buick carb and lubing

[Guest SteveInColorado]

OK. Water pump is leak free, float is coated with superglue (used some stuff made by Loctite I just happened to have and painted on with a paintbrush under a bright light so I could see where it covered. Turns out quick-drying glue and a paintbrush didn't mix too well :eek:, but the job went well), and filed down the bad starter gear corners with a small file without removing anything. I put the air mixture screw back in to where it started, which was probably 4 turns out from being flush with the tab. Cranked, and she fired right up :cool:. Turned the screw in 'til it evened out, went past until it started sputtering again, and split the difference. Ran it at high RPM's, and found my prior adjustment was still good. Didn't mess with anything else. We poked at it for a while, and it ran smooth as could be. After 15 minutes, we decided to see how it did on the road, and see if the water pump was going to hold. We had to climb an incline out of his driveway and the first 100 yards of the road. Went down the hill another 100 yards, and got to the paved road. Up to this point, everything was going fine. We turned onto the road, and it stumbled, and went downhill from there. Putted for another 100 yards, losing throttle response. We stopped and I got out and raised the hood with it running. The throttle had no effect and it was backfiring lean. I gave the fuel mixture screw 1/4 turn or so, and it picked up immediately, but still backfired. I gave it another tweak, and the thing died. We drug it back home and sat down to look at books he had.

He has an owner's manual that talks about the carb, but doesn't offer a lot of help. Is there a preset for the fuel mixture screw on the bottom? Would it take 20 minutes or so to drain the vacuum tank, and if it did, would it go into a lean condition, or just die? The owner's manual also talked about a large spring in the throat area. I didn't try to find it, and hadn't even looked at that part of the carb before, really. It said something about that it shouldn't open until the throttle was open a certain amount. Don't remember what it was called.

1. Since it ran so smoothly for a while, I tend to think something changed, like the vacuum tank or a partial blockage of the jet, that caused the lean condition. But I'm not familiar with this thing, so I'm open to suggestions.

2. The battery is 12V. I'm guessing this thing is supposed to be 6V. I've put 12 volt batteries in Jeeps, but they weren't almost a century old. Can this thing handle 12 without a problem, or does he need a 6 volt battery?

3. There's a tap on top of the starter/generator, on what I assume is the coil, with a funny looking slotted wire connector attached to it (plug wire to the distributor if I recall). It's a very loose connection. I'm thinking that can't be right?

4. I put a drop of oil everywhere there was metal to metal- rocker shaft pivots, pushrods to rockers, rockers to valves. From what I could gather from the book, it seemed to say oil the pushrod-rocker connection through the hole on the rocker, and that there should be grease cups on the rockers at the shaft. There ARE little silver things on the pivots, with small holes in them. Are these the grease cups they mean, and how do you grease them? Do they take the little pointed grease gun tips like you use on air tools? Any other points on the valve train that need to be oiled?

5. The book said there should be a port on the left side of the timing cover, and that oil should be added here to the timing gears. I couldn't find any such access port. Is it possible this was a later or different model engine that oils the timing set from the crankcase oil? Same thing on the pump bearing. It says to add a few ounces of oil to it, but I don't see a spot to do so. It says too much oil will get in the timing cover, so I'm assuming they're talking about the pump shaft coming out of the timing cover?

6. On the front of the starter/generator, there IS an access port with the distributor gear right inside, no mention of THAT anywhere in the book. Looks like a place to me that should be oiled?

7. How do you grease the axles? I was looking at the rear axle, and it had a tube probably 3/8" by 1-1/2" long sticking up by each bearing. What are they for?

I thought I had this thing licked, and now my list is longer than when I started :confused:. It's sure fun to work on, though.

Thanks again for all the help so far, and help to come.

Steve.

[Guest WEB 38]

It needs 6 volts only, 12 VOLTS can go damage to the coil and other ign. parts. Bill WEB 38 1920 Buick k-45 touring.

[unimogjohn]

Steve, I will try to answer some of your questions.

re 7. The long lubes are for lubrication leaking past the bearing seals, the excess oil drips from them from time to time. Check your rear axle lube on the pumpkin, should see a filler plug. Might be a good time to change it also. Look on the bottom for the drain plug. Fill with normal gear oil.

re 5. You should see a plug on the top of the case, that is where you put in a little engine oil.

re 4. In the center of each rock assembly you should have a oil cup or oil hole. They should be filled with engine oil. The little holes are on the individual rockers are for the oil to get out and on to the valve lifters.

re 2. 12 volts to the ignition and starter are a no, no. You will quickly burn up the points, etc.

re 1. the bottom screw valve (if your carb is the same as my 23) has a notch. Close the valve and then open to this notch. If no notch, then just open it a 1/4 turn.

The top one should be even with the little arm/keeper as the factory setting. The big spring is under that cap screw, just screw that out if you want to examine that spring.

Since it stopping running I would suspect a blockage in the carb or vacuum tank. See if it will run by refilling the vacuum tank by hand. Or you might have fried the points or the resistor with the 12 volts, I just do not know. I would check the round resistor wire to see if you can see a break.

pictures would be helpful.

[Mark Shaw]

Steve,

Make sure your gas cap is vented. If the vent hole is plugged, your vacuum fuel system will not work.

Remove the large air adjustment knob from the carburator and check the spring inside. It should look similar to this: