1955 Buick Roadmaster

[Jeff Trahan]

I'm trying to get a '55 Roadmaster started after it has sat for 30 years outside my uncle's garage. Couldn't get a spark even with a lot of new electrical components. So I took the distributor out and cleaned it and put new electrical leads inside. Now I need to get the distributor back in. I read in another thread that I might have to turn the oil pump with a screwdriver to get it lined up correctly. How exactly do I do that? Jack the car up and look for a screw somewhere on the oil pump from below? Also, can I use a power drill on that same screw to make sure I'll get oil pressure if the engine ever does start? I appreciate any help I can get. As you can tell, I'm a newbie at this.

[D Yaros]

If you look at the end of the distributor shaft, you will see that it has a spade/screwdriver type tip on the end. It goes into a slot on the oil pump. The only way one may get to that slot is with a long-handled screwdriver.

I do not understand why one would need to turn the oil pump to get the distributor back in, and would caution against doing so. The only reason for doing so would be to circulated oil inside the engine prior to it actually running under load.

It is hoped you marked the position of the distributor before removal? It is critical to put it back in that same position. That should be able to be accomplished by getting the unit close to your marks and use of slight movement in either direction to have the end of the distributor shaft fall into the slot on the oil pump.

[Jeff Trahan]

Thanks for the advice. I did move the oil pump a little with a screwdriver before re-installing the distributor, first one way then the other. It must have just been luck, because it dropped right in without too much trouble. I'm thinking it is in the right position because I actually got the car to start. Is there any chance the distributor isn't engaged with the oil pump if the car starts?

[Bhigdog]

Not if the dist seated flush against the block. AS SOON as it starts check for oil pressure. The dist drives the pump...........Bob

[smithbrother]

I have had to MOVE the oil pump a bit, OFTEN, and NEVER did it cause any issues.

I would be shocked if I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS HAD TO DO SUCH......

Dale in Indy

P.S. I have always thought that because of the spiral cut of the dist gear, that as it is coming up and away from the oil pump it moves the pump a tad, and such MAY mean it won't automatically realign, IMO.

Edited April 29, 2012 by smithbrother (see edit history)

[Guest kaycee]

Assuming that your distributor is back in the position it was in when you removed it you wo'nt have any problem. As was said earlier, the distributor drives the oil pump. I would still make sure that your ignition timing is correct before starting the car and then after starting use a timing light to adjust the ignition timing .

If you're in doubt that you installed your distributor in the exact same position that you removed it or did'nt mark it prior to removal and your car backfires or wo'nt start, come back on this post and I or someone else will tell you how to check it.

kaycee

[smithbrother]

I always MARK where the rotor was pointing on the dist. case, and also on a fixed engine part like the intake manifold.

Remember the gear needs to move a bit as it contacts the cam gear, so you may have to move the assembly a tad from your original marks to get it to drop in place, MAYBE.

It's no DIG BEAL, but there is a bit of a trick to get it to drop in, SOMETIMES....

Dale in Indy

[Jeff Trahan]

Thanks, everyone. By dumb luck it seems I installed the distributor correctly. The engine starts and runs pretty well. I don't think the timing is too far off but I haven't used a timing light yet. The distributor clamp bolt is a devil to get to, especially with the valve cover and throttle linkage installed. Is there a special wrench that I can get for this?

[smithbrother]

Go to NAPA and ask about an OFFSET wrench for your engine.

I have one for SB Chevy, and it works super.

I wish you well,

Dale in Indy

[Bhigdog]

Thanks, everyone. By dumb luck it seems I installed the distributor correctly. The engine starts and runs pretty well. I don't think the timing is too far off but I haven't used a timing light yet. The distributor clamp bolt is a devil to get to, especially with the valve cover and throttle linkage installed. Is there a special wrench that I can get for this?

Or it's pretty easy to make if you have an extra box wrench you don't mind cutting in half and a welder. With the correct tool it's fairly easy to tighten/loosen the bolt.............Bob

[Jeff Trahan]

I'm thinking of using a tow bar to take my '55 Roadmaster to a shop. Do I need to disconnect the driveshaft somehow to make sure I don't damage the transmission? All four wheels will be on the ground. I can get the car started, but I wouldn't say it is "running" yet. The brakes don't work and there is a transmission fluid leak out of the bottom.

[smithbrother]

I have always towed with drive shaft in place if UNDER 25 MILES, and at slow speeds.

Others may not agree, but haven't had an issue.

Dale in Indy

[Jeff Trahan]

I've gotten the car to run a bit. The first time I ran it about 3 minutes total (had to start it a few times during the 3 minutes). The new oil was pretty dark after only 3 minutes. I changed the oil and the filter. The second time, I ran it about 5 minutes (again, had to start it a few times to get it to run a combined 5 minutes). The oil came out pretty dark again. How many times do you think I'll have to do this before the ~30 years of sludge (or maybe 55 years of sludge) are flushed out?

[Guest shadetree77]

Well, the short answer is....never. I don't know about everyone else, but the worst thing I've ever done to a car that has been sitting that long(about 40 years)was to run it without first dropping the oil pan and cleaning out all the sludge(which was about 4 inches thick and the consistency of gritty river clay). Sure, the car will run. But all the while it is picking up all the crud from the oil pan and slowly distributing it throughout your entire engine. For me, this resulted in a serious clog in some of the oil passages and a tow truck ride home followed by a complete dismantling and cleaning of the oiling system. I also highly recommend cleaning out the gas tank and possibly even re-sealing it before it clogs your fueling system. That was the second worst thing I've done by the way. Wish I had known then what I know now! Good luck!

Edited May 5, 2012 by shadetree77 (see edit history)

[Buicknutty]

I'll second Robert's comment about cleaning out the oil pan. The crud I've found in the bottom of the oil pans of these old engines is unbelievable. It's not too difficult to do, and a pan gasket isn't a costly item.

Keith

[Jeff Trahan]

Thanks. I'm going to take your advice and drop the pan before I start it again. I did remove the valve covers before starting the first time and removed a 1/2 inch of sludge in the deepest spots. So there's probably even more in the oil pan. The cost of a gasket is relatively cheap. When I ran the engine, the oil pressure was moderately high (between N and H on the gauge). Is that OK?

[Buicknutty]

That oil pressure sounds about right, it'll drop a bit when hot, if it really falls off hot, then you likely have some bad bearings, but otherwise all is well.

Cleaning out the pan won't affect the oil pressure, it will just help you to maintain your engine.

That amount of sludge up top would indicate to me that you'll find a lot in the pan.

My '56 was a low mileage car that seemed to have rarely had it's oil changed, and there was tons of sludge up top, and in the pan, but was a sweet running engine when done.

Keep us posted on your progress!

Keith

[Jeff Trahan]

How about the transmission fluid? Will that turn to sludge too? I'm wondering if I should just drop that pan too while I'm at it.

[Buicknutty]

The transmission doesn't run nearly dirty an engine does, due to combustion. That said, it won't hurt to drop the transmission pan to change the fluid and make sure it's clean.

Keith

[Jeff Trahan]

Is there an easy way to get the oil pan off without removing the exhaust pipes or steering linkage? We finally got all the screws out of the oil pan (which was quite a project without the benefit of bent wrenches) but it won't come off with everything else still in place.

[Guest Commodore]

To get the oil pan off my MOTOR manual says this "In order to remove the pan on these models it will be necessary to disconnect the steering idler arm bracket from the right side frame rail and lower the steering linkage for clearance".

[Buicknutty]

I agree, on my '56 Roadmaster I need to only remove the 2 bolts that hold the idler arm in place, and once its' lowered the pan will slide down, and out.

Keith

[Jeff Trahan]

I didn't have any luck with that. After removing the idler arm bracket, the steering linkage is out of the way but the pan gets caught on the exhaust pipe crossover. I even removed the flywheel cover to get a little more clearance but the oil pan still won't come out. Any other suggestions about what I'm doing wrong?

[smithbrother]

Maybe DROP the exhaust pipe, I'm sure you have considered such.

I wish you well, working on cars isn't ALWAYS fun, but when it is, FUN IS GOOD!

Dale in Indy

[Jeff Trahan]

I've considered it but I'd like to avoid it if I can. I'm not a big fan of the engineer who designed how to get the oil pan off. It's only a little better than my 2009 Traverse, which needs to be taken half apart to change a headlamp.

[Buicknutty]

This car must have a single exhaust then, perhaps its' a replacement that is a bit tighter to the underside than a stock pipe, only a guess though, as I checked the instructions I have, and it says to remove the idler arm bracket to get the oil pan out.

I don't know what else I can suggest, if it won't come out without removing the crossover, I don't see what choice you have???

Keith

[Jeff Trahan]

I'm striking out on removing the exhaust pipes. Even after removing the nuts holding the exhaust pipes to the manifold, it won't budge (in the process, I twisted off one of the bolts). I read in a Hemmings article that all Roadmasters came with dual exhaust. Can anyone verify this? If that is correct, then the crossover pipe shouldn't be there and that is why the oil pan won't come out. For the time being, I'm inclined to try to clean the sludge from the oil pan without removing it (dumping some kerosene in the pan and swishing it around before draining the residue out the oil pan plug). Then once I get the car running and confirm the engine is fine and the car is worth restoring, I can get someone to put in the right exhaust system again. I appreciate your input!

[Buicknutty]

I'm not sure about '55's, but the info I recall about '56s indicate that duals were standard on the Roadmaster. Though the oil pan should still come off even with the crossover in place, so it looks like you have a non standard system.

Your idea about cleaning the pan up, and reassembling it to see how things are, sounds good to me, then you can decide if the car is worth it to you to go further on.

Keith

Edited June 13, 2012 by Buicknutty (see edit history)

[Jeff Trahan]

I ended up having to loosen the front suspension and pull the exhaust pipe down and was able to squeak the oil pan off. My son made it look like new and reinstalled it with a new gasket. Now that it has a clean crankcase, we'll try to start it up again this weekend. Thanks for all the advice.

[Buicknutty]

Sounds great, I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes!

Keith

[Jeff Trahan]

My car has a transmission fluid leak so the fluid is very low. Is it OK to start my car in "Park" if there is little to no transmission fluid in it? I just want to start the engine and run it for a while without shifting out of "Park". I could put more transmission fluid in but it would just leak out again.

[Jeff Trahan]

The car started up pretty easily and after running for a few minutes, the oil still looks new. Unfortunately, there is gas spewing from the carburetor, so that must need to be rebuilt. Not too surprising, though, considering it has sat for over 30 years.

[Buicknutty]

Did you try tightening the screws on carb? Depends where its' leaking from, but the gaskets can dry out, and it might help if can tighten the screws that hold the sections together.

Keith

[Buicknutty]

Sorry I didn't reply to your trans question, but as long as there is enough fluid to keep the pumps circulating oil, there shouldn't be any issues on shortish running, without driving. Dynaflows hold a lot of oil and its' pretty hard to run them dry, unless one of the lines to the rad is leaking.

Keith

[Jeff Trahan]

My son rebuilt the carburetor with a Walker kit. Now it runs fine, even idles well with no gas leaking from the carburetor. So now it's on to the transmission leak. Fluid is dripping from the very back of the transmission, maybe at the universal joint? Is there a simple fix for that, like replacing a gasket? The leak must have just started when we pulled the car out of the weeds, because at the rate it is currently leaking, surely it would have been empty by now after sitting for 30+ years.

Another question: this Model 72 doesn't have the "Roadmaster" script on truck lid. I thought that would have been standard on a 1955 Roadmaster sedan. Maybe someone replaced the original trunk lid with one from another model or maybe just filled in the small mounting holes and repainted?

[smithbrother]

Pictures of trunk lids I found on Google shows the ROADMASTER script was used. I would think it was used on all models of the Roadmaster. IMO

Dale in Indy

[Buicknutty]

To my recollection, all Roadmasters used the same script, so either it's the wrong trunk lid, or someone did fill the holes on a previous paint job.

As to the leak, the torque ball and seal very often give trouble. This was often why these cars were put to bed, so to speak, back in the day, nothing much wrong except you can't keep fluid in it for long!

The issue is getting at it, as the torque tube makes life complicated. You have to undo the rear springs and shocks, etc., then unbolt the torque ball retainer, and roll the axle back enough so that the propeller shaft slides out of the rear of the transmission, but make sure that the shaft comes out of the end of the tranny, not the diff. case, or else you'll have to take that apart to get it in at the back end. Replace the parts and put it all back together. Also, there is a thrust pad in there that likely has gone bad, and this is a good time to change that to.

This is just an overview of it, not complete instructions, you should try to pick up a shop manual, if you haven't all ready.

I know that this sound like a real PIA, and it kind of is, but this usually solves leaks at the back of the trans. The parts are available from a number of sources, and is often called "Torque ball retainer kit", there is a seal as well, that is sometimes sold separately. The thrust pad is a bit harder to find, if you want to replace that also. There is a single u-joint in the back of the trans., which, in my experience gives very little trouble.

The other thing to consider, is that the rear axle oil will also be contaminated with the trans oil, as it travels down the inside of the torque tube, and makes it way through the pinion seal, so change the diff. oil after you get the trans. leak fixed.

The other weak point on these tranny's is reverse gear can break, so make sure that it backs up before you start on the leak.

Keith

[Jeff Trahan]

Reverse works fine. We drove it around the field next to our house and also couldn't resist taking it on the street for a 1/2 mile or so. The transmission works fine, even with the slow fluid leak. The biggest problem now is that the car usually "hesitates" quite a bit when trying to accelerate, from a stop and also from 10-15 MPH. We set the dwell and timing and messed with the idle mixture screws but nothing seems to help. When setting the timing, the idle speed doesn't change when we disconnected the vacuum advance, the car still idled around 550 RPM. So maybe the vacuum pump isn't working the way it should? I thought the idle speed would slow when the vacuum was disconnected. The manual says to set the timing when idling at 350 RPM, but we can't get it to idle that slowly. The funny thing is that the car idled at 450 RPM (which is the hot idle spec) when the timing was incorrectly running about 20 degrees after TDC. When I moved the distributor to 5 degrees before TDC, the normal fast idle changed to about 550-600 RPM.

[smithbrother]

I haven't read this entire thread, but the HESITATION could be carb issues, like the accelerator pump. Just a thought. That hesitation is often a carb pump issue, IMO. I'm sure you already know such.

I wish you well,

Dale in Indy

[Buicknutty]

That sounds like a lot of timing change, I would be surprised that it would even run 20 degrees after TDC, but the idle speed will change as you advance the timing.

I agree with Dale, that the carb likely needs some work. Kits are available, if you can do the carb itself, just make sure that you get one that is fresh, with internals to withstand today's gas, not a NOS kit.

The reason to have the idle so slow, and it is sometimes an issue to get it to run that slow, is so that the centrifigal advance is not activated, but when I've done this, I just have the idle as low as I can, set it up, and see how it drives. Also the vacumn advance may not be working, or the line to it is not right.

Anyway, looks like you have a good start on the car, and so far so good.

One last word about the tranny, as mentioned reverse tends to break, so go real easy when backing up. I once broke one, just by "goosing" the gas when in reverse.

Keep us posted.

Keith