simhin Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Hello,Some of you may remember my plight with a cracked head. Well that got repaired and i did a few hundred miles in the car. I then found after the car had been left for a few weeks, a lot of water in the sump!!We have now taken the head off again and had it pressure tested. The repairs were all good but we have identified a couple of small cracks on the outside of the head which we are going to have resin sealed...However I have a question......The rocker mounting studs fit into tapped holes in the head...These holes on my car go through to the water jacket. Is this how they were originally, or has someone 'modified' it? It would also appear as if the threaded part is now m8 which is quite coarse and so may also allow the seepage of water into the oil ways. Can anyone clarify how it should be or give me any advice on fixing the problems outlinedCheersSimon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Engle Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 The Rocker Stud holes in the head do go through into the water jacket. The threads are US 5/16" x18 threads per inch. I use a permatex sealant on the threads to make use they are sealed. The water into the sump has to come from cracks in the block, cylinder head, head gasket, or the oil heater/cooler that is mounted on the side of the block just above the water pump. I have a 50 series block that has a crack in the water jacket between the cylinders. THis could be problem if the head checks out satisfactorily. You may need to remove the oil cooler core and have it pressure tested. Many 32 buicks have this cooler bypassed beacause of leak problems.Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 31 Buicks have the same problems.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jscheib Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Simon,I was able to find a spare engine in a very wasted car that sat as a lawn ornament for many years. Mac Blair warned me many years ago that the oil heat exchanger should not be messed with if it is functioning. However, this one is bad from the outside, so I will probably get it apart soon to see how bad and then get you some photos. There is a diagram somewhere in a manual. Do you have it? I will see if that can be found also, but others may have a drawing.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simhin Posted January 30, 2013 Author Share Posted January 30, 2013 Hi John,I dont think I have the drawing, but i also dont think I have an oil heater cooler! Can you send me a photo of what I'm looking for ?CheersSimon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Engle Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Hi Simon:If you follow the outlet from your water pump on the passenger side of the engine, the water hose connects to a cast housing that has a cover on the top that has the Buick logo on its face. If you look under the cast housing, you will see two steel line fittings from the engine block into the cast housing. These are the inlet and outlet oil lines. They connect to the cooler coil inside the the housing. The core for the cooler looks like your radiator core. To see the core you would need to remove the cover with the Buick logo. Water flow around the outer edges of the core and oil flows through the core. Many of the cores have been removed and the oil lines bypassed under the cooler. I have also seen the entire cooler removed and and a flanged adapter to connect from the water pump outlet directly into the engine block. This was ususlaly done because the cover on the cooler rusted through from the water flow inside. Good covers are hard to find and the cooler core is virtually ipossible to find. One other note, I highly jrecommed that you purchase a reproduction 1932 Buick "Specifications and Adjustments" reference manual. I can't imagine working on a 32 Buick without the info in this manual. Reproductions can be purchased on ebay for less than $20.00.Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simhin Posted January 30, 2013 Author Share Posted January 30, 2013 Thanks for that, in which case i dont have the cooler fitted.... The good news is the head is ready to come back, so should get it re-pressure tested this week and then back on the car, all being well!CheersSimon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Engle Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 attached are 2 photos of the oil cooler on a 32 50 series engine.Bob Engle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jules greenway Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Hi SimonI'm intrigued-if you haven't got the Oil Temperature Regulator how is everything connected? The one on our '31 90 is working fine fortunately!Bob's has the manuals which are indispensable IMHO!cheersJules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Engle Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Hi Jules:The cars I've seen take 2 ways: Both ways make a tube in a "U" shape and instal it in the fittings coming out of the block. On the water side, some people just remove the core from cooler, plug the holes and just let the water flow through the original housing. Another way is to make a flange that matches the water opening going into the block. Drill a hole in the flange and weld in a tube that matches your hose size from the water pump.Under any circumstances, if you remove the cooler for any reason, have the stamped metal cover zinc coated on the inside ( with avery heavy coating) to prevent corrosion from eating holes in the cover. This is the most common problem with the coolers. In the old days with none detergent oils, the cooler core would plug up with oil sludge and that's why you see the detailed procedures for cleaning the core in the Specs manual. With modern oils, this should be no problem after one cleaning. Under normal circumstances, if the core gets a leak, you will see oil in the radiator as the oil pressure is higher than the waater pressure. With an unrestored engine, at idle it would be possible to have water leak into the oil side.Bob Engle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simhin Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 Thanks for that....I'll post a photo when i get a chance, but Bobs description is about right. Theres a flange with a metal ipe attached which goes to the pump.CheersSimon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simhin Posted February 5, 2013 Author Share Posted February 5, 2013 Can anyone confirm the original cylinder bore diameter for my series 50? I'm having a new head gasket made and the old one seems to have encroached over the edge!The head resin sealing hasn't worked!! Dont know why but the small crack in the top is still present and unchanged, time to think again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Engle Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 The correct bore size is 2 15/16 inches or 2.937 inches. Gasket City has the correct Copper gaskets for the 32 50 series engines. Welding these old cast iron parts must be done by an expert. There are a number of good places that can fix almot anything in the USA. I haven't seen any resin sealants that will work in the combustion chamber portion of the block or head. Cracks in other parts of the head sometimes can be be sealed. The toughest part is getting all the oils and crud out of the crack. I have succesfully used Locktite on hot water systems to seal cracks.Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacrat Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 i cut my oil cooler saving thebase plate and threaded fittings and home depot had1/2 inch copper 90s and soldered it in worked exe lent and there is a product called devcon hvac repair like a super jb weld machinable you can fix any holes or cracks with that stuff ,not cheap but worth it,just saying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tor Otto Fougner Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 I have used JB Weld to fix my cracked cylinderhead as well as the oil cooler.Regards Tor Otto in Norway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v12lincoln Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 I have an oil heat exchanger somewhere in my extra parts, I dont know if it is any good though and it will be awhile before I can go look for it, (trying to get my dram car finished before my birthday in a few weeks)(69 Dodge Daytona) if your interested in it for a patteren I could find it and send it to you, I am sure a good radiator guy could make one. send me a PM if I can help. Mine is a 60 series so not sure if they are the same.Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tor Otto Fougner Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 Hi Jack,thanks for contacting me. I have repaird my oil cooler so I do not need a new one.Tor Otto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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