Leif Holmberg Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Leif, not sure what you are seeing. This is the tail of my transmission. That is the brass bushing and gear oil drain back channel at the 6 o'clock position. My transmission/driveline is working as designed. On the picture the bussing looks thinner at the oil drain hole?But it can have something with the camera angle to do?Leif in Sweden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 (edited) U-joint behind the torque ball, driveshaft engages splines in the u-joint, end of driveshaft rides in bushing in torque ball ---u-joint or bushing defects would be the only thing that could go wrong since the other end of the driveshaft is tightly pressed to the pinion splines. Of course bent driveshafts and loose pinion could cause problems, but that would be at all speeds, not just on take off. It is easy enough to check the flywheel with a dial indicator, but it would be hard to damage that unless dropped. Years ago my father had a 64 Dodge truck that shook violently on take off until I borrowed it. Night time, raining, no flashlight, 200 miles from home the shift linkage jammed in 3rd gear. After 20+ starts in 3rd it was smooth. That was my thoughts after the first repair. Drive time might be required. Let it settle in. However, the transmission was found to be have missing internal parts requiring a second removal. (Note: when I performed brake overhauls on cars during the 80's/90's the test drive was not just to assure firm pedal but the car had stopping power with the new pads/shoes. Often times several miles using the brakes hard were required to break/settle the shoes/pads in giving confidence there is very little to no brake fade or non-performance. The clutch is the same material as brakes. Drive time might be required to have the clutch settle in. Edited June 16, 2015 by avgwarhawk (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 On the picture the bussing looks thinner at the oil drain hole?But it can have something with the camera angle to do?Leif in Sweden.He Must be camera angle the bushing was not altered and similar thickness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Blackpack Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 (edited) Crack open the bottles of Champaign! After 97 days, complete clutch and gear box rebuild, rear axle rebuild. And having the tranny out 4 times, the problem has been discovered! It came down to three out of four missing bolts. Pretty important bolts at that! They happen to hold the bell housing to the block. I can't believe the restoration shop that sold the car to me could have made such a bone head mistake. In an effort to follow the guidelines of this forum, I will not mention the name of the restoration shop or the inspection service, but if your looking at buying a classic car in the Amarillo, TX area and want a referral, just inbox me. Thanks to everyone that followed and commented on this thread. You guys are great and I appreciate all of the expertise and words of encouragement Edited June 16, 2015 by Blackpack (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Glad its sorted. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasJohn55 Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Well, cheers to everyone who suggested there was something loose up front. By the way, the bell housing has to be removed to remove the clutch and flywheel.Wasn't that step one? Correct me if I am wrong please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 So now you can spend the night cracking walnut shells in the driveway...... very slowly. (It gets boring up here in the frozen North). Those are the four bolts hidden by the flywheel, aren't they; I remember them from when I was a kid. Isn't that car silky to drive? Just think of that one hundred pound 80 year old woman in the showroom sliding in for a test drive. They made the clutch and the door handles just for her. I can imagine the conversation:"Hey! Where do these go?""Oh Sh**!, they go up under the flywheel.""But it's all back together.""Well they over engineered a lot of stuff back then.""If he complains we'll put them in under warranty." June 2015 at the diner."Remember that Buick with the extra bolts?""Must be OK, haven't heard anything.""These home fries suck and the coffee tastes like soap. Should I tell the cook?""Nah, he don't care." Good luck, that Roadmaster is a great car.Bernie 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Blackpack Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 John,Mechanic said he did not have to remove the bell housing to get the clutch out.Bernie, you crack me up:) I don't get the car back until tomorrow and I can't wait to drive her for the first time without feeling like I'm firing an Anti Aircraft Gun. Thanks for all your help and adviceJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 (edited) Well, cheers to everyone who suggested there was something loose up front.By the way, the bell housing has to be removed to remove the clutch and flywheel.Wasn't that step one?Correct me if I am wrong please. I do know that my 54 required the bell housing to be removed. I would like to see the design of the bell housing on this Buick Edited June 17, 2015 by avgwarhawk (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Crack open the bottles of Champaign! After 97 days, complete clutch and gear box rebuild, rear axle rebuild. And having the tranny out 4 times, the problem has been discovered! It came down to three out of four missing bolts. Pretty important bolts at that! They happen to hold the bell housing to the block. I can't believe the restoration shop that sold the car to me could have made such a bone head mistake. In an effort to follow the guidelines of this forum, I will not mention the name of the restoration shop or the inspection service, but if your looking at buying a classic car in the Amarillo, TX area and want a referral, just inbox me. Thanks to everyone that followed and commented on this thread. You guys are great and I appreciate all of the expertise and words of encouragement The sad part here Jay is the fact that the transmission was a bag of broken gears and leaking like Vesuvius. The rear had broken items and leaking seals. The dealer was selling you a car in A #1 shape. And it is not a wonder when things are said about "used car salesmen." It's a peach! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Blackpack Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 (edited) Chris, what's worse is they claim to be a classic car restoration shop that also offers classic car inspections. Lesson learned. Next time, I'll jump on a plane and check it myself. I would have saved money doing that Edited June 17, 2015 by Blackpack (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Shame really. Thankfully the Buick was purchased by you and saw it to completion. Most would have walked away or contacted a lawyer.Best part is you now have a favorite page in your browser that takes you to a place where this a bunch of Buick lovers that are always interested and willing to lend support. Have a good time in your smooth running Buick. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesBulldogMiller55Buick Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Hooray !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Chris, what's worse is they claim to be a classic car restoration shop that also offers classic car inspections. Lesson learned. Next time, I'll jump on a plane and check it myself. I would have saved money doing that I have never used a service to buy an unseen car. My best resource has been the club rosters. Over the last 20 years I have sent out a few $50 bills to local club members. That was when a 50 meant something. I would send at lease $100 or more depending on the car today. I started sending cash because the guys never cashed my checks. I think they were just happy to do it. About 15 years ago I had a great customized Chevy Fleetline from Goodguy's classifieds checked out by a Cadillac Club member. Actually, I think it was in Indiana. I looked at local members and found a guy who owner 3 or 4 mid '50's hearses. I thought, well, this ones is eclectic enough and gave him a call. It turned out he knew the car and worked in the shop that had installed the exhaust on it. He told me his opinion might be biased because the car belonged to a friend. I sent him a very objective checklist (like, are there water stains near the rear window trim and the like). Being a non-professional, he did a diligent job. He even offered transportation from a friend, which we used. It turned out to be a wonderful car. I serviced the car when it arrived and, as I remember, I only did about $350 worth of work on it. That is a benefit of membership, whether the AACA, BCA, CLCA, RROC, and many more, each with specific areas of expertise. I've probably listed 20 to 30 thousand members in that short list. And the local members know these cars. Very few are hidden away and unknown. The ones that are being used are known even better. A friend of mine promotes the resources of the club in every purchase. He says "Don't buy the car and then join the club, join the club and use its resources to buy the best car you can." That avoids the uncomfortable moment when one arrives all smiles at their first outing and someone says "Oh, you bought "that" car." All the members knew, the seller knew, the only one out of the loop was the uniformed buyer (and I have been looking for him since I was 12). That Roadmaster is a nice car and over the next 20+ years it is going to be hard whether to take the Buick or the Bird, Strive for a minimum of 15 miles per week on both. They will always maintain their highest value if you do. And while their value stays optimized, you will quickly forget the details of each expense. And ALWAYS wear out tires before they dry rot! Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 What I did was look for a car that was within 200 miles of my home. At this range I could make a visit to the owner and inspect the vehicle myself. However, asking a club member close by a potential purchase is a great idea. A few ducats well spent for a good honest report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Flyer1 Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 well done,always good to see a problem fixed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 53 Roady Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 That's great that you got it fixed! And those issues inside the gearbox weren't going to go away. If you made it through this mess with the same mechanic, then he is a keeper! Most would have bailed out when the problems seemed that intractable. CongratulationsPat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Wonder how many other 'omissions' there are...Before driving very much, check the brakes (every part and every inch of the system) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Wonder how many other 'omissions' there are...Before driving very much, check the brakes (every part and every inch of the system) Old tank has a good point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Yeah, maybe they were working night and made nocturnal omissions........... while they were awake! I think there's another name for that.Bernie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Blackpack Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Bernie,That is a great idea about looking up a club member. I will definitely do that next time. Old Tank, your advice is also very good and I think my Buick was sending me the same message on the way home because after making the three mile drive home, the car was overheating and steam was spewing out of the bypass on the radiator. So I pulled the service history out from the " Restoration Shop" that sold me the car and guess what? They claim they re-milled the head and replaced the gasket. This tells me there was a problem before I bought it with overheating. I hope it's a stuck or upside down thermostat. Will I ever get to enjoy this car?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Good Lord. Well, new thread coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Blackpack Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Haha Chris. I hope I can fix it myself before I resort to that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Before you dig too deep into the engine for the cause of the overheating park the car on a level floor, put it in neutral, open the door, and push with your foot. It should roll. If not, check the brakes. I do that randomly with my cars just from habit. Always remember, the cost of progress is problems. Gee, it never overheated when the clutch shook. Once I took over operations for 8 buildings. The boss was totally frustrated and said "Everything you do turns out to be a major project, ***** was here for 20 years and never had to fix that much." That was the same guy who said "Look at your hands. You can't be working, you don't have any bandaids on."Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Blackpack Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Update...topped off the radiator and adjusted the clutch and she runs and rolls like a dream! Yippie!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 And the whole summer is ahead!Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buick5563 Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Update...topped off the radiator and adjusted the clutch and she runs and rolls like a dream! Yippie!!!!Just a heads up. If you top off above the mark on the radiator, it will spit the excess fluid out when the pressure rises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 I hope that you have many miles of happy cruising! You certainly deserve it.Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Update...topped off the radiator and adjusted the clutch and she runs and rolls like a dream! Yippie!!!!Great! You deserved a simple fix after the clutch incident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Falabella Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 This was like reading a mystery novel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 This was like reading a mystery novel! The only difference is the butler did not do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Over the weekend I was negotiating my Packard around four other cars in my garage real carefully. And I smiled. I wondered if the Super convertible owner has realized what I meant by cracking walnut shells with his Buick. If we had any in the house I would have posted pictures.Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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