Str8-8-Dave Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 So now I'm proud owner of a 1931 Buick 8-66S Special Coupe. I've only had it for a week and am beginning to get a sense of how screwed up it is even though it looks pretty. I have questions in at Vintage Carburetor to see if they can help with heat riser linkage parts that are crucial to making the engine run correctly. I also noticed the emergency brake is useless, first because someone put a common 5/16-18 bolt in a hole that I suspect is supposed to be an oil level plug in the side of the trans case and the emergency brake hand lever travelled only an inch before the linkage under the floorboard hits the head of that bolt and stops with a kerplunk. So after removing the bolt the lever now travels freely until the release handle hits the back edge of the instrument panel. I suspect now it is the wrong lever for the car, it's about 2 inches too tall. It measures 19 inches from the pivot shaft center to the tip of the pull handle. I wonder if someone else has a 31 60 series car and can tell me if the emergency brake in their car works correctly and if when travelling from fully engaged to full released the emergency brake lever stows under the instrument panel when released. If I know for sure I have the wrong emergency brake lever i will then start to look for the correct one. Thanks in advance... Dave Krugler BCA 20435 Port Huron, MI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 Yep, too long. Here is a sedan for sale on Hemmings: And an image from motorbase.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave39MD Posted April 20, 2018 Share Posted April 20, 2018 (edited) Dave, Spinneyhill is correct here is a picture of my 31, 66s. Let me know if you need any other info on yours, it looks like the same color as mine, we love pictures on this site! Dave Edited April 20, 2018 by Dave39MD (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Str8-8-Dave Posted April 20, 2018 Author Share Posted April 20, 2018 Thanks to both of you for the feedback. Dave- if you have a chance could you measure from the bottom of the instrument panel to the top of the pull handle (as opposed to the release handle) with the hand brake pulled back so the pull handle is directly under the instrument panel? From that info I can develop the overall height of a correct hand brake to use in my search efforts. If anyone sees this and happens to know where I can find a correct hand brake please advise. I suppose if I have to I could cut mine to the correct height. I'm working with the parts that came with this car and someone did a really nice nickel plating job on the one in the car and I got another identical hand brake with the car that needs restoration. Thanks again to both of you... Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted April 21, 2018 Share Posted April 21, 2018 By 1931 they would be using Chrome wouldn't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Str8-8-Dave Posted April 21, 2018 Author Share Posted April 21, 2018 (edited) The release handle is definitely chrome. This brake handle and the unrestored one I have, the main pull handle is nickel plate. That might not be correct for 1931 and I couldn't state for sure that either of the emergency brake assemblies I have are 1931 parts. I'm thinking they might be 1931 80-90 series parts. Edited April 21, 2018 by Str8-8-Dave (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave39MD Posted April 21, 2018 Share Posted April 21, 2018 Dave, The distance is 2 3/8 or so and the entire handle and release is plated. I presume nickel but am not sure. I know the 31 Chevrolet used nickel in the interior and chrome on the outside. The handle is very well made and there is an offset at the floor board which I tried to capture in the following photos. Let me know what else you need. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curti Posted April 21, 2018 Share Posted April 21, 2018 That is a great floor mat ! is it original ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave39MD Posted April 21, 2018 Share Posted April 21, 2018 (edited) Yes it is a very original car with about 44,000 well maintained miles. Thanks Dave Edited April 25, 2018 by Dave39MD (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Str8-8-Dave Posted April 21, 2018 Author Share Posted April 21, 2018 Ok- Thanks for that measurement Dave, and the observation about the bend in the lever. My emergency brake lever measures 19..00" from center of transmission pivot shaft hole to tip of pull handle and it is about 1.25" taller than lower edge of instrument panel. You measured of about 2.375" of clearance to the lower edge of the instrument panel. So the correct emergency brake handle should measure about 19.00" -2.375" -1.25" =15.375" (lets say 15-16") from the center of the transmission pivot shaft to the tip of the pull handle. That helps a lot. Anybody watching this unfold knows where I can get one please step forward... Can I use your photos Dave? Thanks! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave39MD Posted April 21, 2018 Share Posted April 21, 2018 (edited) Sure. The more I look at the shift lever and brake handle they very well may be chrome. The window cranks and door pulls are nickel and don't look the same. Dave Edited April 25, 2018 by Dave39MD (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Str8-8-Dave Posted April 22, 2018 Author Share Posted April 22, 2018 The plot is thickening fast with my emergency brake lever. The incorrect lever was attached to a pivot post that is part of the shifter cover but there is another hole in the side of the trans where a pivot shaft could go. The problem with that is the rack gear that the hand brake ratchet pawl engages to hold the hand brake in an engaged position is only concentric with the shifter cover pivot location. Also the bell housing appears to be missing a cover. I also now think whoever did the chassis work on this car took the ratchet pawl rack gear and added some brackets to attach it to locations on the trans to make it concentric with the arc of the incorrect brake lever's pawl. By the way if I hold the old rusted genuine Buick hand brake lever up to the now empty pivot hole on the side of the trans case it will clear the bottom of the instrument panel handily. I like a good mystery but this is a bit much LOL... I have no good pictures of a correct car and Dave- I hate to keep picking on you but would it be possible at some point to have you lie on the garage floor and take a shot of the portion of your hand brake that resides under the floorboards where it all attaches to the trans and where that rack gear mounts on yours? That would settle this dilemma once and for all... Thanks for your help... Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave39MD Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 Hope this helps. It looks like a sheet metal cover under the brake pawl. I will have more time later today to inspect. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Str8-8-Dave Posted April 23, 2018 Author Share Posted April 23, 2018 Huge help!!! I was right. Not only did the car have the wrong handbrake lever it was not installed where it belongs on the trans. I have already rescued the pawl gear and will now work to move the pivot back to the side of the gearbox. Dave- you are a life-saver. Thanks a ton. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted April 23, 2018 Share Posted April 23, 2018 I have a spare one from a 1931 Model 57 available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Str8-8-Dave Posted April 24, 2018 Author Share Posted April 24, 2018 Hi Mark, Thanks for the pictures. We are on the road in Indiana picking up a new RV and will be back home Wednesday. I will look at your brake lever and see if it might work and let you know Wednesday. Thanks. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midman Posted April 24, 2018 Share Posted April 24, 2018 Dave, Here is a little clearer picture of the plate and ratchet. I am putting my drivetrain back together now so my tranny is out. Mine is a 90 series but yours should be pretty close. There is a screen tacked into the metal plate on the back side as I remember. I have a brake lever smaller than mine but I'll have to find it to get measurements. I would be willing to sell it if it would work for you. I'll track it down this weekend and measure it up and get you a picture. Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Str8-8-Dave Posted April 25, 2018 Author Share Posted April 25, 2018 Hey Chuck- thanks a ton for the picture. I see you are a motorcycle guy too. I built my first "motorcycle" in 1965 out of a Schwinn Stingray bicycle with a 5-1/2hp. Lauson horizontal shaft lawnmower engine. Got caught by the Westland MI police riding it on the road and after the perfunctory butt chewing they got looking at it and suggested I get it inspected, add lights, mirror and a horn and get an assembler's title and license it which I did much to my dad's horror. He was a manager at Ford and not he didn't approve of any conveyance with at least 4 wheels, 2 doors and weighing in at 3,000lbs! He got a load of the 1.75" slick rear tire on spindly bicycle rims and decided if I had to ride he better get me a motorcycle. I did ride the homebuilt as far as my grandparent's which was 25 miles one way but that Christmas I got the keys to a 1966 Yamaha Trailmaster 80. That was the first of some 30 motorcycles I owned and rode over 50yrs. including a 73 BMW R75/5 LWB, 2 1977 R100S's and a 2001 R1100S. Ahh- those were the days... Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Str8-8-Dave Posted April 25, 2018 Author Share Posted April 25, 2018 Mark Shaw- regarding the hand brake lever. I have one of these just like yours except mine is in a little worse shape, release link is bent up, chrome is worse, spring is junk, Alemite fitting is deformed. How much do you want for yours? Not sure if you saw my other posts on this but I took down the 2 parts requests because it turned out the main reasons my lever was way too tall were because A: the lever mounted on the car isn't even a Buick lever, and B: someone moved the pivot to the shifter housing some 3 inches above the correct pivot location on the side of the transmission case, then welded makeshift brackets onto ratchet gear to mount it in an incorrect position to get it to follow the arc of the detent gear on the incorrect and incorrectly located hand brake lever. I'm thinking I will try to straighten out the Buick lever I have and see that it is compatible with my car with corrected pivot point and ratchet gear mounting.that is identical to yours first and if the lever works but is not restorable I will contact you to see if you still have the spare. Thank you very much for your time and effort, that's worth as much as parts to me... Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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