Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 I would just install new rings. Probably outlive you. If possible, , five or ten thousandth over and file to fit. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryJ Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 This Cadillac has gotten into good hands! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted August 14, 2020 Author Share Posted August 14, 2020 2 hours ago, Ben Bruce aka First Born said: I would just install new rings. Probably outlive you. If possible, , five or ten thousandth over and file to fit. Ben Ben, I installed standard rings and my compression was at almost 40 and I had blue smoke coming out of the odd bank’s tailpipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 1 hour ago, Fleetwood Meadow said: Ben, I installed standard rings and my compression was at almost 40 and I had blue smoke coming out of the odd bank’s tailpipe. Well, something is not adding up. I did many ring jobs in the '50s with that kind of wear. You have a problem somewhere else, me thinks. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted August 14, 2020 Author Share Posted August 14, 2020 Ben, what do you think would be the issue? What am I overlooking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 2 minutes ago, Fleetwood Meadow said: Ben, what do you think would be the issue? What am I overlooking? I wish I knew! Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted September 1, 2020 Author Share Posted September 1, 2020 Well I took the engine apart and did my measurements again. Pretty big taper so I bought the Lisle 15000 cylinder hone. I read a lot of stuff about dry honing. This seemed contrary to common belief but I thought alright I’ll try it. Plus the instructions said I could. Got the #6 cylinder back in round and almost got rid of the concaved ridge at the top where it seems the piston rocked. Took the rest of the night off feeling proud of myself. Had my friend come over to see the progress. I was doing great on a new cylinder and then I hit the bottom of the cylinder where the crankshaft sits. It broke the stone. So I replaced them and started again. No idea how the drill got locked because I didn’t have the trigger pulled all the way down since I was trying to keep around 300-400rpm. Well it got locked and hit the bottom again, which stopped the hone, but since it was somehow locked it spun the drill out of my hand. Thank God I had it plugged into my overhead plug because when it hit the ground it unplugged. One of the scariest moments I have experienced in a long time. So I took a break from the honing and measured the cylinder. It was out of round and terribly tapered. Left the garage disgusted. Today I went back out with a finer stone, my final set, and took up at the cylinder again. I got gun shy about hitting the bottom so I was careful. It went great. But when I went to measure it I saw I hadn’t been going to the end of the cylinder. However, I got it back to round and the top of the cylinder is almost dead on the final measurement I was looking for. Assuming I can get all of the cylinders to finish with that measurement I’ll be great. I ordered new 80 grit stones and will try the other cylinders then order finer grit stones. The company that I am ordering the rebuild kit from says to end around 240 grit. I’m going to use an oil to hone it this time because doing it dry I keep dislodging the stones from the backing plate. Lubricating it will help with that. I just need to figure out how to keep the fluid flowing, essentially create a bath system. I’m also going to go from the inside of the engine, where the crankshaft would sit. That way I can extend the hone out the bottom, which is the top at the head, and make sure I see where the stop that I keep hitting is so I can avoid it. Pictures to come with it. If I can get this done right I have a ‘51 Meadowbrook that will show up on here too with an engine rebuild. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GARY F Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 I just honed the cyls. in my straight 8 Olds. I started off using WD-40. Honed, more wd-40 Repeat til i was satisfied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted September 2, 2020 Author Share Posted September 2, 2020 I’ve been battling that honing tool all day. I tried using oil like it said to and I wore through a whole stone in 15 minutes. I couldn’t believe it. And it wasn’t even close to round. So I cleaned The cylinder and used another stone and I got it close to my end measurement. I am trying to get to 3.8330”. That puts it .020 over the 3.8125-3.8145” standard bore. I got the top to be within .001” and the bottom to be within .001” but every time I lower one of those spots the middle bores out. The middle is .005” oversized from the rest of the cylinder. That makes, roughly speaking, the top 3.8333”, the middle 3.8338”, and the bottom 3.8333”. It doesn’t make sense based on the tool I’m using. (Lisle 15000) How do I fix that or is that discrepancy within a reasonable difference? The tricky part for me is that I have to convert all of the measurements from the gauge from mm to in. I’m going to have to go out and get an SAE gauge so I will not have to keep converting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 It's usually better to bore than hone when things are so out of spec to begin with. Honing stones are just for that, honing. Not boring. Honing is used just to smooth out the irregularities after boring. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivguy Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 Been following your thread, I've been an early Cadillac fan since I was a youngster. I've had a '56, '57, 64 and a 70. Had a couple of newer Cads also. I enjoy seeing others taking a hands on approach. Best of luck, and I hope to see some updates when you are ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pvfjr Posted November 2, 2021 Share Posted November 2, 2021 I just read your whole thread after Rivguy dug it up. It's great to see another younger guy like myself that's into these older cars--someone has to keep these things going in the future. That's a great car you've got there, keep after it! I'm really into 50s GM cars of any kind, and this is a great example. I hope you got your engine woes ironed out. If not, tinker with something unrelated by all means. It helps to quell the frustration and the feeling of disconnect from the car. If it keeps your interest up, dabble with wipers, or gauges, or whatever you want and have time/money for at the moment. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted January 8, 2022 Author Share Posted January 8, 2022 (edited) I’m glad to hear there is some interest in my little giant of a car. In March I sent the engine out to a local rebuilder in the area that is very knowledgeable with these 331 engines. At the same time I sent the transmission out to be rebuilt. I got the transmission back about 8 weeks later. In May we moved so the old parts car got hauled away and this one went on a trailer. 2 months later it got dropped off at the house. I wanted to punch the friend that was helping my cousin deliver it. He looked me straight in the eye and said “I really don’t like this car. It lacks style. There is nothing exciting about it.” I smiled and thanked him for coming by and that was the last I said to him. Since the engine was out of the car I decided to take the front fender off and clean it up a bit. It was then that I discovered that the bottom of the fender was hidden under an inch of body filler. I should have known since that same side’s rear door was the same. So I spent a while hammering it out the best I could. But then it got cold and the garage is unseated so my body work has stopped. My intention is to remove the front end and fix it, then put the engine and transmission in while it’s easy and accessible, and then reassemble the front end. I’m glad to hear that people want to see the story because I was telling my wife that I wasn’t going to post anything else since nobody seemed that interested. Edited January 8, 2022 by Fleetwood Meadow (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted January 8, 2022 Author Share Posted January 8, 2022 (edited) It’s new home is under a wonderful lean-to. We got a foot of snow and only the front and rear fenders saw any snow. Edited January 8, 2022 by Fleetwood Meadow (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted January 8, 2022 Author Share Posted January 8, 2022 I hooked up a battery in August and ran a wire to the ignition so I can cycle the hydraulic windows and front seat. They recommend monthly cycling of all the windows to keep the seals in good working order. After months without an engine I hooked up the battery and pressed the switches and the windows and seat moved perfectly. The only trouble I have is with the wiring going to the driver’s side rear door. The switches will not activate the window. I intend to diagnose that issue in the spring and have plans to rewrite the entire car sometime. Sadly a family of mice made the car their home and the smell in the ceiling is terrible no matter what I do so I will probably have to have it removed since it is also discolored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted January 8, 2022 Author Share Posted January 8, 2022 (edited) The newly rebuilt Hydra-Matic 4-speed transmission ready to be installed when the engine is finished and the front end is torn down. Edited January 8, 2022 by Fleetwood Meadow (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted January 8, 2022 Author Share Posted January 8, 2022 Since the car is going to be painted the Empress Blue #2 that was available by GM in 1952, I found this color scheme and design in a ‘53 Cadillac that is for sale right now. I like the two-tone color scheme of the dash and seat and it looks to be able to withstand the elements better than the beige-ish broadcloth that is in it right now. This car came with a wood grain painted dashboard and brown steering wheel. If the colors won’t clash I would keep the brown steering wheel or I will have to paint it to be a solid blue instead of the pictured blue and white. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1lark Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 Fleetwood, glad to see you back posting! I've missed hearing about the progress of your Caddy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivguy Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 Glad to see that you are back at work. That lean to roof will offer a lot of protection to your car. You can also have a little protection when you're outside working on it. Those transmissions look pretty slim, but I know that the back of the engine block forms part of the bellhousing. I had to pull the tranny out of my '56 for a rebuild. I was lucky to finally find a rebuilder down in Pacoima, Cadillac King. They pulled a core and rebuilt it. Then I drove down and swapped my core. I let my Son play hooky on a school day and we made the 600 mile round trip in one day. Cadillac King also specializes in used sheetmetal and other parts. Keep at. Your 75 is the aristocrat of the Cadillac line! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 (edited) I have had experience with the above vendor and they should be a last resort. They are very expensive. I also doubt they rebuild anything themselves. They are only a wrecking yard. Their reviews are a good place to do your homework. Edited January 8, 2022 by Bleach (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pvfjr Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 Great updates. That is one LONG tailhousing! I'm impressed you made progress even with moving. We moved a year ago, and all my projects screeched to a halt while I work on the new home and property. The carport is great! It's no heated shop, but it beats a tarp by a lot. I hope to have a big carport for my classics soon, they're getting good doses of rain and snow this winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted January 11, 2022 Author Share Posted January 11, 2022 Unfortunately my ‘51 Dodge Meadowbrook has to deal with the weather too. I have to do some serious work to her before she starts to rot. The Cadillac is just shy of 20’ long and uses 3 driveshafts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted January 14, 2022 Author Share Posted January 14, 2022 My new vent window regulator has arrived. My driver’s side window regulator had 2 missing teeth. They decided to make the crank gear out of steel and the window gear out of aluminum. Naturally over time the aluminum wears away. My parts car didn’t have one that was good either. So I finally found a NOS online and bought it. I got it and it was tough to move when I tried it so I soaked in in Super Clean and worked it. It ate the grease off and then I sprayed it with RV silicone lube used for RV sliding side tracks. I’m not sure if I love it but that might because it’s clear and when you think of grease it’s white. Either way it moves so smoothly and easily I can rotate the gears with my fingers. I’m looking forward to putting it in the car and trying it out. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 I probably had the same problem with one of my vent window regulators. It didn't bother me enough to look for another one. It still worked if I moved it past the lost tooth or teeth. I didn't have internet back when I got the car so finding one wasn't that easy then. If I still had the car now I may have eventually looked for one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr. Buick Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 It is amazing what some cleaning and fresh lube will do to old parts! Keep up the work, and the postings, please. I enjoy your comments and the project! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted January 17, 2022 Author Share Posted January 17, 2022 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1lark Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 Neat photo Fleetwood! We had snow here in NC yesterday. Where are you located? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted January 17, 2022 Author Share Posted January 17, 2022 I’m in Connecticut. Left the snow belt and apparently moved into another one. Had 15 inches of snow last week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Really nice picture! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 Try to spot which one is the left and which one is the right. Spoiler, they are both for the right door. After spending much more than I wanted to spend on this item that I was assured was for the left hand, I went out into the cold and disassembled the driver’s door to put the regulator in. I get it right to it and the crank wont go through the hole. It is on the wrong side of the regulator. I took off the passenger’s side regulator to compare and as you can see they are the same. I attempted to put the passenger’s side regulator on the driver’s door and sure enough the crank was on the wrong side, therefore confirming my assessment. Luckily for me there are no returns for this item. However I will keep it in a box for when the passenger’s side wears out. And the good side of this is I have taken the passenger’s side regulator out so I can clean it and make it smooth too. I did find another one that will have the crank on the correct side. It’s the same amount as this one and has a slight crack on the top where the window slot slides into, but it shouldn’t be a problem because the window bolts into the slot. Funny enough, the one that will work is listed as the passenger’s side regulator because people aren’t all that smart when it comes to fact checking information before they list it. Just another fun struggle in this pursuit of restoring the big green beast. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1lark Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 The trials and tribulations of working on an old car. We feel your pain Fleetwood, because all of us have went thru it at one time or another! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 I need to look into purchasing one of those books that lets me see which parts are exchangeable. A Buick or Chevrolet part is much less money than a Cadillac part in many instances. Since this was an item that is hidden in the door I wouldn’t have cared if it was Cadillac or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradsan Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 GM parts wiki. It's mostly Chevrolet, It is awkward as heck and takes bit of fiddling around but it can be your friend . Not sure if the part numbers are specific to Chevrolet or if GM but if you find a Caddilac part number for your regulator, you could try searching one of the manuals shown. http://www.gmpartswiki.com/browse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted January 22, 2022 Share Posted January 22, 2022 If the same part is share with the other GM brands, it has the same part number. I had several Master Parts List from Chevy, Olds, Buick and Cadillac to verify that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted June 8, 2022 Author Share Posted June 8, 2022 I finally cleaned out the back seat from when we moved last year. It’s amazing what the mice have done to the headliner and jump seats. Even with moth balls and mouse repellent in it they still consumed it. I took my upholstery cleaner and went to town on seats and floor. I did not mess with the headliner because it needs to just be removed. Hopefully the clean smell combined with a new electric mouse repellent will keep them away and I can start rewiring the cabin as well as repair some of the metal holes in the floor pan. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted June 8, 2022 Author Share Posted June 8, 2022 The vacuum picked up a lot of stuff before the cleaning. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1lark Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 Mice are the bane of old cars for sure! Good to see you posting, we have missed you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted June 9, 2022 Author Share Posted June 9, 2022 So I went back to the fender. As I was sanding the filler that I had put on in the fall I realized the mixture must not have been right because it seemed tacky still. So I fought and fought and got the filler off. Then I prepped it and applied new filler. Then I waited and enjoyed a cigar while it hardened, a Black Dahlia for those who might be interested. I sanded it smooth then applied a second layer. After it hardened I sanded it smooth again. I have to say that I am thrilled at how it came out. It’s smooth to the touch and feathered in beautifully. Since it is 3AM I am not going to start any other work on it for tonight. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted June 9, 2022 Author Share Posted June 9, 2022 While I was waiting for the second layer of filler to harden I took to paint removal. From what I am seeing there were 3 layers of paint, the original light green then a darker green and finally a medium green for the final layer. The primer, at least I’m assuming it is, between the darker green and the top medium green appears to be black. I’m not sure what they used since I have only used gray primers. As for the top layer, most of it chipped away except in the middle of the fender where it came off in long thin sheets. I found this to be a little strange and wonder if that’s due to poor adhesion or something else I don’t know. My intention is to get the green paint off as well as the underside where the undercoating was and then find a company that can get me a small spray can or can of paint so I can paint it before putting it back on. By doing that it should keep it in good shape until I can get the entire car painted, rather than just having it in primer for however long it takes until I can paint the car. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleetwood Meadow Posted June 9, 2022 Author Share Posted June 9, 2022 The paint removal has begun. There is some rust that I’m not liking but it isn’t anything to worry about. I’m about halfway done the outside of the fender. Then I have to deal with the engine bay side of the fender before I try to tackle the areas where the undercoating was. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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