1956322 Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 Good luck!! Wish you were closer although I’m hoping to move back to nc sometime in the future:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 (edited) Never, ever, ever give up. Family friends of mine owned, and still own a 60 Electra with Dynaflow. I am not sure how similar that is to your Dynaflow. The 60 could lose reverse if someone inadvertantly shifted into reverse without having the car absolutely, completely stopped. The strut for the reverse band fell out. It happened 2 or 3 times back in the day. It is fixed by putting the strut back in. It was a easy cheap repair by someone who understands Dynaflows, and did not require taking the transmission out of the car. Edited March 1, 2020 by Bloo (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 These cars can be frustrating and discouraging. You have gone the distance getting the nose on and aligned. Fixed other items. The head set you back but will be resolved. So will the reverse issue. Keep the faith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted February 29, 2020 Author Share Posted February 29, 2020 38 minutes ago, Bloo said: Never, ever, ever give up. Family friends of mine owned, and still own a 60 Electra with Dynaflow. I am not sure how similar that is to your Dynaflow. The 60 could lose reverse if someone inadvertantly shifted into reverse without having the car absolutely, completely stopped. The strut for the reverse band fell out. It happened 2 or 3 times back in the day. It is fixed by putting the strut back in. It was an easy cheap repair by someone who understands Dynaflows, and did not require taking the transmission out of the car. Yes this has a strut that can fall out. Still requires pulling the valve body, on my back, being dripped on with ATF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 That freaking strut can also be dropped if one puts it in reverse before allowing the engine to settle into it's low speed idle. The good news is; once you are aware of it, there seems to be a low probability of repeating the failure just by paying attention to these two causes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 It's broken. It can be fixed. More than a few of us have tasted transmission fluid (more than once). So quit the bellyache'n and fix it! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 34 minutes ago, old-tank said: It's broken. It can be fixed. More than a few of us have tasted transmission fluid (more than once). So quit the bellyache'n and fix it! Antifreeze is sweet. Differential oil tastes like the devil's toilet water and smells just the same. Depending on the Dot, brake fluid tastes of pond scum or gutter sludge. If you let Dot 3 breath it has a rosey bouquet. 🙃 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 Dont get close enough to the antifreeze to verify the sweet taste. Dont recommend the others either. See if a tranny shop will try to reset that strut. I imagine it will be near impossible to do layin on yer back under there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancemb Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 22 hours ago, NC-car-guy said: Head is back on. Intake and exhaust are on. Need to do an oil change as I spilled coolant and gasoline while working on this. If this car doesn't work out it's reverse issue by driving it around it's forward gears I will gladly exercise all of its forward gears straight into the scrap yard, regardless of my monetary loss. I am not built for fixing these cars. They are huge pains in the ass and I will not own another. When I first got my blue 57 back on the road after sitting for 30 years, I felt like this for a time. Once it was dialed in though, for the past 10 years all I've done besides change the oil and keep fresh gas in it is drive it and rebuild the master cylinder and booster. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted March 1, 2020 Author Share Posted March 1, 2020 Took it out for a test run. Suddenly the front blinkers aren't working again... Never ends. But it does ride smooth. 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38Buick 80C Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 Take the small victories....👍 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 Great! Glad she is running well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted March 2, 2020 Author Share Posted March 2, 2020 Thankfully after a light lecturing, russ sold.me.just the parts I needed... And Boyette's machine shop in Raleigh, NC is amazing. Still old school, timely, and polite! (Not cheap though, guess you get what you pay for) 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 Good to see it on the road! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted March 2, 2020 Share Posted March 2, 2020 20 hours ago, NC-car-guy said: Took it out for a test run. Suddenly the front blinkers aren't working again... Never ends. But it does ride smooth. It does look happy in the sunshine! Something about the yellow color I presume! Take it and the shop manual to a trans shop for resetting that reverse strut. It will be money well spent in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted March 2, 2020 Author Share Posted March 2, 2020 13 minutes ago, JohnD1956 said: It does look happy in the sunshine! Something about the yellow color I presume! Take it and the shop manual to a trans shop for resetting that reverse strut. It will be money well spent in my opinion. With labor rates at 100-125 per hour, I'll have to pass on that. I do have a friend with a lift that I may "visit" as an alternative to laying on my back in a puddle of ATF. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted March 3, 2020 Share Posted March 3, 2020 I'm just waiting on the video of you running and driving the car. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted March 6, 2020 Author Share Posted March 6, 2020 Well. I got reverse back! But now I cant seem to get around the block without her getting hot and puking coolant out the overflow...😳😪😪 1 step forward 1 step back... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 27 minutes ago, NC-car-guy said: Well. I got reverse back! But now I cant seem to get around the block without her getting hot and puking coolant out the overflow...😳😪😪 1 step forward 1 step back... Great new on the reverse. More info on the overheating: hopefully no water in the oil or oil in the water or pressurized radiator when cold. If you did not rod out the radiator then it is probably clogged ( it may have been marginal and working on the cylinder heads dislodged a little bit of crud that made the radiator terminal). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 What is it doing? Needle shows hot when driving? Only burps up when you shut down the engine? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted March 6, 2020 Author Share Posted March 6, 2020 Needle goes to hot and the overflow tube starts steaming while driving. No signs of fluid mixing and radiator is not pressurized when cold. It was kinda dirty steam last time so i added some radiator flush. Guess I gotta find a shop willing to clean the radiator. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 Man! I feel it...you are almost there! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 1 hour ago, NC-car-guy said: Well. I got reverse back! But now I cant seem to get around the block without her getting hot and puking coolant out the overflow...😳😪😪 1 step forward 1 step back... HOW? Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted March 7, 2020 Author Share Posted March 7, 2020 i just keep driving it till warm and trying reverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, NC-car-guy said: Needle goes to hot and the overflow tube starts steaming while driving. No signs of fluid mixing and radiator is not pressurized when cold. It was kinda dirty steam last time so i added some radiator flush. Guess I gotta find a shop willing to clean the radiator. May be a stuck thermostat. Edited March 7, 2020 by JohnD1956 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted March 7, 2020 Author Share Posted March 7, 2020 2 minutes ago, JohnD1956 said: May be a stuck thermostat. I tested it before install. But I suppose it could be. I was gonna get the radiator cleaned and order a new cap... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 I would say radiator. The heads where off. Jackets probably looked over on the head you had the valve replaced. Quite possibly the newly running engine full of scale from sitting is now loose in the system getting caught up in the radiator. Maybe try a good flush with panty hose trick to filter any debris. Whatever you do, don't let it stay in a running overheating condition or parts start to deform and gaskets go south. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 That cannot hurt. 5 minutes ago, NC-car-guy said: I tested it before install. But I suppose it could be. I was gonna get the radiator cleaned and order a new cap... But I have seen a thermostat fail to open when first installed, just to open the next time the engine is run. I think that is caused by an air bubble forming while the system is filled and no coolant hitting the bottom of the thermostat. In the process of cooling off it seems the air bubble dissipates. One way to tell is opening the cap and letting the engine warm up to look for flow in the top tank. But if it is a stuck thermostat then as it warms up it will regurgitate and spout hot antifreeze from the radiator cap opening. Naturally the hot antifreeze will ruin your new engine paint. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 Happy spring yall. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Looking a bit deflated today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 36 minutes ago, avgwarhawk said: Looking a bit deflated today. Yea. Has been sitting there the last two weeks. Maybe once I can get the radiator done, I'll pump up the tire and move the car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38Buick 80C Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 6 hours ago, NC-car-guy said: Yea. Has been sitting there the last two weeks. Maybe once I can get the radiator done, I'll pump up the tire and move the car C'mon you can do this. I have faith... don't punish the car... 🙂 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 19 hours ago, NC-car-guy said: Yea. Has been sitting there the last two weeks. Maybe once I can get the radiator done, I'll pump up the tire and move the car On the bright side, that door/fender gap looks great! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 3 minutes ago, EmTee said: On the bright side, that door/fender gap looks great! Look on sunny side of life! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted March 21, 2020 Author Share Posted March 21, 2020 Radiator is out and ready for the shop. No reverse this morning... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted March 21, 2020 Author Share Posted March 21, 2020 15 hours ago, 38Buick 80C said: C'mon you can do this. I have faith... don't punish the car... 🙂 You're right, not the cars fault. It just doesn't bring me joy. I dread working on it so it sits in the yard. Doesn't help that going on 40 and in a place in my life where I am just squeaking by check to check. I need a hobby I enjoy and can afford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 (edited) Might be losing prime. Get the there cooler box fixed up and the tackle thentransmission with a bit of Lucas. My 60 started losing prime after a trans fluid change. Dropping a qt of the new fluid and added Lucas to thicken. Worked like a charm. My trans is low mileage like yours. Edited March 21, 2020 by avgwarhawk (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 5 minutes ago, NC-car-guy said: You're right, not the cars fault. It just doesn't bring me joy. I dread working on it so it sits in the yard. Doesn't help that going on 40 and in a place in my life where I am just squeaking by check to check. I need a hobby I enjoy and can afford. This is a tough position! Let me start from the end. There are no affordable hobbies. Even gardening can be expensive. But it helps to focus on something that brings you joy. 40 is a scary time. For many it is a perception that things are moving forward while perhaps you think you are stagnant. Or maybe an awakening to one's mortality, and that there may not be enough time to accomplish what you want to do. But from my experience it is actually a time when magic happens. You may suddenly realize that opportunities exist and you're qualified to step into them. Things can happen fast, so regardless of how you currently feel, keep your eyes open and be available. Examine the "doesn't bring me joy" comment. Is it just related to Buttercup? Or the other assets too? I worked with a fellow who was heavy into old cars. I never did see his collection but was led to believe he had 3 cars all fully restored. We used to talk at work and one day he told me that he had grown tired of the cars and decided to let em all go. It was a bad decision. Several years later he missed the whole thing and then found it was hard to replace what he had. He told me " hang on to what you have!" Even if you are tired of it, just put it on the side. These were wise words. If you are truly tired of the cars, do what needs to be done to store em best you can. And wait a few years to make sure you really do not want them before letting them go. Also consider what each vehicle really needs, and then build a plan that will allow you to refurbish what has to be done on each to advance your enjoyment of them. Big projects and little ones. One year I just replaced the outside mirrors and the gas tank door guard on the '56 and I was done for that year. Make it a multi year plan. It's okay. Nothing has to be finished in a day. You have put a lot of time and effort into Buttercup to bring her back. You have restored her inner and outer beauty. It is okay to take a break from it for a while. But I think it is best to keep her running, even if not driving it locally, now that you have gone as far as you have with it. . 7 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elpad Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 In my line of work they teach to never give up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dei Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 44 minutes ago, Elpad said: In my line of work they teach to never give up! Posted with all good intentions. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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