Jump to content

How buttercup got her groove back


NC-car-guy

Recommended Posts

On 11/30/2019 at 6:43 PM, NC-car-guy said:

Stupid auto correct. Flow kooler.

SO after talking to Matt Martin at centerville, I'm going to leave the flow kooler alone.  He advised that it's more gimmick than real world benefit and that the stock pump will cool fine at highway speeds if all the water passages are clear (which I have verified).

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

New water pump came in from Centerville yesterday I'm going to try and get it on this weekend. I have a bad feeling I may need to let this car go though. There's now 4 to $5,000 worth of work to remediate all the water under my house due to poorly installed cinder block skirting and grade of the lot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/24/2019 at 6:01 PM, old-tank said:

Put the car on jack stands; go over the adjustment procedure in the service manual again and the trouble shooting portion; if no joy disconnect the linkage at the transmission and move it through the range as a test (don' go back to the Park position with the wheels turning.)

No joy....  I removed the linkage and pushed the transmission lever all the way back....wheels still turn forward!  Cant drive it, can't sell it. Also noticed when you move the shift lever on the side of the transmission by hand it does not have a distinctive click between each gear. The 55 I have on the ground outside has the click As you move the lever back and forth...... I give up!

Edited by NC-car-guy (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, NC-car-guy said:

No joy....  I removed the linkage and pushed the transmission lever all the way back....wheels still turn forward!  Cant drive it, can't sell it. Also noticed when you move the shift lever on the side of the transmission by hand it does not have a distinctive click between each gear. The 55 I have on the ground outside has the click As you move the lever back and forth...... I give up!

 

You'll figure it out. Step back and take a breather.  Have a beer. This always works for me when crap just ain't going right.  

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unlike the 55 there are no detentes in the 54 unit. 

Before the beer, take it out and drive it in all the working gears until hot...hot fluid may get it working.

While taking a breather or beer research (starting with the service manual) "reverse band operating strut".  That part can maybe be fixed without removing the tranny.  Contact Mudbone on these forums. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, old-tank said:

Unlike the 55 there are no detentes in the 54 unit. 

Before the beer, take it out and drive it in all the working gears until hot...hot fluid may get it working.

While taking a breather or beer research (starting with the service manual) "reverse band operating strut".  That part can maybe be fixed without removing the tranny.  Contact Mudbone on these forums. 

Yea I read about the reverse servo and strut in the manual, then took the one out of the 55 to "practice" and see where all the springs and stuff would fly out...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, NC-car-guy said:

Yea I read about the reverse servo and strut in the manual, then took the one out of the 55 to "practice" and see where all the springs and stuff would fly out...

So now you already know more than the rest of us!

It will be fun laying under that car with transmission fluid dripping in your face.:D...and don't even get close to a hammer or torch.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, old-tank said:

take it out and drive it in all the working gears until hot...hot fluid may get it working.

 

THIS!!! 

Matt, as I've somewhat sarcastically stated earlier, "she backed into the garage when parked!!!" I drove BC around a good bit before tearing her down, she drove like a NEW CAR, no mechanical problems WHATSOEVER!!!! There was a transmission shop invoice in the glove compartment that if I recall correctly, notes that the reverse bans in the tranny had been replaced and tranny resealed. This work was done at the time the second owner obtained the car after it had sat since 1974. Perhaps if he had had access to Willies wisdom he could have saved whatever the $$ shown on the invoice. I still communicate with that guy and will ask about the details of the tranny repairs and report back.

 

 

19 hours ago, NC-car-guy said:

I give up!

 

As you know my friend, I was very happy to see Buttercup go to you. Seeing how you had loved, cared for and showed the Century I had previously sold you but that was sadly lost in the wreck , generated the desire in me for you to have her and I think I gave you a very fair deal.  Man I'm sorry you're having these problems and hope you won't literally give up on her. Bringing a car back to life after it's been sitting for years isn't easy, and to quote @Mudbone if it was, everybody would be doing it. Please hang in there!!!

 

 

 

 

Edited by MrEarl (see edit history)
  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most of the lights didn't work.  Had to clean all the contacts and all the grounds. The license plate lights are the hardest.  There's a little brass ring inside the rubber boot that picks up ground from the case and gets it to the bulb...

20200201_123116.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So I have an electrical gremlin somewhere...  Dome light works fine but the trunk light and map light in the dash wont get power.    Also the radio that worked when I bought it doesn't work now that its in my dash.  Lights up but no noise and wont seek with the selectronic button.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, NC-car-guy said:

Also the radio that worked when I bought it doesn't work now that its in my dash.  Lights up but no noise and wont seek with the selectronic button.

 

Did you bench test it after changing the dial faceplate?  Can you hear the vibrator buzzing?  If not, that's likely the problem. If so, either the dial face is binding or the antenna is suspect.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, NC-car-guy said:

No buzzing and I wouldn't have thought to bench test it again after changing a dial face plate since I didn't interfere with anything inside

Click it on and off rapidly a few times...might jolt the vibrator into action.  That is what I need to do with mine sometimes to get some tunes.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Took it out for a jaunt.... $&#;#&!!  Runs like sh*t.  Put about 25 miles on it, up to 55 and it shook and shook and shook. Still no reverse even after all that so now it's stuck in the garage.  Started diagnosing the shaking....#2 and #5 cylinder are dead.  Compression test shows 120-130psi on both. Checked tested the spark plugs and wires.  Lots of heat, I wasn't in afib but might be afterwards....... Checked for vacuum leaks, verified firing order, tried swapping wires and plugs from a cylinder that was hitting.  I don't get it how do i have compression, fire, and fuel but when I pull that plug wire off at any rpm there's no change?  Guess now I have to pull the engine and trans AGAIN.  I will NEVER buy another car I cannot drive the day of purchase. I've also lost all interest in this one. This car is cursed...13k miles and everything on it has broken. Once fixed, it leaves!

 

Edited by NC-car-guy (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, avgwarhawk said:

After taking a break and deep breath, pull the valve covers.  Check to see the rockers for the cylinders are working as designed. 

 Did that already.  Everything looked normal. Everything was moving good. Lots of oil.  Nothing felt sloppy.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, NC-car-guy said:

I don't see how a coil would affect only two cylinders and even on those two I can pull the wire almost an inch away and get the spark to jump

Spark plugs wire resistance.  How old are the wires.  If you switch to a good known wire is there any change to the affected cylinder?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, old-tank said:

Let's go back to vacuum leaks:  check the lines and fittings at the fuel pump...or just turn on the wipers to see if they still work.

All vacuum lines are plugged just in case.  And yes the wipers work

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, avgwarhawk said:

Check for vacuum leaks at the intake manifold at those cylinders. 

 

4 hours ago, old-tank said:

Let's go back to vacuum leaks:  check the lines and fittings at the fuel pump...or just turn on the wipers to see if they still work.

 

Considering you have spark, compression, tried a different plug, etc. this is most likely the answer. Vacuum wipers are disconnected and plugged? Right at the manifold? Good. Got power brakes? Do the same.

 

Does this nailhead have the exhaust passages that run up through the manifold and contact the baseplate of the carb directly? The exhaust has been known to eat the gasket and throttle body up. If you have that setup it is possible for exhaust to be leaking into an intake passage. Technically its called a "dilution misfire", but the result is the same as an ordinary vacuum leak, a horrible miss.

 

 

5 hours ago, avgwarhawk said:

After taking a break and deep breath, pull the valve covers.  Check to see the rockers for the cylinders are working as designed. 

 

This probably isn't it since you have good compression, but I wouldn't rule it out, and if you can't find a intake leak this probably comes next.

 

 

Edited by Bloo (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...