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Working on the 60 Electra


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So the pictures didn’t makemy prior post so we will try again.

The red arrow points the the groove in the pump.  It bolts  on the flat plate.

 

the next picture is out of the shop manual. No seal shown.

 

the third picture shows the only place we saw the seal. This is a stapled together handout we got with the overhaul kit. But we didn’t the seal in the kit.  It’s on order......

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I dont know what was coming apart, rubbing or destroying it self in this transmission but there were brass filings all through the valve body. Took a box of towels and a few hours to get it clean.

Everything was filled with these particles.

 

 

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One would think that all off the metal shavings and bits the part having an issue would be self-evident. Appears to be a half round piece of metal in the top picture.  Maybe it was a small spring or similar that was not installed properly that made it's way through getting ground up in the process. Maybe broke pieces from the awkward vane in the turbine? 

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That trans looks like it really needed help...glad you guys decided to go through it.  Makes you wonder how many "working" dynaflows out there are in this condition but we don't know it.  I'm pretty sure the 62 I just sold could have used a good go-through...but I had already lost several thousand $ so that was out of the question.

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Today, I went back to Austin and instead of working on the Electra, we worked on Rob's Riviera.

It has issues stopping. I had been looking for drums for the front of the car but they were expensive.

For the same price we bought ScareBird brackets and started switching them to disks up front. Not original and we know it and dont care.

Similar brakes are going on the Electra.

We had a fun time figuring out how to modify the brackets so they would take the double piston Wilwood calipers. Not hard for someone who can fabricate.

But the main problem is the Wilwood calipers, while they have the same basic family number was a 1/4" inch smaller.

So more parts are ordered.

 

Here are mock up pictures along with a picture of Rob welding the brakes and how we had to work on the car.  The seat I is on almost got away from me on hi steep driveway. It would have gone for a long distance if it had

 

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Back to the Dynaflow after messing with the Brakes.....


After I pulled the pump back apart this morning to look for the o Ring, i realized the channel is rounded in the bottom like it’s designed to act as a drain to catch the any fluid that may seep from the pump chamber and go into that drain hole back to the pickup. It’s the low / audition side of the pump not the high pressure output like I had thought. 

 

Yellow arrow is the groove and the red arrows is the pickup point. See how the channel intersects the pickup point. That wouldn’t function with an o ring in the way.

 

While Mike at Fasco was looking at this picture he and Rob became concerned with the wear, scoring and marks on the pump below.  Luckily he has rebuilt pumps.  One is on the way.

 

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While waiting on parts ( the new pump) Rob has been continuing on his disc brakes we started.  He had to change calipers and order the bigger wildwood kit for the Riviera. They came in and then came the job of changing lugs as we also had to put wheel spacers in so the caliper didn’t rub the wheel.

After much running around and parts swapping it was finally put together. Sunday on the way to Starbucks the drivers wheel started to wobble. By the time Rob got the car home, it was almost falling off. The wheel had the lug holes wallowed out and the lug nuts about fell through. 
Luckily Rob has a spare wheel. He had the fire switched and replaced the lug studs and nuts.  Sunday afternoon he took it for a drive and said the car stops with no pulling. Because of his cam in the car, the power brake booster is not working as it should. More investigation required.

BTW The new Front pump came in so Rob can put the Dynaflow back together...

 

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Edited by Bill Stoneberg (see edit history)
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Robin, we used 3/4 inch Mr Gasket single disk spacers.  
The problem was that the Wilwood caliper was rubbing against the inside of the wheel.

don’t forget the Riv is now running 1999 GM Rotors and Wilwood calipers withThe Scarebird brackets.  So everything changed.

New wheels with different backspacing or grinding the caliper would have solved the issues too.

Edited by Bill Stoneberg (see edit history)
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On 4/19/2021 at 10:10 PM, Bill Stoneberg said:

The wheel had the lug holes wallowed out and the lug nuts about fell through. 

 

So, any idea as to what happened with that wheel?  The other side was OK?

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I have run into wallered out Buick wheels a few times. I think it is cause by people using an impact wrench on them. Bobo (from Charles Lamb -Dissertation On Roast Pig) will think nothing of smacking the nuts or bolts on with 150 PSIG and it does them in.

 

I always use a socket and breaker bar to snug them up gently as well as keep nice edges on the lug nuts.

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The main part of the transmission is done.  Of course there was a hiccup or two on the way but its all back together now.  Today we attack the Torque converter and put the new ring gear on.

 

As Rob was putting the front pump on, he ran into bolts that would not torque down. So off to get new ones.  He also discovered a reason while my Torque tube was always filling with transmission fluid,  the previous hack (I cant call him a rebuilder) had put the seal in ass backwards leaving a gap you could see light around.

 

New Bolts and the lip seal and finally the completed (except for the Torque converter) transmission.

 

It took about 2 months to do this, lots of waiting on parts to come, some weather related delays (major freeze in February) and a week of working on his own car.

Rob also spent a ton of time polishing metal parts we won't have any issues.

 

Now on to the next part of the project.

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5 hours ago, JohnD1956 said:

I am anxious to hear how all this turns out performance wise.  

I am interested too but more interested in reliability.  I want to get in and go and not have to worry about being stuck in Lubbock or have it hauled home from our favorite Mexican restaurant in town. 
I want to actually be able to drive it to Lisle next year. And get home too.

Edited by Bill Stoneberg (see edit history)
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22 hours ago, Bill Stoneberg said:

I am interested too but more interested in reliability.  I want to get in and go and not have to worry about being stuck in Lubbock or have it hauled home from our favorite Mexican restaurant in town. 
I want to actually be able to drive it to Lisle next year. And get home too.

Looking at the pictures and attention to issue and possible issues....I think you will just fine!  

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22 hours ago, Bill Stoneberg said:

I am interested too but more interested in reliability.  I want to get in and go and not have to worry about being stuck in Lubbock or have it hauled home from our favorite Mexican restaurant in town. 
I want to actually be able to drive it to Lisle next year. And get home too.

 

I am surprised that is the case. All along I thought it was a nice car that kept having hidden issues pop up. There was this little tickle of a thought in the back of my mind about how many nice looking cars are out there that need all that and more.

 

My subconscious ticker has been thinking "That's nudging a $100,000 car if the work was farmed out".

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Bernie, it’s been like peeling an onion.  

 

We keep finding rotten parts of the onion.  Looked good from the outside but once you get into it, you find the poor workmanship from PO, issues that you didn’t know were broken and items you want to fix or upgrade.


Did I plan on rebuilding the engine ?  No but after pulling thee valley cover, it was found to be necessary. Same with the Dynaflow.

 

You are probably correct on the dollar figure, I have an idea of what I have spent on parts and I am glad I am not paying shop rates on labor.

 

i hope to see you in Auburn. Sounds like it will be a good time.

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So this weekend Rob spent it on the turbine in the Torque converter.  We had 2 stators so it was mixing and matching of parts to get the best we could. By the end of Sunday, the torque converter was almost built. We still need to change the ring gear on the outer cover though.

 

The parts laid out on the bench..

 

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Turns into this after 9 hours of cleaning, measuring anD remeasuring and assembly.

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Edited by Bill Stoneberg (see edit history)
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  • 3 weeks later...
12 hours ago, NTX5467 said:

I know the Electra is still not moving under its own power at this time . . . but does it have reliable electric wipers on it?

 

Thanks for the update,

NTX5467

It has the Cam-O-Matic wipers on it and the one time I seriously had to use them they worked well.  This was coming back from Allentown by Washington DC and it was another car wash. Other than that, they have not been used a whole lot.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Bill,

just a thought on the chewed out wheel rim on the Riviera. My understanding is the early Buick rims are “hub centric” where they rely on the wheel hub to keep the wheel central. If the spacer does not have this, then you are just relying on the wheel nuts to keep it centred. This may be the issue.

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀

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Work has continued on the Electra.  Slow because of sickness and way too much rain.  But now its been clearing so we can get around to painting the frame, suspension parts and firewall. I am hoping towards the end of this week to get to Austin and put the suspension together.

Also Rob has finished the Dynaflow and it is ready to go back into the car. 

New ring gear installed and all the parts that were replaced in the transmission.

We have been dog sitting the past two weeks and he finally went home so I can leave the house for the day. Poor dog had a broken leg but that didn't seem to slow him down a lot. Big Greyhound who is sweet and got along with mine just fine.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

We went to Austin yesterday and aside from spending too much money at the clothing store, we saw the car.  It has been put into epoxy primer up front.

Hmm,  I dont find pictures on my phone but it looked good.

 

Rob also got tired of dealing with his stock wheels on his Riviera. He found some nice looking aftermarket wheels and tires.  I think it links nice and will look better when he drops the car.

 

And, on a backroad coming home, we found this "unusual" home made of shipping containers.  With the price of lumber these days, people are getting creative.

 

 

 

 

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