Johnd1956's Buicks

[JohnD1956]

 

Being such a nice day ( relatively speaking) I decided to clean out the other three doors on the wagon, to see if that was what was causing the interior smell. I did both passenger side doors first and there was a lot of dirt in them. It was soaked from the rain yesterday and packed into the seam at the bottom.  But I was able to wash it out and the insides of the doors are fantastic. That left just the rear door on the drivers side to do. 

 

But I was cold and tired and decided to put all the tools away.  I figured since the Drivers front door wasn't all that bad when I did that a few weeks ago, that I'd do the last door another day.  But just after I got all the tools put away I felt like it was a job undone...so I pulled everything back out and opened the drivers side rear door. 

 

Well, jackpot!  Here's some pictures.  And another task done and done!  Note the condition of the insides of this door.  All the rest look just like this!

 

 

I don't dare tell my wife that I need a winter car still! 

[dship]

1 hour ago, JohnD1956 said:

 

 

I don't dare tell my wife that I need a winter car still! 

That looks an awfully like my house gutters' junk!!!

[dei]

24 minutes ago, DShip said:

That looks an awfully like my house gutters' junk!!!

 

I can see where that earthy rotting smell might linger there. 

 

Now, go get a few of those Christmas Tree air fresheners and you will think you are driving an "OLD" car every time you go to the store. 

[dship]

1 hour ago, dei said:

 

I can see where that earthy rotting smell might linger there. 

 

Now, go get a few of those Christmas Tree air fresheners and you will think you are driving an "OLD" car every time you go to the store. 

AutoZone also sells spray cans of "New Car Smell"....I have a couple.

[RivNut]

Visit your local auto upholstery shop and ask them for some scraps of leather.  Throw those under the seat for that new car leather smell.

[JohnD1956]

Cleaning out the doors has made a major improvement, although the odor problem is not fully solved.  It may just be that the interior soaked in that foul scent for a long time and needs a little while to shed the stigma.  But as soon as possible I need to do the door seals. I still have wet rugs after rainfall. And  I have seen a few other cars of this era and lineage, which showed  the factory did indeed cut the door seals on 45* angles in the corners.  But the odor does go away after the windows are opened to let it air out.  It becomes unnoticeable very quickly when driving it. 

 

Meanwhile the last tank of gas resulted in 21.5 mpg,  and I think that may improve once I get new plugs and wires into it. 

 

 

[RivNut]

If you park it for the winter, open a bag of charcoal briquets and let the bag just sit on the floor board then close the car up tight.  In the spring when you open it back up, it will be fresh inside.  Don't be tempted to open the doors and check on it while it sits.

 

[JohnD1956]

On ‎12‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 11:18 PM, RivNut said:

If you park it for the winter

 

Unfortunately, that's not gonna happen.  lol...It's already saved 800 miles on the Regal GS.  And I love that I can park it anywhere and not worry that some inconsiderate individual will ding a door or whatever.  Plus I like the fact that it's 26 years old and is still willing to be driven daily with a top quality ride experience.  It really drives great and I am enjoying it immensely! 

Among it's few detractions are the fact that the seat padding has hardened and it's lopsided.  But a kitchen chair pillow has made that a non issue.  And the drivers door needs a new hinge pin and bushings causing it to strike the latches with a dull thud.  Minor stuff considering its accumulated mileage. 

[RivNut]

26 minutes ago, JohnD1956 said:

 

Unfortunately, that's not gonna happen.  lol...It's already saved 800 miles on the Regal GS.  And I love that I can park it anywhere and not worry that some inconsiderate individual will ding a door or whatever.  Plus I like the fact that it's 26 years old and is still willing to be driven daily with a top quality ride experience.  It really drives great and I am enjoying it immensely! 

Among it's few detractions are the fact that the seat padding has hardened and it's lopsided.  But a kitchen chair pillow has made that a non issue.  And the drivers door needs a new hinge pin and bushings causing it to strike the latches with a dull thud.  Minor stuff considering its accumulated mileage. 

Pretty much the same reasoning that I use for rationalizing having large Marge. I did have the padding in the driver's seat redone though.  

[JohnD1956]

Took a temporary step to combat what feels like a cross-fire issue.  I talked with the seller recently who indicated his aunt probably did minimal preventative maintenance and as such I should consider the plugs and wires as originals.  And since the car runs fairly well, with a bit of an engine rocking at idle only, I figure the wires at least should be replaced.  But I don't want to do that with old plugs and I do not want to break off a plug at this time of the year.  So I installed the plastic wire loam on the three back plugs today.  And it's already smoother.

 

 

Here is the product that I've bought in Walmart, in the auto radio section.  It's only a few bucks but these 3 wires and some extra little bits, took a package and a half to complete.  All you need for this assignment is a scissors and some work gloves.

 

 

This is what I am facing.  The three wires to the left take a route that could lead to many places they could be cross-firing and or just leaking spark.

 

 

 

The wire loam is split it's length so its a simple process to open the split to enclose the wire and just push it through to it's destination.

 

 

And here is the finished package.  I added a zip tie to the separator because the top half of that is missing and I did not want these to come loose while they are so close to the fan of the alternator.

Note in the picture above that I also put a short piece on the edge of the bracket  which is underneath where the wires sit.  Just added insulation from a heat source.

 

I went only so far as the 2nd factory separator as that one is still in one piece and it's too cold outside to mess with opening that up.  Besides, the separator appears to be a nice unit with an integral rubber insulator, and after this insulator the wires split up without crossing each other.

 

The whole process took less than a half hour and resolved the rough idle.  And these loams are reusable when  (if) I replace the original wires. 

 

BTW, I did this on my 56 years ago.  All the way under the spark plug covers. I did remove the two insulators in the factory brackets so I could slot the covered wires back into their original position.  But I'm not worried about getting that, or any of my car, judged.  I just want them to go down the road with no issues.

Edited December 19, 2018 by JohnD1956 (see edit history)

[Magic marouke]

good read john and very informative . shame the pics on the car shop and rear spring swap  didn't show on the thread , would like to have seen them .

[JohnD1956]

 2K miles saved on the Regal GS so far!  And it just seems to be better all the time.  I recommend buying one if you find it.  Although I'd try to stick with 92-93 for the 3300 engine. 

It has amazing pep and pickup and that's with a 180K reading on the odometer! 

[JohnD1956]

Finally started the spark plug replacement process.  With no other documentation available, it appears to me that the plugs had to be changed once, but probably before 2010.  At any rate, I broke one wire on the left side of the motor, which faces forward in this transverse power unit vehicle.   So I am waiting on a set of wires before tackling the right ( rearward) side since I was not able to get any of those wires off with a firm tug or two. 

 

The plugs I  am removing are clean burns, and the gaps have burned open by an additional 8 thousandths.  Even with the repaired broken wire and only 3 new plugs, it feel better and smoother.  So I am looking forward to getting the other three done soon. 

 

BTW, a few weeks ago I had taken the car out to Binghamton, which was about 300+ mile round trip, and averaged 26+ MPG.  It still has the snow tires on it.  Too bad it is too small to pull a trailer. 

 

 

 

Edited June 20, 2019 by JohnD1956 (see edit history)

[dmfconsult]

Hi John, those rear 3 spark plugs are a real pain!  For the 3.1 in my old Chev Lumina I had to unbolt the top engine mounts, put the car in gear (of course without it running) and let the car roll forward to tilt the engine forward. Still had to lay across and feel for the plugs but had just enough room to get my hands and tools back there. Have fun!

[JohnD1956]

It is not at all like that with the 3300 V6 Doug. There is room to see the rear plugs on this one. The problem is the connection boots are stuck on the plugs and the clip will likely break before the wire comes off. I had planned on new wires eventually but just wanted to be sure the plugs would come out without breakage before spending any more money on this car.  The front three plugs were very tight but did come out without breaking.  So hopefully the rear three will cooperate as well. 

[EmTee]

Can you twist the boots to break them loose?  I'd spray some WD-40 (or similar) around the base of the plugs while waiting for the new wires. 

[JohnD1956]

After struggling with those rear wires for almost an hour I tried some long handled needle nose pliers with looped ends. Discovered the fit right down near the valve cover edge and they grabbed the heat shields tightly. Then using the valve cover as a fulcrum the wires popped off easy peasy...sheesh😎The rear plugs came out just like the fronts too. 

And the project is all done with noticeable results...guess I have no excuse for failing to address a few other things now.😎

[JohnD1956]

@dmfconsult  

 

Check out the roomy spark plug area with a 3300 V6

 

 

 

I could get my hands on those rear spark plugs, but then there wasn't enough room to pull the wires off.  Plus the heat shields spun around on the spark plug boot preventing the boot from twisting and breaking the bond that forms between it and the plug itself,  after several years of wear and tear.  

[dei]

Needless to say they went back on easier than came off??

[dmfconsult]

Wow, that is amazing @JohnD1956 there wasn’t near that much room on my 1997 Lumina!  Luckily they had titanium plugs that supposedly lasted 60k miles. The 3100 had two “dog bones” like the one in the picture next to your distributor block. Both had to be disconnected to roll the engine forward.  Super fun for the neighbors to watch me attempt it!

[JohnD1956]

Had one bout of sluggish turn over this past few days so I threw the charger on the battery and found a replacement.  Today I installed the replacement and it started the car just like I had hoped.  But on the way home from the parts house after about a 15 minute ride, I put the headlights on and the ammeter dropped into the discharge zone.  So looks like I have a generator issue that may be at the root of the old battery failure.   Still the old battery was over 9 years in use, so I am happy to replace it now.  But gotta do some testing to see if more work is needed. 

[JohnD1956]

An un-regulating VR.  Found my former original points style unit.  Will review the manual for how to test and adjust and see what happens. 

Edited July 2, 2019 by JohnD1956 (see edit history)

[JohnD1956]

Just a follow up:  I am sure this is nothing new to many of the folks here, but it was new to me.  

 

After my friend/mechanic said the generator was good but diagnosed a faulty voltage regulator, I pulled the previous VR off the shelf.  First off, if you've seen my garage, and it was a miracle I even found it.  And after I did,  I sat down with the manual to see if this one was salvageable.  Way back  I had a generator rebuilt and brought this VR with me to be set up with the generator.  It did work for a while but I remember it failing and I had another generator rebuilt and sourced a new regulator.  So I opened this one up and it looked pretty solid and clean inside:

 

 

And I read and read that manual till I finally figured out that the air gaps on the Current and the Voltage regulators were too wide.  So I reset them and put the top back on last night. 

 

 

I thought about this as I  turned in and first thing in the AM and decided to open it up again as I never addressed the excessive airgap on the Cutoff relay.  

 

When I opened the feeler gauge I realized that I had used that wrong too.  

 

 

I forgot the basic set up meant the smaller gauge was at the tip, and the larger was inboard, thus  I set the two airgaps too tight. 

I reset ALL the airgaps and then reassembled the unit. 

 

 

And then just some general clean up of the base

 

 

 

And then I replaced the one on the car. 

 

Now at this point I want to say that for some reason I thought the one that was on the car was a transistorized unit.  But when I lifted it off it felt almost as heavy as this nice old Delco unit, so I took the cover off.  And there were the three mechanical relays just like the Delco EXCEPT there were no adjustment screws to alter the operating range of the individual relays. This was news to me, and I thought about all the times I had used the battery cut off switch and then just connected the battery and never polarized the generator.  I always thought; I didn't have any problems and that the transistorized unit did not need the polarization process.  The manual though, is very clear that anytime you disconnect the battery you need to polarize the generator before starting the car or you could damage the regulator.  So it would appear that my failure to polarize the generator for the last ten years may have been the root cause of my situation.

 

Anyway, since I always disconnect the battery when leaving the car parked in the garage I decided to make myself a polarizing tool. 

 

 

An unused rubber water fitting cap, and a piece of flat metal bent so that you can only hit the bat and gen terminals simultaneously, without mistakenly hitting the field terminal.  

 

And the VR functions within voltage specs as indicated in the manual. Now I wonder if that previously rebuilt generator was actually still good?  

Edited July 3, 2019 by JohnD1956 (see edit history)

[JohnD1956]

After two evening cruises I can say this is like a different car.  It runs smoother, idles better, and the off line hesitation is significantly reduced, virtually eliminated!

 

With a volt meter on the battery, engine idling, headlights and radio operating, after 10 miles of driving the voltage at the battery is 14.2 tonite, vs the 12.6 I was getting with the other VR. The headlights and instrument lights are definitely brighter.  I am wondering if that 14.2 is actually too high, but it just feels so much better overall I am not inclined to change it lower.  

 

I think this repair has been most fortunate! 

[Bloo]

Voltage regulators are generally temperature compensated, so it varies, but 14.2 is about exactly what you see on older cars.

 

14.7 is more like it on anything modern. GM was one of the first to turn up the heat in the mid 70s when the "freedom battery" came along, European cars were some of the last, with quite a few of the German, Italian. and French ones still running down around 14.2 in the mid 90s. Of course that is a rash generalization, and there are probably a bunch of exceptions.

[GARY F]

I never saw a feeler gauge with two values on the same blade.

[Bloo]

Those are called "Go No-Go" gauges. They make the "Go No-Go" method of adjusting valve tappets easier. If the spec is .017, you would use a .016/.018 gauge, the first part slides in easy and the other part should stop.

 

I do it with standard feeler gauges, but the type shown in JohnD1956's link are much faster.

Edited July 4, 2019 by Bloo (see edit history)

[JohnD1956]

It's Christmas in July (for me) at least. 

One reason I could not get to the National this year, was because my steering wheel looks like this:

 

 

 

and 

 

 

Everytime I drive it this car, the wheel bugs me.  And although it is still mostly complete,  I just hated to look at that thing year after year. 

Then I saw a wheel done by Quality Restorations Inc, in CA on a friends car.  And Linda endorsed making a purchase.  

 

The wheel arrived today:

 

 

[JohnD1956]

And even though my car is light years away from any restoration,  I was like a kid on Christmas morning with my new toy!  The new plastic is guaranteed not to shrink for life.  Whose life is still in question, but since this lives in the garage I don't think it will be a problem. 

 

The plastic is translucent.  On the dining room table you can see light thru the cast material on the spoke

 

 

That's how I remembered this car when I got it.  It was one of the things I loved about the car! 

 

Anyway, just got back from a short drive and it feels so smooth!  And I am very happy with the wheel.

 

 

 

[dei]

Amazing how things like that make it like a whole new car again and stirs those memories isn't it John.

 

Looks great! 

[EmTee]

On 7/3/2019 at 10:07 PM, JohnD1956 said:

I am wondering if that 14.2 is actually too high, but it just feels so much better overall I am not inclined to change it lower.  

 

I wouldn't change a thing -- it sounds to me like your ignition system is thanking you! 

[JohnD1956]

On my drive last night I noticed the horn ring had some rotation to it, and it rattled.  So looking at the original wheel I realized the new one did not have these rubber isolators:

 

 

And being 63 years old, or thereabouts, I had little hope I could get these off in one piece.  The steering wheel provider said those isolators were installed before the center ring of the wheel was welded on,  so I could try to slice em and peel em off to reuse, or just wrap a few laters of electrical tape in the location on each spoke of the wheel.

 

I wasn't too keen on the electrical tape alternative so I went to the hardware store today and they had some 1/2 and 3/8 diameter vinyl hose. It comes in an oval shape.  The 3/8 " was not big enough to get totally around the spoke, and the 1/2 " was too big.  But I took a foot of the 1/2 " , figuring I could cut it down to size. 

 

After cutting the first isolator, I tried to remove the original isolator so I could fit my new one where it had to be on the wheel.

 

 

And I was so surprised to find that the original one was still flexible enough to come off without breaking!

 

 

And, in fact, all three came off without breaking!

 

 

So I glued them on the new wheel with some silicone adhesive. 

 

 

And when I finished reassembling the movement ands rattle were gone.

 

And then the horn started to act up! It works sometimes, and not others.   Looks like I will have to perform the repair Old-Tank outlined to make it reliable. 

 

 

 

[JohnD1956]

Oh boy, have not posted anything about this car since 2017!  It was lightly used in 2018 and so far in 2019, too.  So I have not done much to it except gas it up and go.

 

Last year the seal on the AC Compressor leaked and while I bought a new seal,  I have not addressed it yet.  But this week I was finally challenged to put on the refinished bumper, the one that was refinished in Spring 2015.  I had put the refinished rear bumper on back then,  but held off on the front because I was tossed up on doing more body work.  Since then the bumper has sat in the shed alongside the Queen.  Partly fearing I would hit it someday, and partly needing to get it moved so I could try to organize the crapola in the shed,  Ed helped me realize I had to put the refinished bumper on the car, and put the core bumper in the rafters.   

 

It is satisfying to get this unit back on the car. 

 

I say back on the car because, this is the bumper that came with the car.  It was damaged in the past and had a folded area in the center.  The story I was told was that the original owner would pull the car into the garage till the front bumper hit the concrete front wall.  Then he knew it was in far enough that he could close the garage door.  I guess in the early 70's it was a practical decision.

 

  But at the 2008 Flint meet I purchased a core bumper from Clarence Getz, which looked great laying on the ground.  Later when I put it on the car I discovered it was also damaged with a twist on the drivers side.  This is after I got a little of the twist out, and after I took it to a shop to see if they could get the twist out.  That is one stubborn bumper.

 

 

Still, the chrome was acceptable and so I left it on.  Then,  in fall 2014 I took the original front bumper and a core rear bumper I got in Oregon,  to Sandy's Bumper Mart in Syracuse.  I retrieved them the following Spring .  And on 8/5 I finally started the replacement project.

 

 

 

 

[JohnD1956]

It was nice to work on it since the bolts have not had time to rust up again after 2008.  

 

 

But as always,  one thing leads to another.  The bottom of the radiator support were showing some wear.

 

 

Well, I wire brushed, sanded, treated with the "New Metal " acid spray,  and then self etching primer and a few top coats of black satin paint.  They are not really done right.  But I am not in financial position to tear it apart to do more.  Plus it is driving season, so I moved on to reassemble. 

 

 

[JohnD1956]

That lead to deciding I had to refinish the headlight doors.  The silver paint around the headlights was showing it's age, and the black paint around the outer perimeter of the lights was likewise flaky.  So I washed them with thinner till all the old paint was removed.  This was REALLY EASY..  lol... And then taped up the thin polished chrome separating the silver and black finishes.  this was REALLY HARD!!!!

 

At this point I hit them with self etching primer and then dug out the silver and black paint I had in stock.  I managed to paint both the silver and the black without much ado.  Used Rustoleum bright sliver around the bulbs and basic satin black around the outside.  And when I was done peeling the tape , THEN I noticed that the can said the silver was not suitable for wet conditions.  Oph-fa!  But they looked really decent to me

 

And I already had them on the car!  

 

 

But off they came, and I taped that chrome strip up again (  which was REALLY HARD)  and shot them with a few coats of clear coat!  They are a bit shinyer now but they will have to do. 

 

My son and grandson had helped me get the bumper back on the car, and then I was able to do an initial alignment.  But Ed cam over the next day and helped me get a better fit. 

 

 

And now I have no excuse for not straightening out the crapola in the shed! 

 

[EmTee]

Lookin'n good, John!  I had to smile as I read your post because I now expect every job I tackle to spawn at least 2 unexpected related tasks... 

[old-tank]

13 hours ago, JohnD1956 said:

and shot them with a few coats of clear coat!

Every time I do that they turn gray.

[JohnD1956]

ttt.  Getting ready for another installment.  Been some screeching from the rear brakes this time.  Parts will be here tomorrow.  Did not realize the forum lost some of my older pictures.  Going to try and repost them when the season changes.  Meanwhile while getting the annual State inspection looky what showed up in the next lift.   The guys in the garage were lovin this opportunity to gawk.

 

[lancemb]

11 hours ago, JohnD1956 said:

 Meanwhile while getting the annual State inspection looky what showed up in the next lift.   The guys in the garage were lovin this opportunity to gawk.

 

Wow!  What are the chances?  You must live a a great town with residents of great taste.

[JohnD1956]

It does seem that Buicks have enjoyed a surge in popularity locally.  But it may just be that more old cars, in general ,are coming to market lately.