My 1938 Buick Century Model 61

[old-tank]

Replace the slotted head with hex head.

[DonMicheletti]

There are not many hex head 6-32 X 3/8" screws available

[old-tank]

3 hours ago, DonMicheletti said:

There are not many hex head 6-32 X 3/8" screws available

They do exist and there are even socket head available.

I would rather take a beating than deal with *&^%# slotted screws!

[Matt Harwood]

43 minutes ago, old-tank said:

They do exist and there are even socket head available.

I would rather take a beating than deal with *&^%# slotted screws!

 

This was my first thought, too: allen (socket) head screws. Much easier to manage and who will ever know it's not 100% OEM?

[DonMicheletti]

True, and you'd have to be nuts to want to check

[Bloo]

Put a little bit of butyl tape (gooey raw rubber for windshields) on the tip of the screw driver. Stretch it back on the tip of the screwdriver so the driver has a little more surface area on the butyl tape. Stick the screw on and push it into the tape. Start screw in hole. Pull driver off. Butyl should come off with the driver, on the rare occasion it doesn't you can reach in there and rub it off or grab it with a stick or something. I like to tighten the screw without the butyl in the interest of not leaving any butyl behind, but you can leave it on to the bitter end if you like. This works for phillips head too. It's as easy as anything else that has been proposed here.

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Bloo (see edit history)

[EmTee]

On 4/8/2022 at 9:28 PM, Bloo said:

Put a little bit of butyl tape (gooey raw rubber for windshields) on the tip of the screw driver.

Actually, I have one of these 'screw-holding' screwdrivers:

 

Yesterday I crawled under the dash to scope out the situation and surprisingly concluded that the job didn't look too difficult after all... 

 

So, I went ahead and removed it from behind as Matt H. & Don had suggested.  After superficially disassembling the speedometer head and comparing it on the bench with the disassembled spare unit I have it appears the spare one is in better condition mechanically (shows less wear).  My plan is to thoroughly clean and lubricate the spare and transfer the main and trip odometers from the original to the spare before installing it in the car.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Wow. I have not seen one of those for a coons age.  Magnetized ones work well.

 

  Ben

[JohnD1956]

@EmTee How does that screwdriver holding feature work?

[DonMicheletti]

Be careful when swapping the odometers - they tend to want to disassemble themsselves and then you have a real problem on your hands.

Tread softly.

Ask me how I know.

[EmTee]

20 hours ago, DonMicheletti said:

they tend to want to disassemble themsselves and then you have a real problem on your hands.

Ha - I discovered that 'feature' when I disassembled my spare speedometer!    After reconstructing that 3-dimensional puzzle I was prepared when removing them from the speedometer that came out of the car.  I did the odometer swap yesterday and it seems to be successful.  More to come on this subject...

[EmTee]

22 hours ago, JohnD1956 said:

How does that screwdriver holding feature work?

The screwdriver shaft (including the blade) is made in two parts that are designed to fit together.  The interface between them is angled such that the two halves slide against each other.  The result is the two blade halves can line-up directly (when the slip collar is all the way up against the handle).  Slipping the collar down toward the blade increases the overlap, essentially 'thickening' the blade.  That causes it to grip (i.e., bind) in the slot.  I'll try to take some pictures later today.

[JohnD1956]

6 minutes ago, EmTee said:

The screwdriver shaft (including the blade) is made in two parts that are designed to fit together.  The interface between them is angled such that the two halves slide against each other.  The result is the two blade halves can line-up directly (when the slip collar is all the way up against the handle).  Slipping the collar down toward the blade increases the overlap, essentially 'thickening' the blade.  That causes it to grip (i.e., bind) in the slot.  I'll try to take some pictures later today.

Thanks for the explanation. I can visualize the action based on your description. 

[EmTee]

Over the last couple of days I managed to finish the speedometer overhaul.  I'm certainly glad that I had that spare speedo head to experiment with; it allowed me to figure out how to disassemble the one in the car without unrecoverable mishaps.  Also, as it turned out, I mixed a few pieces between the two in order to come up with the one that I reinstalled into the car.  I only lost one tiny thrust washer that I wound-up stealing from the spare unit, so I'm calling that 'success'. 

 

That said, the following is a summary of the overhaul with a few pictures.  At the lowest level of assembly was the speedometer frame:

 

This picture, with the frame upside-down clearly shows the old, dry, hard grease on the gears.  I suspect that some of the needle jumping was caused by the gears momentarily getting bound-up on clumps of hard grease packed into the space at the root of the teeth.

 

 

I used brake cleaner and a small brush to clean all of the old grease from the gears.  I compared the two frames that I had (the one from the car and the spare) and decided to use the spare, as it seemed to have less wear.  Before reassembly I used the same small brush to wipe a little fresh lithium grease on each gear.

 

At this point I reinstalled the aluminum cup assembly that drives the indicator.

 

Next came installation of the main odometer stack.  As Don Micheletti noted above, this is the trickiest part of the job.  To remove the odometer requires removing the shaft that runs through the center of the number wheels.  At that point, the stack of wheels wants to separate from the gear plates that are installed between each number wheel and the whole thing wants to fall apart and spray across the bench.  After first wrestling with this during disassembly of the spare unit, I decided to apply a piece of blue painter's tape across the face of the odometer to help hold it together before removing the shaft.  (I first checked to make sure that the tape wouldn't pull the graphic from the wheels on my spare odometer.)  Even with the tape, the task of removing and reinstalling the odometer required concentration and patience.

 

 

Also, as I discovered when I first tried installing the speedometer face, alignment of the numbers is critical.  The first attempt failed because the numbers were a half-character too high in the window.  This caused me to pause while considering the best way to correct it.  I was able to fix it without removing the shaft by removing the spacer (aluminum cylinder to the left of the leftmost number wheel) and sliding each wheel to the left just far enough to disengage it from its drive gear (attached to the plate to the right of the wheel) and rotate it one tooth down.  Whew!

 

The trip odometer is easier to deal with, but I wound-up doing this task twice since I initially installed the spare trip odometer (because I was using the spare speedometer frame and my original trip odometer had issues).  Of course, I didn't find the problem until I had everything assembled and was testing it on the bench with my cordless drill (FYI - in reverse).  Long story short, I determined there was a problem with the trip odometer stack from the spare speedometer, so I checked and installed the trip odometer from my original speedometer.  Once it was cleaned it appears to work as it should.

 

Before installing the face, I removed the welsh plug from the main shaft near the cable attachment.  I then removed the felt from the bore and added a couple of drops of light oil.  I then cleaned (by flushing with oil and rolling on a paper towel) and oiled the felt before reinstalling it and the plug.  I then hit each shaft pivot point with a drop of oil.

 

 

With the mechanical assembly complete, I reinstalled the speedometer face and the indicator needle.

 

Lastly, I chucked a short pencil in my cordless drill and held it against the cable drive to verify operation.  I was able to run the speedometer from 0 to ablut 2/3 scale and watched as the trip and main odometer values incremented.  Holding a steady drill speed I didn't hear any noise or see any needle jumping, so I'm hopeful that the original issues have been resolved.

 

Expecting that speedometer installation would be trickier than removal, I decided to follow Don's advice and make a stud that I could install in the upper gauge mounting hole before installing the speedometer.  I made the stud by grinding-down the head of another (longer) screw.  Here's a picture of it installed in my spare cluster.

 

With the stud installed and using my 'screw-holding' screwdriver, installation of the speedometer went without a hitch!    I think the stud really helped because that allowed me to let the unit hang while I loaded the screwdriver and then got one hand positioned to line-up and hold the speedometer in place while driving the screw with the other hand.  After installing the the two bottom screws I removed the stud and installed the last screw.

 

All I have left now is a test drive, which will have to wait until at least Monday, as the weather is rainy and cold here until then.  Next job - install my new tires... 

[DonMicheletti]

It is interesting to see that you went through the same rigamaroll that I did on my speedo.

Isnt it staisfying when after all that hassle and humor, the thing actually works right?

To me that is one of the really fun parts of the hobby.

Also, if i were to do it again, I'd make a dummy shaft to slide into the odometer clusters as the original shaft is removed. That would keep the wheels and parts together and correctly oriented.

Edited April 16, 2022 by DonMicheletti (see edit history)

[EmTee]

14 minutes ago, DonMicheletti said:

Also, if i were to do it again, I'd make a dummy shaft to slide into the odometer clusters as the original shaft is removed.

Yes -- just long enough to accommodate all of the number wheels.  (Between you and me, I hope I never need to try that hack...) 

[Bloo]

How did you get the little softplug out of the oil wick hole? Is the wick just a straight round piece of felt? I was planning to attempt oiling that wick by capillary action, putting the tail (only) in hot oil for a few hours and not taking out the plug. On some 1960s speedos I have worked on years ago, it was pretty critical not to let any oil migrate up into the drum area.

[JohnD1956]

is that the thrust washer you lost laying over on the right side behind the gear?

[EmTee]

2 hours ago, JohnD1956 said:

Is that the thrust washer you lost laying over on the right side behind the gear?

No, not that one.  There's a teeny-tiny one on the shaft that the indicator needle goes on.  My spare speedo is now missing that piece.  I'll keep an eye out for it just in case it turns up when I clean-off my bench top...

[EmTee]

3 hours ago, Bloo said:

How did you get the little softplug out of the oil wick hole?

I stuck a pick in the side of the plug and just pried (or rolled) it out.  I saw a You-Tube video of someone doing that on another '38 Buick speedometer.  I then stuck the pick into the wick and coaxed it out with a similar technique.  I used the butt end of a drill bit to poke the wick and the plug back in when I was finished. It goes in easily.  Interestingly, I noticed that someone had stabbed a pick (or point of a nail, or some sharp object) into the plug in the spare speedo, creating a small hole.  Apparently that was done to get oil into the wick.  That was my 'Plan B' if i couldn't remove the plug.

 

After I oiled the main shaft and several smaller shaft pivot points I left it sitting on a clean piece of paper towel on the bench overnight.  The next day there was a spot on the paper where excess oil had drained off.  After that I assumed that it would be safe to perform the odometer swap and final assembly.

Edited April 16, 2022 by EmTee
typo (see edit history)

[usnavystgc]

Thanks for that detailed write up @EmTee.  That will really make a difference for the next person that takes this on.

[EmTee]

I was able to take the car out for a pre-Nor'easter drive yesterday afternoon in order to verify speedometer performance.  (I'm looking out the window at about 3 inches of wet snow this morning...  )  Anyway, I can now state with certainty that I drove just over 40 miles and the speedometer, including the odometer and trip odometer functioned perfectly.  The speed indication was glitch-free from 0 to 60 mph and the odometers incremented smoothly.  The trip odometer used to quit after about 20 miles, so seeing it display just over 40 miles is a good sign that it's hopefully good-as-new.  It ran quietly, with no funny noises, another good thing.  So, hopefully, this means I can cross the speedometer off my 'to-do' list.

 

I'm hoping to get the new tires mounted and installed within the next week...

[usnavystgc]

Awesome

[EmTee]

It was 75* F here today so I decided to wash the winter dust off and take a ride.  I put another 40 miles on the car today and it seems to be running pretty well.

 

 

Temperature stayed right around 180* F and the coolant level hasn't varied since I re-installed the Gano filter.  I still have the hood off the car (removed when I pulled the radiator) though I considered putting it back on today.  I decided to wait, however, until I make the hot valve lash measurement in another two or three weeks.  It's so much easier to work on the valves without the hood installed.

[usnavystgc]

She's looking good!

[EmTee]

I finally had the new tires mounted and balanced this week.  I also finished enough of my 'honey-do' tasks to actually get them on the car.  The first drive was jaw-dropping -- it feels like a different car!  Getting those truck tires off of the car has vastly improved the ride and now my teeth aren't chattering for the first five miles while those 8-ply nylon cord sidewalls warm-up.  Still playing with pressures, but currently running 32 psi in the front and 28 psi in the rear.

 

 

Another big difference is the switch from red to black wheels.  I applied a thin layer of body filler to the rims to fill some rust pitting that was bugging me, so I was going to repaint them anyway.  Originally I was going to keep the red that was there with the blackwalls, but then I started looking at photos of other '37s and '38s on the internet...  I began to think that the red wheels with the wide whites might be too much 'bling' and detract from the car.  I reduced the collection of pictures to two; one of a red wheel and the other black, both with whitewalls.  I did the 'eye-test thing' (which is better - A or B...) about 50 times before finally going with the black wheel.  At this point, I'm satisfied with the choice and think that it is a more formal look.  The good thing is it's only paint, and it's easy to go back to red in the future if I get the urge!

 

While rummaging around the garage I discovered a partial roll of 1/16" red pinstripe tape that has to be 45 years old.  Since I also want to stripe the rims I thought for a moment that using red (rather than silver), though not authentic, might be a way to have my cake and eat it too.  I just had enough to add one stripe to each wheel as a test.  Looking at them, I think i like the effect.  If I still like the look in a week, I think I'm going to try to apply a triple-red paint stripe.

 

[EmTee]

Well, my plan today was to drive the car to get it hot and then measure the hot valve lash with the engine idling slowly (~400 RPM).  That said, things didn't quite go according to the plan...

 

1) Drive the car.  OK, this step went as expected.  It was warm today (80* or so) and the temp gauge was 180~185 when I stopped in the driveway.  I shut the engine off to remove the valve cover and when I was ready to restart the car the temperature had already crept up over 200*.

 

2) With car idling slowly, measure valve clearance.  This step is where things went sideways.  First, the engine was running fine, but temp still rising toward 212.  I presume the hot soak plus now running with little air movement through the radiator kept temp above 200*.  Since temp seemed to be holding there I began measuring lash.  First pass I used a 0.016" gauge to see whether it would pass through.  All valves accepted 0.016" with margin, so I tried 0.018" - same result. Hmmmm...  Next, all but a couple of them swallowed a 0.020" gauge!

 

Now I'm scratching my head because I had just checked them all COLD a few weeks ago at 0.019".  I shut the car off to pause and ponder the situation, at which point the radiator rumbled and spit on the ground...

 

At this point I ditched the original plan and decided to attempt the conventional hot engine adjust while running procedure (ugh...).  Well, after fighting to keep the screwdriver in the slot while stabbing the 0.016" gauge under the rocker arm and then trying to hold the screw while tightening the jamb nut I quit after I was unable to get cylinder #3 where I wanted it to be.

 

Next, I shut the car off and noted the temp was about 190ish, so I figured that was certainly hot enough.  I then decided to set the valves statically (engine off) by rolling the engine through the firing order and setting the valves for each cylinder individually.  I did that for the first four cylinders then ran the engine for a couple of minutes to ensure temp was at least 180* and then did the last four cylinders in the firing order.  With the static setting complete i decided to start the engine and check the lash again with engine idling.  The engine was quieter, but there were still four cylinders that with one or both valves that swallowed the 0.018" or 0.020" gauge.  So, I went back and reset those statically using 0.016" as 'GO' and 0.018 as 'NO-GO'.  Lather, rinse and repeat...

 

After the second static adjustment round cylinder #4 was still  easily accepting the 0.018" gauge.  So I went back and made a 3rd static adjustment of that cylinder.  Note that it took several tries to get it to where it still accepted 0.016" and wouldn't take 0.018"...

 

I then did another engine-running lash check and verified all valves accepted the 0.016" gauge.  The #4 cylinder still took the 0.018" feeler, but at least would not accept 0.020...  At this point the engine sounded pretty quiet - certainly quieter than it was.  #4 seems to tap a little (intermittently) and same with one of the valves on #7 (another one I fiddled with several times).

 

Epilogue:

 

I can't explain why the hot lash I measured (0.020") was essentially the same as the cold value (0.019") I had set them to weeks ago and verified (cold) last month.  I was able to get most of the valves to a hot lash of 0.016~0.017".  Cylinder #4 in particular didn't want to cooperate and I finally accepted that one at approximately 0.018".  There are a couple of others (one valve of #7 and one other I forget...) that also landed closer to 0.018".  Since the valvetrain is quieter now and the car seems to perform the same following the adjustments, I'm going to call it 'good enough' for now and just drive it with the lash set 'as-is' for at least this season; or until a performance change indicates the lash may need to be re-checked.  Let's just say I've reset my expectations when it comes to lash adjustment on this car...

[JohnD1956]

Certainly, a surprising result. Perhaps rockers that are out of round such that they are in a different place while the engine is running vs static?

[EmTee]

4 minutes ago, JohnD1956 said:

Perhaps rockers that are out of round such that they are in a different place while the engine is running vs static?

There's definitely something different about running vs. not.  All I can think of is the running check measures an 'average' clearance whereas a static clearance is the clearance when all of the parts are stacked-up as they are at that time. (If that makes any sense...)

[Bloo]

1 hour ago, EmTee said:

Well, my plan today was to drive the car to get it hot and then measure the hot valve lash with the engine idling slowly (~400 RPM).  That said, things didn't quite go according to the plan...

 

1) Drive the car.  OK, this step went as expected.  It was warm today (80* or so) and the temp gauge was 180~185 when I stopped in the driveway.  I shut the engine off to remove the valve cover and when I was ready to restart the car the temperature had already crept up over 200*.

 

2) With car idling slowly, measure valve clearance.  This step is where things went sideways.  First, the engine was running fine, but temp still rising toward 212.  I presume the hot soak plus now running with little air movement through the radiator kept temp above 200*.  Since temp seemed to be holding there I began measuring lash.  First pass I used a 0.016" gauge to see whether it would pass through.  All valves accepted 0.016" with margin, so I tried 0.018" - same result. Hmmmm...  Next, all but a couple of them swallowed a 0.020" gauge!

 

Now I'm scratching my head because I had just checked them all COLD a few weeks ago at 0.019".  I shut the car off to pause and ponder the situation, at which point the radiator rumbled and spit on the ground...

 

At this point I ditched the original plan and decided to attempt the conventional hot engine adjust while running procedure (ugh...).  Well, after fighting to keep the screwdriver in the slot while stabbing the 0.016" gauge under the rocker arm and then trying to hold the screw while tightening the jamb nut I quit after I was unable to get cylinder #3 where I wanted it to be.

 

Next, I shut the car off and noted the temp was about 190ish, so I figured that was certainly hot enough.  I then decided to set the valves statically (engine off) by rolling the engine through the firing order and setting the valves for each cylinder individually.  I did that for the first four cylinders then ran the engine for a couple of minutes to ensure temp was at least 180* and then did the last four cylinders in the firing order.  With the static setting complete i decided to start the engine and check the lash again with engine idling.  The engine was quieter, but there were still four cylinders that with one or both valves that swallowed the 0.018" or 0.020" gauge.  So, I went back and reset those statically using 0.016" as 'GO' and 0.018 as 'NO-GO'.  Lather, rinse and repeat...

 

After the second static adjustment round cylinder #4 was still  easily accepting the 0.018" gauge.  So I went back and made a 3rd static adjustment of that cylinder.  Note that it took several tries to get it to where it still accepted 0.016" and wouldn't take 0.018"...

 

I then did another engine-running lash check and verified all valves accepted the 0.016" gauge.  The #4 cylinder still took the 0.018" feeler, but at least would not accept 0.020...  At this point the engine sounded pretty quiet - certainly quieter than it was.  #4 seems to tap a little (intermittently) and same with one of the valves on #7 (another one I fiddled with several times).

 

Epilogue:

 

I can't explain why the hot lash I measured (0.020") was essentially the same as the cold value (0.019") I had set them to weeks ago and verified (cold) last month.  I was able to get most of the valves to a hot lash of 0.016~0.017".  Cylinder #4 in particular didn't want to cooperate and I finally accepted that one at approximately 0.018".  There are a couple of others (one valve of #7 and one other I forget...) that also landed closer to 0.018".  Since the valvetrain is quieter now and the car seems to perform the same following the adjustments, I'm going to call it 'good enough' for now and just drive it with the lash set 'as-is' for at least this season; or until a performance change indicates the lash may need to be re-checked.  Let's just say I've reset my expectations when it comes to lash adjustment on this car...

That sounds like a typical day adjusting valves. 🤪 For extra fun, try a flathead Pontiac, sticking your three(!) wrenches in the side of the engine, using your three hands, under the manifolds, with your wrist against the hot exhaust. When people talk easily about adjusting valves with the engine running I just laugh to myself and wonder if they have actually done it. There are wrench/screwdriver contraptions to make that easier on overhead valve engines if you think you must.

 

Anywhere in the factory spec clearance range will be fine as far as the engine is concerned. If you want that purring noise, and no individual valves that sound louder than the others, all the intakes and all the exhausts much match each other.

 

Here is what I would do. Set them cold, .001-.002 loose, and then just check them hot. Yes the engine may cool off and you may have to put the cover back on partway through and run the engine some more, probably even put it back together and drive it. Believe it or not, the clearances stabilize differently while driving compared to idling in the shop. The coolant probably gets hotter idling slow without moving, but the exhaust valves get hotter on a hard run.

 

Pop the cover off quickly and CHECK them. The go-nogo method is good, but a magnet or gooseneck mounted dial indicator on the tip of the rocker is better. If wear has dented the tips of the rockers where they contact the valve stem, your feeler gauges will be fooled, and in a seemingly random way. The dial indicator sees through this ruse.

 

I like to pop the distributor cap off, put the car in reverse, grab a front wheel and rock the car back while watching the rotor and points to get to TDC on the next cylinder, and the next, and the next, just following the firing order. Have a drawing or chart ready showing each valve to write down what clearance you find. You can try to fix them as you go, or not. Either way, I doubt you would get all of sixteen of them done on an eight before the engine cools off too much and you have to take it out and run it some more.

 

Edited May 31, 2022 by Bloo (see edit history)

[EmTee]

7 hours ago, Bloo said:

Here is what I would do. Set them cold, .001-.002 loose, and then just check them hot.

Yes, that was essentially what I was trying to accomplish.  Late last fall when the car was reluctant to start (hot or cold) I initially checked the lash COLD and found several valves with less than 0.015" clearance.  Not knowing what to expect for the hot/cold correction factor, I elected to be safe and set them all to 0.019" COLD by rolling the engine through the firing order.  I have been driving it that way until yesterday and the car seemed to be running better and better over the 200~300  hundred miles it was driven.  Honestly, I didn't think the valves were particularly noisy until I tightened them up yesterday.

 

7 hours ago, Bloo said:

Believe it or not, the clearances stabilize differently while driving compared to idling in the shop. The coolant probably gets hotter idling slow without moving, but the exhaust valves get hotter on a hard run.

I can certainly believe that!  Not to mention the fact that there are also inertial effects as everything is spinning faster.  The puzzling thing to me is the seemingly negligible correction factor for temperature.  All said and done, I think your suggestion to set them 0.001~0.002 loose is basically spot-on.

 

7 hours ago, Bloo said:

like to pop the distributor cap off, put the car in reverse, grab a front wheel and rock the car back while watching the rotor...

I like the idea of rocking the car in reverse.  I was turning it in neutral using the fan, but the fan and everything around it was pretty hot, so I'd give it a quick nudge and check the rotor as my fingers cooled-off...

 

7 hours ago, Bloo said:

That sounds like a typical day adjusting valves. 🤪 For extra fun, try a flathead Pontiac, sticking your three(!) wrenches in the side of the engine, using your three hands, under the manifolds, with your wrist against the hot exhaust.

Ouch - I feel better about my experience yesterday!    I will say that the OHV setup on the Buick is about as good as it gets so far as accessibility is concerned.  I still have the hood removed (from the radiator re-core) and was glad I left it off for this job, as the top of the engine was unobstructed and since it was a sunny day there was good visibility everywhere.

 

7 hours ago, Bloo said:

The go-nogo method is good, but a magnet or gooseneck mounted dial indicator on the tip of the rocker is better. If wear has dented the tips of the rockers where they contact the valve stem, your feeler gauges will be fooled, and in a seemingly random way. The dial indicator sees through this ruse

A dial-indicator is one of the tools I don't currently own, but will soon purchase; not only for this job but lots of others (e.g. brake/wheel runout checks).

 

Thanks for the feedback - hopefully I've qualified for my 'pre-war valve adjustment merit badge' and won't need to re-qualify for awhile! 

 

Today I plan to drive the car, change the oil and re-install the hood.  If that all goes well I should be able to take it to a local cruise-in this evening...

[Matt Harwood]

I've had this same puzzling problem with my valves. Get them within spec, then drive, then they're out of spec and still noisy. I've started adjusting them by ear until the ticking stops, then I use a feeler gauge to make sure they're not too tight. I usually end up around .015" or so, which is the spec. I have a hunch that Bloo is right and there's some wear that the feeler gauges can't detect or measure--one or two thousandths is a hair's thickness so it's negligible but it'll throw off your measurements in a way that makes you scratch your head. I still have one slightly noisy one but the thing runs so well I'm reluctant to go after it and it quiets down once it's fully warmed up.

 

I would wager that "good enough" is probably good enough if it's not too noisy. These are still pretty crude machines. Don't be like me and fuss with a minor problem until it turns into a major one!

 

 

Edited May 31, 2022 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[neil morse]

3 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

I have a hunch that Bloo is right and there's some wear that the feeler gauges can't detect or measure--one or two thousandths is a hair's thickness so it's negligible but it'll throw off your measurements in a way that makes you scratch your head.

On my car, Don Micheletti and I measured the indentations on the rocker arms -- they varied by as much as .003 or .004, so I suspect you have the same issue.  On the other hand, I think that Bloo is also correct that "anywhere in the factory spec clearance range will be fine as far as the engine is concerned."  On the "adjustment with the engine running" issue, I found that it was possible (although difficult) with two people -- one on the feeler gauge and one with the screwdriver and wrench.  I really can't imagine trying to do it alone!

[EmTee]

12 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

I would wager that "good enough" is probably good enough if it's not too noisy.

It's quiet -- almost too quiet, but I verified multiple times that the 0.016" feeler would go through each one when the engine was hot.  So, I think they're OK, certainly 'good enough' by 1938 standards. 

[EmTee]

8 hours ago, neil morse said:

On my car, Don Micheletti and I measured the indentations on the rocker arms -- they varied by as much as .003 or .004, so I suspect you have the same issue.  On the other hand, I think that Bloo is also correct that "anywhere in the factory spec clearance range will be fine as far as the engine is concerned."

Yes, I agree and agree that Bloo is right as well.  I drove the car 40 miles round-trip to a cruise in this evening and it seems to be running fine and the valves are  quiet.

[EmTee]

Today I ran the car down to the gas station and bought $45 worth of non-ethanol gas (about 8 gallons) then drove home and drained the crankcase.  Refilled with 7 quarts of NAPA 10W-30.  (FYI: 8 quarts is FULL and 5 quarts is the ADD line.)

 

Next, I rigged the hood with a sling on my engine hoist.  I covered the car with blankets and pulled it up under the hood.  I then slowly lowered the hood onto a piece of 1 x 3 I had running from the cowl to the radiator support.  I was able to incrementally lower the hoist and slide the hood along the wood until it was lined-up and I dropped the cowl-end of the hood with it's T-bolt into the hole.  I screwed the nut on loosely from under the dash so it wouldn't jump out of the hole.  I was then able to align the grille-end T-bolt with its hole in the radiator support.  I added a couple of flat washers to shim the stainless center trim so it was the same height as the piece under the hood ornament and then installed the nut.  With the hood positioned where it belonged and sitting on its props, I tightened both mounting bolts.  I closed the hood, verified alignment and latch function and called it done! 

 

Later in the afternoon I dusted the car off and headed out for a 20ish mile ride to a local Tuesday cruise-in.  The car seemed to run well despite the air temperature at 87*.  Water temperature settled out a about 185* (needle at the "0" in "180").  It did creep a little higher when sitting at intersections waiting for traffic, but dropped back again once the car began moving.  By the time I made it through the gate and parked the temp was back up to ~190 again.  I shut it off and opened the hoods to allow it to cool.  The gauge approached the 212 mark, but there was no gurgling and it didn't spit any coolant.

 

 

As it happened, I followed a '38 Chevy street rod onto the field.

 

 

 

The only issue I noted was the clutch chattered on a couple of occasions while pulling away from an intersection when hot.  It has never done that before, though today was the longest ride on the hottest day so far.  It didn't do it every time; only a couple and then next stop was OK...  I'll check the linkage and freeplay adjustment.

 

So, a good day overall.  It's good to have the hood back on - she looks like a proper Buick again! 

[JohnD1956]

Looks fantastic!  What a beauty. 

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Check motor/engine and transmission mounts as well.

 

  Ben

[EmTee]

Thanks, Ben.  You and Don Micheletti think alike! 

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

1 hour ago, EmTee said:

Thanks, Ben.  You and Don Micheletti think alike! 

 

  Cause we are old farts and been there done that? 

 

  Ben