Aluminum pistons for a Buick 1932

[Guffin]

Some time ago I had a post about my Buick 1932 model 87 using too much oil. I have made compression test on the engine now. It varies a lot between cylinders, lowest 35 and highest 60 psi. As the cylinder head is renovated the valves are tight. As I expected, the worst cylinders were 2 and 7 on which the old head was leaking water. Could be that the rings are stuck but, worse, the engine may need to be bored. It is a very big and heavy engine so I don't now how to get it out (same as on series 90). Leaving the car to a shop will be too expensive but if I can dismantle the engine myself, boring is not so costly. Pistons may be, however.

Is it possioble to find aluminum piston for this car? Domed pistons should increase the compression and save gas ($5.6 a gallon in Sweden). Has anybody tried this?

For my 1929 Hupmobile I put in pistons from a 50's Hillman car. It still works fine after 50k miles.

Jan

[The Old Guy]

I rebuilt my 32 -97 back in the 70s, and the pistons were available through EGGE. I would think they still have the pattern and can make them yet. I got .060 oversize, and they worked fine. I just talked to the man that has the car now, and after 40,000 plus miles, it is stilll running well.

[Buicksplus]

Gufin:

I put aluminum pistons in my 1927 and it has given me excelent service. Mine is overbored by .062.

Finding pistons for old engines like this is usually not too difficult. We located some International Harvestor pistons that fit in my '27. This is because the piston diameter, wrist pin diameter and compression length (distance from the crown of the piston to the wrist pin) are usually in multiples of 1/16 of an inch. If you can get access to dimensioned drawings from piston vendors, you can often find something that will work at a reasonable price.

And, there is always Egge machine shop who manufactures aluminum pistons for just about any old car. I I'll bet they carry pistons for your buick in a wide range of oversizes. I think they have a website, try google on "egge".

I suggest you locate a source, but don't buy until a machinist inspects the bore and determines how much oversize you need.

Good luck!

[Guffin]

Joe, how did you manage to take out the engine? Did you do it yourself? I have seen in an old magazine that there were machines to bore the engine when still in the car. Probably no shop has such a machine today. I guess I have to get a shop crane to lift it out. How heavy is the 80/90 engine if you remove the top?

Buickplus, I have checked at Egges site and they can supply pistons. Rather expensive. Perhaps cheaper if some other pistons would fit. Thank you for your replay.

Now I am working on the interior of the car so I have to wait doing anything to the engine until next winter. Summertime I am earning some money by driving at weddings. This summer's earnings will be spent on the interior. Originally it had light gray wool cloth. Rather dull looking in a black car. Insted I use gray-blue Mohair Plush and striped plush for the edgewelts. I found such an interior in a color brochure for special made interiors from the beginning of the 30is. It will not be as original but correct for that time. I hesitated not doing it as original but my daughter, who is a tailor, convinced me to do it according to the brochure. Do you think this was a bad decision? It is a rather luxurious car so it could have a special made interior.

Jan

[The Old Guy]

If you remove the radiator and hood, the engine is easily accessible. I removed it with a standard "Cherry Picker'. I also found when reassembling the engine, that it was easier to put the piston and rod assembly in without the rings on the piston ,and install them with the piston sticking out the top of the engine. Living where you do ,I would imagine that yours will be the only 32-87 most people will ever see, so do the interior to suit YOU!

[Buicksplus]

I offer a ditto to Joe on removing that engine. It looks hard, but it is probably much easier to pull the engine than trying to work around all that sheet metal to fix the engine properly. Your lovely '32 is easier than most, you only need a friend or two to remove the hood and radiator to get access. Newer models need the whole front end clip off.

A retired machinist I know has a portable cylinder boring unit that could theoretically bore the engine in place. He told me that in the 30's, even small car repair shops had one of these and mechanics who knew how to use them. But those days are over. I think the only way to bore an engine is in an automotive machine shop, with all the proper stuff for cleaning the block, measuring it, looking for cracks, etc.

Good luck!

Bill.

[Guffin]

Thank you, now I feel encouraged. If it is possible to push up the piston so far so you can put on the rings, it would not be so difficult for me to inspect them and see if they are stuck or broken. The previous owner said he had new rings put in 30 years ago but the car has not been driven much since then. When I had the head off I checked the ridges and found them rather small so perhaps I don't have to bore the engine. We will see next winter. I will keep you informed.

There are rather few prewar Buicks in Sweden. Most are series 40 and some 60. There is at least one 31-90, one 32-80 (my 87) and one 33-88. In all clubs there are only 77 prewar Buicks. Most of them are late 30is.

Thank you,

Jan