The Riviera RUNS again !!!!

[Bill Stoneberg]

After a sleep of 20 - 30 years, the 64 Riviera started and ran again today !!!

I have spent the past week soaking the cylinders in ATF trying to loosen them up. This morning Willie (Old Tank) came over to see if we could get it started.

I stole the battery out of my truck and hooked it up. I had to buy a new cable as one had corroded away.

I got in turned the key and the engine turned. I obviously had put too much ATF in as it spit it all over the engine, my other cars, driveway.

After replacing the plugs, we tried it for real. Gas in the carb and turned it over. No luck.... No spark. We replaced the points and tried again and again and again. Nothing... Nada... Zip...

We took a break and recharged ourselves with some food and the battery went on a charger. An hour later we tried again.

It sputtered but didn't start. We finally hung a funnel to the carb input and filled it with gas. We tried again and the darn thing started and ran. Lots of smoke but it was running and sounding good. We let it run for about a minute before shutting it off.

I am so happy, I still have lots of work to do, but at least it runs.

[Centurion]

Congratulations, Bill, and thanks for the great report. It's great to know that another fine old Buick will be cruising the highways again in the near future.

[JohnD1956]

Gotta love them there Buicks... It's hard to find an unreliable one, although I did have two at separate times in my life.

JD

[old-tank]

To me there is nothing more fun than coaxing a long sleeping engine back to life...it overwhelms all of your senses even taste. I think that Bill put "enough" trans fluid in the cylinders...I got a good taste ( but it did not hit me in the face )

Willie

...nobody bleedin' bad either.

[Bill Stoneberg]

I was smiling all evening yesterday and couldn't stop thinking about the Riv. Its great when a plan comes together and works.

Today, after church, its time to get after the water pump. It was frozen solid which is what kept us from running the car longer. We finally stopped when the belts started smoking :-)

I also pulled the gas tank out, I think the prior owner drained the tank before storing the car. No bad smell, and no nasty looking junk in the tank. I pulled the sending unit and it looks brand new inside.

Nobody ever told me HOW much ATF to put in the cylinders, I thought you put it in till they overflowed out the spark plug holes LOL. I actually probably put 2 - 4 oz a cylinder in. However much it was it was WAY to much. It was lucky Willie was in front of the car when I cranked it, or he would have had an ATF shower. Boy did it make a mess of things.

[Bill Stoneberg]

One last thing, after checking the fluids it seemed like I discovered why the car was parked long ago.... It dumped all the tranny fluid on the diveway. Oh well, just one more thing to fix.

[BUICK RACER]

Bill, sounds like a great find! and you are having fun! thanks for sharing!

[Bill Stoneberg]

I spent the afternoon pulling the radiator which is full of 30 year old rusty water, and trying to get the frozen water pump off.

I got 8 out of 10 bolts out, one broke off and one still wont come out. I tried heat and PB blaster but still no luck. I finally got frustrated and quit for the day before I put a big cheater bar on it and have to drill another one out.

Any ideas on how to get a bolt that goes into the aluminum front cover and block out ? The hard part it is the one that holds the a/c bracket on.

Other thern that I had a fun day working on this new project.

[BUICK RACER]

Days of squirting PB Blaster and then a little heat, probably a big hammer, I don't know ask the "The Old Guy", he's left handed and can get any bolt out! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />