With spirits boosted after seeing excellent compression numbers, I resumed removing, cleaning, & refurbishing engine components.
 
A leaking crankshaft oil seal in the the timing chain cover was fixed first. Generally not a difficult operation but all hoses and the radiator had to come off first. Complicating matters was the worn shaft on the harmonic balancer where the oil seal rides. Because of that, simply installing a new oil seal would have done little to cure the leak. Fortunately I found a NOS harmonic balancer on Ebay for $70. After a nice coat of paint, she found a warm home on the front of my engine.
​

​I also found a NOS timing chain for $39 however it proved to be slightly too long to be any improvement, so I reinstalled the serviceable original timing chain.
 
Next removed was the dirty, greasy 6v generator. It was fully disassembled, cleaned, the bearings packed, and the armature shined up with fine sandpaper. The brushes were good so it was put back together and painted gloss black.
 
The exhaust/intake manifold was back from the machine shop after being resurfaced back to true. It was warped quite badly but there was enough material to make it better than factory specs. We left the assembly bolted together since it was risky to try to separate them just for a gasket that seemed okay anyway. Also, the shop welded a new plate into an area of the heat riser that blew out due to excessive heat from the stuck riser.  This is all cast iron and not easy to weld but the shop’s welder was well qualified.
 
After a new bi-metal coil spring was installed, she was given a new paint job, regular enamel for the intake and high temp enamel for the exhaust side.

​I reinstalled the manifold using  high tech flexible graphite exhaust gasket from a company called Remflex in Washington state. They withstand high temps and have 50% crush built in, won’t shrink or harden. We’ll see ! Originally these Buick straight 8s had no exhaust gaskets, just some graphite/kero concoction they slapped on at the factory.

​Of course my engine temp gauge stopped working so I managed to find a temporary universal replacement from a local NAPA (Never Any Parts Available :-) store for $24.00. I couldn’t believe the sensor bulb and fitting fit perfectly into the original hole in the cylinder head. Someday I’ll send my original out to be restored.
 
Having had enough fun poking around inside the engine bay, I turned my attention to the braking system. Thinking  I might as well have the car stop, not just go forward, I decided to undertake a full brake system rebuild.
 
Debating between a dual/power assist modern arrangement versus a stock original single master cylinder design, I decided on the latter. With minimal fabricating skills and my desire to stay original, I went with a simple replacement of original components. I installed a new reproduction master and wheel cylinders, all new steel brake lines pre-formed from factory patterns (In-Line Tube, Shelby Township, MI), new shoe linings and drums turned by Palmer Spring Co, Providence, RI.
 
Most importantly, I replaced ALL inner and outer axle bearing seals, and front wheel ease seals. Almost every one of these seals had varying degrees of failure, resulting in grease reaching the brake linings. It was not obvious at first but upon close examination, the grease had worked its way onto the lining surface.
 
This was a very dangerous condition that probably was very hard to detect by the previous owner as it occurred slowly over years of infrequent driving.
 
Seal replacement was not an easy job. The rear axles had to come out, which means removing internal parts of the rear differential and then grinding off the inner bearing races from the axle shaft in order to press on new races. Luckily, all the new oil / grease seals are fairly easy to find. Knowing which way the seals go in is very important as well.

Also obtained were 2 original radio static suppressors thanks to the generosity of one Bob Degoursey, our in-house oddball parts collector. These ingenious devices live inside the front wheel dust caps and help eliminate stray IR radio interference on the AM band. I’ve heard they also ward off evil spirits.
If anyone wants to learn more how these things work, reach out to member Ken Carr. He’ll set you straight.
​

Finally I bled the entire brake system of air, adjusted the shoes, and took her out for her first road test.
​

​She stopped great but the engine died after about a mile. It turned out the carburetor had  flooded. Managing to restart it, I limped home and later removed the carb. Again, after a quick disassembly, we noticed some whitish particles inside and blocking the float chamber valve.
 
Curiosity caused me to split open the new fuel filter I installed last winter. Sure enough, a piece of internal plastic had broken off and had come to rest clogging the float bowl. Beware of cheap foreign made fuel filters ! This week I bought and installed a traditional glass bowl type filter. She now runs fine and looks more like a 50s car to boot.

​Another heart stopping moment on this ill fated road test was the clattering of the hydraulic lifters. Darn infernal modern things !
 
I didn’t panic and start tearing the engine apart but reached out to a few seasoned car club members.  Their consensus was to add some Marvel Mystery Oil® down the push rods and a quart to the crankcase oil. After about 20 minutes of fast idling, she quieted right down. Perhaps the MMO broke up some dislodged crud and made the lifters happy once again. It made me happy anyway.
 
 I celebrated by taking a swig of MMO for myself. That’s my story and I’m “sticking” to it !
 
By the way, she performed well on the 2nd road test, especially after I released the parking brake about a 1/4 mile into the drive (oops).  Man, she took off like a F-14 Tomcat after that !
 
Afterburner backup lights???  What a great idea !

It's almost done! 
The project that started in the fall of 2018 is finally almost done.  A few details, final touches and road checks are all that remain to be done.

Starting with Photo 17 thru 23, with the first test drive Video, #18, the final 2 months are documented.
Special thanks to Ralph DeCaprio for all his wood working skills in making the WOODY a reality.
​
Yes, Tom and I are still speaking to each other, and both have had a great time building this Beach Limo.  We are actually talking about the next project.  Take a gander at the photos and video, and hopefully we will see you at cruise nights and shows with the Limo.
 
Dave Calabrese

THE TEST DRIVE

It quickly became obvious to me that just because a car has low original mileage, doesn’t mean most of its systems don’t need refreshing. The following narrative bears this out.
    
In keeping with my goal of ending up with a dependable driver while retaining originality, I now began to inspect, disassemble, and repair all engine components. The straight 8, 263 cu.in engine so far has been fairly easy to work on, thanks to its large engine bay. No stripped bolts, no broken off studs, no lacerated fingers. So far anyway.
 
Firstly, a nearly severed fuel line was replaced before anything bad happened. A local auto parts store provided the needed hose and connectors. The introductory photo shows the new flexible portion of the fuel line as seen from the floor looking up.

Second was the reinstallation of the engine crankcase breather components previously removed, cleaned, and painted. Both the Buick and I can now breathe easier.
Next I decided to drain all coolant preparatory to inspect the cooling system. The coolant came out fairly clean but belied what I later found, moderate to severe corrosion and blockage in various areas. Here’s a picture of the thermostat as it came out, stuck fast in the open position. A once pretty brass baffle affair, it was probably original. A new ugly but functioning 160 degree thermostat is now in place.​

I jumped next to the stressful project of removing the intake/exhaust/heat riser manifold assembly without cracking it. Should it happen, I’d be looking at an expensive replacement ($700.00). It would be a real lonely Buick then :(
 
At the risk of incurring the wrath of one of our venerable club members (he’ll remain nameless but I think he has a ’48 Plymouth or something) I disregarded his advice to “leave the darn thing alone and just drive the car”.
​However, since it had a a frozen heat riser and failing, leaking gaskets I decided to pull it off.
 Providence was with me. I gingerly loosened each bolt a little at a time until she gently broke loose. Because I work alone I rigged up in advance my shop crane in a manner that evenly supported the manifold.
 

She had severe warping and a cracked heater box, not critical, but will be welded back by a competent welder at the shop.
 
Before it left, a friend and I managed to break free the frozen heat riser valve that was unmovable even after a month of squirting daily with penetrant.
 
I tried one last time heating the valve body with a propane torch while the shaft was beaten on by my Bosch hammer drill while being doused with penetrant. ​

That did it ! It freed up and after repeated turning, it actually worked. Simulating a running engine, the torch heat allowed the old rusty coil thermostat to expand and contract as the torch was held close then removed to permit cooling.

Next came the job of replacing a leaking engine block freeze plug. Technically it’s a casting plug, a term used when engine blocks are forged and workers need a way to remove the sand when the process is over. The plug apparently has no role in freeze protection contrary to popular belief.
​Good luck was with me as my retired master mechanic neighbor happened to wander over as he often likes to “supervise” my work. Seeing that I was having no luck banging on the plug with hammers, screwdrivers, chisels to remove the plug he suggested I stop before I destroy the block while he thought about a solution.
​

He went home and returned with his MIG welder in a golf cart. After handing me a fire extinguisher, he ran a bead around the plug’s rim. Immediately quenching it with water the cooling effect caused the plug to shrink away from the block. It then easily and almost magically was pried out without very little force. (and no damage).
By the way, the fire extinguisher, he later explained, was in case his hair caught fire, not the barn. 

Drunk with success, we went on to remove all large plugs on that side. A good thing too. Two were rusted paper thin and ready to fail sooner than later.

 I purchased an installation tool that insured they went in even without
distortion. A little Aviation sealant was applied to the mating surfaces first.
 Nothing like a magnet to extract those loose pieces of scale…
​

 
The above projects took me most of January. It was not all fun especially in a partially heated barn. The monthly highlight was in the engine cylinder compression test numbers.​ The shop manual calls for 118 psi per cylinder with a 10-15% acceptable variation between cylinders.
 Here’s my readings. They exceed OEM. A head modification in the ’51 production year or gauge discrepancies, methodology, I don’t know, but I’m leaving this one alone !!

​She first saw it arrayed on the computer screen from a dealer’s website in nearby Massachusetts—Shown alongside the overtly slick models of pretty much every sports car and barely street legal muscle car that lures the imagination of most antique car enthusiasts these days- the Buick’s age, color, price and condition (though really quite good)  made her a ‘standout’ for those reasons against all the other more flashy and expensive cars....a dreamy looking big ol’ gal looking for the right dreamer to come along to share some more fun memories with her again.
 
The Buick's story was an all too familiar one but one that never fails to pull at one’s heartstrings.  A cherished car from an elderly owner that reluctantly had to part with it due to declining health, declining use, and increased cost of ‘admission’ to an assisted living facility.  Her son had the sad job of finding a new owner for his Mother’s car—a situation that is also all too familiar to most of us.
 
“Awwww, look.......”   
And so they found each other and we found ourselves driving to Massachusetts to the dealership.
 
After just recently having completed an engine rebuild -along with the many other “rebuilds” to my 1932 Chevy Confederate, I was in no mindset to take on any additional large- and thus largely expensive- repair projects to this car if we acquired her.  
 
But I had laid down some rules with my wife and I was at least going to try to stick with them.  If the Buick looked in any way like it would need an expensive rebuild on ANYTHING we would not be falling for her tempting looks. 
 
At the dealership, other than some of the usual issues with a car that has been sitting idle, and some that I had already been made aware of,  I saw nothing major to turn us away.  Her price was definitely fair and I saw no reason why we should not purchase her.

   So here we are. I am merely the mechanic and maintenance person. While her interest in these cars certainly surprised me, who am I to question the acquisition of anything old and rusty ?!?
 

​In advance of any engine diagnosis, my first priority was the replacement of all fluids since the car sat for many years. The above photo shows what the oil pan looked like. I’m sure it was never off the car.
 
And of course the Dynaflow transmission pan was just as foul but check out the almost unidentifiable filter screen. It took 2 days of soaking in a carburetor cleaner to actually see the brass filter element. The poor Dynaflow was not getting any flow- or very little.

This above view of the transmission is from below looking up.

This is how the transmission appeared after hours of cleaning.

​With these 2 projects done, I moved onto degreasing the front end. Unless I could see everything, most importantly the numerous grease fittings, no real inspection could be made. This effort was taxing, lying on a cold concrete floor for 2 weeks while destroying a few shirts and pants in the process.
Fortunately, there was very little rust with most components looking solid and tight. In keeping with original factory look, many parts were not painted so I used clear lacquer to prevent rust.

​So that’s it for now. Next on the agenda is some light engine work and start-up diagnosis.

Car Fans: Check out the photo below. These are assorted parts that I removed from the Buick.  How many of these can you identify? Meet the challenge and put your answers in the 'Comments' area.
​Thanks!

If you read part I of this story you would know that my overall goal is to make my Buick safer and better looking. It is getting there, slowly. I will try to make this episode a bit shorter than usual because as one friend has said “You use too many words”. He is right.
​
 After removing the instrument panel I just let all the gauges suspend by their very substantial wires while I addressed various issues.  The ammeter was removed with the intention of replacing it with a NOS unit that came with the car (box and all). I found that the needle on the old meter was fused to the meter face where the face had warped. Rather than mess with repairing that I decided to just put in the new one. While removing the gauges I had the battery disconnected. Each time I wanted to test something I reconnected the battery for the duration of the test only. I installed the new ammeter, again attached the battery ground lead, and tested the ammeter. It worked great! When I started the car the meter moved to the plus side indicating that it was charging. Then it slowly returned to center position as the battery was fully charged. After the test I turned off the engine and began to remove the temperature gauge. Unfortunately I forgot to disconnect the battery. As soon as I moved the instrument panel sparks flew all over the place from the area of the ammeter. I was startled so badly that my hands immediately flew upward and in the process I knocked the needle right off the new ammeter. After hours of trying to solder or glue the needle back on I gave up. I got out the old meter and pried its needle away from the face so it could move freely and then reinstalled it. At least it looked better. To my surprise I found that the old meter now worked showing a little charging on startup and quickly going back to center.
​

The speedometer was next. The old cable unscrewed easily from behind the speedometer head. Unfortunately this was not the case for the end attached to the transmission. I could not even see it, never mind remove it. As I slid under the left side of the car to get at the transmission I quickly became wedged in place before getting close to my goal. I had to jack up the car and crawl under again. I used 3 heavy duty stands and blocks under the front left wheel. This time I traced the cable with my hand and found it attached high up on the left side. ​

I put the instrument panel back in place. Rather than putting the nuts back on the studs of the panel I used small grommets. They hold it pretty good for now and will just pop off when I am ready to continue. Before putting back the radio I installed the fresh air vent and gasket. Unfortunately  I made a mess of the gasket. Bob Degoursey helped me remove the old gasket. He properly prepared and glued everything in place and used blue masking tape to hold the vent down while the seal cured. He did a great job! It is so good to have friends who know what they are doing around a car. There are plenty of them in this club!

What about the “One Thing Leads To Another” part? Well I broke one pushbutton on the radio while reinstalling it. A complete set of new knobs will cost $100 unless I can find some nice used ones. The heater hose under the dash fell apart when I moved it. I need to order that since it is a specialty item (not at your local NAPA store). Now that the instruments (except the clock) are sorted out I needed a new wiring harness.  I ordered the harness from RI Wire and received it in about 3 weeks time.  I have not installed it, though. Why? My engine compartment is looking a little messy with all that green paint worn away. The plan is to mask the engine parts and spray paint the firewall and other areas in the engine bay. That means I have to get some paint mixed and put in rattle cans (there is an auto paint shop in Coventry that will do this) and apply it in the springtime when it gets warm again. The usual morning temperature when I started this project was about 75°. Now it is 25° F.
 
I have labeled the wiring harness and have a good idea where everything goes. Springtime is going to be very busy.
 
Too many words? Oh well.
​

​Sometimes you just have to wait. That’s what I found out recently when I attempted to do a few car repairs and maintenance. The first job involved fixing the brake master cylinder for the ’41 Buick Roadmaster.
 
The master cylinder had been leaking for a while. I would have to put new fluid into the system almost every time I took the car out. That could make for a very dangerous situation if I ever forgot to perform the pre-roll checklist. The Gaslight Repair boys (Tom Link and Bob DeGoursey) helped me diagnose the problem (place paper underneath the car to gather evidence of the leak) and to remove the old part. It is not that easy to take a master cylinder out of an old Buick. It is attached to the frame (that means way down low) and cannot be easily reached from up above since there is also a huge bulbous fender in the way. Tom got under the elevated car (supported by horses, not axle jacks) and worked the mounting studs while Bob kept the nuts from rotating by grabbing them with a wrench from above. Prior to removing the cylinder Tom had to first remove two shields to gain access and then plug the brake line with one of the 500 or so assorted rubber plugs he brought along for the occasion. The idea was to reduce the likelihood that a full system bleed would be necessary when we reattached the unit. The extraction completed, I sent the brake cylinder off to Apple Hydraulics out on Long Island, NY for the total rebuild that would include a new cylinder sleeve.
 
Apple sent the unit back to me within 10 days (not too long a wait). It looked new and the action was smooth. The Gasslighters once again performed their magic while I assisted as chief step and fetch it, a role I am well accustomed to. Tom and Bob were able to bench prime the cylinder and reattach it with nary a drop of air entering the system. Just a few bubbles needed to be pumped off. They then adjusted the drag at each wheel until all was perfect. I dropped the car and then started it up with the intent of performing the all important road test. Unfortunately something had happened to the transmission during the weeks that the car spent suspended above my garage floor. I no longer had reverse gear. This is not a good situation, especially when you pull your car into the garage front end first as I do with the Buick. We did a comprehensive check of the linkage from above and it responded correctly to all of my movements of the shift lever. What could be the problem? A quick look underneath was of no help since much of the transmission is obscured by more sheet metal shields. I decided to take the car to The Transmission Shop in Coventry, RI. I had good success with them in the past and I trusted them. They also have an outside lift.
 
I called the Transmission Shop to make an appointment. The young lady who answered was eager to schedule me until she asked the year and make of the car. When I responded with “1941 Buick” she quickly said “Just a moment, sir. I have to get one of the men to talk with you.” I explained the problem to the man who got on the line and he said that this was a job for his dad. His dad, the owner, is Phil St. Jean. Phil worked on my car once before about 15 years ago. At 75 years old he still keeps busy in the shop. I made an appointment to come on by after 10:00 am on the next day that was sunny. I live in Rhode Island so that turned out to be about 8 or 9 days later. I pushed the car out of my garage (not easy to push 4,112 pounds over a plastic garage threshold) and took off in second gear. I spent the whole ride praying that I did not get into a situation that required reverse. I completed the 30 minute ride without incident and hitched up with Phil. Phil does most of his work outside where there is a lift that he has access to. When I arrived he and I immediately went through the same check on the linkage that Tom and Bob had performed. All looked good but still not first or reverse. Phil and one of his sons removed a couple of cars that were in the way and then directed me to the lift that is in the back of the shop. You get there by way of an oval track in an old field; great for someone who can’t go backwards. Phil set up the lift and I drove the Buick on. It took about 1 minute for Phil to find the problem. The rod that controls first and reverse had become unattached from the stud on the transmission. Its cotter pin had fallen out. Phil inserted a new pin and gave it a good bend so it would stay in.  I then backed out of there easily (after lowering the car). The total cost was a mere $20. I gave Phil another $20 that he put in the coffee fund. If this had been one of those big car dealerships on route 2 in Warwick I would have paid $120 for the diagnosis (non refundable but applicable to total fee if you choose to do the repair),
$50 for the specialized part (cotter pin) and $125 hourly shop fee for the 15 minute repair. You don’t believe that? Ask me about the repair Belise VW did on my wife’s car.
                                             (Note: click on photos for enlarged view.)

​Finally I had a working car, or so I thought. What else could go wrong? Well within 2 days I noticed that I was leaking gasoline from the fuel pump. I made a new gasket for the sediment bowl and installed it. Still leaking. I removed the pump and tightened the 12 bolts holding the diaphragm in place. One of them had to be replaced with a longer one since it was not grabbing. That repair worked … for the five mile test. The 30 mile road test got it leaking again. Off the pump went to My Classic Car Trader in NJ for a total rebuild. This is where the “sometimes you just have to wait” part of this story happened. The turnaround time, rather than being ‘short’ as advertised, ended up lasting nearly 30 days. I missed the whole month of July of old car events. The shop owner, Carl, neglected to tell his clients that he was going on vacation. The rebuilt pump looks and works well. I got it in the day after it arrived here. The next Carl called and told me that he thought he sent me someone else’s pump. That’s what I call an “Oh Sh_t!” moment. Fortunately my pump had been marked with a punch before leaving and I confirmed that it was the same pump that went out. Carl moved on to the next hapless customer who “had to be the one”. I must mention that each time I spoke with Carl he was a very pleasant and attentive gentleman and he did good work. I would not hesitate to send him more work (so long as he is not on vacation).
 
What else could possibly go wrong with this car? Quite a bit, it turns out. I really think that all my recent automotive distress harks back to a breakfast I had with my wife, my son, and his fiancée back in May. It all started at the Classic Café on Westminster Street in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence. I’ll save that story for a future blog post. I’ll bet you just can’t wait to hear all the leaky details.

Poor Man's Spray Booth ​

​One of our favorite ways to determine the quality of an engine rebuild is to listen to it run. This is one sweet engine! Just click on the arrow and watch and listen to the video.
​Be sure to click the double arrow (lower right corner) to expand movie to full-screen view.