Thanks telekenfun (by the way - is that name a play on Telefunken audio tubes?) With the brakes being as grindy as they were I didnt want to take it back out until that was sorted first. Ever since I ran out of gas on that first test run the starting process has been funky. It wouldnt start yesterday until I loaded it with carb cleaner and tried for a few minutes. The carb was recently rebuilt. I have 3 inline filters before the carb. I tried adjusting the automatic choke to 1 notch richer but that didnt help. When it finally starts it runs rough like its a cammed hot rod. Smokes out the tail too. Then after a minute ill rev it once and it smooths out, then another minute and another rev brings it way down to its proper low idle. But lately it just turns and turns and turns. ****erfly is closed, gl*** fuel bowl is full. Both jets shoot gas just fine and once its warmed up it runs fine. Need to get it dialed in so I dont get stranded again!
It sounds like you have an over choked motor, like "flooding". According to the "Motor Manual", when engine is cold the choke ****erfly should be adjusted so the top edge of the ****erfly is 3/16" from the air horn barrel. However if you stab the throttle, the chokes fast idle ramp and bi-thermal spring will cause choke to go full closed. To get it started until carb is properly adjusted, try jamming the choke open with a screwdriver until it is running. Hope that helps. You guessed it, yes a deliberate play on Telefunken, as a EE and a tube audio aficionado. My day gig is building and servicing tube stuff. Telefunken made some very fine preamps and compressors. Best Regards and good luck with all your endeavors, KB.
Very cool. I'm a guitarist who loves tube stuff. Especially my Marshall Super Lead Plexi amp. I'm running 4 modern Electro Harmonix EL34's, 2 modern mullard 12ax7's, and a 1950's RCA 12ax7. The RCA made the amp sound tons better. I also have an old Crosley tube radio from the 50's that was my grandpas. I still need to retube that thing. I was actually wondering if the radio in my 1950 cadillac was tubed? I dont know if they didnt have any other way to power it back then. It doesnt work, but I think the wiring harness is pretty shot.
As someone noted (and I couldn't help noticing in the pics) evidence from previous leakage (wheel cylinder, also likely the bearing seal) @bobss396 pointed out that the old linings (mating material on the shoes) have fluids trapped in them, which was evident from the hard spots in your drums that were ground away with that smile and handshake. New shoes and drums turned are recommended when you can...there are good instructions on 'You Tube' on the reconditioning of Bendix brakes. Nice Caddy, hope the Hydra-matic problems worked out for you.
The thing with hot spots in drums is if you don't eradicate them, they come back. This will happen a lot faster with used/glazed linings. You may get some help with sanding the shoes with some 60-grit paper. It all boils down to how much you want to drive it and what you'lll put up with. Glazed linings also increase your pedal pressure requirement.
Plexi's are great amps. Marshall's clone of a 59 Twin. I had one back when I enjoyed super loud playing. Sold it when I outgrew wanting to kill or stun listeners! A 30/50 watt with the same circuit topology is plenty nowadays. Most likely your Caddy's radio needs new filter capacitors. These are best described as very short term batteries. They dry up/short out/fail. I've never seen a 60yr old electrolytic cap that is still good. Next get a new "********". These are electro/mechanical devices that chop the DC voltage to create an AC voltage that the transformer can then step up to supply B+ voltage (around +300vdc) to operate the tubes. Like all mechanical devices, they wear out and mechanism ceases to vibrate. I doubt that you need to replace tubes unless sound is weak or distorted. Best regards and good luck with all your endeavors, KB.
Thanks. Got new shoes on the way from autozone. They wanted $18 flat vs. Napa who wanted $22 plus a $6.50 core charge. Going to replace the p***enger side brake hose while I'm at it for good measure.
Well, OF COURSE, I took the wheel off, hub off, springs out, shoes out, cleaned the backing plate with a wire brush, only to find that the shoes they sold me dont fit. The metal part is about 3 inches too long. I tried all 4 different ones, tried matching it up to the originals, and the rear shoe on the original was about 3 inches shorter which allowed the adjusting star wheel and spring to fit. My God was that star wheel and spring hard to put back together. And I couldnt get the original hose off. The good is that by leaning the choke out some the car fired right up. The bad is that no matter how I adjust the trans linkage, once I get up into 3rd, come to a turn to make it, it will not down shift unless I stop.
It sounds to me that your ****** has some sticking valves in the valve body. Also, the governor that controls rear pump flow could be sticking. The rear pump spins at driveshaft speed and tells the ****** how fast the cars is going. My suggestion is to drain all the ****** fluid and replace it with Ford fluid (that is the closest to what was used back then). Then maybe look for a transmission rebuild in a bottle that claims to dissolve varnish and loosen sticking valves. Get the car started and really warmed up, it takes quite a while for these old ******s to get up to full temperature. Drive it. Lots of stop/starts/ and cycling though the gears so the fresh fluid and additive can work it's way through the valve body and begin to do it's thing. It may take several days of driving, and then all of a sudden trans will start behaving differently. Remember, all those little pistons and springs in the valve body has been stuck in the same positions for maybe years while the fluid around them has had much of the volatiles evaporated from it. It could take a while to dissolve that stuff. If the valves aren't sticking the symptoms suggest that the throttle linkage is still too long. That linkage could have been bent and elongated by mis-adjustment over the years or a overly heavy footed driver. Try bending that throttle rod to shorten it up a little if you run out of adjusting threads. The adjustment is getting close when you can press the pedal down and get a 4-3 downshift. Then if you are going slow enough, a 3-2 downshift when the pedal is heavily depressed. So give these suggestions a try first and you may be able to avoid a tear-down and a manual cleaning of the valve body. Best regards and good luck with all your endeavors, KB.
Thanks telekenfun. @txturbo its a 4 speed auto with the only options being drive and lo which keeps in 1st.
NO,not first gear but second gear. The ******'s 1st gear is3.82:1, 2nd is 2.45:1 The 2nd gear is about what a GM th350 uses for a first gear. In the original that 3.82 1st was used just to get a 5000lb moving. Once the vehicle was rolling the 2.45 2nd gear was considered adequate for most driving conditions. The only way to first gear is from a damn near a full stop or a forced down shift at a REALLY, Really, really slow speed when you depress pedal for full throttle. If you place the selector in Lo you only get second gear. A start from stop in Lo will be a 2nd gear start. By placing selector in the right hand position of Drive you will get 1st gear from a stop and upshifts will progress through 1st,2nd & 3rd. In the left position of Drive you will get shifts through all 4 gears from a stop. From a stop you can't prevent a 1-2 upshift unless you drive exceedingly slow. Like a creeping. As soon as centrifugal force of the tailshaft acts upon the governor the 1-2 upshift occurs. When the throttle linkage is properly adjusted, the valving in the throttle body will(can) send front pump pressure to "override" rear pump pressure and the centrifugal force of the governor to effect the 2-1 downshift if the throttle is fully depressed. A properly adjusted throttle link will also delay the FULL throttle 1-2 upshift when accelerating from a full stop when selector is in Drive. This should describe a normally operating 4 speed Hydro. Best Regards and good luck with all your endeavors, KB.
Confused when you say left position and right position of drive. I only have one drive as far as I know
I could not agree more, regarding shoes that look "OK", but are old and made out of who knows what. I would not screw around, by picking and choosing what brake parts will be replaced, and which brake parts stay.
"Thanks for the reply. When you say linings what do you mean? The metal part of the shoe?" The lining is the MATERIAL, mounted to the shoe, that stops the car. You refer to it as "pads", but your Cadillac has no pads.
After resurfacing brake drums, it was common practice to re-arch the shoes. Process gave more lining to drum contact, resulting in better stopping power.
Yeah, well that's not an option anymore, now, is it?? Good information, just not practical in today's throwaway society. Sadly, folks who know, Really KNOW, how to make these cars work like they are soooo capable of working are few and far between. Those who THINK they know are a bit more common, and then there are those who really have no clue, but are fair good intentioned. Then there's the folk who show up at my store... The OP needs to find the first kind, and soak up the knowledge, or buy a camry. I'll admit, the cars I do not want to work on, but need to be there for my wife and kid, are camrys. Two identical ones, so I don't need to learn anymore than necessary...but I digress... The OP also needs to learn that old cars need quite a bit of money, time and love before they are daily drivers. I call it 'bringing the maintenance up to date', the practical aspects being a full brake job (new everything-that-wears, new (or rebuilt, by ME) cylinders and master, and at least new hoses. That's just the brakes. As for the adjustment, its a feel, not sure it can be taught other than by doing under expert tutelage. However: start with adjusting all the play out of the linings...actually, start with a manual, Motors is fine, GM factory a touch better; both ideal. None?? Stop right there, go buy both, Now. Cosmo
Yep, have the manual. Ordered new shoes from autozone, took everything apart, only to find the shoes they gave me dont fit. The rear shoe was about 3 inches too long so it would not even allow the star adjusting wheel to get into place, nor the springs, etc. Trust me I tried all 4 in different configurations. They were wrong. So for now the originals stay. This is not the first time I bought a new part only to have its chinese fitment **** so bad its unusable, and the original went back on. I'm learning with this car, in some respects, if it aint broke - I dont fix it. Right now I'm trying to get it road worthy so things can wake back up. I know old cars take time and money.
Again, I agree with your thoughts. I don't know if anyone still does the re-arching, but I see the re-arching machines at swap meets and flea markets. This "hobby" is not inexpensive, this "hobby" is not for the faint of heart. This"hobby" is for those who can repair, maintain and enjoy the ride, when the latest repair is finished. Notice I said "latest repair" and not "last repair", for there is no last repair in this hobby. Don't agree with "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", regarding these "hobby cars". In my book, if it ain't broke, I prefer to improve/ update it with new replacement OEM type pieces/parts. Only thing worse than a car that won't start, is one that won't stop.
Another problem with "if it ain't broke" is that it's likely worn out, out of adjustment, or, like brake linings, easily improved. You're right, though, they're cars, not paintings, they're never 'done'. Cosmo
Ordered some new shoes from Napa today. We'll see if theirs are a proper fit. As for the "if it aint broke" comment, a few months ago I bought a new distributor cap and rotor. The new parts just would not fit properly. So i tried the old rotor with the new cap. That snapped my rotor and made the car backfire. The old cap would not fit with the new rotor. Now I had a non running car. Had to search on ebay for a NOS rotor. I was just doing this to update them. Had i not messed with it I wouldnt have thrown money away. I am on a budget like many others. Therefore in some respects - if it aint broke, I wont fix it! Sure, one day when I have a garage and more money, I can really take everything apart. As I said, right now the car needs to be run.
From your experience with the brake shoes and now the distributor parts, it appears you are receiving incorrect parts for each job you tackle. From my experience and only my own experience, I have found NAPA to be a trusted source, for my needs on my two '51 Chevys. I have no financial involvement with NAPA, I'm just a customer. I agree, wrong parts not only pizz you off, but those wrong parts ALSO take your valuable time away. Regarding your comment about "throwing money away" on bad or incorrect parts ...... I have to say if incorrect parts were supplied to you, a REFUND should have been in the palm of your hand, as soon as you returned those parts to the parts store.
So far the distributor problem parts were from Rock Auto. I was refunded after paying return shipping. But, had to buy a replacement NOS rotor because the improper parts literally broke my good one. After that, the bad brakes were from Autozone. They refunded me as well. But its the gas and several hours wasted. Ive got some NAPA shoes Im about to put on. Fingers crossed they'll fit.
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