Projects '47 Buick Super Sedanette project

TIMING IS EVERYTHING. Just took it for the 3rd shakedown cruise, and the gauge never got over 190*. Didn't have to be towed home. I'm claiming victory. Drove much farther than before. There are a few bugs to work out. The brakes & choke could probably both use a little more adjusting. It did stumble a bit, and quit once, but fired back up. The front is still LOW, so the bumper guards like to s****e the ground occasionally. The Big Block springs helped, but it could go up another 1"-2" to be better.

It's still fighting me at every turn. I dropped in the new distributor, hooked up my timing light, and... nothing. My light didn't work. Borrowed my Bro's and all good. Hooked mine back up & it worked. WTF? I also made sure to have a fire extinguisher in the car. That seemed to be the next thing that it might try. Maybe it's haunted.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO MADE SUGGESTIONS.

 

Found an oil leak at the remote filter housing/bracket thing. Took it apart. Used yellow Teflon tape. Tighten...crack. Ordered a new one from Speedway & it arrived quickly. Got that all in & noticed a little leakage until I tightened it up enough to stop, but no cracking noise this time. It's still fighting back, but I feel like I'm winning finally. Seems to have a hot start issue too, but I'll look into that, as well as tweaking the choke & brake adjustments. Close enough that I put insurance on it today before I took a drive around town & out in the country for a bit. Seemed to creep up towards 200* but didn't overheat. I'd like to see it stay around 180*. Still thinking I might do some shrouding in front of the radiator.

 

Hot start these days is usually just a modern fuel problem. I have found that modern gas evaporates extremely quickly from a hot carb and the gases being heavier than air sink to the bottom of the plenum actually creating a flooded condition followed immediately by a dry carb giving no fuel. My solution is adding a electric pump to fill the bowls back up. Then when starting you have to clear the flooding caused by the evaporated gas. Without touching the throttle crank the motor and then slowly depress the throttle to the floor and hold it there till it fires. This is the procedure I used for my 56 wagon with single 4bbl carb every time it is started hot.

 

Here she is, in all her glory. FINALLY roadworthy. Still some bugs to work out & adjustments to be made, but it will make it out of town now. Next up, adding a trans kickdown switch. It already lights up the tires, but the downshift might help get me out of a sticky situation (p***ing, etc.). More interior work to come as well.

 

Hell yea, keep going.

 

Once again, this POS fights back. Still had some oil leaking from the filter relocator. After re-taping the threads & carefully tightening the fittings, it started to leak from the end of one of the hoses. Went to NAPA and had new (Expensive) hoses made with 90* fittings on one end, as that will work better & have less stress on everything. Tried tightening up the new lines on the adapter and cracked that again. Ordered another. The whole relocator kit that I purchased for this will have been replaced now. Here's some free advice: DO NOT USE CADDY OR BUICK ENGINES WITH THE FRONT OIL FILTER, UNLESS IT FITS IN THE CH***IS. What a pain in the *** this has become.

 

The only reason I got away with a 455 it in my Buick was that i used an OT front suspension, which opened things up a little. Still had to use the filter relocation adapter.

 

I have a filter relocated on my 472 and the second one has worked fine. The first one was not drilled square with the base gasket. So it leaked.

 

I haven't been using gorilla tactics to tighten this stuff up. Most of it was leaking, and I just couldn't get it to stop. My OT front suspension is a front steer, so the idler arm is right where the oil filter wants to be. As stated, I'm making someone else's modifications work. And I'm pretty damn close to having that happen. It's just frustrating when new parts don't do the job they're supposed to.
I also added a bunch of heat control under the car - starter blanket, exhaust wrap, etc. Trying to cure the hot start issue and make the parts under there last longer. Next up (while waiting for a new filter adapter) I'll fab up some pieces to direct the air from the grille into the radiator better. Every little thing should help. It's not running hot, but I'd still like it to be a little cooler.
It drives down the road very well, but I have found the car should have a front sway bar. I found one the right width (M II is damn close), but figuring out where to mount it, will be tough. There's not a lot of room left under the front of this.
A winter project will be to raise it back up a little more as well. Is there a spring spacer that goes above the coil spring? I could always use adjustable spring jacks made for stock cars, but just a solid, non-adjustable one would be fine.

 

Finally, the oil leak seems to have been cured. Holy smokes. Who'd have thunk it could be so hard?

I did make a couple of side diverters to get more air into the radiator. I think it actually dropped the cruising temp down a bit. Will probably fab up one between the grille & top of the radiator as well.


So, here's the latest adventure: Drove it today the mile and a half to the local "Cars & Coffee" thing at the Piggly Wiggly. There was one other car there, a late model 'Vette. We found out they changed it this week from Sunday to Saturday. WTF? Then, a few others showed up. We had an impromptu show of about 10 cars but had to buy our own donuts & coffee. While most of them drove to the next town for a scheduled show, I took the ol' gal out for about a 10-mile cruise. No overheating. No oil leaks. A success. Now onto the next project.

 

Glad things are starting to go your way. Fun, isn’t it?!
Info from grok concerning radiator placement


If a radiator is installed lower than the engine in a car's cooling system, with the top hose running upward toward the engine, several issues can arise due to the principles of gravity, fluid dynamics, and air entrapment in the cooling system. Here's a breakdown of what happens and the potential consequences:

1. Air Trapping and Poor Coolant Circulation:
   • In a typical cooling system, the radiator's top should be at or above the engine's highest point to allow air bubbles to rise naturally to the highest point (usually the radiator cap or a bleed valve). If the radiator is lower than the engine and the top hose runs upward, air bubbles in the coolant can become trapped in the engine or the hose. Air pockets disrupt coolant flow, leading to inefficient cooling and potential hot spots in the engine.
   • Trapped air can cause cavitation in the water pump, reducing its efficiency and further impairing circulation.
2. Reduced Cooling Efficiency:
   • The cooling system relies on a continuous flow of coolant to transfer heat from the engine to the radiator. If the radiator is significantly lower, gravity may hinder the natural flow of coolant, especially if the system isn't fully pressurized. This can lead to slower circulation and reduced heat dissipation, increasing the risk of engine overheating.
3. Difficulty Bleeding the System:
   • Bleeding air from the cooling system becomes more challenging when the radiator is lower than the engine. Air naturally rises, so it will collect in the engine or the upward-running top hose rather than the radiator. This makes it harder to remove air during maintenance, potentially leaving air pockets that cause overheating or damage.
4. Pressure and Flow Issues:
   • The water pump is designed to push coolant through the system, but an upward-running top hose from a lower radiator can create additional resistance due to gravity. This may strain the pump and reduce the overall flow rate, leading to less effective cooling.
5. Potential for Overheating:
   • With impaired coolant circulation, air pockets, and reduced flow, the engine is more likely to overheat, especially under high load or in hot conditions. Overheating can damage engine components like the head gasket, cylinder head, or pistons.
6. Thermostat and Hose Considerations:
   • The thermostat, typically located at the engine's coolant outlet, may not function optimally if air is trapped or if coolant flow is restricted. Additionally, the upward angle of the top hose could create a high point where air ac***ulates, further complicating system performance.

Best Practices to Mitigate IssuesTo avoid these problems, consider the following when installing a radiator lower than the engine:

• Ensure Proper Bleeding: Use a bleed valve or high-point vent (if available) to remove air from the system. You may need to elevate the front of the car during bleeding to make the radiator the highest point temporarily.
• Check Water Pump Capability: Verify that the water pump can handle the additional resistance caused by the upward hose and lower radiator position.
• Use a Pressurized System: A properly sealed and pressurized cooling system can help overcome some gravitational challenges by forcing coolant through the system.
• Install a Header Tank or Expansion Tank: If the radiator is lower, a header tank positioned higher than the engine can serve as the system's high point for air collection and coolant expansion, improving bleeding and circulation.
• Monitor Hose Routing: Ensure the top hose is routed to minimize high points where air can collect. Smooth, gradual hose angles are better than sharp upward climbs.
• Test the System: After installation, run the engine and check for proper coolant flow, temperature stability, and signs of air pockets (e.g., gurgling noises or fluctuating temperatures).

ConclusionInstalling a radiator lower than the engine with an upward-running top hose is not ideal and can lead to air entrapment, reduced coolant flow, and overheating risks. While it may work in some setups with careful design (e.g., race cars with low-mounted radiators and high-pressure systems), it requires extra attention to bleeding, pump performance, and system pressurization. If possible, position the radiator so its top is level with or above the engine's highest point to ensure optimal cooling performance. If you’re working on a specific vehicle and can provide more details (e.g., make, model, or cooling system design), I can tailor the advice further!

 

This should help with airflow into the radiator. Haven't tested it out yet. Didn't have to be perfect, this is supposed to be a driver. You can see I didn't wait for the paint to dry before installing it either.

 

That should help force air through the radiator when going down the highway.

 

My plan was to drive this to the Symco show this weekend, but the power steering pump decided to start leaking. I'm guessing it's the 50-year-old seals are giving up, after having been awakened from their slumber. I'll tear into it when I get back. I had put some miles on it previous to this latest fight back, so there is hope. Still have a hot start issue as well, even after using a starter blanket & other heat shielding. As always, 2 steps forward & 1 step back.

 

I ordered a PS pump from Rockauto.com. As per usual with this project, it was the wrong one. The correct picture was on the website, but the one shipped had the low-pressure line coming out in a different place, and my bracket wouldn't bolt up. More waiting. Found a reman pump on eBay. $40. It's installed and NOT LEAKING! Got to celebrate the small victories.

This is the old leaker. You can see the return line is to the left side. The new one was more in the middle. No bueno.
Moving on to the next tasks: Brakes and choke still need adjustment. I need to paint the garnish moldings. I hope the new paint is at least close to the Eastwood candy teal I used on the dash. Eastwood doesn't make it anymore. Probably because I used it on this project.

 

The Candy Sal****er Taffy Teal paint I used on the dash & 2 of the 4 window garnish pieces from Eastwood was discontinued, so I called them, and they suggested candy Pea**** Teal from the Cande Shop. He didn't say it, but it felt like they had used this paint & re-branded it as Eastwood. The color was spot on, and it sprayed the same. Which means I effed it up pretty good. Runs, gun drips, light spots. It matches my other attempt perfectly. Meh. It's got color on it, and that's what I was trying to accomplish.

I ordered a couple coil spring spacers:
Reminds me of my circle track days. I'll install/adjust these and get the front ride height better. Low is cool but s****ing the bumper guards on my driveway ****s. It's cheating, but I'm not going to undo all the work the P.O. did. Another 1"-1.5" would be great. Still very low, but I should be able to drive it on my 4-post lift without s****ing that too. The taildragger look is fine with me.

Been doing some interior stuff as well. Will post pics later.

 

Installed the spring spacers and it raised up higher than anticipated. Maybe 2" or so. But that's OK. It actually doesn't s****e driving on/off my lift, or in/out of the driveway. I'm calling that a win. It will need a front-end alignment before any long trips. I also added a Ford solenoid to the starter system. Not sure if that has cured the hot start issue yet, as I have only driven it for a few short trips. Progress. I also ordered a front sway bar that I think will work. It's on backorder, of course. I will have to fab up some frame mounts, after/if it shows up. Other than doing some more interior work this winter, that's about it for this project.

Not a great pic, but you can get the idea of what the interior will look like. Rear side panels are done. There is a big arm rest (and the seat) that covers the rest. Going for a little cl***ier than what I usually do. Still have a bunch of trim work to do, like making the strips that hide the staples, etc.