Need help with 58 Buick

Hello, I have two problems I need help with

I've recently rebuilt my 364 Nailhead in my 58 Buick Special, and have decided to put an original Carter 2bbl carb on. It's all running great, but the Carter has an automatic choke, which I believe feeds from the exhaust somewhere, this is the part I need help with, I'm wondering if anyone knows how and where to connect a line to on the exhaust.

The other problem I have is the speedometer . My family have owned the car since 1990, and in all those years the speedo never worked. I recently had a look and found the speedo cable was non existent. So, I fitted a brand new cable, when I started the engine I found that the spedo activates when the car is in park, and when I drive , the speedo whizzes up over 110 mph and back to 0 very fast, even at low speeds. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for any help

 

The speedometer is bad and will have to come out and be repaired, the jewel in the magnet is worn and that causes the speed cup to drag, thats why it is ******* out.
My dad had a 58 Buick special I love those cars. If you cant find a speedometer repair shop on that side of the pond that can repair it PM or email me.

 

later model choke heater tubes went into intake manifold ?

 

Ah does it? I wasn't sure, I thought it worked from the headers. I'll have aother look at the workshop manual. trouble is there's no diagrams about that. My dad put a Holley carb on the car over 20 years ago, and I've no idea what he did with the original Carter, let alone how it was connected up. The whole thing has been bodged up here and there over the years by various different people and it's hard to work out how things originally worked.

 

I have a '57, and there is a line for the choke that is attatched to the p***enger side exhaust manifold. I don't know what they changed for '58, but still the same 364 engine.

 

Or you could just change it to an electric choke. Normal Norman

 

the tube on the automatic choke uses heat....not exhaust g***es....the tube has a vacuum from the choke housing to make it work...the little hole in the exhaust manifold where the tube connects is just heated by the exhaust g***es...there should be another opening at the opposite end of the little hole...blow compressed air through it to locate it....the choke tube just ****s heated air...not exhaust gas....if that is not repairable, just run a piece of copper tubing the length of the exhaust manifold and clamp it tight to the manifold to retain heat...fasten one free end to the choke housing and leave the other end alone...it should work as designed.

 

I have a 56 and the speedo never worked I got aftermarket one that gets in the ballpark
But here is the kicker my grandfather had a 53 55 and I think a54
From new and they didn't really work then ether

 

I **** at carburetors and there's no help for me.

 

Here are a couple of links that might be worth reading:

http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/Automaticchokes.htm
http://www.thecarburetorshop.com/Heatstovefabrication.htm

 

Thanks guys for the advice. I've located one of the small holes on the exhaust, I guess the pipe just pushes into the hole. The tricky bit is finding the corret part to thread onto the choke housing on the carb. I'm guesing its something similar to a brake line connector, but with the thread on the inside. Interesting about the speedo, there must be a common fault with buicks, I've seen videos on youtube of other 58's and noticed their speedos not working either.

Incidently, does anyone know where I can buy a replacent thermostatic coil for the exhaust manifold valve?

 

i **** at carburetors and there's no help for me.

 

I have a 58 roadie, that the speedo moves, but is really out of wack. The speed sentinel buzzer has decided to stay on, which is very annoying, but fortunately there is a small fuse I just unplugged. My 59 Olds doesn't work at all. Speedo cable takes a sharp bend going into the head and this doesn't help either.

 

The tube for the choke heater goes into a small hole in the p***enger side exhaust manifold towards the firewall, just as it does for '57. Many times the tube will rust where it exits the manifold and break off clean there. If that is the case, the remainder will need to be extracted or drilled before a replacement tube can be fitted.

Also, I concur with the fellow that rebuilds speedometers, yours will also need to be rebuilt.

---John