
oldsmobile-digest        Sunday, May 16 2004        Volume 01 : Number 4890



Re: 403 heads on a 350
Re: carb for the 468 street engine
Re: 403 heads on a 350
Re: 403 heads on a 350
Tranny Swap??
cell phone causes fire at gas pump
Re: 403 heads on a 350
Re: 403 heads on a 350
Re: 403 heads on a 350
Carb problem
RE: Carb problem
Re: Carb problem
Re: Carb problem
Re: 403 heads on a 350
Re: 403 heads on a 350
RE: 403 heads on a 350
Re: oldsmobile-digest V1 #4889
Tranny Swap??
Re: Carb problem
One of those days...(Way too long)
Re: One of those days...(Way too long)
Need a door lock part
cutlass s
Re: One of those days...(Way too long)
tuning with a vacuum gage

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 09:11:30 -0400
From: "Frederick Nissen" <fsnissen@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: 403 heads on a 350

> I have a chance to get a set of 4A heads for $20.00. The #8  heads on my
'74
> are 79cc,s and the 4a are 83cc,s would the compression ratio be lowered or
> higher with these heads.

Lower, but not by a whole lat.

>It appears to me
> that more cc would lower the cr. Am I correct?

Yes.

Also remember that the '77 and up heads (which all 403 heads are) use 1/2"
head bolts.

Regards,
Fred

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 08:47:53 -0500
From: "Allen Schwartz" <mycj@tds.net>
Subject: Re: carb for the 468 street engine

I had a quadrajet built by Dean Oliver deano@classicnet.net  An he is great,
He races nhra and uses nthing but quadrajets. Mine worked excellent out of
the box, I only had to set the idle. It cost me like $250 or $275  with
throttle shaft bushing (make sure he knows you want them) and he gave ne an
electric choke setup he had laying around for free. I HIghly recomend him
and nothing beats a quadrajet for street driving performance
Allen Schwartz
A&L Enterprises
mycj@tds.net
- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tour Op & Travel Agency Trade 2000" <travelchile@manquehue.net>
To: "Olds digest" <oldsmobile@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Friday, May 14, 2004 5:30 PM
Subject: carb for the 468 street engine


> Hi all!
> The 468 is already assembled, I will need a carb soon.
> There are at least 3 sources of recon Qjets: Edelbrock, JET and Sparky...
> all of them at the modic sum of usd 360. JET having the electric choke, Ed
a
> divorced one ( what is this?hot air aor just a cable - manual one? )
> Now, new one is made by Ed and sold  at usd 456... would it be worth to
> spend this mpore money to have a new one?
> TIA
> Matt
>

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 08:50:05 -0500
From: "Allen Schwartz" <mycj@tds.net>
Subject: Re: 403 heads on a 350

$75 bucks at any machine shop(possibly less) can get those heads machined
down to lower the cc's of them
Allen Schwartz
A&L Enterprises
mycj@tds.net
- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Frederick Nissen" <fsnissen@worldnet.att.net>
To: <oldsmobile@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 8:11 AM
Subject: Re: 403 heads on a 350


>
>
> > I have a chance to get a set of 4A heads for $20.00. The #8  heads on my
> '74
> > are 79cc,s and the 4a are 83cc,s would the compression ratio be lowered
or
> > higher with these heads.
>
> Lower, but not by a whole lat.
>
> >It appears to me
> > that more cc would lower the cr. Am I correct?
>
> Yes.
>
> Also remember that the '77 and up heads (which all 403 heads are) use 1/2"
> head bolts.
>
> Regards,
> Fred
>
>

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 10:04:40 -0400
From: "swanny" <swannys78@adelphia.net>
Subject: Re: 403 heads on a 350

So I will need to buy new bolts for the 403 heads? Can I reuse the old ones
from the 403? As a rule of thumb I always use new head bolts when I can. I
do a lot of f*rd head gaskets and they always supply them......
Thanks in advance.
Pat Swanton.



- -- Original Message -----
From: "Frederick Nissen" <fsnissen@worldnet.att.net>
To: <oldsmobile@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 9:11 AM
Subject: Re: 403 heads on a 350


>
>
> > I have a chance to get a set of 4A heads for $20.00. The #8  heads on my
> '74
> > are 79cc,s and the 4a are 83cc,s would the compression ratio be lowered
or
> > higher with these heads.
>
> Lower, but not by a whole lat.
>
> >It appears to me
> > that more cc would lower the cr. Am I correct?
>
> Yes.
>
> Also remember that the '77 and up heads (which all 403 heads are) use 1/2"
> head bolts.
>
> Regards,
> Fred
>
>
>

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 13:53:57 EDT
From: Olznut@aol.com
Subject: Tranny Swap??

- -------------------------------1084643636
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

I'm thinking about rowing the gears in my '66, which was an automatic car. 
What I want to know is that what will I need to convert it?? I would like to go 
with a modern day 5 or 6 speed, I don't know much about manuals, except that 
the one in my company truck has 15 forward gears, lol!! I'm not looking for 
alot of massive power, just a good reliable no more than 400hp quick cruiser. By 
the end of June, I'll have it out of the paint shop at least, finally, will 
post pics if anyone cares at what a $4500 paint job looks like. 


Ed "Olznut" Halterman Sunland, Ca '03 Ram Laramie 2500 Quad Cab 4x4 Long Bed 
HEMI "Big Red" '66 Olds F-85 330 V-8, Intense Blue "Project Olds" Will Be 
Finished Sometime This Millenium!! 

- -------------------------------1084643636
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<HTML><HEAD>
<META charset=3DUS-ASCII http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; cha=
rset=3DUS-ASCII">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2737.800" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff=
f">I'm thinking about rowing the gears in my '66, which was an automatic car=
. What I want to know is that what will I need to convert it?? I would like=20=
to go with a modern day 5 or 6 speed, I don't know much about manuals, excep=
t that the one in my company truck has 15 forward gears, lol!! I'm not looki=
ng for alot of massive power, just a good reliable no more than 400hp quick=20=
cruiser. By the end of June, I'll have it out of the paint shop at least, fi=
nally, will post pics if anyone cares at what a $4500 paint job looks like.=20
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=3D0 face=3DArial size=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" PTSIZE=3D"10"=
>Ed "Olznut" Halterman Sunland, Ca '03 Ram Laramie 2500 Quad Cab 4x4 Long Be=
d HEMI "Big Red" '66 Olds F-85 330 V-8, Intense Blue "Project Olds" Will Be=20=
Finished Sometime This Millenium!! <BR><BR><BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

- -------------------------------1084643636--

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 14:35:01 -0400
From: "John Nasta" <email@johnnasta.com>
Subject: cell phone causes fire at gas pump

Something to keep in mind. The life you save may be your own.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/193588p-167295c.html

John Nasta

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 11:45:18 -0700
From: "Infinite Space Systems, Inc." <imp@theriver.com>
Subject: Re: 403 heads on a 350

> $75 bucks at any machine shop(possibly less) can get those heads machined
> down to lower the cc's of them


Allen, if one machines down the head surface, the combustion chamber
decreases in size, ***raising*** the compression ratio. The only way to
decrease the compression ratio is to have someone CC the combustion chambers
and take out about 10+ CCs. That will cost much, much more than $75 and
requires a machine shop that knows how to do it.

Milton Schick
1964 442 Cutlass
imp@theriver.com

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 11:44:39 -0700
From: "Infinite Space Systems, Inc." <imp@theriver.com>
Subject: Re: 403 heads on a 350

> I have a chance to get a set of 4A heads for $20.00. The #8  heads on my
'74
> are 79cc,s and the 4a are 83cc,s would the compression ratio be lowered or
> higher with these heads.


The compression would go down a little. The valve sizes may also be
different. A 403 4A head uses 2" intakes but only 1 1/2" exhausts.


> And I'm trying to figure this out with the formulas here. It appears to me
> that more cc would lower the cr. Am I correct?


Yes.

Milton Schick
1964 442 Cutlass
imp@theriver.com

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 11:46:05 -0700
From: "Infinite Space Systems, Inc." <imp@theriver.com>
Subject: Re: 403 heads on a 350

Pat,


> So I will need to buy new bolts for the 403 heads? Can I reuse the old
ones
> from the 403?


Your 350 uses 7/16" head bolts. The 403 uses 1/2" head bolts. 1/2" head
bolts will not screw into your 350 block. You would need to use grade 8
shoulder bolts that have a 1/2" smooth body and 7/16" threads to center the
heads correctly on the block. You will also need to double check the water
jacket transfer passages to make sure the 403 heads match the water jacket
in the 350 block for proper cooling. A couple of the passages are different.

I really think you would be better off having your stock heads CC'd to
remove material from the combustion chambers, if you really need to lower
the compression ratio of your 350.

Milton Schick
1964 442 Cutlass
imp@theriver.com

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 12:14:04 -0700
From: Joe & Gloria Varley <carcouple@cox.net>
Subject: Carb problem

Have a problem with our '66 C/S convert, 330 4 barrel.  All stock.  Found 
the correct carb, rebuilt it, and it floods.  Been apart again.  Floats set 
correctly, needle and seat are fine, fuel pump had 8 lbs pressure.  Put on 
another pump with 6 lbs pressure.  Still floods out the accelerator pump 
and vent tube????  Runs great until the carb overflows. which is about 20 
seconds!!!  Any ideas??  Held down the needle onto the seat with the top 
off, cranked the engine over, and the needle and seat held tight, so there 
isn't a crack in the housing.

Joe Varley
      AZ

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 15:24:13 -0400
From: "John Nasta" <email@johnnasta.com>
Subject: RE: Carb problem

Maybe a hole in the floats is causing them to fill with gas and therefore
never "float". That seems like the most obvious thing to check if you ask
me. Put them in a glass jar full of gasoline and see if they float or sink.

John Nasta



- -----Original Message-----
From: oldsmobile-owner@chebucto.ns.ca
[mailto:oldsmobile-owner@chebucto.ns.ca]On Behalf Of Joe & Gloria Varley
Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 3:14 PM
To: oldsmobile@chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: Carb problem

Have a problem with our '66 C/S convert, 330 4 barrel.  All stock.  Found
the correct carb, rebuilt it, and it floods.  Been apart again.  Floats set
correctly, needle and seat are fine, fuel pump had 8 lbs pressure.  Put on
another pump with 6 lbs pressure.  Still floods out the accelerator pump
and vent tube????  Runs great until the carb overflows. which is about 20
seconds!!!  Any ideas??  Held down the needle onto the seat with the top
off, cranked the engine over, and the needle and seat held tight, so there
isn't a crack in the housing.

Joe Varley
      AZ

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 12:40:25 -0700
From: "Infinite Space Systems, Inc." <imp@theriver.com>
Subject: Re: Carb problem

Joe,

Are the floats heavy? Are the floats leaking and gas is getting inside,
making the floats heavy so they won't float anymore, and thus unable to shut
off the needle on its seat? It doesn't take much leaking and gas absorption
to screw things up. If the carb has the newer plastic foam floats instead of
brass, I'll bet anything they absorbed gas. If they're plastic foam, take a
match and hold it on the float's surface. If it ignites, it's burning off
gas fumes. You'll be able to tell, just like the burner on a gas kitchen
stove.

Milton Schick
1964 442 Cutlass
imp@theriver.com


- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe & Gloria Varley" <carcouple@cox.net>
To: <oldsmobile@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 12:14 PM
Subject: Carb problem


> Have a problem with our '66 C/S convert, 330 4 barrel.  All stock.  Found
> the correct carb, rebuilt it, and it floods.  Been apart again.  Floats
set
> correctly, needle and seat are fine, fuel pump had 8 lbs pressure.  Put on
> another pump with 6 lbs pressure.  Still floods out the accelerator pump
> and vent tube????  Runs great until the carb overflows. which is about 20
> seconds!!!  Any ideas??  Held down the needle onto the seat with the top
> off, cranked the engine over, and the needle and seat held tight, so there
> isn't a crack in the housing.
>
> Joe Varley
>       AZ
>
>

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 19:37:26 +0000
From: Steve Harrison <k0xp@dandy.net>
Subject: Re: Carb problem

At 12:14 PM 5/15/2004 -0700, you wrote:
>Have a problem with our '66 C/S convert, 330 4 barrel.  All stock.  Found 
>the correct carb, rebuilt it, and it floods.  Been apart again.  Floats set 
>correctly, needle and seat are fine, fuel pump had 8 lbs pressure.  Put on 
>another pump with 6 lbs pressure.  Still floods out the accelerator pump 
>and vent tube????  Runs great until the carb overflows. which is about 20 
>seconds!!!  Any ideas??  Held down the needle onto the seat with the top 
>off, cranked the engine over, and the needle and seat held tight, so there 
>isn't a crack in the housing.

Get a can of canned air, such as from a computer store for blowing out
computers. Put the small tubing on it. Then blow through each of the
passages of the carb, make sure they're all clear. If gas sat long enough,
passages could have varnished.

A diagram of the carb's passages will help.

SteveH

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 17:06:32 -0400
From: "swanny" <swannys78@adelphia.net>
Subject: Re: 403 heads on a 350

Thanks Milton, Those were the answers I was looking for. It seems it would
be more work to switch the 4a's over than to wait and try to get #5, #6 or
even #7's. Is there anything else anybody needs? The yard owner is a good
fiend of mine and is doing spring clean up. You can either PM me or contact
through the list, I will be checking in all this month until he is done.
There are no Cutlass', 88's, 98's but plenty of other things that are going.
He is junking a complete '97 firebird V6 car with only nose pieces missing.
Pat Swanton.
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Infinite Space Systems, Inc." <imp@theriver.com>
To: <oldsmobile@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 2:46 PM
Subject: Re: 403 heads on a 350


> Pat,
>
>
> > So I will need to buy new bolts for the 403 heads? Can I reuse the old
> ones
> > from the 403?
>
>
> Your 350 uses 7/16" head bolts. The 403 uses 1/2" head bolts. 1/2" head
> bolts will not screw into your 350 block. You would need to use grade 8
> shoulder bolts that have a 1/2" smooth body and 7/16" threads to center
the
> heads correctly on the block. You will also need to double check the water
> jacket transfer passages to make sure the 403 heads match the water jacket
> in the 350 block for proper cooling. A couple of the passages are
different.
>
> I really think you would be better off having your stock heads CC'd to
> remove material from the combustion chambers, if you really need to lower
> the compression ratio of your 350.
>
> Milton Schick
> 1964 442 Cutlass
> imp@theriver.com
>
>
>
>

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 16:14:55 -0500
From: "Allen Schwartz" <mycj@tds.net>
Subject: Re: 403 heads on a 350

I knwo milton, they are telling him that the 403 heads will lower the
compression on the 350. I told him that he could have them machined to lower
the cc's of the heads. There by raising the compression back up. Guess I
said it funny, I should have said "have them milled to raise the
compression" instead of "lower the cc's"

Allen Schwartz
A&L Enterprises
mycj@tds.net
- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Infinite Space Systems, Inc." <imp@theriver.com>
To: <oldsmobile@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 1:45 PM
Subject: Re: 403 heads on a 350


> > $75 bucks at any machine shop(possibly less) can get those heads
machined
> > down to lower the cc's of them
>
>
> Allen, if one machines down the head surface, the combustion chamber
> decreases in size, ***raising*** the compression ratio. The only way to
> decrease the compression ratio is to have someone CC the combustion
chambers
> and take out about 10+ CCs. That will cost much, much more than $75 and
> requires a machine shop that knows how to do it.
>
> Milton Schick
> 1964 442 Cutlass
> imp@theriver.com
>
>
>

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 17:32:07 -0400
From: Michael Ecker <ecker567@earthlink.net>
Subject: RE: 403 heads on a 350

Pat, the 403 heads will lower your compression on your 350, and would 
necessitate stepping up to 1/2" head bolts or studs.

I would recommend looking for a set of #5, #6, #7 or #7a 350 heads as 
they will increase compression and flow well.  The 7a heads are fitted 
with hardened exhaust seats from the factory for use with unleaded gas, 
but the other heads can have hardened seats installed.  Personally I 
have never had a problem running unleaded gas with #5 or #7 heads with 
the factory (unhardened) seats, but I thought I'd mention this point.  
The #5 heads are claimed to be the best flowing in stock form, but all 
of these heads flow well.

Note that the 403 heads only have 1.5" exhaust valves (although they 
have 2.0" intakes).  The #8 heads have 1.625" exhaust valves and 1.875" 
intakes.  The other 350 heads I mentioned have 1.875" intakes and 1.562" 
exhaust valves, unless you can find a set of factory high performance 
heads which had 2.0" intakes and 1.625" exhausts.  These latter valve 
sizes can be retrofit into any of the 350 heads with some port work to 
open and blend the throat and bowl areas.  While you are at it, some 
minor smoothing & blending of the ports and bowl area, tear-drop shaping 
of the valve guides, and port matching to the gaskets and manifolds will 
pay performance dividends.  I also recommend good quality head fasteners 
such as ARP bolts or studs, and good quality head gaskets.

If you are looking for a performace boost on a budget and don't rev too 
high, the 5A heads from an early 307 will give a nice compression boost 
and flow decently, but only have 1.75" intakes and 1.5" exhausts, and I 
have heard that opening up these heads for large valves can be risky as 
far as cracking and running into the water jacket - have never tried 
modifying the 307 heads myself.

HTH,
Michael Ecker

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 17:48:54 EDT
From: DrivFast4U@aol.com
Subject: Re: oldsmobile-digest V1 #4889

- -------------------------------1084657734
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

HELP !!! I Need a Torque plate for a 455 like, yesterday! If Any body knows 
where I can get one please ASAP e-mail me at DrivFast4U@aol.com. Thanks Olds 
people.

- -------------------------------1084657734
Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<HTML><HEAD>
<META charset=3DUS-ASCII http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; cha=
rset=3DUS-ASCII">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2737.800" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">
<DIV>HELP !!! I Need a Torque plate for a 455 like, yesterday!&nbsp;If Any b=
ody knows where I can get one please ASAP e-mail me at <A href=3D"mailto:Dri=
vFast4U@aol.com">DrivFast4U@aol.com</A>. Thanks Olds people.</DIV></BODY></H=
TML>

- -------------------------------1084657734--

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 16:54:03 -0500
From: bcroe@juno.com
Subject: Tranny Swap??

If you have the 2 speed "300" trans, converting to a THM400  3 
speed auto isn't too bad, and some say a 66 Switch Pitch trans 
is faster than a 4 speed (certainly a 3 speed manual).  Going 
from auto to manual is probably a lot harder than the reverse. 
For sure the 400 will take more abuse than most any manuals.
Bruce Roe

15 May 2004 Olznut@aol.com writes:
> I'm thinking about rowing the gears in my '66, which was an automatic 
> car. 
> What I want to know is that what will I need to convert it?? I would 
> like to go 
> with a modern day 5 or 6 speed, I don't know much about manuals, 
> except that 
> the one in my company truck has 15 forward gears, lol!! I'm not 
> looking for 
> alot of massive power, just a good reliable no more than 400hp quick 
> cruiser. 

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 21:39:56 -0400
From: "The General" <patton442@verizon.net>
Subject: Re: Carb problem

Hey List,

        The 66' carb did not use a needle and seat - it used a diaphram
and plunger. The fuel flow in from a chamber next to the plunger. The retro
kit replaces the diaphram with a seat, hold down clip, needle and plug for
the original fuel chamber. If the plug is not used, it will flood like
crazy.

        As others have said, it also may be the float. The 66' float is
unique
and a 67' and up float will not work properly. The float was most likely
the foam type. They  tend to get heavy and do not work.


The General       patton442@verizon.net
- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe & Gloria Varley" <carcouple@cox.net>
To: <oldsmobile@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Saturday, May 15, 2004 3:14 PM
Subject: Carb problem


> Have a problem with our '66 C/S convert, 330 4 barrel.  All stock.  Found
> the correct carb, rebuilt it, and it floods.  Been apart again.  Floats
set
> correctly, needle and seat are fine, fuel pump had 8 lbs pressure.  Put on
> another pump with 6 lbs pressure.  Still floods out the accelerator pump
> and vent tube????  Runs great until the carb overflows. which is about 20
> seconds!!!  Any ideas??  Held down the needle onto the seat with the top
> off, cranked the engine over, and the needle and seat held tight, so there
> isn't a crack in the housing.
>
> Joe Varley
>       AZ
>

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 22:26:59 EDT
From: ChazToone@aol.com
Subject: One of those days...(Way too long)

Perfect Spring day in Jersey, 92 degrees and 140% humidity.  Why not do some 
work on the Olds ('71 Cutlass) ?  I have several jobs I've been wanting to do, 
all in the driveway:

1) Remove and replace the right front lower control arm.  (I managed to pick 
up one NOS arm, and have already replaced the bushings/ball joint).  Then I'll 
pull the other arm and have the rubber punched out.  I have all new MOOG 
parts.

2) Replace stabilizer links and mounts with poly.  No brainer, as long as I 
have the arm out.

3) Replace rubber front disk hoses with nice braided stainless ones.  I did 
the disks (slotted and cross-drilled) and calipers last year, but the new brake 
hoses did not fit.  The old ones  didn't look too bad, so I kept them.

Started around 11 AM.  Shock and links came out nice and easy.  Tried to 
compress spring, (got new ones of those too) but something isn't right.  The 
threaded rod is too long and is hitting the shock tower.  No problem, off to Home 
Dept and bought a bunch of 3/4" nuts and used as spacers.  Spring gets smaller. 
 Now to pop the ball joint.  I have a "pickle fork" and am wailing away at 
it.  I check against the new ball joint and the spacing on the fork is too 
narrow.   No problem, off to local auto parts store and a fork that fits.  Some 
more wailing away and getting no where. (Picture a 48 year old, greasy, dirty, 
300 lb guy dripping sweat, pounding away at is nice car, muttering to himself)  
No problem, off to Sears for a bigger hammer.  (I'm starting to enjoy these 
leisurely drives, and the A/C.)  Bigger hammer and POP goes the ball joint.  
Progress!  Now I'm just two bolts away from freedom for my arm.  Got the first 
nut off, but the bolt just spins away.  And I can see the inner shaft of the 
bushing is not turning.  Try and try as I might, no luck.  Now the clouds are 
building for this afternoon's round of thunderstorms.  Around 4PM and I admit 
defeat.  I reassemble the arm and wonder how all that wailing away has affected 
my ball joint.  I guess I'll at least replace the brake lines. Get somehting 
done...

I break out my flair wrench set.  Unscrewing the brake line from the hose and 
something's not right.  OH NO!  I've turned the steel line into a corkscrew.  
Maybe I can reverse it and it will get straightened out.  Not today.  Snap 
and brake fluid dripping real good.  I don't want the master to run dry.  I 
stick a piece of washer tubing with a bolt stuck in it over the poor remains of my 
brake line.  No more drips.  No more brakes.  Lots of cursing.  Getting 
louder too.

Not having had enough, I replace the stabilizer links and mounts. One link 
was really chewed up.  I'm never sure how tight these need to be.  But, finally, 
I get something done.  It's getting dark now and I can hear the thunder.  I 
spray off the brakes with cleaner.  Bolt everything back up.  Torque 'em where 
they need 'em.  Now I know if I hit the brakes I'm gonna send that piece of 
rubber line in orbit.  So I park using just the emergency brakes.  

Now it's after 8PM and its starting to rain.  I go inside, but something's 
not right.  I must have gotten some brake cleaner in my eye.  It's like a fog 
settled in on my right eye.  It's not easy typing with one eye closed.

So, now some 8 hours later, my old control arm is still in place, I need to 
replace my brake line (might as well do both....) I can't drive the car until 
then.  Then I'll pay someone with a lift and the right tools good money to 
replace my arm.  

This is the price we pay to drive a classic car, but it's worth it.  (Except 
for the eye part.)

Thanks for listening,

Charlie Toone
OCA Member# 22915
1971 Cutlass Supreme Convertible
1972 H/O (w/sunroof) - for a short while
1966 F-85 - my first car - long gone
ChazToone@aol.com
http://hometown.aol.com/chaztoone/myhomepage/index.html

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Date: Sun, 16 May 2004 03:05:42 +0000
From: Steve Harrison <k0xp@dandy.net>
Subject: Re: One of those days...(Way too long)

At 10:26 PM 5/15/2004 EDT, you wrote:
>Now to pop the ball joint.  I have a "pickle fork" and am wailing 
>away at it. I check against the new ball joint and the spacing on 
>the fork is too narrow. No problem, off to local auto parts store 
>and a fork that fits. Some more wailing away and getting no where. 
>(Picture a 48 year old, greasy, dirty, 300 lb guy dripping sweat, 
>pounding away at is nice car, muttering to himself) No problem, 
>off to Sears for a bigger hammer. (I'm starting to enjoy these 
>leisurely drives, and the A/C.)  Bigger hammer and POP goes the ball 
>joint.

Actually, all you needed was the hammer itself. Before compressing the
spring, loosen the nut on the ball joint so it's flush with the stud. Then
just tap around the knuckle a few times. If it doesn't simply pop loose,
then bang on the nut some. I've NEVER had one stay together after that.

>I reassemble the arm and wonder how all that wailing away has 
>affected my ball joint.

Doing it with the hammer and merely TAPPING around the knuckle so you don't
actually distort it, the ball joint would be none the less for wear,
perfectly reusable.

ONE PRECAUTION: ALWAYS place a jackstand or block under the lower A-arm and
ALWAYS keep your body parts AWAY from the suspension. Also, run a thick
wire or rope or chain through the spring and A-arm. I've had two ball
joints pull completely apart when they popped loose due to extreme wear,
and the force of the spring pushing against the ball joints.

And always wear goggles, no matter how often you hafta wipe the sweat off
them  ;o(

>>I don't want the master to run dry. I stick a piece of washer 
>tubing with a bolt stuck in it over the poor remains of my 
>brake line. No more drips.

You need to get that replaced ASAP because brake fluid attacks ordinary
rubber. If you have it, use clear plastic fishtank tubing, which is
provided in the do-it-yourself bleeder kits. I guarantee you that wiper
hose will be melted within 24 hours.

>So, now some 8 hours later, my old control arm is still in place, 
>I need to replace my brake line (might as well do both....) I can't 
>drive the car until then. Then I'll pay someone with a lift and the 
>right tools good money to replace my arm.
>
>This is the price we pay to drive a classic car, but it's worth it. 
>(Except for the eye part.)

Hope you flooded your eye with clear water as soon as you realized there
was a problem, Charlie... brake fluid EATS human skin  ==============8-O
If it's still cloudy, you better get to the emergency room.

And maybe tomorrow will go smoother  ;o((((((

SteveH

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Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 17:53:18 -0700
From: Joe & Gloria Varley <carcouple@cox.net>
Subject: Need a door lock part

I am also working on assembling our '72 442 after paint.  I need the 
plastic clips--fasteners that connect the interior door lock button rod to 
the lock mechanism.  The piece is at the bottom of the vertical lock rod, 
is plastic. and the AZ heat has cooked both left and right sides.  Any 
known suppliers?

Joe Varley
      AZ

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Date: Sun, 16 May 2004 07:36:13 -0500
From: "Bob" <macs63rd@iols.com>
Subject: cutlass s

Hello does anybody know if you could get a 1970 Cutlass S W-31 with A/C??
Would it not be like a Rallye 350, they came with A/C.
Bob

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Date: Sun, 16 May 2004 08:56:52 -0400
From: "The General" <patton442@verizon.net>
Subject: Re: One of those days...(Way too long)

Hey List,

    Something I learned - when you  buy a classic Olds,  from say like
64-80,
budget $1000.00 extra. Buy all new suspension parts, brake lines, hoses,
calipers and cylinders. Before you drive it anywhere, tare it all down and
replace all off the afore mentioned parts. Working with these cars the past
20 years, you learn the hard way.

The General       patton442@verizon.net

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Date: Sun, 16 May 2004 09:35:33 -0400
From: "Dave Cullen" <david.cullen@snet.net>
Subject: tuning with a vacuum gage

I've read that the best way to adjust idle air screws on a carb is to tune
for maximum manifold vacuum. Can anyone give me the technical reason why
this method gives the most correct idle mixture? The manual for my
motorcycle says, "adjust for most stable idle", which is rather ambiguous.

drc

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End of oldsmobile-digest V1 #4890
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