Cratethis

Moved from the DeSoto back in the Olds family...


Got some pictures this morning of the car...

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Cratethis

The horn didn't work on the car. So last weekend I worked on it. Turns out the horn relay needed the contacts cleaned, and so did the contacts on the horns. Now they work and sound great!

Today I tackled the carb...

Cratethis

So here are some shots of the engine bay...

324 V8

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Very large air breather...

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Very small opening...

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Cratethis

Kanter had a rebuild kit for my carb. Cost... around $60.

Got to looking around and O'Rileys had a rebuild kit for $15!!
And everything made in the USA. Turned out to be a very good kit.

So...

Very dirty, not working well carb...

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Fully cleaned and ready for reassembly...

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Back on, clean, and working great!
I know it's funny looking.
From very large air cleaner that doens't breath, to a tiny little guy.
But it works, and gets a lot more air...

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Cratethis

This fixed the hesitation that the carb had when you tried to start from a stop.
It also warmed up much faster.

There was also a bent rod that is apart of the linkage between the carb and trans. This was both keeping the trans from getting the correct pressure feed back and it didn't allow the carb to open full throttle. The carb was only opening about 1/2 way.

It now accelerates and shifts great!

citcapp

Great looking car

2blu442

I liked the Desoto, but I like the Olds more Looks like a nice driver that you can tinker with along the way! John

Cratethis

Got everything switched over to the new Master Cylinder.
Now I just need to bleed the lines, hook up the vacuum line and she'll be ready to go!

Here is the box that I had to remove.
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It allowed "fresh air" in at the drivers feet. Never really felt much with it open, and I'm pretty sure that is where one of the leaks was coming from.

So out came the box. I used the box for the template. Cut a plate out of 16 gauge steel. The philips head screws that held the box on were a pain to take off. Had to drill a couple out. So bought new bolts to put in their place.

Painted the plate, cut the holes for the master cylinder and mounted everything up.
(The extra hole is a drain hole, need to hook a 90deg elbow and hose to drain)
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Cratethis

The lines were pretty easy to run.
The splitter block for the front brake lines was almost directly below the M.C.

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Rear line is ran and hooked in. Old pedal and M.C. have been removed.

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I was able to use the brake light switch that came with the pedal
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NAS Backyard

Nice project, those carbs are pretty simple. Was your master cyl under the floor before? You must be in Newport or Covington. I use to live in Dover Ky. between Augusta and Maysville.

Cratethis

Yes, the old guy was under the floor, mounted on the frame. Manual brakes with a single reservoir. Now power and dual reservoir.

I got the brakes bled the other day. The previous owner had already rebuilt everything at the wheels with all new shoes. Let me just say...I'm not worried about installing disk brakes right now. That thing will stop in a hurry!! It's such an light easy push on the pedal. It really makes it a lot easier to drive.

Yes, it would be Newport. I figured most wouldn't know where that is. Most don't know what you mean when you say Northern Ky either. People use it to refer to a specific part of Ky, not just the north part of the state.

Olds Dad

Great car - clock 'delete' too...don't see many of those - love it. Have a couple of 55 sedans (one to drive, one for parts) - let me know if you need something...and don't throw away that 2 barrel air cleaner!..took me 2 months to find one for my missing one! - the supposedly 'rare' 4 bbl 'batwing' ones are everywhere, but the 2bbl ones are nowhere to be found.

Good luck -

Gordon

Cratethis

Not planning on throwing anything away. The air cleaner will defiantly be kept. I'm not going to throw away the stock brake pedal/master cylinder either. It all gets filed away.

Olds Dad

Good to hear - I always like to know that I can "undo" any changes I make

Olds Dad

out of curiousity, what is that brake pedal setup from?

Cratethis

1990 S-10.

I have the proportioning valve too for if/when I switch over to front disk brakes. It cost me $50 at a salvage yard for the brake pedal and bracket, booster, prop valve, brake light switch.

So total cost with the brakes (brake pedal, bracket, booster, new master cylinder, brake lines, fittings, 16 gauge metal plate for firewall/air box delete) $170.

I did have to remove the defrost duct from the driver's side. Didn't feel too bad about that since nothing is running to it right now. It only hit it a little bit. I already know how I can modify it when I tackle the blower motor and re-hook all the air ducts.

Olds Dad

Good to know - my 88 holiday sedan in manual brakes - haven't delved into that one yet though.

As a heads up, speaking from experience, your blower may not be bad - mine was the heater resistor (inside the heat box door under the dash) - if yours blows in the defrost position (with the defrost cable pulled all the way out) this bypasses the resistor and should blow - that was my case but wouldn't blow on heat setting - since the resistors only fit in one way, you really need a "correct" one (Read: NOS on ebay for brazzillion dollars) - I bought one on ebay fit a early 60's caddy or something for 10 bucks and took the resistor coils from it and replaced the ones on my original - works like a charm...

If you need a motor, HydroElectric in Florida sells them new if you can't find a good used (not many out there).

Cratethis

I don't know what I need right now. It doesn't blow at all on anything.

Cratethis

Wow...Didn't realize how long it had been since I posted on my thread. So here are a few updates...

I didn't like the wheels, but didn't have the money for new ones. So I decided to take some spray paint stripper and get the red paint off and see how they looked...

Not the best pic but... Before...
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After...

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I still would like some new wheels, but much happier with how these look now.

Cratethis

I have put on new (used) spindles and rebuilt all the front bearings. I was able to get all the front end parts from a guy in my club. Saved me big time!

While I was on the paint stripper kick, I decide to try and clean up the reverse lights. At some point the chrome trim was painted black and the glass painted red.

Before...

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After...

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Comparison on the car...

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Cratethis

This past weekend I dropped the tank and put a new sending unit in. My gas gauge always read full. Well I read on here that if the fuel line had been patched with a rubber line too close to the tank, that it wouldn't ground and not read. Well sure enough only two inches from the tank it was "fixed" with a rubber line. I got the new sending unit in and fixed the line with a steel line. All leaks fixed and gas gauge reads perfect now.

442_Mustang

Nice job :-)

Jen

Hi,

I am new to classic cars, learning as I go. I have a 55 Olds Super 88. My vacuum wipers do not work. In one of your pictures, I see a hose that I am missing. Could you send me a picture of yours? It helps to see what it should look like. Also, I have a gas leak and my fuel gauge doesn't work, so anything you want to share on that is great! I am dropping the tank Friday (supervised and with assistance).
Thanks,
Jen

Olds Dad

Hope these help - advice on the tank - let the rear suspension 'hang' (put the jack stands under the frame and not the axles - with it hanging you'll have adequate room for the filler neck to come out - otherwise you'll wrestle with it for hours..believe me.

As for the guage - make sure you have a proper ground to the sending unit - even if you have to run a new wire from one of the screws to somewhere in the trunk (go through the same grommet that the tank wire goes through) - there are a few good threads on here about diagnosing faulty guages if you have no luck.

Good luck

PS What model do you have - any pics?

Jen

Thanks! I can't find a diagram anywhere. My repair manual has trouble shooting steps, but no diagram. Being new, I need a diagram.


Is this too blurry? cell phone pictures aren't the best...that hose is connected to nothing.

Olds Dad

Try this one - made it for the washers, but it's all integral.

The hose in your photo is at the right place and that's all there should be at the wiper motor - the other piece in the center that looks like it would have a hose is actually a vent and not supposed to have a hose on it. Other than that, make sure there is actually vacuum at that hose at the motor using a vacuum guage (or at least the 'thumb over the hose' test) - other than that, make sure the cable on the side that comes from the dash **** actually moves when you turn the dash **** - if that's moving and you have vacuum, then you likely need your motor rebuilt. www.wiperman.com or fusick - both the same price with your old one as an exchange.

Hope this helps

Cratethis

Thanks Olds Dad for the help with the vacuum wiper motor.

I am just going to buy an electric replacement. My vacuum motor doesn't work. I took it all apart and cleaned it up and it sorta works now. I know its not the same as sending it out to be fully rebuilt. My 88 is a driver and always will be, so I want the reliability of an electric motor.

As far as the fuel tank goes, just take your time. The PO had already ran a new line from the tank to the gauge. The gauge always showed full when the key was on. Just before I dropped my tank I read that the gauge uses the fuel line as the ground. If you have a section of line that is repaired with a rubber hose and it is near the tank, your gauge won't work. Sure enough that was my problem. Got rid of that rubber section and fixed with a steel line and it works perfect.
I had to use a screw extractor set to get the old screws out. And the new pickup that I got from fusicks didn't have the in-tank filter pickup. The old one was broken and rolling around in the tank. So I just made an extention out of steel line to get it all the way to the bottom of the tank and just run 2 in-line fuel filters to keep the junk out of the carb.

Hope that helps.

Jen

Thanks for all the advice everyone and awesome diagram!!!!! I will let you know how it goes after Friday.

Jen

That is where the other end of the hose is, I thought it wasn't hooked to anything.

Olds Dad

the one going through the firewall goes to your wiper switch and would be used for the washers (squirters) - see the earlier diagram I posted. The other one at the carb is incorrect - should go to the fuel pump - assuming it has the stock fuel pump which dually serves as a vacuum pump - carb vacuum is insufficient for the wipers - if someone replaced the fuel pump with an electric one or a different configuration, things could get complicated...take a picture(s) of your fuel pump...

Cratethis

Yea...what he said.

DreWRoolZ

beautiful car! I absolutely love that color combo! by chance do you have a link or part number to the carb kit you bought? I'm not positive but it looks like the same carb I have on my '60 371 and i couldnt find a rebuild kit anywhere! even called o'reilly's and they said they couldn't find one! thanks for your help! oh here is a picture of my carb hopefully you can tell if it is the same or not http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...Z/PHOT0023.jpg

Jen

Yeah, has an electric fuel pump. So, forget the vacuum motor, going electric. But operation fix gas leak is underway and has been quite the learning experience. Other than me pulling the drain plug all the way out on accident and dropping it in the funnel as gas spewed everywhere (I thought it was almost empty, turns out it had close to 15 gallons in it), things went well. The tank is being dipped and will be ready monday. Sending unit has been ordered and should arrive this week.

Cratethis

Looking good!! Keep us posted.

DreWRoolZ

bump in hopes my question gets answered

citcapp

Try here for you carb rebuild kit http://www.fusick.com/

Cratethis

Sorry man. Posting via phone only isn't much fun, let along research anything. I haven't accessed the site via my computer in a while.
The part number I got on-line on Oreilly: 15289C

When I went into the store they couldn't look up anything that old, but I had the part number with me and they were able to look that up and find it. Their web site actually searches further back than their computers allow in the store.

Hope that helps.

DreWRoolZ

thanks. any chance those of you on a computer could look at the pic in my previous post and tell if its the same or not? it looks the same but i dont want to buy a kit and then find out it isnt the right one. i appreciate yall's help or where i could find the number on mine?

DreWRoolZ

that website is depressing!! they don't have hardly anything I need for my '60 i'll see stuff i need and then find out they have it for just about every year but 1960!! I had the same problem when I had my old 66 galaxy hundreds of parts catalogs and none of them had anything for my particular year! One of the pains of owning an older car especially one whose body style was only used for 1 year!

Cratethis

It looks like it but can't say for 100%. The kit is for a Rochester 2GC.