I'm waiting the arrival of a small denso 12 volt alternator (ebay) to replace the same kind in my 54 Cavalier.

I need to run the fan and the compressor clutch.

Add on R-12 system. (I have 12).

I will add a small 12 volt battery to replace the dead one.

The original car system is pos ground 6 volt and my add on is 12 volt neg ground.

Works OK.

Converting the car to 12 is not an option for me.

Jim

There was a three canister setup that was mostly intended for the Model T Ford crowd. It clamped to a running board.

I have a model T Ford and it hardly needs oil, Water sometimes, and there is no gas gauge.

I would suppose it could be used with any car that has a running board.

Some cars such as the model T didn't allow entry for the driver due to levers and things in the way on the driver side, so that is where you stacked the freight.

Jim

The word of the day is Eureka!


Hub cap quit moving.

I used a metal duct like tape I have had around for a few years. Nice and sticky.

This is a two inch tape which I cut into 1 inch strips and after cleaning the rim real good (painted rim) I applied the tape where the wheel cover grips the edge.

The tape I used is Nashaua 181A-P/181B-FX.

Coker also suggested metal valve stems

Jim going crusing

I started this a couple of weeks ago but here I go some more.

Four new Coker Radial tires on my 1954 Cavalier.

I have one wheel cover that wants to rotate in the same direction as the wheel normally turns.

It was on the right front and it was the only one that turned until it went far enough to bend the valve stem to the breaking point. Fortunately the flat occurred in the garage.

I figure if one goes on the road it will ruin a tire.

So I swapped the hubcap with the one on the left front and the problem followed the hub cap. It is marked LF inside with marker and I suspect a former owner has had the problem before as there were a couple of gobs of what looked like trim cement in the hubcap.

I have also stretched the teeth so it is very tight to get on and I have to use hard blows with a rubber hammer to seat it.

I suspect the steel radial tires spread the rim more than the old bias ply tires and it walks the hub cap slowly in the direction of rotation.

I have the tire air pressure at 32, the tire shop had it at 40 and Packard says 27.

The radials look like the bias ply,s but the tread is narrower than the over sized tires that were on this car. The over sized had a very wide tread.

I would like to find a super nice like new hubcap to try which I will buy, who is the best source of this?

Jim

Having now put 150 to 200 miles on my new tires (and head gasket) the right front remained the big offender.

After the last 10 mile trip, the valve stems were still centered in the hole in the wheel cover.

I did carefully bend the tangs to get a better grip on the rim.

I don't know if the radial tires couple more road vibration through but they seem to run about the same as the fat bias-ply tires I wore out. These tires have a narrower tread than the old tires that were on the car, which were actually over sized.

Jim

Riddle me this.

On a 54 Cavalier, a few weeks ago I replaced all four tires with the Coker radial that looks like an old bias ply.

I had a flat occur caused by the wheel cover creeping around until the valve stem was cocked and caused it to break off at the rim.

Two seemed to do it and two stayed OK.

Right front was the worst right reae next worse.

I have tightened the grip fingers on the wheel cover to where I have to bang them on with a rubber hammer.

They are the correct covers.

I suspect the wheels flex a tiny bit under the weight of this car.

Any expert opinions?

Jim

The car seems to have about 50% more power. Considering her size and weight she glides like nothing is touching the ground.

The Ultramatic is smooth as glass.

You turn the key and the engine has started instantly. Before the head job, the Temp Gauge would slowly go up to about 3/4 and then very slowly come down to about 1/2. Now it goes up to about 1/3 slowly, and holds. The temp here in Phoenix has been in the low 50's

I did replace all four tires with the Coker Steel Radial that looks like a Bias Ply from the 50's, Wide white wall. The car looks like a million bucks. These tires are not as fat as the old White Walls that I had on it.

When I drove her home from the shop on the freeway, about 40 miles, the blue preservative was completely washed off the white walls as we were in a blinding rain. The Vacuum wipers worked perfectly (rebuilt wiper motor by "Wiper Man"), Rebuilt windshield washer by "me".

Before the new gasket it was apparently burning a little antifreeze in several cylinders and blowing combustion out the back of #8. I would suspect there was combustion into the cooling system which could account for the temperature variation.

I kept the old head gasket as a memento for forensic research

Jim

I have always used Penzoil SAE30 W oil in my old cars.

Mostly because I have a Model T Ford and I heard some high detergent oils destroy the Magneto coils that are inside the engine.

Used SAE30 for years, no problems. Model T has never been apart.

Today I found my local autozone no longer stocks straight SAE30 oil, so I bought 10W 30 which I am going to use in my 54 Packard instead of the SAE30.

I do understand that 10W 30 means the oil is like SAE 10 when cold and SAE 30 when hot.

Anybody please feel free to comment.

Jim

During the last episode the Cavalier traveled to an outo mechanic shop by flat bed trailor on Wednesdau the 15th.

They replaced the Head Gasket with a new Kantor gasket and mounted four new tires.

She came home on Saturday in a blinding rain and fog storm in Phoenix AZ for about 35 miles.

Several years ago I replaced the wiper motor with the proper item, glad I did that.

Advanced Auto in Stottsdale is also a tire shop with a not-touch machine, I had them mount the four new Coker steel radial tires I bought a couple of years ago.

This car runs like a brand mew car with lots more zip and the annoying wander and rut following is gone.

The old head gasket had been leaking compression from thr rear of #8 and coolant was getting in on #1, 3, and 5. I suspect poor compression and blow back accounted for other problems. It seems to now have way more power than ever before and runs cooler.

Jim

Knowing that you are all waiting with anticipation . . . .:)

I am actually having a local auto shop replace the head gasket in my 54 Cavalier.

Not just any local shop.

I'm also having the four new tires mounted that I bought about 2 yeas ago.

How's that for procrastination.

Speaking of studs, I know that the head bolts on some modern engines have to be replaced with new after removal due to a stretch that is part of the torquing process. They can't be used twice