As I am moving to a house with a large garage I can finally do some needed work on my 1954 Cavalier.
Before I go for new tires I want to go over the front end. The car has over size tires and it tends to wear the inside tread and it wanders a bit following barely perceptible ruts in the road.

I wondered if the oversized tires affected the point of road contact which could affect Camber and Caster
I have a little vertical play in the King-Pins and a little slop in the steering nothing really serious.

Having read through the service manual in detail, I should be able to check some of the alignment with the car on jack-stands in a level garage.

So it looks like the tires hit the road essentially vertical when straight ahead making the spindle sit level as the Camber is all in the king pin.

The Caster and Camber is adjusted at the top of the vertical member of the front suspension.

I'm thinking I can check the Toe-In which shows to be 1/16 inch with a chalk line on the tires and a long ruler.

I have a new Kantor's King-Pin set I thought I would install at this time.

The steering box (which I assume to be Gemmer) has some adjustment capability which is done by checking end play in the steering shaft and play in the pitman shaft.

Soooooooo . . . . I am looking for guidance from the experts on this Forum because I like working on this car and I don't want to go to a shop for this.

I am more used to working on my Model T Ford :)

Jim

I guess I should review the plumbing.

On my 54 the reservoir is back under the fender (driver side under the hood).

As I have never traced the hoses I guess I better look things over.

The vacuum booster pump is part of the fuel pump.

My car does have power brakes.

I don't recall exactly the source of vacuum for the wipers, somewhere on the manifold I thought. I Tee'd into the wiper source to run the washer, dressing the rubber tubing as I saw in service info I believe I got that on this site.

I don't know about check valves, I guess I should see if the service manual has a vacuum flow diagram.

It all seems to work just fine however.

I don't want brake failure.

Jim

It doesn't rain much here in Phoenix AZ, but when it does I drive my 54 Cavalier in to work so I don't get wet on the motorcycle I usually drive.

So yesterday I was glad I restored the wiper and washer system. The rain was coming down hard all day; the wipers ran at regular speed even though I do a lot of stop and go. I did hit the washer button a couple of times on the way in to the parking garage.

With the pedal to the metal the wipers only slightly slow, seems to have plenty of suckage. The Cavalier has the vacuum pump / fuel pump combination. It also has a Reservoir. The washer pump worked both times I used it even though the wipers were still running. The washer pump did not affect the wiper speed at all.

I did find the tutorial extremely useful when I restored my system. WiperMan provided the wiper motor in good working condition. I used to have a screwdriver like driver that fit those little odd head screws.

My system is the same as shown here except 6 volt.

Jim

Most early cars used polished Brass for things like the radiator tank, lights and other trim. This is generally called the Brass-Car era.

Look at the Model T Ford which was Brassy as He** up to 1916 and then it it turned no brass for 1917.

Nearly 1/2 of all cars on the US road were Model T Fords at the time.

But.

Were not radiator parts stil brass all the way to plastic and aluminum starting in the 60's?

The reality is the brass was dificult to keep polished and most Brass Car owners of the era let it get crusty.


Jim

I thought I had King Pin wear in my 54 Cavalier as I get a little motion top to bottom but side to side is tight.

I bought a King Pin set from Kantors which includes the bushings and the thrust ball bearing but havent gotten up the nerve to replace them yet. I'm not sure the alignment is fully up to snuff.

I get some steering wander when the road is groovy.

It appears once you start the project you have to finish and you may need some special tooling to remove and then replace the bushings and then you will need adjustable reamers.

Jim

I can still repair my own radio (not taking on business:))

But

Here in Phoenix AZ there is only one station playing a music format, and they go to low nightime power as I leave the office. They are so low the wonderbar passes them up.

No converters for 6 volt cars.

Jim

I would like to find the proper trunk lamp for my 1954 Caribian.

Has anybody got a spare they would sell?

There was a picture of a close year in a thread I may be able to share.

I assume this has some kind of switch that turns it on when the lid is up

Please PM me.

Jim

I have a 54 Cavalier with the Trico MAG-NU-MATIC HYDROSTATIC washer system which I have restored to full operation.

This is Trico and all vacuum operated.

Don't know what is meant about "short stroke" but . . . . .

The Coordinator starts the wiper motor when the washer pump sends water to the nozzles. The Coordinator has a little adjustable bleed valve similar to a pneumatic door closer which keeps the wiper going for a few strokes after water stops squirting which gets the windshield all clean.

This is all automatic on the 54 a quick push of the button runs the complete process.

It appears Trico made the system into the 12 volt cars and my car is a 54 Senior model and that is what it has.

It appears the Trico system became more automatic through the post war cars.

I guy who goes by WiperMan has the details on his web site and he provided me with the proper wiper motor, I restored the washer pump, and bought the Coordinator on eBay.

I don't know the progression through the years but Trico made several models.

The "Standard model", the "Instant Action model", The "Mag-Nu-Matic Hydrostatic model", and the "C-O Washer with Motor Coupler model".

I Put mine all together a couple of years ago and it works perfectly.

Jim

My 1939 110 coupe (I no longer own) which had 17,000 miles of original when I bought it in 1978, had the thermostat operated louvers in the front grill.

There was a bellows type thermostat up in the top of the radiator which worked some linkage that regulated the louvers depending on the coolant temperature.

After I sold the car the new owner, Idiot had the radiator boiled out just because he thought it was a good idea and destroyed the thermostat.

From that day forward they were always opned.

Jim

As I have had my washer working for two years now, I find it actually works quite well.

I had the same questions before I got mine going and I thought it would pump continiously but it does the job with one stroke.

I don't know what would happen if you held the button down.

I dont think it would deliver a complete stroke since as soon as the pistom moved the valve would admit suction again.

It works like my modern car where you hit the button and averything is automatic and if you need more hit the button again.

I am going to drain out my washer this coming weekend as we can get down to freezing in Phoenix AZ. I blow it out with air and lube the rubber seals with silicon grease.

Nobody sells antifreez washer fluid here.

I have never found water down in the vacuum side of my pump when I take it apart. I can see where the spring would rust unless the paint was in perfect condition.

When I first tried to get the wipers to wok the motor that was installed (wrong version) was 1/2 full of water.

I used to restore Player Piano's so I like Pneumatic things.

Jim