Re: In-Car Rebuild

Posted by JeromeSolberg On 2020/11/4 15:25:40

Another update:

Well, the engine is still at the machine shop, in the backlog. Perhaps a few more weeks before he even starts to look at it.

In the meantime I took the generator, distributor, and starter over to Buchannan Auto Electric in Oakland to get them re-conditioned, since I had them off the car anyhow. They are a well-respected shop used by lots of folks, especially people with old boats and the like.

He says I have problems:

A) The generator "threw off it's solder", looks like it over-heated from over-generating, he says.

B) The starter has a bent armature.

C) The distributor has a bad vacuum advance, it won't hold vacuum.

Now all of these things are a little weird to me, though it never started very easily, the generator did put out juice and I don't remember issues with the vacuum advance, but it's not like I drove the thing super hard, and the issues I had with compression in some cylinders may have overshadowed any issues with the advance.

So I am a bit puzzled. Any advice? I have an extra generator that came with the car, so I am planning on bringing that over as a possible donor/substitute.

I told him about Kanter's , maybe Max would be a source for some of this stuff. Anyone else?

I read in the manual about a relatively involved process for determining whether the regulator was any good, perhaps that's something that should be gone through at the same time?

I was also thinking about the Ultramatic, I was planning on taking the torque converter apart and getting the direct-drive clutch plates relined. I found a guy, Russ Sylvis, in Tehachapi, CA, about 6 hours away from me, that would rebuild the Ultramatic completely for a bit over $1800, so that's an option.http://www.vintagetransmissionrebuilding.com/

Any experience with him? I wrote a few other shops, one in Sacramento and one in Hollister, but have yet to hear back.

The Ultramatic was "working allright", groaning a bit in the transition to direct drive, and I seem to remember a few situations where it didn't want to disengage. It's also leaking from the pan gasket and the rear main seal, though I have a new one for each of those situations that I have yet to install.

On the odometer this car, a 1953 Cavalier, has ~85,000 miles, but who knows it could have rolled over as if I remember it only goes up to 99,999.

I have to say if all the electrics are shot and one is talking some thousands of dollars just for that, it tempts me to go the Bendtsen's/700R4 direction.

Thanks for your time.