"NinetyQ" (NinetyQ)
09/29/2013 at 11:55 • Filed to: 52Buick
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"NinetyQ" (NinetyQ)
09/29/2013 at 11:55 • Filed to: 52Buick | 0
| 5 |
It was decided last night to put the '52 Buick back in the barn for the winter last night. We could still get it out if we wanted, but it needed to be moved anyway so we just went ahead and put it away.
But first, we took it for a drive to a town about 10 miles away. Halfway there, the Buick started running rough and misfiring. It has done this many times before and we haven't quite figured out what the problem is yet. Sometimes a clogged fuel filter is suspected, but that didn't seem to be it. The carb has been rebuilt, the points are good... no idea. It continued to run roughly all the way to the town where we parked it and took a walk around a lake. When we got back to it about 45 minutes later, it started up fine but was still running badly. About a mile outside of town though and it smoothed right out and had full power. It actually ran so nice I decided to see how much punch it had at highway speeds and was surprised at how quickly I could end up at 75mph. After that, we settled back into an easier 55mph cruise and got back to the barn.
My wife hopped out to open the main barn door for the car and I backed it up. No issues there, but when I turned it off, all the sudden coolant started gushing out of the overflow tube. After looking at the coolant on the ground, I hopped back in and turned on the ignition. Yup, coolant gauge was pegged beyond the H. I was watching it most of the way, but once we got off the main road, I hadn't checked it. It wasn't a strenuous drive though, so I'm a little confused about what might have caused it to overheat. I guess we'll find out soon enough. It may end up being a winter or spring project. Too many things going on right now to make it a priority.
You can see the coolant puddle pretty clearly in the last picture. The ground was dirty before it dumped it, but I'm still really hoping that's not oil mixed with the coolant in there. I think the only thing that could be is a blown head gasket. The engine has never been opened up, so it's a possibility, but it also only has 41,000 miles on it. Then again, the gasket is 61 years old...
Dunnik
> NinetyQ
09/29/2013 at 20:11 |
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It's as if it held it until it got home, so as not to embarrass itself.
Brian, The Life of
> NinetyQ
09/29/2013 at 22:02 |
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Swap the mechanical ignition out for an under-the-cap electronic set up like Ignitor II or some such. That's a nice inexpensive upgrade, anyway and it'll eliminate ignition as the cause.
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NinetyQ
> Brian, The Life of
09/29/2013 at 22:17 |
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True, but my father-in-law is pretty insistent on it remaining stock. I am in favor of things that don't change the outward appearance of the car nor the sound and feel of it or any of its components. Which means I'm okay with upgrading safety things such as the brakes, reliability things such as the ignition, and certain performance enhancements like a better exhaust (keeping stock-ish tone though) and a more efficient intake and fuel delivery system. Dual carbs would be nice.
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Brian, The Life of
> NinetyQ
09/29/2013 at 22:23 |
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The nice thing about the Ignitor products is that they fit 100% under the distributor cap. The engine bay keeps its stock appearance.
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NinetyQ
> Brian, The Life of
09/30/2013 at 00:13 |
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Might have to do that sometime. Probably well into the future though when its ownership officially passes to my wife and I.