Recent posts

#1

General Discussion / Re: Antifreeze lifespan

Last post by TJ Hopland - Today at 11:38:10 AM

I'm certainly no expert but I believe having a battery connected in the car has pretty minimal effect.  Its that the different materials in the system and the coolant themselves form a battery.  A battery is just 2 different metals which pretty much any car will have to some degree and some sort of a fluid or gel or membrane between those metals.

I would think sitting would slow down the process but I don't know.  You would guess the fairly quick heat cycles and the circulation would be bad but who knows maybe it slows the process?   I wonder if to get an accurate reading on a stored engine if you would have or want to spin the water pump or add some external pump say in the heater hose circuit to circulate the coolant? 

Looking at some of the test strips that are aimed at fleet and heavy equipment makes me think we need to read carefully what sort of coolant they are made for.  That sort of stuff hasn't used classic green for years.  I guess now that I say that cars really haven't either.

I will have to go look at my inventory and see if the bottles say what I have on hand.  I am assuming the 'green' is still ethylene glycol but maybe not?  Propylene glycol I think is pretty common base for the newer types.   I know I have green, dex, blue Asia, and I think some pink that is Europe?

Another question does it age on the shelf?  You would think no sitting in a closed plastic container but maybe some of the ingredients start reacting as soon as they are mixed?  So when you do use it part of some process has already started and may change further reactions?

#2

General Discussion / Re: 1951 Caddy daily driver

Last post by Cadman-iac - Today at 10:42:41 AM

Cadman,
I did ground the wire but just to where the switch mounts, I'm starting to think that it might somehow not me grounded there? Not sure yet. I did take the switches apart to clean them and they're very clean inside so shouldn't be a problem there.

Try this then. Use a jumper wire to ground the wire going to the particular switch you're testing by running the jumper directly to your battery ground terminal. I believe your car has a positive ground, right?
Have you checked to see if that wire has voltage with a multimeter? If you don't have voltage, grounding it won't do anything. You would first need to determine why there isn't any voltage present in the wire, which could be a break in the wire, a bad connection at a wire splice in the harness itself where they branch out to each of the doors.
The wire does ground at the switch, but it's possible that the method used to mount the switch isn't making a good contact. I don't know how your switch is fastened, it could be with screws or some use spring steel fingers that grip the edges of the hole it goes into. If the metal around the switch or the screws is rusty that can cause the ground to not occur.
Try wire brushing the mounting points for your switch and see if it makes any difference.

Rick

#3

General Discussion / Re: 1951 Caddy daily driver

Last post by Mowerhoarder - Today at 10:19:37 AM

Cadman,
I did ground the wire but just to where the switch mounts, I'm starting to think that it might somehow not me grounded there? Not sure yet. I did take the switches apart to clean them and they're very clean inside so shouldn't be a problem there.

#4

Technical / Authenticity / Re: Lacing

Last post by Warren Rauch #4286 - Today at 09:32:06 AM

  I looked it up in a 1936 Parts book. Groups 6.0907 & 13.0348.

  They call for the hollow type with a wire up the middle. Also a chip and hook. The width is not mentioned. It came in more than one width. I had trouble finding any for my  1935 Chev fire truck. Ended up with a little wider NOS.

 Warren

#5

General Discussion / Re: Seeking Advice on Hydrauli...

Last post by James Landi - Today at 07:30:14 AM

I'm "all about" breaking the rules, and inflating tires to original recommended pressures in spite of all the warnings regarding under inflated tires.  Yes, you burn more gas and you may reduce the life of the tires, HOWEVER, the dramatic difference of tires inflated to 34 psi and tires inflated to 25 psi is striking. When I have my old Cadillacs serviced, and drive down the road, I know IMMEDIATELY if the service tech inflated the tires--- that's how different the ride is.  When taking the car on the highway, I do inflate to 28 psi.  I never suffered from tire delamination or other issues.   Regarding shocks, I feel your pain. I often wish that magnetic/adjustable ride shocks were not so expensive.  And you may already know that Cadillac had speed adjustable shocks 35 years ago  on Allantes... they had 3 speed settings, and under 30 mph, you floated down the road--- ALas, that shock went out of existence, and replacement, non-adjustables cause the Allante to ride harshly.   

#6

For Sale - Parts / Re: 59 - 64 Bumper Sections, T...

Last post by Highwayman68 - Today at 06:43:29 AM

Mark, is the one wheel cover shown in the last photo in the lower left still available?? If so, could you send me a separate more close-up photo? Thanks
Jeff
CLC 34682

Here are some close up pictures of these 3 hubcaps after cleaning them. At best they are wall art, but they would work on a 20 footer daily driver.

#7

General Discussion / Re: Antifreeze lifespan

Last post by Cadman-iac - Today at 03:54:51 AM

  It was mentioned that electrolysis is the cause of the antifreeze becoming acidic. Here's a question.
I have 2 vehicles that I put rebuilt engines in and had only ran them long enough to ensure that everything was working properly. I then pulled the batteries out and they have been sitting in storage with the new coolant for a number of years now.
Without a battery and not being run, is the coolant still going to turn acidic, or does this process require a battery to occur?
Should I be worried about the coolant causing damage in these two vehicles?

Rick

#8

General Discussion / Re: 1932 Cadillac V16 scale mo...

Last post by Roger Zimmermann - Today at 03:31:22 AM

The cowl was giving me a hard time. With the dimensions provided by Paul and Johan, I had the idea that it would be an easy job, but it was not: I expected that the sides from the cowl would be parallel from the top to the bottom, but it was not. It was in fact grotesque until I realized that the cowl front end plate was too narrow at the top, my fault. When this was corrected, the sides were still not parallel, but the twisting was acceptable. Is that so in the reality? I just don't know and don't care too much...
I did first the "nose" which is under the hood and did the mistake to silver solder it to the front plate, creating some distortion. Fortunately, as there is a cover on the cowl on those vehicles, this mishap will not be seen.
Then I did the cowl sides, soft soldered on the nose.
On the real cars, there is a molding pressed into the sheet metal; on that molding, a chromed channel is attached by nuts from under the vehicle. I could not do that pressed molding; I had to find another way to replicate this chromed part: there is a step between the cowl and the nose on which the hood is resting on a lacing; I did slots into the step and a thick brass element was shaped to be located into the slots. The original part is made in one piece; due to the different installation, I had to do it in two pieces. A lip resting on the cowl will be added later when the shape is definitive.
The bottom and the rear of the cowl is to be trimmed. From the side, the bottom of the body is making an elegant curve, but for my construction it's a difficulty more as it's hard to make the final shape without the remaining of the floor/sills. The door's post will be added at the rear of the cowl, as well as the windshield support.

#9

Restoration Corner / Re: Carl 61 Fleetwood Phyllis

Last post by Roger Zimmermann - Today at 02:52:47 AM

Not  really a stable arrangement! I did something similar to push the frame under the body. Imagine I had to go under the body to add pieces of wood on the jack as the assembly was near a wall...To have a lower frame, I removed the rear wheels.

#10

General Discussion / Re: Seeking Advice on Hydrauli...

Last post by 64\/54Cadillacking - Yesterday at 09:46:53 PM

That's good to know that they will rebuild the original stuff.

Putting something like KYB shocks on our Caddies will destroy the ride quality, hypothetically speaking as they don't make shocks for 50's Cads.

It might take some time, but you might come across a pair of the original spiral 55 Caddy shocks on EBay, and send them out to ShockstoSprings.