Coming home from 2022 G.N. Our 55 Fleetwood Misfiring!!

[Bob Kielar]

Engine installed and running sweet. The a/c is not connected yet due to the change over to R12. The lady in the background is the better half and the mechanic that rebuilt the engine. Not one of my best videos.

Keep Cruzin,
Bob Kielar

https://youtube.com/shorts/vp2asun7Ezw?feature=share

[35-709]

Sounds great, looks beautiful.  Be very cautious about running it at idle a lot just to hear how sweet it sounds.  It can and will glaze the cylinder walls, and then you are removing the heads and rehoning the cylinders.  On second thought, since your engine overhauler seems to be "close", you probably don't need that advice at all.
    Geoff N. 

[Bob Kielar]

Thanks for the compliment. I will take all the advice people are willing to share.
What is considered long run time at idle? Any other information on breaking in a newly rebuilt engine. The mechanic said he ran it in on the test stand.

Regards,
Bob Kielar

[35-709]

" ---ran it in on the test stand."
Good deal.  A freshly overhauled engine should not be babied, run it, don't beat it, but run it. 

[Bob Kielar]

ANNIE'S HOME! ANNIE'S HOME! ANNIE'S HOME!

Annie is back home running as smooth as silk. The brakes are working properly. They had to bleed them because I repainted the booster to the correct silver cadmium color. The restoration shop has an A/C shop that still has R-12 they took the Cadillac there and he refused to work on it so back to the restoration shop.🤷�♂️ Since the a/c system was converted to R-134 before I owned the Cadillac and the difficulty to get the system clean enough for R-12 I mentioned Envirosafe Freon. The mechanic never used Envirosafe which he was a little skeptical of. He did some research on it and was willing to give it a try with Ester 100 oil. He only had to use 3lbs of Envirosafe. After the A/C is running a little while the vents in the roof are cold to the touch.🥶 They also did a front end alignment no other shops around here would do this because their machines would not fit. How they do their alignments is They place 250lbs on the passenger and driver side floor then they use a laser to align the car. To my surprise all the suspension and components where fine.😁Then they did a total inspection of the Cadillac and the only things that need to be done in the future are the rear leaf spring bushings are weather checked, and they will need to be replaced and the dimmer switch sticks. It feels sooo good to have her back home again, time to do a lot of Cruzin.😎

IT'S SHOW TIME!
Keep Cruzin,
Bob Kielar

[Caddy Wizard]

Bob, I am so happy for you.  Thrilling day, I am sure.

And for those who haven't seen Annie in person, it is as lovely a 55 FW as you will ever see.  And given that 55 FW is my favorite model, that is saying something...

[Lexi]

Fantastic news Bob! Art is right in that it is thrilling when your car comes back after major surgery. Clay/Lexi

[PHIL WHYTE CLC 14192]

If I remember correctly Bob you've had bad luck with Annie? Didn't she roll off a lift and bend the doors back, then the engine trouble? I'm pleased for you that you've got a sweet engine now. Phil

[Bob Kielar]

If I remember correctly Bob you've had bad luck with Annie? Didn't she roll off a lift and bend the doors back, then the engine trouble? I'm pleased for you that you've got a sweet engine now. Phil

Yeah Annie and I have had our challenges but that's true with any relationship. The good times far outweigh the bad.😁

Regards,

Bob

[Bob Kielar]

Bob, I am so happy for you.  Thrilling day, I am sure.

And for those who haven't seen Annie in person, it is as lovely a 55 FW as you will ever see.  And given that 55 FW is my favorite model, that is saying something...

Art thank you for the kind words coming from you is very meaningful.

Regards,
Bob Kielar

[bcroe]

Nice work, excellant results.  Bruce Roe

[Cadman-iac]

  Hi Bob,

Glad to hear about, and see, that gorgeous car. I didn't know about the backstory on her, I'm sorry you went through all that to get it back on the road, but it appears that it was all worth the effort.

That enviro-safe freon you mentioned, what is the brand name, where can you find it, and what does it cost if you don't mind my asking?
My 56 has factory air, and I have (hopefully) enough R12 to charge it, (if and when I get that far), but probably not enough if there are any issues later.

Anyway, it's good to see another real car back on the road and killin' bugs. Enjoy!!

Rick

[Bob Kielar]

Hi Bob,

Glad to hear about, and see, that gorgeous car. I didn't know about the backstory on her, I'm sorry you went through all that to get it back on the road, but it appears that it was all worth the effort.

That enviro-safe freon you mentioned, what is the brand name, where can you find it, and what does it cost if you don't mind my asking?
My 56 has factory air, and I have (hopefully) enough R12 to charge it, (if and when I get that far), but probably not enough if there are any issues later.

Anyway, it's good to see another real car back on the road and killin' bugs. Enjoy!!

Rick

Thanks for the compliments. The wife and I enjoy cruising around the country roads here in Wisconsin as you say killing bugs and participating in car shows. Here are two pictures of Enviro-Safe Freon. He used four cans to fill the entire system which I think equals 3-4 lbs. It is readily available at other websites and the cost was $15.75 per can plus shipping.

Keep Cruzin,
Bob Kielar

[Cadman-iac]

  Thanks for the information on this stuff. I'll check it out.
Looking at the can it looks like a replacement for R134A.
If your system hadn't been previously converted, would you have used this though?
Did you go with this because of how difficult it would be to insure that all the oil and residuals from the R134a are removed?
I know how hard it is to clean out one of these evaporator cores, I've done 2 so far, the other one is still stuck in my parts car. And I have yet to try clearing out the condenser. Not looking forward to that at all.

What did they use for your filter/dryer? Is there an original-looking replacement or was your original one rebuilt if that's even possible?

And what if anything was done with your compressor? It looks like it's original in your picture. Did they have to rebuild it or is that oil compatible with anything still in the compressor?
If everything goes according to plan, I'll be using an A6 compressor with the rest of my system being original.

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just looking for the best way to get mine working again.
So far as a replacement for R12 or R134a, this Envirosafe stuff sounds like a good option.

Thanks for indulging me, I do appreciate your help.

Rick

[Cadman-iac]

  I found out that they do have a product that is supposed to replace R12, but reading some of the claims I have to wonder if it's really as good as they claim. If I read it right, a 4oz can will replace up to 3lbs of R12. They also claim that it will reduce moisture in the system, which they don't explain in any way.
 
It sounds like it's a great product if it can do all that's claimed.  I'll wait and reserve judgment until I see more proof.
I've got a while before I'm ready to charge my system anyway.
I hope your system keeps running smoothly with this stuff. It sounds like it's working out for you.
Thanks again for the information.

That really is a beautiful car. I hope mine will turn out half as nice as yours. Happy motoring!

Rick

[Bob Kielar]

Hello Rick,
To answer your questions yes I would have changed to enviro safe because r12 is getting quite pricey. It was recommend to me by a fellow member that has used it for years and he lives in Arizona. If my system was not converted to R-134 I would have used enviro with the mineral oil. But to my knowledge the mineral oil and sprang oil are not compatible. We did not what to chance that all would be removed and at $100.00 and hour for his labor it was decided to use enviro-safe. Nothing was done to the dryer. He flushed out the compressor and filled with ester 100 oil. I had to buy a used a5 compressor because my original main seal leaked and when I called the place in Florida it was $1,000.00 to repair now I heard they don't repair them. He used 4 8oz.cans to fill the empty system.

If you have a spare site glass or no someone who does I'm in the need of one.

Have patience I'm sure your Cadillac will turn out stunning.

Keep Cruzin,
Bob Kielar

[Cadman-iac]

I'm not sure if I even have a complete system. None of the vehicles I've gotten parts from including my own had everything on them.  I have just one dryer, 2 condensers, and 3 evaporators, and I honestly don't know if there's a sight glass in the bunch. Where is it supposed to be located exactly? After the dryer I'm guessing, in the line going to the evaporator. Now you've got me wondering and I'm gonna have to go look for it.
I know that in later years it was incorporated into the dryer, and I've been considering using a newer style on mine, because I seriously doubt that the original one I have is going to be usable. It's been disconnected and left hanging from one of the lines for decades now.

Thanks again for all the information and your time.
Enjoy washing your car, and remember that the thicker the bugs, the wider the grin!!

Rick

[Bob Kielar]

Hello Rick,

Here is a picture of the site glass to the left of the core support bottom line.

Keep Cruzin,
Bob Kielar

[Cadman-iac]

  I looked at my 56 parts car and it does have a sight glass still on it. I also forgot to mention yesterday that I also have the original compressor on that car as well.
So between 3 vehicles, I've got 1 complete system, I think.
  Thanks for your help and the picture.

 Rick