Hmm, maybe indeed wrong cross-member. (Re: Trusty "billy-goat" Wagon!) Dear GranSportSedan and V-8 Buick part-experts, Hmm, what I difference a year makes. Last time I visited the G-Force website, I recall only one cross-member being made for the 1965 Buicks. I visit the site today and . . . . . . http://www.crossmembers.com/shop/in...k&Year=1965&osCsid=0eedm0ovfprb2uku71o76nqj31 They have two different models now: one for sedans and one for what they call "convertible or boxed frame." I'll get on the horn with Orinda Motors tomorrow morning. Perhaps this problem can be solved as easily as getting another cross-member. Definitely the "more better" solution. Cheers, Edouard :beer
Our Special wagons do not have the boxed frame...but sport wagons do. Nevertheless, a call is in order. They may have supplied you with the boxed frame version thinking you had a Sporty.
Hasty measuments not adding up. (Re: Trusty "billy-goat" Wagon!) Hi Ted and V-8 Buick wagon fans, Thanks for answering the question I should have asked. I've always wondered which frame Biquette was on - now I know! Sure enough, G-Force makes two transmission cross-members for 1964-72 applications. The one for the boxed frame is 43-1/4" wide (according to their website: ) http://www.crossmembers.com/shop/cr...member-400-convertible-boxed-frame-p-379.html The cross-member for the sedan frame is supposed to be "approximately" 53-5/8" wide: http://www.crossmembers.com/shop/cr...s-tempest-gto-crossmember-hardtops-p-380.html Unfortunately, I ran over to Orinda Motors this morning and when Greg and I tried to measure this width, it appeared to be even wider. Still, I can't imagine G-force wouldn't have a cross-member for every frame built at that time, nor could Biquette be some oddball. So I assume Greg and I goofed in taking the dimension. I'll get back on this one later on and nudge Orinda Motors to purchase the other model of cross-member. It has to fit. Oh well, all sorts of "fun" surprises on this project. ou: Thanks for the help! :TU: Cheers, Edouard :beer
How did the headers fit? Rather than modify the bracket for the compressor can you rotate the body so the fittings are on the side? Or get elbows to attach the hoses from the side? just some ideas... - Bill
Header fit? - tight! (Re: Trusty "billy-goat" Wagon!) Hi Bill and assertive engine fans, Well, they are tight but everything seems to fit thus far. Here are a few pictures: As reported, there is very little space between the headers and the steering linkage. However, the Ididit linkage is narrower than the original Buick parts. It looks like that will be okay. However, the jury will remain out of on this question until the cross-member is finally secured and the engine is where it belongs. Rotating the compressor appears to be possible, I'm going to check into this today. Cheers, Edouard :beer
Cross-member installed (Re: Trusty "billy-goat" Wagon!) Dear followers of da' trusty wagon soap opera, Greg put in another Saturday of overtime and succeeded in getting the transmission cross-member installed with the help of some custom brackets. Sure enough the cross-member that Orinda Motors bought was for the convertible frame instead of the sedan. Alas, getting sedan version didn't look very promising as it claimed the width was around 53" and the distance on Biquette was over 54". Greg claimed that even if GM had "standardized" frames by 1965, each division had their own production runs of these frames and that permitted slight variations. So no matter what, some sort of custom bracket would be needed. Here is a photo of the transmission finally in the right place: This now brought the engine where it should end up more or less. Alas, it appears to me at least that this isn't enough to get the A/C compressor to fit under the hood even if it is turned 90˚: Odds are Greg will have to somehow modify the bracket. Oh well . . . . . . The other clearance issue was the breather on the driver's side valve cover and the master brake cylinder. Greg think this might be okay, but I'm not so sure: That's all the work Greg was able to this weekend. However, there is more hopeful news. Orinda Motors has hired another mechanic who started yesterday. Better still, this guy also likes to work on classic cars. Perhaps Greg will finally get some relief and maybe even some help. He sure can use it, because this was the work bay at Orinda Motors this morning: Yup, 5 classic cars getting attention all at the same time on a regular work day. Classic cars were outnumbering modern cars in the work-bay by more than 2:1!! Not only that, there were 3 more classic cars needing a little luv parked on the property! So my trusty wagon is not short of other classics to talk to! That's the report for the day. Hopefully progress will indeed start to pick up soon. Cheers, Edouard :beer
I don't know, I think if that compressor is rotated 90* it would fit. Hoods are kind of hollow and sometimes have more room than it appears. If you are good with pouring oil in on the passenger side, do as Jim suggested and swap the valve covers.
Division of labor!! (Re: Trusty "billy-goat" Wagon!) Dear Randall and fans of da' trusty wagon, Honestly, these problems can wait! I hope you are correct on the compressor and think Jim's advice on the valve covers is probably on the mark, but I'll let Greg at Orinda Motors stew over these for a while. What little time I could devote to the trusty wagon today went into finalizing a design for a replacement glove box liner. I really need to shift gears and go back to multi-tasking. There are a bunch of questions I was supposed to have answered by now!! Oh well, . . . . . . just another normal day on this mellerdrama!! Cheers, Edouard :beer
Drive shaft installed (Re: Trusty "billy-goat" Wagon!) Dear followers of da' trusty wagon soap opera, I wasn't expecting it, but Greg put in another day of overtime yesterday. It was mostly a day of tying together lose-ends from the previous work. He put back the inner fender. He started routing some of the Vintage air system hoses. In particular, he needed to route a heater hose through a Vintage Air device and couldn't do it without mounting it on the firewall: So the firewall won't be as clean as it otherwise might be, but hey, this is driving car so a little engine bay clutter is to be expected. Greg also got around to "clocking" the A/C compressor 90˚: Greg thinks this might be enough to get the hood closed. We'll see, sure is going to be mighty tight. Finally, Greg installed the drive shaft: I was a bit surprised, but it fit perfectly. My understanding was that usually the drive shaft "almost fits," but Greg put the engine as far forward as possible and the G-Force cross-member is specifically designed to get a 200-4R tranny into an A-body. Perhaps the shaft length issue comes up when you try to reuse the old cross-member. That's the progress report for today. Greg actually needs his Saturday next week, but who knows, with Orinda Motors back up to full staffing, maybe he can start nibbling on Biquette during the work week. Thanks for all your support!! :TU: Cheers, Edouard :beer
I'm loving every minute of the diary, Edouard. I have always had a soft spot for your project, perhaps explained best by this photo: That's my late father, engineer at Buick, where I grew up in Flushing, MI. Apparently our parents had good taste in automobiles, all the way down to the color. Keep up the good work!!! Devon
Thanks for the memories! (Re: Trusty "billy-goat" Wagon!) Dear Devon and fellow V-8 Buick members with memories of kinder times, Wow!! Indeed quite a coincidence!! Yes, that would bring a personal angle to efforts for you. Hope indeed it brings back memories of a time when life wasn't quite so complicated. Thanks for sharing the photo! :TU: Cheers, Edouard :beer
Power steering hoses, wiper motor, gas tank (Re: Trusty "billy-goat" Wagon!) Dear trusty wagon fans, Quick progress report because now I'm the bottleneck with the glove box liner. Greg is now able to work on my trusty wagon during the week and - WOW! he is blazing ahead! He was able to adapt a Chevy El Camino hose for the power steering and then cut the return hose: He also got the Selecta Speed wiper motor installed and the wiring harness through the firewall: The battery tray is back in and Greg is confident he can route the A/C hoses underneath to the compressor: Finally, Greg is about to get the tank tank installed: Should be installed by now. He was also asking me how to set up the triplet of instrument gauges so they will probably get installed soon. So I really need to get all the rest of the dash stuff ready!! Back to work I go!! Cheers, Edouard :beer
Looking good! I'm gonna have to look into that El Camino hose for my Skylark, looks short and clean, just what my car needs. Mine is all bunched up because I'm still using the V6 one.
Need year of the hose? (Re: Trusty "billy-goat" Wagon!) Hi Randall and V-8 Buick trusty wagon fans, Well, I'm catching up on all the stuff I need to deliver but now I've got a deadline!! Would you like to know which year of El Camino that Greg got that hose from? Greg is a clever guy, but he doesn't have time to document all the fancy tricks he is up to. So if anybody sees something they like - ask me now!! Things are going so fast around here that if you want to repeat the trick you've gotta ask now or most likely we won't able to figure out how it was done when you finally need it! Cheers, Edouard :beer
No need to ask him. I'll figure it out and actually will probably require a different one any how as I'm running a later model steering gear and pump. I just hadn't thought to check another year/make, but now I will. :TU:
EZ-EFI system coming together. (Re: Trusty "billy-goat" Wagon!) Dear loyal followers of da' trusty wagon soap-opera, Well, can you believe it. Greg didn't work overtime this weekend. He said he had to go to a wedding!! Such a lame excuse!! :laugh: However better still, Greg is now working up a storm - during the workweek!! On Friday, the engine bay was looking so familiar that I couldn't recognize all the changes!! The Edelbrock air cleaner from Biquette's old carburetor is being "recycled" for the moment, so the scene was strangely familiar!! However, it wasn't the old carb anymore but something very different indeed: Greg had also found a spot to park the computer module in the corner of the firewall: Greg had most of the wiring for the EZ-EFI system completed by Friday. This morning he was charging ahead with the fuel lines. Greg had also gotten started with the wiring around the dashboard. The triplet of gauges were already in: This morning I dropped off the restored speedometer bezel assembly, radio bezel assembly, the new glove box liners, and the modified Custom Autosound stereo. So Greg has plenty more goodies to install on da' trusty wagon. It has been a long hard road but finally the process is fast and furious!! Cheers, Edouard :beer
Fuel hook-up completed and A/C condenser installed (Re: Trusty "billy-goat" Wagon!) Dear followers of da' trusty wagon soap opera, After a bit of furious work, the pace as slowed some, but progress continues. Greg completed getting the EFI hoses and associated hardware connected. Here is where he put the pressure regulator: Yes the firewall is getting a little crowded, but the stuff has go somewhere. Here is the front of the gas tank with the fuel lines and electrical for the pump all hooked up: Yes indeed the dipstick tube is in and Greg thinned the dipstick so that . . . . . you can actually slide it down and check the oil level! As you can expect it is a bit of a tight fit and takes the predicted wiggle to get the dipstick all the way down. Greg has turned his attention to the front of the engine bay to install the transmission cooler, A/C condenser and radiator. In order to get everything to fit he had to nudge over the battery tray by about 2 inches: Greg has hidden some of the A/C hoses and the dryer behind the battery so that will reduce the engine bay clutter some: Here is the condenser viewed from the front. The transmission cooler is on the passenger side in front the condenser (sorry, it is a out of focus.) Finally, Greg secured the condenser with a bracket that you can see in this photo: So the car is coming back together. I dropped off the outer A/C vent assemblies that I finally was able to put back together. I had bought felt that was too thick. ou: So I had to scramble and find 1mm felt tape. That is thick enough to cushion the balls but thin enough to allow them to move. I'll do a separate write-up on that eventually. Now Greg has everything that he should need to finish putting the car back together . . . . . . . until the next surprise!:shock: That's your update for today! Cheers, Edouard :beer
Looking good. I feel for you on the engine bay and firewall filling up fast. I gave up trying to manage it down, and it shows =P
