[Rachelsdad]

Remember: Penetrating oil is your friend, and your friend wants to help you. Multiple applications over several days (or weeks) in conjunction with some gentle persuasion with the torch should tell you whether your efforts will pay off (frozen is frozen, and you should know soon enough). A little wiggle is a good sign.

Congrats on the battery hold down install (luckily, both of my '56's have their original clamps bolted to the fender).

Preloading fuel line: I wouldn't. You'll need to prime the carb to get started, and if the fuel pump is in good shape (rebuilt or new), you should have no problem pulling from the tank as long as the lines are clear (or new). By the time you run through what you've poured into the bowl, you should be pumping to the carb. If not, give her another prime and try again. It shouldn't be a protracted affair; once or twice through (ether - also marketed as "starting fluid" is also good for this).

Tank coating: Generally, the tank should be fine either uncoated or just schpritzed with undercoating to match the rest of the underside of the car (I happen to like the uniform flat black of the undercoating contrasted with the galvanized straps and SS exhaust I have, but that's probably just me). The factory did not put any kind of special coating on the tank, just undercoating IME. It's more the inside of the tank which is the concern, but even there, I've always been hesitant to coat an otherwise solid tank.

[Safari Larry]

Agree with the good advice by Lewis. For loosening the radiator drain cock, be careful about applying heat there. The core is attached to the bottom tank by soldering, and you don't want to melt the solder. Hopefully, penetrating oil will do the trick. You are making great progress, looking forward to your E-day.

[Parkman51]

Very little got done today, other than getting my arm thoroughly greasy. Until Tuesday, when I'm going to try to torch those bolts loose, I'm going to hit all 3 fittings with some WD-40 Special Penetrant at least once a day, and twice if I can get to it.

Tank didn't get reinstalled yet, it's a 2-man job to Tetris it into position and I didn't have a helper today. Hopefully tomorrow or Monday.

I'm aiming for the oil change tomorrow or Monday as well, and hoping for no more stuck bolts. Though if we do run across some, we're already setting up for the Bolt Removal Spectacular on Tuesday, so it'll just add to the list.

If everything goes well, it looks like E-Day will be in about ten days, giving enough time for the petcocks to come in and do all the small things. If however my most dedicated persuasion can't convince any of the fittings to move, then E-Day might happen earlier, since I won't have to wait for the petcocks. We shall have to see!

Today's two questions:
1. White Post says that Treadle-Vac units shouldn't be used with DOT 5 fluid. Should I use DOT 3, 4, or 5.1?

2. It looks like the vacuum wiper motor is simply gone. Should I attempt to replace it with vacuum or just put in an electric one? CPR's catalog shows that they have electric conversion kits.

[Parkman51]

Righty-ho, I reinstalled the tank, and without a helper, to boot. Two-man job, phooey. It tried, and it almost succeeded, but I beat it in the end.

However, we have run into a snag: the fuel lines don't line up. Photo below. I'm very reluctant to go around bending fuel lines - but can if it's necessary. Is the best solution to just buy a foot of nicopp line, make a loop, and plumb it in as is?

[Goatracer1]

Is that a reproduction sender? I found that the one we recently tried to install was not only incorrect on the OUTSIDE of the tank but it was incorrect on the INSIDE also. Make sure you compare the 2.

[Rachelsdad]

Originally Posted by Parkman51

1. White Post says that Treadle-Vac units shouldn't be used with DOT 5 fluid. Should I use DOT 3, 4, or 5.1?

2. It looks like the vacuum wiper motor is simply gone. Should I attempt to replace it with vacuum or just put in an electric one? CPR's catalog shows that they have electric conversion kits.

1. Billy recommended I use DOT 3. DOT 4 is likely not required, but ask White Post for the current recommendation. I would guess it's still DOT 3, unless you're really planning to drive hard (and hot). Good article on brake fluid comparison: https://brakeshub.com/dot-3-vs-dot-4...1-brake-fluid/ .

2. I can't speak to the conversion. One of my '56's had the electric motor option installed; the other is vacuum. I managed to procure a NOS electric motor, but I will have both units overhauled (old grease is simply not helpful, and if you do get stuck in the rain, not having wipers is no joy).

Steve Hackel at Restoration Service (http://restorationservice.net/?page_id=8) is the guy to contact regarding electric wiper motor rebuilding/restoration. As for finding an electric motor as a core, eBay is currently coming up empty for me. You may need to contact Desert Valley Auto Parts (https://www.dvap.com). Their salvage yard does show a couple of '55's in stock (no idea what's left on them or whether they may have any motors on the shelf). (A note of warning about Desert Valley: All that glitters is not gold. They will send you pictures before you accept the purchase, but their packing leaves a lot to be desired and the pictures may not tell all the story - you need to ask for more if you are at all unsure.)

The above notwithstanding, California Pontiac Restoration does show an electric wiper motor which is supposed to mount in the factory position using factory mounts and such. It's probably similar to the offering from Ames (I haven't compared). On the upside, a reasonably convincing modern motor, while expensive by itself, might be cheaper than finding a core and having it rebuilt. If showing the car, this would make a difference, of course, but for driveability, the modern motor may function better overall, I simply can't say as I've never used one.

[Parkman51]

Today I installed a new fuel line bridge hose - there was no reason to use the old one when a new one was so cheap, and the old one was kinked anyway. New hose clamps too.



Goatracer, the sending unit is a reproduction, but it looks almost identical to the new one (I've posted pictures of both - the old one when I pulled it out, and the new one when it came in the mail). I think it'll work fine on the inside, I'm just wondering how I should best connect it up.

Rachelsdad, that's great advice. I don't intend to show this car, so I don't mind using a modern motor - but at the same time, I'm against drilling holes or making substantial changes. I need a car that works, but I'm reluctant to do anything that can't be undone. Owning a regularly-driven classic car feels like a balance between a motorist's necessity and a historian's responsibility - having been blessed with such a beautiful piece of machinery, it's my job to preserve it, in the best condition possible, for posterity.

Tomorrow, we shall see if we can dislodge any of the coolant ports! If we can, then I'll drain as much coolant as possible and flush extensively. If not, the coolant job will have to wait until I get a replacement lower hose, and we'll get at it that way. At some point in the future, I'll take the car in to a reputable shop to get a tune-up, and assuming any of the plugs remain stuck, I'll see if they can dislodge them at that time.

Today's two questions:
1. What should I do about the fuel line mismatch? Should I try to bend the lines and see what happens? With or without heating? Should I get some extra line and just connect them where they sit?



2. Reading the service manual, it says the oil should only be changed when the engine is warm, as the old oil will flow out better. Originally I planned to change the oil before starting the engine, but now I think I should wait. Recommendations?

[Rachelsdad]

Originally Posted by Parkman51

Rachelsdad, that's great advice. I don't intend to show this car, so I don't mind using a modern motor - but at the same time, I'm against drilling holes or making substantial changes. I need a car that works, but I'm reluctant to do anything that can't be undone. Owning a regularly-driven classic car feels like a balance between a motorist's necessity and a historian's responsibility - having been blessed with such a beautiful piece of machinery, it's my job to preserve it, in the best condition possible, for posterity.

It truly is a balance. This is why I run Coker bias-look radials on my '63 (because being old enough to have driven on bias-ply tires, I know I don't want to do that anymore). I also agree that having the ability to return the car to stock-stock is important for the preservation of the history. This balance is why even the AACA makes exceptions for some things, such as dual master cylinders on cars which were never so equipped when new. (And one of my favorites is the steering column mounted turn signal unit for cars where turn signals were optional equipment.)

My philosophy is that as long as the "upgrade" has purpose and does not detract from the overall look of the vehicle, it's probably fine.

Tomorrow, we shall see if we can dislodge any of the coolant ports! If we can, then I'll drain as much coolant as possible and flush extensively. If not, the coolant job will have to wait until I get a replacement lower hose, and we'll get at it that way. At some point in the future, I'll take the car in to a reputable shop to get a tune-up, and assuming any of the plugs remain stuck, I'll see if they can dislodge them at that time.

With all that you're doing, I'd say taking the car somewhere for a tune-up would be a waste of time and money. By the time you get to the point of changing plugs, points, cap, rotor, and wires, you'll likely know more about this car than anyone you're likely to encounter at any shop local to you, anyway. (Tips: When installing new plugs, just a little 3-in-1 - or any light machine oil - on the threads will allow them to go in and come back out so much more easily than they might otherwise. Oh, and again, penetrating oil is your friend; and finally, be mindful of the "lateral twist" which often results in breaking the ceramic of the plug.) Anyway, we'll cross these bridges when you come to them.

Today's two questions:
1. What should I do about the fuel line mismatch? Should I try to bend the lines and see what happens? With or without heating? Should I get some extra line and just connect them where they sit?

I've had fuel line repairs with proper hose and clamps which served the purpose well. Also, on my '63, the line coming up from the pump to the in-line fuel filter is rubber, and that works just fine. If you are sure that the sending unit is indeed correct, I'd probably just use hose and clamps to make the connections and not worry with bending (no kinks are better than even one kink, and rubber bends so much better than metal). Best answer I can give, as I haven't (yet) faced your predicament with this one.

2. Reading the service manual, it says the oil should only be changed when the engine is warm, as the old oil will flow out better. Originally I planned to change the oil before starting the engine, but now I think I should wait. Recommendations?

Under normal conditions, I agree with the manual: current (read: recently used, not excessively aged) organic oil flows out better warm than cold. That's a fact of life. However, what you have in that crankcase is likely ages old and not capable of properly lubricating the engine at all. As a result, here's how I would handle this, assuming you are not going to do an engine overhaul to start:

Dump the oil as it stands and change the filter. (Again, these engines predate our modern filter designs; you may choose to convert to a modern spin-on filter or stick with the cartridge type. Larry can give you more guidance on this than I, as I am just learning my way around pre-1960's mechanicals - LOL) Your next oil change should be soon (1,000 miles? less?), and "by the book" (warm oil). The idea is that you likely have a lot of castor build up here and there, and you'll want to run that out in this first oil change. The filter should trap most of that, and other stuff should end up at the bottom of the pan. This will flow out more easily with the tide of warm oil. For now, though, the goal is just to get as much of the old, broken down, useless stuff out of there as possible without causing undue wear on the engine.

HTH

[Safari Larry]

Good advice from Lewis, as usual. Regarding wiper motor, my opinion, forget it for now. I've driven many times in rain with vacuum wipers on my 55 Pontiac (in 1960-63, Kansas City area). More recently, I've driven in heavy rain with my 56 Safari and vacuum wipers. They work. If you plan on driving in heavy rain in the future, then consider getting the electric unit. If you live in a dry area (I do), and don't plan to drive when it rains, then the vacuum wipers will be fine when you might get caught in the rain. I'm in the desert and have no plan to convert vacuum to electric wipers. We get 7-8 in of rain per YEAR, mostly in the winter. Where are you located?

Tuneups aren't difficult, unless you run into problems. But that's an opinion of someone that has done it many times so may be somewhat biased. You need feeler gauge, timing light, and tach/dwell meter. Gap the spark plugs, install new points/condenser and set points gap, check timing.

Agree about oil. Pay attention to current old oil and filter condition. Is oil black or does it look new? Whatever, per Lewis' recommendation, I would replace the old oil before E-day. If the old oil looked bad, then replace it again soon after. The canister filter you have works fine but it's more of a mess when changing the filter. Pontiac began using a spin-on filter in 1960 and you can replace your canister adapter with a 1960 or later spin-on adapter. I've also seen units on ebay for the conversion.

[Goatracer1]

I installed the electric wiper motor on my grandson's 1955 because it needed a new wiper motor and I couldn't see replacing it with another vacuum one. The one I installed was so easy it was unbelievable. I just removed the 2 screws holding the motor on removed the vacuum motor and installed the new electric one using the same 2 screws. Removed the switch from the dash replacing it with the one in the kit using the old knob for original look. Hooked up 12 feed and was done. Car now has 2 speed wipers.

[Parkman51]

Well, I have good news and bad news.

The bad news is that I was unable to dislodge any of the coolant ports, so was unable to drain any of the coolant. The good news is that, as I hope to be able to plumb in that fuel line tomorrow, tomorrow may very well be E-Day. Rachelsdad is a genius again, I don't know why I didn't think of using fuel line to connect the fuel line. I've got two spare hose clamps already, so if I can find a male and a female fitting, I'll be set. (Except I still haven't found a fuel filter? Unless it's behind a wheel, I've traced the whole fuel line from tank to carburetor).

Did some cleaning around the trunk and glove box, lubricated the glove box lock (it works now) and troubleshot the glove box light. Turns out, out of two screws, it was missing the one that gave it a secure ground - so I switched around the one remaining screw and it works perfectly now. I'll pick up a replacement for the second one at Ace tomorrow if I can find one.

Good thing I changed the oil, as it was all black. I'll change it again in 1000 miles or so, just to get rid of any remaining goop and nonsense. It was a pretty straightforward process, remove bolts, drain, replace, and refill. I didn't know if it would be bad pour all 6qts into one side, so I put 3qts into each side, and reinstalled the breather caps. One of the tabs was broken on the right cap, but it seems to be holding fine, so I won't worry about it.

On the windshield wipers: yes, absolutely, if I had the vacuum wipers I wouldn't be looking to change, but that part seems to be simply missing. I don't know how possible it is to find a replacement vacuum 'motor,' though if I could, it would make it easier to connect everything up. I live in Phoenix, so rain is quite uncommon, but I do think I should have them working, in case.



Today's two questions:
1. Assuming I get the fuel line connected, should I proceed with E-Day tomorrow despite not having flushed the coolant? Anything else I should know about the startup procedure, and anything I should watch/listen for if the engine runs?
2. How do I prime the carburetor?

[Safari Larry]

Great progress! My thoughts...

Coolant plugs: bummer you couldn't remove any of them. It isn't uncommon that you need to drain the radiator, but you can do that by partially removing the lower radiator hose. At some point, you might want to remove the radiator and take it to a radiator shop to remove the drain cock.

Oil change: you didn't mention the oil filter. Did you change it also? If not, you should. You added 6 quarts oil which is the amount to add IF you changed the filter.

Fuel filter: the only fuel filter between the tank and fuel pump is the "sock" on the end of the pickup tube in the fuel tank. Given that your fuel tank was in good condition, that should be good. I have an added filter just in front of the fuel pump but my gas tank was rusty. There should be an original glass fuel bowl between the fuel pump and carb that filters.

Windshield wipers: I somehow missed that your wiper motor was missing. Given that, it is your choice on getting an original vacuum motor or an electric. Go original with vacuum or non-original with electric. Of course, the electric will be better and safer in the rain but electric wiper wasn't offered for 55 Pontiacs, so it would be a points deducted in judging. Most people wouldn't notice it.

Question 1: You should be okay for E-day without flushing the coolant. Flushing coolant should be done but is more of a long-term issue. Watch for over heating when running the engine.

Question 2: Per the video previously given, when initially starting the engine, pour a little gas into the carb. You'll need one person in the car starting it and another at the carb dribbling a little gas into the carb. After the engine turns over several times, the fuel pump should kick in, fill the carb, and keep the engine running. Listen for any unusual noises.

[Bill Hanlon]

Originally Posted by Safari Larry

You'll need one person in the car starting it and another at the carb dribbling a little gas into the carb.

A third person with a fire extinguisher and a very wet large expendable bath towel to throw over the top of the carburetor is a good idea. Also, remove the threaded shaft that holds down the air cleaner so the towel can lay flat on the carb.

[Safari Larry]

Good call Bill with some safety considerations. We don't want to see that nice original Pontiac burned up, or its owner!

Bill Hanlon and I have been good e-friends for many years. He reviewed and gave comments on my scanned 1960 Master Parts Catalog before I published it on my website in 2007. He has articles on my website. He is especially knowledgeable about the GMC pickups with Pontiac engines. I've learned a lot from him.

[Parkman51]

Well, I don't know if I can say it was full E-Day today, but it was definitely partial E-Day, and a very encouraging Day at that!

I drove to an O'Reilly Auto Parts and picked up the male fuel line fitting quite easily, but it took two hours more to figure out the female. It turns out that, while the male fitting is a quite common product, the female is quite uncommon - in the end, I had to get a female-to-female union from Ace and go back to O'Reilly for a second male fitting.

If it's stupid and it works, it isn't stupid.

After that, however, I summoned a helper, poured some gas into the carb, and started cranking. Video of one cycle is here: https://youtu.be/3K6tSbiPUoc

This cycle I repeated seven times, but the gas still apparently hadn't made it all the way up from the fuel tank, so I called it quits (it was late). Yet I am vastly encouraged! It starts within a few seconds with gas in the carb, and (to me) sounds like it's running fine.

Today's two questions:
1. There appears to be a small leak from the fuel pump (not sure exactly where), so I'll probably have to pull that out and examine it at some point. Should I assume that the pump is at least working (since it's leaking) and try to get the engine running stably before removing and examining the pump, or should I assume the pump is broken and excavate it before further testing of the engine?

2. Anything else you notice, visual or audio, from the video that I should pay attention to?

[Parkman51]

More parts arrived today! New weatherstripping for the doors, my (presently useless) 3 petcocks, and a new gasket for the power antenna. Power antenna gasket went on quite easily, and I polished the chrome. Then I also removed the old weatherstripping from the two driver's side doors, which was a colossal mess. I did also find some rust under the weatherstripping on the bottom of the doors, but I'll think about that later.



Today's two questions:
1. Please read yesterday's post, watch the video, and let me know your thoughts! I think I may have found the leak on the fuel pump (if I'm right, it's just the fitting on the outbound fuel line. I'll have questions on that tomorrow, hopefully).
2. No other questions today! Thanks to all of you, as always, for your generously shared advice.

[Parkman51]

Today, I worked a bit more on the fuel line, discovered at least one fuel filter, and disassembled the horn ring to see what was going on.

Fuel line and fuel filter: Larry mentioned that there should be a glass bowl in the line between the fuel pump and the carb, but my fuel line is prebent steel pretty much all the way. I removed that to ensure it was clear, and noticed a large bolt on the carb itself, right where the fuel line went in. I remove it, and lo and behold, a filter! Maybe a fuel filter was built into the 4-barrel carburetor that obviated the need for an inline filter?



Anyway, the fuel line was clear, but it's a good thing I removed it, because something odd is going on. It looks like this line originally had 2 fittings on it, one on each end, and the line was flared ever so slightly to prevent the fittings sliding off and create a good seal. At the fuel pump (the right side in the picture), the threads of the fitting on the pipe were wrapped in plumber's tape and the hex head was severely rounded (I suspect this is what was leaking), but the junction fitting between the pipe and the fuel pump looked fine. On the carburetor side, the original fitting that I assume was on that side of the pipe was totally missing. Someone had put a male-to-male union on the carburetor, then hose-clamped a piece of fuel line to the threads of the union and the bare fuel pipe.



As to the horn ring, I'm pretty sure the gasket or bumper (or whatever rubber thing that is) is cooked, fried, and entirely unusable. CPR has something, but it looks like it's the wrong stiffness. https://www.pontiacparts.net/product...tor-foam-ring/



Today's questions:
1. (from Wednesday) What do you think/notice from the E-Day video?
2. Is there a way to fix the fuel line, or should I just order a new one from Inline Tube? https://www.inlinetube.com/products/...del=Star+Chief
3. While removing the weatherstripping (see yesterday's post) I found some rust at the bottom of the doors. What's the best way to deal with this?

[Safari Larry]

I was NOT correct when I said there should be a glass bowl between the fuel pump and carb. That was true for 56 Pontiacs but not 55, per the Master Parts Catalog (MPC), Group 3.890. The screen in your carb not a "filter". Pontiac documentation calls it a "fuel screen". See 55 Shop Manual p. 6B-1 for the fuel filter. Also, I discovered 55 Pontiacs did not originally have a filter on the fuel tank pickup line, that was new for 56.

Someone has screwed with the fuel pump to carb line and apparently removed the fuel filter. It might be best to get the replacement line. You may need a female adapter at the carb, I don't know what the fuel line carb side connection looks like.

The foam ring on horn ring needs to be replaced. I think the one from CPR will work.

Question 1. No comments on E-day start and short run. It is hard to say on a short video with sound.

Question 2. It sounds like the fuel line you have will work IF you can get the connection to the fuel pump fixed. Sounds like the tube needs to be cut and flared properly. Replacement might be the best option.

Question 3. Rust on bottom of doors is not uncommon. Use normal procedures for treating rust. Wire brush/clean the rusted area and paint. There is surely rust on the inner side of the door bottom also. Treating that means removing the door pad panel, removing metal panels, treating/painting rust as best you can, resealing the door, and installing the door pad panel. That will be a bit of a job. Procedures are available in "Body by Fisher Service News" on my website. You might put that on your future to-do list. Procedures are also available for installing door seals. I can provide some additional advice on that.

[Parkman51]

Today I ordered a new pump-to-carb fuel line (and some missing clips) from Inline Tube. Hopefully this will solve the problems with the old line. I begin to suspect that the fuel pump might not be working well, but there's a few tests I hope to run tomorrow to get more information.

Today's two questions:
1. I'm not sure what to do about the missing fuel filter, as neither Ames nor CPR nor anyone else I found has anything that looks like the diagram in the '55 shop manual - they list the glass-bowl type fuel filter as the appropriate one for 55-57. Is the best procedure, then, just to purchase one of the glass bowl filters and attach it between the pre-bent steel fuel line and the carburetor? There appears to be sufficient space.
2. On the topic of paint, here's the only site I found that seems to have a color match (if you know of any others, let me know). https://www.autocolorlibrary.com/pro...39435761090595 However, I don't have a spray-painting setup, and I'm not sure which type of paint to get - enamel, lacquer, urethane. What do I need to apply paint effectively, and what's the best choice?

[Safari Larry]

The leak on the output side of the fuel pump is an indicator that the fuel pump is somewhat working.

1. I'm not sure what to do about the missing fuel filter

Your choice. The glass-bowl type would look period correct (but not 55 correct). My 56 has a filter just in front of fuel pump. It's an inline filter connected to metal line with short pieces of fuel hose.

2. On the topic of paint

Use good primer before any paint. If the rust is only on the bottom of door, where it won't be seen, I would just get a similar color spray can from local hardware store.

If you are concerned about matching color of body, that can be done. First step is to determine the color of body. It appears to be Castle Grey (code 5509) or possibly White Mist (code 5540). Codes and paint charts are at THIS LINK. Then take the paint codes into a local auto paint store and they should be able to reproduce it. They can probably even put it in a spray can. I'm no paint expert, so comments by others encouraged, especially regarding paint sprayer for touchup work.

The Fisher Body Data Plate will show the paint code (and other useful info). That plate is normally on passenger's side cowl. In 56, and I would expect 55, the plate was moved to driver's side of cowl on AC equipped Pontiacs. Can you post a photo of your Fisher Body Data plate?

You can decode the Fisher Body Data Plate at https://www.pontiacsafari.com/L1Earl...ags/index.html