My '62 Electra 225

[CTX-SLPR]

Re: My '62 Electra 225

Albany, one of my Ops NCO's was the Air Force recruiter there around 5yrs ago and remembers the Marine base very fondly and now the other of my old Ops NCO's is the flight chief for that area. I hear it's a real nice area. Enjoy!

How much did it run you to ship the car?

[Page2171]

Re: My '62 Electra 225

Albany, one of my Ops NCO's was the Air Force recruiter there around 5yrs ago and remembers the Marine base very fondly and now the other of my old Ops NCO's is the flight chief for that area. I hear it's a real nice area. Enjoy!

How much did it run you to ship the car?

It was $900 to ship it there. My original plan was to ship it to my in-law's and store it until we can get settled in, but it would cost more to ship it to Minnesota than directly to Albany. So, I got a buddy who is already stationed there to receive it for me and park it until I get there in a few weeks.

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Re: My '62 Electra 225

Getting close to being able to work on the car again. The Buick arrived in GA the first week of June and was parked in a buddies driveway. I arrived in mid-July and initially had a hard time finding a place to live that met my needs (wanted 3-4 bedrooms and a two car garage), apparently garages are a luxury here. I found a place to live a few weeks later and got our stuff delivered. A couple of weeks ago I went and got the Buick running again and brought it over to the house, but it still had to stay outside because the garage was full of moving boxes. This weekend I got the garage cleaned up enough to get the Buick in...still needs some work, but the car is in. Today I washed the car because it was filthy after spending the last three and a half months outside. Will post the before and after wash pics later.

[Huskinhano]

Re: My '62 Electra 225

Glad to get an update. I likes me some old Buicks! Where you going in Georgia? You'll be pretty close to Maxton (look on the map for where I95 enters SC from NC - we're about 25 miles from there. We'll expect to see your smilin' face at the track!

Dan

Going to Albany...down in the SW area of Georgia. Was always wondering where Maxton was.

Albany, heh? Wow, I haven't been there in a very long time. I use to work for a company that made pallet wrapping machinery. I use to do work at Miller servicing the machinery. That would be in the very early 80's. I took a side trip to Plains also. Jimmy was finishing up in the White House. Had a beer at Billy's place. I have some old photos I'll have to scan and post. Wonder what Albany looks like now. It was a little bit busy back then.

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OK, I haven't done much of anything with the Buick in the two years I have been in Georgia. Spent most of the first year and a half travelling for work and the last six months learning a job. Anyway, I got off early today and I am in between college classes so I figured it would be a good time to work on the Buick. The plan: inspect the rear brakes since I couldn't find anything with the front brakes that would seem to cause the shuddering when I brake. What I found: it didn't start out as a brake problem, but definitely turned into a brake problem. Looks like an axle seal not doing its job anymore...oil all over the place behind the brake drum.

[TheSilverBuick]

How ya doing? Are those pressed on axle bearings or c-clips?

[Scott Liggett]

OK, I haven't done much of anything with the Buick in the two years I have been in Georgia. Spent most of the first year and a half travelling for work and the last six months learning a job. Anyway, I got off early today and I am in between college classes so I figured it would be a good time to work on the Buick. The plan: inspect the rear brakes since I couldn't find anything with the front brakes that would seem to cause the shuddering when I brake. What I found: it didn't start out as a brake problem, but definitely turned into a brake problem. Looks like an axle seal not doing its job anymore...oil all over the place behind the brake drum.

Grabby drums usually means oil, or brake fluid, contaminated. Good thing brake shoes are cheap.

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Scott, they are pressed in bearings. Looking at the manual replacing the seal should not be too hard...pull the axle out, replace the seal, put the axle back in (at least I hope it is that easy). I've got a mechanic buddy or two at work that should be willing to help me out with it at the auto hobby shop.

Oh yeah, the brake shoes are contaminated with oil. Everything under that drum is covered with oil.

[DanStokes]

You'll need a press and the bearing retainer has to be split. We used a big honking cold chisel - put it across the retainer and pound until it splits. At some point the retainer will get thin enough that it's pressed fit will cause the retainer to pop open. It's serious beating! The bearing will then push off pretty easily and the seal slides right off. One guy held the axle while the other guy did the beating. We used a big vise, slightly open, as the anvil.

The bearing will come with a new retainer (at least the GM ones did) and I think the seal was included in the bearing kit, too. Seems like we heated the retainer to install it but I'm not as sure on that (been MANY moons since I did one of these).

EDIT: Almost forgot - be sure to check the area where the seal rides. Sometimes we had to clean them up with crocus cloth or other mild abrasive sandpaper.

This was semi-common job at the Buick dealer.

Dan

[Deaf Bob]

Weld a bead on the race, not heating up the axle.. Flip it over so the flange's up and it will drop off...

[DanStokes]

You mean the retainer, Bob? The welder trick might work - we didn't have a welder to try that with.

Dan

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Thanks Dan for ruining my dream. I totally didn't think about the bearing being in the way of replacing the seal. Still doesn't sound terribly difficult, but replacing the bearing makes me a little nervous because I have never tried anything like this before. I just need to find somebody with more experience than me to give me a helping hand.

[DanStokes]

Very doable. Rather than someone with more experience, you need a guy with a strong hammer hand/arm and a big cold chisel (or a welder if Bob's trick works, which it should). No rocket surgery here.

Dan

[Deaf Bob]

Very doable. Rather than someone with more experience, you need a guy with a strong hammer hand/arm and a big cold chisel (or a welder if Bob's trick works, which it should). No rocket surgery here.

Dan

When pressed on, pressure is even all round the circle.. Just 1/4 or so is all needed at the extreme most.. I do about 1/8 of it then flip it and wait.. Beauty is it very seldom ever gets the axle too warm to touch ...
Another way is to cut 2 slots 180* apart with a small cut-off wheel and then whack it with a hammer, beauty of this is lack of extreme heat and you stop before cutting thru the race or pressed on part..
Both methods destroy bearings so they cannot be reused..
I have cut a little with a torch... But that method leaves too much heat..on the axles... That is the whole point..

[Huskinhano]

Reminds me of the Timken seminar I went on years ago. The instructor was telling us about a customer that had a rash of bearing failures. It was the correct bearing for the conditions and should have lasted for ever. The instructor was saying he was really stumped at why the bearings kept failing. So finally he asked the mechanic how he was installing them. Instead of pressing the bearing on the shaft, he was heating the bearings up cherry red with a torch so they would just slip on!