Projects It's Terrific When A Thing Works.

After yanking the doggone thing apart in early November- searching for a miss resulted in one Rocket motor disassembled and slowly rebuilt [thanks again to Kenneth Abbott over in Crane, Texas who did the heads to a fare-thee-well]- the vehicle, fondly appended the 'Olds-Immobile' by a wag up north, is back haunting the road down here after 13 years of sitting like a damn bump on a log.

The best means of learning is when things go wrong- when one has to do something twice, thrice, again and again and again it tends to remain in memory, eg. a lesson learned. Over the 32 years we've been together- I was a pup of 23 when she and I crossed paths back in South Dakota- I thought I knew her, but nope, I had another think coming. I knew her as a sweet mother but she has a dark dominatrix side and seemed to take great pleasure in making me feel like a broken toy, night after night, coming back for more punishment every day. Real Krafft-Ebbing territory.

You will note she is not exactly a Kustom- Hell, one by one she flung off Moon discs in favor of her stock hubbies and despite some fancy headwork she would likely try to kill me if I snuck up with the Edmunds manifold I bought here on the forum back in ought-one; it's still hanging on the garage wall, so I guess that goes into the lesson category if not Ebay down the line- but that's all right.

At the moment she is having a huge laugh scream at my, what is it, 8th attempt to get the vacuum wiper motor working properly. How can I fix a Hydramatic if I can't fix that? But after entertaining thoughts of using the horrible thing for target practice, I'll make another attempt. What am I gonna do, buy a new one? Let someone else take a crack at it? Nawp. Nothing to do but make the thing work.

 

That li'l 88 would have an electric wiper motor conversion POST HASTE, were she in my employ...

 

after you install a working wiper motor I bet she would appreciate a little lowering front & rear

 

I loved my 55 two door sedan.

 

Tell her your not going to spend any more money on her and she will straighten up!

 

Drive her down to the parts store and buy some 36 grit grinder discs. Leave em' lying on the dash, just as a reminder for what could happen.

 

At least she's pretty to look at for sure.

 

I agree she's too darn purdy to be just sitting around. She needs to be pampered and rode hard.
And she's right those original full caps look as nice as mini skirt on a tall thin woman.
A nice set of modern wipers and a full tank of good gas, she's good to go.

 

https://www.newportwipers.com/products.php?year=1955-56&make_id=9

 

Check the electric wiper conversions for 55-57 Chevy's- should be the same as Olds.

 

You should write more if you don't already...and glad to see her on the road...

 

You can sell the Edmunds for enough $$ for dual pipes, a Super 88 4 barrel, & cutting 2 coils up front.
Check the engine mounts & kickdown linkage before doing any trans work ...
'49 - '56 Olds 2 door sedans are always a treat - yours looks like a good one.

 

Love your car and your writing style.

 

Um, does the radio turn on by itself?

 

Fun read and great Olds. I learned a long time ago that not everything has to work to have a good time.

 

I like it just the way it sits. My dad had one kinda like this he bought new in '55, same color combination, but a Super 88 4 door. I have to ask about your avatar. It looks like the trademark for Red Owl food stores to me. I worked my way through high school and college at the local Red Owl in Wayzata, Minnesota. I haven't thought about it in years. Seeing the car (with '55 Minnesota plates) and your avatar took me back 60 years.

 

Thanks, guys. I'll pass on the kind words to the old tub, it'll make her feel special. I think she will stay more-or-less stock- her garagemate is the one sitting pack-o'-smokes close to the deck.

Hey, El C- long time. Still have that Torino?

I'm doing all I can to avoid an electric wiper motor- too 'spensive, and and if I'm worth my salt I should eventually be able to conquer the dumb Trico. Besides, vacuum-operated gizmos are frankly so cool and weird I'm likely to jump through my own tuchus to make them work properly, just 'cause.

And yes, that is the Red Owl logo. Out of context I find it as sharp as, say, the Clay Smith Cams 'pecker, and a special inside joke between us Midwesterners.

 

As to the vacuum wiper deal, there is a thread on the Ford Barn about this. We have been discussing both vacuum reservoirs and booster pumps. It looks like a proper booster pump with a vacuum switch would be the ideal solution. Unfortunately, 6 volt pumps are few and far between, and expensive when you can find one. You don't have that problem with your Oldsmobile.

 

Hey Dan, car looks good. Those vacuum wiper motors are pretty sturdy, what makes them not work is the seals dry up. Inadequate sealing, and therefore poor performance. I think many have leather seals, so try getting that apart and get that old dried leather to soften up. Even without taking it apart, some oil into the air intake to get inside and to those seals should help a lot.

 

COOL!

 

Beautiful car, and wonderful prose!

I'm sure that she will make you give her all she needs!

 

Evidently what she needs is to place glass shards under my eyelids.
I'm to the point now where I can dis/reassemble a vacuum wiper motor in my sleep, not lose any of the dippy Martian screws, yet somehow fail to achieve proper operation of the unit. What gives, man? Threats don't help- I tried that, repeatedly. The motor's various parts and passages are clean as a cat's ass in a white-tile room, all parts are slathered in lubricants oilier than Ted Cruz, and the motor is connected to a vacuum signal of 17 inches yet it performs about as fast as old people eat, and naps at will, again like old people.

I'm not doing this to be obsessive, and I have heard of Rain-X- see, in Texas one needs working wipers in order to pass inspection and though it is possible the subject may not come up it's unlikely. They have a checklist, I'm told. So unless I'm content the vehicle should be a paperweight this is an obstacle that must be surmounted. Priced an electric wiper conversion? Hoo boy- not a lot of difference between those gizmos and burning a pile of twentys in the driveway- to me also it's tantamount to failure and thus not an option, plus it cuts into the sandwich budget. I'll tell you what, I'm about ready to light a candle to appeal to St. Anthony, Patron Saint of Lost Causes. Drove a Studebaker, Tony did.

Sheesh. What can one say about vacuum? It sucks, that's what.

 

SilGlide silicone grease did a wonder of world for me old '39 gal whom couldn't wipe tears from her looking glass.
Tri this, slathered all inside.
Before I got this done, passed inspection by dropping the linkage under the dash and operated it by hand when I revved the engine to distract the inspector. Little did he know that should have stalled them.
Good Luck

 

Antique tags exempt you from inspection, the tags are good for 5 years. There are restrictions, but John Law doesn't seem to care.

 

Yup, even in Houston where the '58 has more working options than anything rollin' in the Heights.

 

I like the way you think- the manual fakeout is hilarious. Distracto The Magician!

First couple go-rounds I used Sil-Glide- the stuff is Miracle-In-A-Bottle for rebuilding brake cylinders- but it proved too sticky for the Trico unit. Found that a mixture of assembly lube and ATF was slippery enough to work, sufficiently thick to avoid suction into the intake. The problem is not friction, the paddle swings more happily than key party participants, but some...thing else.

 

I could not find a 1950s era rebuild procedure, but this one sounds believable.
It includes a "how to lubricate the motor" section for the assembled motor.
https://www.mafca.com/downloads/Technical/Lubricating the Trico Vacuum Wiper.pdf

This claims to be derived from original Tric0 documents.
http://www.ply33.com/Repair/wiper

 

Rome truck parts Rome Georgia, they have parts for the air and I believe vacume wipers and are very helpful

 

Any resolution?

 

How to Hot Rod your girl friend : Strip her down, and put a straight stick in 'er.