Flat-top 1960 Cadillac - Time to get rollin'

Well, some progress! The cylinders are now thirty over and the new cam bearings and cam are in place. The heads have been cleaned and ready for surfacing, guides, hardened exhaust seats, valves, etc...i hope it gets assembled soon, but my engine man is a busy guy, so till then i'll be waiting patiently!

 

Cadillac Motor Division decided flare the centre of the dipstick tube, to act as a stop point when installing it into the block so that the stick only will slide in to the tube to the exact depth for correct level indication. This flare is a good idea but, it weakens the tube and they are notorious for breaking at that point, which mine was. My oldest brother just repaired mine for me...

 

Dropped it off, and i am glad to see some progress!!

 

Love them old Caddys.Please keep the updates coming.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

Wow!!!I am liking this!!!Looks beautiful all cleaned up like that!!So I see 0.030" took care of the scaling/pitting in the bores?Good job, Sir!!

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If i don't get the motor and transmission back by the third of June, i am going to be in trouble...i am seriously keeping my fingers crossed!

 

I like what I'm seeing!

 

Unfortunately this automobile will not be goin back to the fifties in St. Paul, MN. What can i say?...it just didn't seem to time out. i will still continue with the build, but if there is no interest, this will be all she wrote for this thread.

The motor is assembled, but there is transmission issues. Thanks for tuning in, but i can't blame ya if You feel like changing the radio station haha!

 

I enjoy looking at build threads and yours is great. A friend of mine had a Caddy 4 dr many years ago but didn't keep it long, he preferred more acceleration rather than luxury. Love watching this go together.

 

Wow!!That is one sweet-looking motor right there!That's also a lot of progress in the couple months I've been following Your thread. You have a good-looking car just the way it sits. Who cares about one "show", Just do the trans and rest of the mechanicals and find other places to go!

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Keep the build thread going!! BTTF isn't what makes this build cool.

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Ummmmmm ...... interested. I have 3000 likes to spend. Whatever those do .... clicky finger ready ....

 

Right on! Thanks alot chriseakin, Sauli, TLDLTD, and kidcampbell71! Sayin' that...this show will continue!

Would anybody happen to know where to find this spring-steel wavy washer?? If so, i would like to buy a half-dozen of them. There is a GM part number shown...

 

It is known as the release spring...

 

Hell no. I don't even know what the hell it is ... but I like it. 2998 more to go ! Thanks buddy !! Onward ho !

 

Have you tried ebay or Craigslist?
Those would be my guess, but I know nothing about Cadillac so don't listen to me.

 

Hahhahhaaa! Cheers!

 

At this point, i will try anything haha! Thanks for the tip!

 

FYI

I googled the part number and spring and found some available on eBay for around 20 bucks shipped.

 

I rebuild the Jetaway from my 1960 caddy over the winter myself (twice because I messed up the 1st time).
Just about any part is available from Dave Edwards of Auto Tran (www.autotran.us), he is awesome and actually answers the phone personally. or Fatsco Transmissions (www. fatsco.net) I believe they both sell the wavy spring.

There's a great, incredibly detailed website entry that a dude made when he rebuilt his 1960 Caddy trans, I must have read it 20 times and studied the pics, I was having similar problems, and his descriptions helped me to understand the transmission: (http://www.photopaige.com/edscars/60caddy/CaddyWebSitev2_files/TrannyRebuild2.htm). this pic shows his spring busted too.

My mistake was not taking every little thing apart, You have to make a special tool to take apart the assembled front coupling unit, so I skipped that (because I always self-defeat at critical moments)....after the rebuild, reassembly and re-installation the tranny was still messed up (still stuck in 1st gear), so I had to pull it out then apart and start over only to find the seals in the front coupling unit were FUBAR, once that was fixed it worked great.

The other image is that devil coupling unit, always buy multiple sets of spaghetti seals, I found only the thinner ones would go past the cover undamaged. I also didn't align the cover properly and destroyed it putting it back together, luckily Dave Edwards stocks repops. He lives here in Mass near me, very knowledgeable. Rebuilding the tranny was by far more difficult than rebuilding the motor.

 

By the way, keep the thread going! I look for it whenever I boot HAMB up, love that 60 Caddy.

 

i really appreciate all of that info. Thanks alot ewob53 and clunker!!

 

i ordered 2 to start, and they've been shipped!!

 

June 16 right around the corner, you can make it!!! Possible?

If you don't it's ok, just as fun to me to be underneath as it is to be cruising.

 

Well, fellas... More transmission issues... Haha! ...no-big-deal since now I'm not tryin to meet a wild date. The aluminum coupling cover was destroyed after havin' a look. ...so i went to the back forty and went digging for a fine specimen, and came up with this:
...not as bad, but still, absolutely busted haha! Back to sourcing parts, but why not? You seriously can't spell 'trust' without 'rust'!
Thanks to everybody again for all the information help and encouragement!!

 

I had to get a repop of that cover from Autotran, they should still have em. I didn't align it right then broke it on the 4 protrusions. That thing is a real xxxxx to get back together, I must have broke 10 sets of spaghetti seals trying. Good luck!

 

Thanks alot clunker!! i will keep that in mind!

 

By the way, i should mention that i'm still going to make it back to the fifties in an original, super-rare '60 Pontiac Laurentian 2 door post that i put together a few years ago, and with the great car club members we have, it will still be a super-deadly road-trip!! It's a 261ci spinnin' a 2 speed powerglide with new exhaust, re-cored rad, stainless fuel tank, slight hint of previous mouse nests, no carpets, busted windshield, 4 new tires, non-operational speedometer, wicked stereo (hidden in the glove-box), and a complete set of workin' head/tail/brake/park/signal lights!!

Feel no sorrow for me... There will be some awesome memories made from this in the near future!

 

Awesome! Tres bienne! You love those 1960 GMs Me too. Have fun