Projects 1955 Pontiac Star Chief: ChiefResurrection

Update

So stoked that the engine cranked over so easily, built oil pressure, and the horns sounded great....throaty 30 years from their last scream, factory! (Nod to Derek over at ViceGripGarage on YouTube).

NEEDED: If someone has some script lettering or knows who makes a replacement, the script on my dash is not all there. Ill check the want ads here. Let me know if you can help!

20190622_074058.script by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 7:58 AM

The radio is a good 8 pounds of weight. No idea if it works, it and the 10 pound amp that runs the speaker are both unknowns.

Not sure what i'm going to do with this. There are some fellers on the web that will take the original body and bring it up to modern internals, blue-tooth, etc,...so we'll see. Thoughts?

20190622_074113.radio_set by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 7:58 AM

20190622_074102.radio by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 7:58 AM

20190622_074106.amp by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 7:58 AM

20190622_074113.radio_set by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 7:58 AM

 

You have done the right things in the right order. Glad things continue to roll your way. I would modernize the radio if I was going to drive the car a lot. There is the iPhone route too. I had a Buick with an underseat heater. It would burn you out of the car in the winter. Press on, and the updates are fun. Keep us up to speed.

 

Thanks @belair , I am considering modernizing the radio for sure, there is a company that will do that, give it blue tooth, usb, and the modern tech inside the old case and using the old knobs...stealth!

Thanks for the thanks! I do hope this continues to be entertaining and pushing forward. Cheers!

 

Update

Starting on a day of engine work! Lets get new plugs, wires, cap, points, condensor, rotor, etc,. in and wired!

20190622_090838.new_plugs by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:05 PM

Autolite AP86 are going in, 8 of them, to replace the old AC originals, gaped and ready to go.

20190622_090856.plug_kind by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:05 PM

Cap and wires, dont forget some non-conductive grease to line the boots so changing plugs and wires is not a nightmare.

20190622_092847.wires_cap by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:05 PM

20190622_092859.plugs_in by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:05 PM

20190622_094129.cap_on by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:05 PM

20190622_095410.all_wired by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:05 PM

20190622_095421.pass_wires by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:05 PM

 

Update

Coil time and if I have time, the carb!

20190622_100144.old_coil by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:09 PM

20190622_100132.coils by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:09 PM

20190622_101640.all_buttoned_up by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:12 PM

Time to disassemble the carb!

20190622_130118.carb_teardown by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:09 PM

20190622_130122.tiny_bits by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:09 PM

The float looks good, no leaks. The power pump is crumbling, its leather seal gone. Luckily there is a new fancy one in the rebuild kit that is safe with more modern fuels.

20190622_130142.floats_power by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:09 PM

Some really awful gas

20190622_130146.old_gas by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:09 PM

And its all apart!

20190622_133811.all_apart by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:09 PM

And now back together, all new gaskets, some new inerds, cleaned yet left to look original no sparkle.
Test fit

20190622_153143.back_together by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:12 PM

Final hook up and ready to start!

20190622_164801.all Set And Ready To Go by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:12 PM

20190622_164812.all_plumbed by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 22, 2019 at 5:12 PM

 

Update

Time to re-fill the transmission. Spent some earnest time flushing and cleaning out the cooling system. I do see a drip from the water pump, not surprising, and it will need to be replaced before I really drive the warrior around.

Items to do before "first start" in 30 years.

• Top of transmission fluid
• Add some anti-freeze to get me to 50/50
• Put 5 gals of gas in the tank
• Install the last new heater hose

If it starts, the idea will be to let it rung for a bit, see what springs a leak or smokes, let it settle down, let it get to heat and see that the water flow in the thermostat is good. Maybe 20 minutes.

A good check for water leaks, oil leaks will be done the day after the first run.

 

Update

Well an issue has arisen. Wisdom and advice is sought.

It wont start. I've just started examining things. I have a good ground at the points, gap is right, i have 12V at the coil during the keys normal running position.

When I turn the key to start, the engine cranks but the '+' side of the coil drops to zero volts. I don't believe that should be the case as it would indicate that no power is being applied to the plugs when starting.

I have not checked to see if I have spark yet at the plugs while cranking.
I have not checked to see if the neutral safety switch is bad or can be bypassed if bad.
I have not checked to see if power is coming from the IGN on the ignition switch.
I have not replaced the coil resistor on the firewall, it shows 12v at both sides.
Coil, points, condenser, rotor, cap, wires, plugs are all new and oem or better.
I have not replaced the voltage regulator ... yet, its in the mail.

Odd thing, initially when i got the car, two wires on the starter were twisted together and electrical taped...i put them back to original...I don't wonder if that was a 'hot wire' to make this work or perhaps im missing something.

Any thoughts?

 

The R terminal on the starter should do directly to the + side of the coil. This would give the coil 12 volts during cranking. You could always run a jumper wire from the battery to the coil to see if it will start; if you do that that you will have to remove the jumper once it starts running otherwise it will not shut off. The ign wire through the resistor should give you 9 volts at the coil

 

Ill check the "R" terminal, see if I have continuity to the "+" side of the coil.

In the mean time...how thick would the jumper wire need to be if I wanted to try that? I ran an 18 gauge from the battery to the "+" side of the coil and it got wicked hot while cranking the engine.

 

18 is small, But I would not think it would get that hot. I think 14 or a 12 comes up from the starter.

 

Did you check if the points open and close?
Try putting a test light on the - side of the coil while cranking it should blink.

 

I'll run out and get some 12 really, should have some on hand anyways. Ill give that a shot, thanks for the quick response!

 

They did before I re-installed the distributor...it was far easier to install the points and condensor out of the car. I was careful to mark the rotor position so I know its not out of timing.

I will check with the test light and answer back there, thanks!

 

Yes the test light blinks so I know good things are happening on that side of the coil.

Side note, its not the neutral safety switch...i dropped it in gear and it would not crank at all, just in neutral =)

 

ill check #1, see if i have spark there...if I don't, ill try a wire from the battery to the "+" side of the coil, 12 gauge and give that a crank.

 

Jumpering from the batter to the "+" side of the coil did nothing...in fact lost the blinking from the "-" side. The wire was hooked up alone, nothing from the car as that caused the wire to smoke...so its grounding somewhere I think.

Making dinner now, ill come back to this with fresh thoughts in the AM. I'll check to see if I have spark at a plug...I get blinking from the "-" side of the coil so I suspect power is getting through and the points are working as expected.

Any other ideas @poncho catalina? perhaps if I don't see spark at a the plug it would be possible rotor or cap not passing on the voltage...is there a way to check with the cap off, to see that there is voltage...without electrocuting myself? lol

 

Ugh! Update....apparently been trying to start the car with reversed polarity...the original owner had a red battery wire to ground and a black to the starter...sigh.

It just struck me that the "power" cable was really short, red of course, and its bolted to the block... /facepalm.

Well no telling what that has done to points, condenser, coil, wires, etc,...

I get a flashing light on the "-" when cranking so I know the points are opening and closing and pulsing back...not sure where to look next.

Ill check back tomorrow, see if anyone else has ideas. I'd offer beer, steaks, and food if you were close by to Seattle =)

Cheers!

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1955-Ponti...in-Catalina-Repair-Service-Book-/361684269886 You should get this

 

The hot wire goes from the battery to the negative side of the coil.

 

Hopefully changing the polarity was your problem
If you go to the link below, you can get the shop manual on line
the 1st link is the wiring for a 55
http://www.pontiacsafari.com/55/ShopManual/12 - Electrical and Instruments.pdf

http://www.pontiacsafari.com/

 

Ah, I will try that as soon as i get home! Thanks!

 

If the car still has a generator and separate voltage regulator, you need to polarize the system at the voltage regulator any time the battery has been disconnected. Btw, you can get a good idea of the timing chain condition by removing the distributor cap and then rotating the crank w a breaker bar CW and CCW. Rotate the crank until the rotor moves, then rotate the crank in the opposite direction and note how far you've moved the crank when the rotor starts to move again. Crank rotation shouldn't be much if the chain is in decent shape. Pontiacs had steel cam gears up thru approx 1964/65.

 

On the wiring diagram in the shop manual, It shows the battery voltage to the + side of the coil
(see link above)
I would 1st make sure you have spark. Then make sure you have fuel. Then I would do a compression check.

 

The negative side of the coil goes to the points!

 

If i'm jumping the ignition (assuming that the 'start' position of the ignition switch is bad)...that runs from the hot terminal of the battery "+" to the negative terminal "-" of the coil (which in turn goes into the distributor and to the points as Dick Stevens pointed out above)?

 

Yup its a generator...I have a new voltage regulator coming in today and will repalce the old one, its pretty sad and crusty and rusty. Hmm, polarize it each time disconnected? How does one do that? Thanks man!

 

To polarize, on the voltage regulator you take a jumper wire, hold it (or clip it) to the generator terminal (Gen) and then flash touch it to the battery terminal (Bat). This might be actually printed on the cover of the regulator or maybe supplied as an instruction sheet. Btw the Bat terminal is on the regulator...it's not the actual battery. Obviously this done after the battery is reconnected.

 

Great info, amazing the differences between old and new tech. When I put the new one in, ill make sure to do that.

 

OK-to clarify-the hot wire goes to the coil, then THROUGH the coil and then to the points. Thanks @Dick Stevens I get confused easily. If you go to the points side of the coil, you will burn up the points sooner (not instantly). Hot wire to the terminal that does not have the wire going directly to the points. Sorry. Thanks again, Dick. I've done it a hundred times, don't know how to describe it.

 

Side tracked today....so the update i have is for the 64 TBird by daughter has....

...bad rear bearing.

20190626_180450.bearing by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 26, 2019 at 6:41 PM

20190626_180504.bearing_plate by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 26, 2019 at 6:41 PM

Cool Tech Tip: When pulling the axle out, after you remove the four bolts behind the plate, put the drum back on reversed, 5 turns with each but and use the drum as a slap hammer to gently urge the axle out of the rear end....amazing after an hour of struggling, this tip took me all of 5 seconds to reap rewards with.

20190626_180548.bearing_bits by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 26, 2019 at 6:41 PM

Love this board! People are helpful!

Okay should have a Chief update in a day or two. Cheers!

20190626_180735.me by Bishop Schulz posted Jun 26, 2019 at 6:41 PM

There is the Chief over my left shoulder and the 48 pickup over my right.