From: arthur@contel0.com (Arthur Resler Engineering Services)
Subject: Re: Some questions looking for answers
Organization: IPC Information Systems, Inc.
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 18:38:16 GMT

Some Answers to questions looking for Answers
 
 1) My friend(self-proclaimed auto-expert) says that RWD cars are, by their
    very nature, unsafe and should not be driven at fast speeds(for example,
    55 mph on a highway).
ALL Mercedes Benzes and BMWs are rear wheel drive, and seem to have a
reputation for decent (8-)) handling. Deserved, based on my experience.
What I think your friend is refering to is the rather loose roadholding
of your vintage american cars. These cars were built to thrive on the
Interstates, and for that matter, the Interstates were built with these cars
in mind. So 55 or probably 85 on an interstate is not a problem: the
limitations are in manuverability and braking.   In other words, leave plenty
room in front of you, and don't plan to "steer around" any potential
accidents.
Converting to radials will help imensely. Also get the best (metallic) brake
linings you can find.
 
2)  My father, who had a RWD for years, says they don't handle very
    well in snow/rain, but he doesn't feel that they could be classified as
    unsafe.
No argument: put a few 100 lb bags of sand in the trunk for snow; for rain,
put on good radials, as mentioned above.

i3) Is it a big chore to completly re-vamp the dashboard replacing those
   lights with guages?
If buick made a version of you car with full gauges, then find the complete
dash in a junk yard, test the gauges (connect +12 to the ignition side and
ground the lead to sender: it the gauge swings to maximum it's probably ok.
If the gauge rests at mid scale with no voltage, ground the sender lead
for minimum reading. You ARE NOT trying for accurate readings: what you
want are CONSISTENT readings.  Then you can spot problems by changes.)

Otherwise buy a cluster of gauges in their own mounting plate and hang it
where you can see it: inelegant, but effective.
 
4)  How would I go about adding, say, an oil-pressure guage if there is no
    light for it?
I'm surprised there is no light; are you sure it hasn't burned out?
Regardless, there will be 1/8" or 1/4" pipe plugs in the side of the block at
roughly crankshaft level; if there is an idiot light sender in one, use a
Tee fitting for the gause sender and the light sender.  If you don't find a
sender at all, WITH THE ENGINE OFF, remove whatever plugs you can find,
looking for one with oil on it; then install the gauge sender there.
 
Wherever you install the sender, make sure it matches the gauge you will
use.
 
 
5) What exactly does the 4.9 mean?
About 61 (cubic inches per liter) times 4.9: around 300 cubic inches. This is
the same as a Ford truck six, and seems small for that era V8, but the
61(.8?) cubic inches per liter is correct.
  
 
6) Any way to make the windows operate when the car is off?
You can rewire the circuits away from the ignition and over to the battery
directly.  If there is a fuse dedicated to this circuit (or a circuit
breaker), you can re connect its source. Any way you go about it, you will
need to do some serious wire tracing.
 
7) Argh! How would I go about making the AC colder and blast-out better?
The cheapest is to CLEAN the condenser (in front of the radiator) and the
evaporator (buried in the dash, most likely);  If that dosen't do it, then
recharging, followed by component replacement.

8) Anyone have any specifics on Fluid Drive? Why isn't it around anymore?
It was Chrysler's response to the GM hydromatic, using a fluid coupling (NOT
torque converter, so no torque multiplication), sharing engine oil, driving
a manual clutch, which then drove one of two different geraboxes.

The "M6" used in up-scale chrysler marques  was a three speed modified to
four speeds by using second gear to DRIVE the countershaft for a "split"
first gear. (An overrunning clutch on the countershaft input gear
allowed the countershaft to overrun the input gear.) The progression was:

In "low Range": Normal first with the countershaft driven by the normal
input gear, and a sliding first/reverse gear driving the output; then an
"automatic" upshift to "split" (my trucking term) first, with the input
connected to second directly by a spline cluch, and second driving the
countershaft at a higner than normal speed.

Then a MANUAL shift to:
"High Range": Normal second, with second manually connected to the output
and the countershaft normally driven by the input gear; then an automatic
upshift to high, with second gear being driven by the input (as in split
first) and in turn driving the output.
  "Reverse" had two theoretical speeds, but only the lower was allowed.

VERY elegant engineering, but no competition for the hydromatic, combining
as it did the loss of the fluid coupling with the harshness of spline cluch
(as versus the plates and bands of the hydromatic) shifts, PLUS the manual
middle shift and reverse shift, using the clutch.
It was possible, normal on level roads, to start in High Range, eliminating
the manual shift.  Limited acceleration.

The other gearbox, used in Plymouths, was a three speed used as a three speed,
but with, I think, some provision for an automatic shift between second
and third. Cheap, but same opjections.

9)  Congratulations! You've gotten through this message.
This answer got rather long; my compliments to anyone that finished IT!

Arthur Resler




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