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Main and / or rod bearings failure in 1968 DVC

Started by cadillacmike68, May 06, 2017, 06:00:43 PM

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Jeff Rosansky CLC #28373

Just don't get one of those cheapie oil pressure gauges. I pulled what was left of my hair out when I got one. It would drop to near 0 at a stoplight and I thought it was due to not really having pressure. It wasn't until I noticed I lost about 15 psi when my lights were on that I realized it was a cheap gauge and an older charging system.
Jeff
Jeff Rosansky
CLC #28373
1970 Coupe DeVille (Big Red)
1955 Series 62 (Baby Blue)
Dad's new 1979 Coupe DeVille

chrisntam

#101
I have this and a standard water temp gauge:

http://www.digi-panel.com/

I don't have the trans temp gauge, but it was tempting....

Electric oil pressure gauge uses a bell shaped sender.  The voltage gauge just hooks a wire into the existing electrical to monitor the voltage.   The engine temp portion monitors the engine temp via a ring type connector that is bolted (like a washer) under a bolt on the t-stat housing.  Mine consistently reads metal temp from 200 to 230 or so.  I have a 180 stat in it and the water temp is about 190. 

It's hard to tell exactly what the pressure/voltage/temp is as each bar is a range.  The colors are green when in the acceptable range, yellow for caution and red for turn the engine off.

Kinda pricey, but it works for me.  A standard 3 gauge package may provide more "detailed" information and would be at least $100 less.  I liked the compact design of this.
1970 Deville Convertible 
Dallas, Texas

TJ Hopland

I too have the digi-panel and really like it.    Mine does not match the reading of an IR gun at the sensor but does match the reading I get from my EFI which is in the port under the distributor so I assumed that was intentional since the metal may be cooler than the coolant?

I am amazed that in bright sun you can still see the active bar yet at night its not too bright. 
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

cadillacmike68

The 1968s had a built in temp gauge, so I only need an oil gauge and a volts gauge. I will try to find a quality oil gauge and a matching volts gauge. My new Derale vented trans pan has a fitting for a trans temp gauge, so i Could use that for the temp part of a 3 gauge set.

Who makes good gauges? I remember Sun but they seem to be long gone...
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

TJ Hopland

Stuart Warner is still around.  VDO is also a brand that seems to be respected.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

cadillacmike68

#105
I found the Stewart Warner pages. Lots of options. I like the power line series with the light blue center. Electrical oil gauge only for me. No pressurized oil line running to my dash that will spew oil when it breaks.. No Way.

The engine is back in. We have a small issue with the transmission oil cooler lines. as I noted on another thread I bought lines for a 1969-70. They are the correct size and overall shape, but are about 2 inches too long. We'll have to do some creative bending or cut them back by the transmission and fit a coupler in. 

Still need to have the carbie put back on, the new Derale trans pan and filter installed, trans motor mount, and probably a lot of wires, hoses & belts.  The Derale pan has a fitting for a temp sender so that's a third gauge option if i want it.   Here's a link to it:

https://derale.com/products/transmission-pans/cooling-pans/6an-male-x-3-8-barb-detail

Of course I used some of my Hirsch paint to get rid of that black.
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

cadillacmike68

Engine is back in.  Trying to get the Powermaster 150 Amp alternator to correctly light up the "GEN" light. And of course the batteries need charging.

Pics:
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

TJ Hopland

I think Powermaster makes adapter harnesses that include the bypassing the external regulator.   
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

cadillacmike68

I already have it. Just need to verify existing in car wires and get it properly set up.

The shop got it started today. They say its running fine. !!!!! 
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

chrisntam

Looks great!  That engine will never be that clean as it is now!

Tell me about the transmission pan.

Looks like the trans cooler lines fit.

It also looks like you're putting it back together to last for the long haul.

If we had a two thumbs up thingy, I'd use it here!

chris.
1970 Deville Convertible 
Dallas, Texas

cadillacmike68

Thanks Chris,

The trans cooler lines were about 2 inches too long. We had to do some creative bending to make them shorter. That was the only issue, but it was a PITA because they don't want to bend!

The pan is a Derale standard vented TH400 pan.

link:  http://derale.com/products/transmission-pans/cooling-pans/6an-male-x-3-8-barb-detail

I got the same type of T fitting you did for oil pressure. I'll look for an SW gauge for it and a volts gauge.

I want to keep it until I can't rive any longer, so might as well do things right. Everything in it worked (except the clock and I have one that works), so I want to keep it working.

Yeah, I'm sure it will dirty up quite quickly once I start running it again.
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

cadillacmike68

Well, I actually started it today. There's still a little timing / dwell to fine tune and carbie attachments that won't stay attached!?! Not to mention the MISSING Carbie heat shield, which it apparently hasn't hasn't been there for a least 17 or 18 years???

I had the carb rebuilt in 1990 or 2000 and they might have left of that shim / shield. I know they took off the Climate Control Idle speed up diaphram and i had to hunt that item down later. Who knows, at least it will have the heat shield now.
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

chrisntam

Good to hear things are moving along.  Thanks for the link on the transmission pan.  It is interesting and can only help (add'l capacity and potential cooling).

8)
1970 Deville Convertible 
Dallas, Texas

cadillacmike68

I might be getting it back on Mon or Tue.  I wanted all the paint chips taken out but that will have to be in a few weeks. In the meantime They'll make me some touch up paint so I can go over the worst ones, and still have it to drive this month.
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

cadillacmike68

OK, I got it back the next week (Dec).

I will detail all the small and not so small things that the shop just messed up later.  Like the speedo cable that was ripped out of the dash when re-installing the engine, the bad ground on the headlights, the smudged up valve covers, etc.....

But the overall engine rebuild was well done. The car runs smoothly and after about 750 miles does not appear to have used any oil and it still looks good.

Question is when should I change it? at 1000 miles, 2K, 3K???
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

Bobby B

Quote from: cadillacmike68 on March 18, 2018, 12:58:09 AM
Question is when should I change it? at 1000 miles, 2K, 3K???

If you're referring to the Break-in Oil, I usually dump at 500 miles....
                                                                              Bobby
1947 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
1968 Mustang Convertible
1973 Mustang Convertible
1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster
1971 Datsun 240Z
1979 H-D FLH

cadillacmike68

Then I'll change mine since it has about 750 miles on it. I'll change it again at 1000 and then twice a year after that. I'm using synthetic in all my cars now.
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

Scot Minesinger

Great that she is back on the road.  Too bad about speedo cable, what a pin these little clean up things can be.
Fairfax Station, VA  22039 (Washington DC Sub)
1970 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1970 four door Convertible w/Cadillac Warranty

cadillacmike68

Here more of the story on the speedo cable, etc. It's not "the rest of the story" but I'll get to it all eventually.

Car is supposedly ready to pick up 2nd week of December, late in the day. I go look at it and in the back seat on the floor are mice / rat turds !?!?!. They have either field mice and or rats hanging around and they went after the scented tea light candled I had under the seat.

They supposedly test drove the car, but on my way home (20 miles)  I almost immediately notice no speedo dial moving. I called and said I'd bring it back in the morning because they were closing and I was not going to be able to get a ride.

I also nitice that onle the left headlights were working and that not the hi and lo beams were on no matter what I did with the floor dimmer switch.

I bring it back the next day and it took them about three days to get the speedo cable secured back to the dash terminal. 

What happened was when they were re-installing the engine the block gor caught on the speedo cable (it's easy to happen), but nobody was paying attention and it basically ripped the cable out from the dash post, and broke the spring steel snap ring that holds it in. I had to help them to get the whole dash off and get the cluster out of the car so it could be secured and threaded back.

The headlights was a bad ground on the fenderwell and a non-attached block to fame ground that they were just to laze to see where it was supposed to go. They rid the denfer ground and found (after I told them where to look) and re-attached the block to frame ground on the passenger sie. I did take the opportunity to put my working electric clock in the car at that time.

But now my Twilight Sentinel always turns the headlights on even on a bright sunny day, so there might be a disconnected or out of place sensor up in the dash, so I'll have to take the upper dash off. Again.

There's a noticeable clunk coming from the left side. They had just replaced all 4 upper control arm bushings. I hope those are in correctly. I don't have a lift so I'll being it to the tie shop across from where ilive and they'll check it out for me.

The temp gauge still creeps. It Was quite arm a few days in Jan, after the big freeze blew over. This is after I had the radiator re-cored for beaucoup bucks.

The hood is misaligned. Its too high up by the windshield. I'll bring it someplace else after I get the suspension problem solved.

They smudged both valve covers. This is after I took two days to paint the block myself before it was installed. and the owner's brother was actually arguing with me over it. That was it for me.

Again, the engine rebuild was well done, but there was just a lack of concern for the rest of the car.

There is a shop much closer to home that can correct some of this. The closer shop did a Nice job of getting out all the chips and dings, etc from the paint last month, including the crease I put in the left rear quarter with my Fleetwood, so I'll let them work on it going forward. They also replaced the moldings I broke on the Fleetwood when I creased the deVille. They were the ones I wanted to take the car to when the rod knocking got bad, but they couldn't handle the job, they were (and are) still packed with work every day.

The only think I don't think they can handle is the Cadillac Climate Control, but I know enough about that to keep it running.
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike

Bobby B

Quote from: cadillacmike68 on March 18, 2018, 08:14:53 PM
The temp gauge still creeps. It Was quite arm a few days in Jan, after the big freeze blew over. This is after I had the radiator re-cored for beaucoup bucks.

Mike,
Hi. Sorry about your mini-misadventures, but don't sweat the small stuff. You'll get it worked out. Some people are great at certain things, but they might not be as careful as you would, or as detail oriented. This is to be expected in today's world. Maybe not acceptable, but this is how it sometimes goes.
  On a fresh rebuild the engine will run slightly hotter than normal due to lack of clearances or "tightness". Maybe that's all it is. It could also be something as simple as the cooling system not being fully bled. It'll usually creep up for no reason, and then settle back down at random. This is usually a sign of some air being trapped. It's common and maybe they just overlooked it. Anyway,it all looks Great and Good Luck with your new Heart!  ;)
                                                                                          Bobby
1947 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
1968 Mustang Convertible
1973 Mustang Convertible
1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster
1971 Datsun 240Z
1979 H-D FLH