Da' further adventures of da' trusty billy-goat wagon!

[WkillGS]

....Is there test equipment out on the market today that could perform a complete engine diagnostic on our vintage non-computer controlled Buick's by using a laptop instead of equipment that was as big as a refrigerator. ?
                                                                                              Tony 

Tony,  a digital oscilloscope would likely perform most of those functions. It will take some tech knowledge to use it tho.
Take a look on Amazon.... they have more stuff than JC Whitney ever did!  Maybe there's an automotive dedicated device.
Better yet, search 'automotive oscilloscope' on Google and YouTube.

[option B9]

Thanks Walt , I will check out Amazon and see what they have, If anyone else can assist, Please do..I need all the help that I can get 

                                                                   Tony 

[elagache]

Dear Tony, Jim, Walt, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,

....Is there test equipment out on the market today that could perform a complete engine diagnostic on our vintage non-computer controlled Buick's by using a laptop instead of equipment that was as big as a refrigerator. ?
                                                                                              Tony 

Perhaps there are hardware issues that make it difficult to make something inexpensive enough for the DIY market.  However, some entrepreneur type should definitely look into it!

. . . . .
A cheap digital voltage monitor is avail from Amazon.... it plugs into your lighter socket. Easy to R&R, easy to read, and under 10 bucks!
. . . . .

Actually, Biquette already has a voltage gauge as part of the usual triplet of gauges.  Alas, I'm near-sighted and need to wear glasses when driving.  As a result, the gauges are in that awkward distance range where they are difficult to read and the voltage gauge is the most difficult to read.  Something else I wish some far-sighted electronics type would develop is a way to have gauges and still have the idiot-lights come on when any of the gauges report a potentially serious issue.  I would expect in most urban areas, driving a classic car has become a very intense activity with a lot of attention focused on the drivers around you.  Having the generator light come on would have caught my attention immediately whereas watching that voltage gauge is another chore in an already very stressful driving experience.

Thanks guys!   

Cheers, Edouard 

[yachtsmanbill]

Glad you dont Fly Ed! LOL... I seem to remember you considering that overhead mid cab speaker arch and a new headliner. Ya ever think about mounting the gages on the "A" pillar on the driver side?

If you are still using a voltage regulator, theres no reason why you cant have the idiot light on the dash work. The voltmeter just taps off anything keyed 12 volt. Not too sure about the light with a one wire alternator if thats what youre using. That may take some reverse engineering.     Bill

[TrunkMonkey]

Edouard.

You may consider "range markings". We used these on most engine instruments (dem gauge thingys) in US of Air Force aircraft and even Aerospace Ground Equipment. (the stuff used to support ground maintenance and operations).

Find a local "Sign Shop" and ask for some red, yellow, and green vinyl. Use any round cup, cap, socket, etc, that will provide the closest arc to the gauge to which you want to provide markings.

Cut thin strips in an arc, then trim them to provide the "safe", "marginal" and "danger" zones of operation, then stick 'em on the gauge(s) and you should be able to see at a quick glance if the gauges are "in the green".  No need to worry about complicated stuff like "numbers".

Another thing we did in "racy cars" (dragsters) was to orient the gages to all needles would be in the same "clock" position during proper operations. For example, turn all gauges in the mounts, so the needs all point near 12:00 position when normal operating, and, again, you can see with quick glance if you are "good" or not.

[yachtsmanbill]

Exactly why I prefer analog to digital. At a glance you can tell if youre "good" and with digital you hafta mentally process flickering numbers. Especially worse in a shifting condition with loads; pressure and EGT/FA ratios, manifold pressures etc. I built a set of digital tachs for my boat and they sucked. On glassy water they were "ok" but in a seaway they were all over the place. LED digital stuff is "cool" at night tho...

Did a bunch of tugboat engineering and the US Navy (retired tug boats) had a preference for placing the "good" ranges at the 12 o'clock position. That was OK for an hourly walkdown for logging in stuff. I guess when a ship is rolling at 45* and yer hanging on for dear life a check mark for good was OK, otherwise they logged numbers.   ws

[elagache]

Dear Michael, Bill, and mid-60s Buick caregivers,

Thanks for the suggestion.  Unfortunately, it isn't all that practical in the case of Biquette's gauges.  Here is a picture of the triplet:



As you can see, the range where the electrical voltage is acceptable is really narrow.  Between that and how nice these gauges look, it simply makes more sense to be disciplined and make the effort to read the values.  I had the gang at Orinda Classic Car take a look to see if the alternator was indeed bad.  On my way into the shop, I could easy see the voltage dropping to 12 volts on multiple occasions.  However, as soon as they started running their checks, the problem vanished!  I assume there must have been a loose connection that they tightened as part of their investigations.  I brought her home Thursday afternoon and this time the voltage was within the acceptable ranges and there were no more EFI hiccups. 

Biquette was built the first week of May 1965.  If you look up a calendar of May 1965, that means she rolled off the assembly line between May 3rd and 7th.  After the tough life this car has gone through, I decided she should spend her birthday at home, avoiding any outings for the period.  It just seems prudent considering the reckless way too many people in the area are driving at the moment.  Since Sunday is the 3rd, we'll have a special dinner and celebrate with a tiramisu we picked up from a local restaurant.  It is the first time I've managed to actually celebrate her birthday - certainly long overdue! 

Cheers, Edouard 

[elagache]

Dear mid-60s Buick caregivers who are constantly learning more about their vehicles,

Alas, my trusty wagon is still being dogged by some sort of electrical problem.  I went back to my first hunch that the electronic fuel injection system was somehow to blame and so decided to log an extended drive to catch the system goofing off.  I spotted a problem as soon as I started the engine:



You can click on the image for a nice big graph.  I poured over the remainder of the drive and the EFI system is working as it should.  So I'm back to the hypothesis that the alternator has some sort of intermittent voltage regulation problem.

I was able to confirm something else that I has suspected for a long time.  I also have a personal weather station and make graphs of the conditions.  Here is the outside air temperature during the time of my drive:



It was an unusually cool day with the air temperatures not exceeding 74? F the entire drive.

However, Biquette's throttle body has a sensor measuring the temperature entering from the air filter.  That shows something very different!



As with the previous EFI graph, you can click on it to get a larger image.  What you can see is as the drive continued the temperature at the throttle body climbed well above the ambient air temperature.  This isn't a big surprise.  Biquette has one of those open style air filter holders:



These are very popular, but they force the engine to pull air that has been already pulled past the radiator and over the heads.  As a result, the air entering the engine was over 30? warmer than the ambient air.  That's fine on a cool day like this, but imagine touring Route-66 with the air temperatures closer 100? F.  Asking your engine to ingest air at 130? is definitely increasing the risk of premature detonation.  Since I'm still hoping to haul a heavy vintage travel trailer with Biquette, I think I have no choice but to come up with some sort of cold air intake one of these days.

Alas, I don't have any easy way to replicate this run using a stock-style snorkel air cleaner.  However, I would bet the air temperatures are significantly less than with these open-style air filter holders.  So that is a pragmatic reason to stick with the factory air cleaner assembly.

Cheers, Edouard 

[Dr Frankenbuick]

Edouard,  It appears you could use a Cold Air Induction System.  They make hats to fit your EFI.  You would take a tube from the hat to a conical filter sealed to an air inlet through the fender.  Below is how it works in my Ford. It is sealed to the SC inlet where yours would go to a hat. 

[elagache]

Dear Good Dr. and mid-60s Buick caregivers,

It appears you could use a Cold Air Induction System.  They make hats to fit your EFI.  You would take a tube from the hat to a conical filter sealed to an air inlet through the fender.  Below is how it works in my Ford. It is sealed to the SC inlet where yours would go to a hat.

Indeed you have the concept down.  Alas for mysterious reasons, Buick didn't exactly design the 1965 engine bay for a 1968 engine and worse, the FAST Sportsman throttle body is significantly taller than a standard carburetor.  I have an air cleaner assembly with a 1" drop and a 2-1/2" instead of 3" filter element.  Even so the nut is damaging the hood insulation.  I can't find a "off the rack" cold air intake hat that would fit.

Unlucky for me, I'm resigned to the fact I bought the wrong EFI system.  I don't know what happened, but FAST was unable to keep up with the competition and was eventually bought by Comp Cams.  One of these days I hope to upgrade the EFI system to something that isn't so tall so I can add a cold air intake.  For the moment I'll live with the limitations.

Cheers, Edouard 

[Dr Frankenbuick]

This one is only 2.4" taller then the TBI and has a recessed nut. It attaches to a standard to a 4" tube.  Maybe it would work?

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Hey Ed... you could probably make a flat top air cleaner cover and use a, ahem, dodge, 2 inch tall filter. I ended up with a quadrajet and the stock Buick air cleaner on mine with zero hood clearance issues.   Bill

[elagache]

Dear Good Dr., Bill, and mid-60s Buick owners who are fans of kewl  and cool!

This one is only 2.4" taller then the TBI and has a recessed nut. It attaches to a standard to a 4" tube.  Maybe it would work?

Hmm, that's a very interesting product!  Strangely, I couldn't find it on the Spectre Performance website, but perhaps I was looking in the wrong place.

https://www.spectreperformance.com/

Honestly, I still have my heart set on this scheme that I mocked up on this posting:

http://65gs.com/board/index.php/topic,4109.msg29431.html#msg29431

However, Spectre has increased its product line quite a bit.  Perhaps there is new hardware to cobble into my dream scheme.  I'll definitely have to look into this!

Hey Ed... you could probably make a flat top air cleaner cover and use a, ahem, dodge, 2 inch tall filter.  . . . .

Which 2" Dodge filter?  There is a 14" by 2" filter for Dodge applications?  The best I could find was the 14" by 2-1/2" filter that have on now that was some of 1980s GM applications.  I would happily switch to a filter that is still shorter in the interim.  Right now I'm still damaging the hood insulation!

Thanks for the suggestions!   I'll look into it!

Cheers, Edouard 

P.S. Okay I think I've found the original Plenum kit that Dr. Frankenbuick suggested on the Spectre website:

https://www.spectreperformance.com/98499-spectre-plenum-kit

Unfortunately, I think it is still too tall.  I have a 1" drop on the base of my air cleaner.  The filter element is 2-1/2" and the nut is digging a hole in the hood insulation.  So the distance between the top of the throttle body and hood has to be about 1-1/2".  So I'll have to keep researching.

[Rollaround]

 This Olds W31 kit would fix your engine compartment heat issue. You just need to make it fit.
 I think it's the coolest air induction system ever installed in an 'A' body.

https://www.yearone.com/Product/1964-72-Cutlass-442/DN69?gclid=Cj0KCQjwupD4BRD4ARIsABJMmZ_Hosv5Bj9tc4BsNzY7LPz2GHaohDLbnqwvKGK5uTofiMu8ipFCSx0aAv62EALw_wcB#prettyPhoto 

[elagache]

Dear Kevin and mid-60s Buick owners who want to be cool!

This Olds W31 kit would fix your engine compartment heat issue. You just need to make it fit.
 I think it's the coolest air induction system ever installed in an 'A' body.
. . . .

Thanks for the suggestion.  It certainly looks wonderful!  Unfortunately, it doesn't provide dimensions since of course it is a replacement for a factory system.  Given the tight space I have now, I doubt this could be squeezed in.

I'm definitely unhappy with Biquette's present electronic fuel injection system.  It has some real annoyances and clutters up the engine bay.  Back in 2015, it was state of the art, but not anymore.  The latest generation of electronic fuel injection systems are smaller and require less peripheral sensors and devices.  However, changing EFI system is a major pain in addition to the expense.  I can't imagine doing this without having the new system tuned by a professional.  That isn't the sort of thing to take on with COVID-19 running around.  So I think I need to keep this project on the back burner for now.

Thanks for all the suggestions though! 

Cheers, Edouard