All kinds of questions about my new ('77 lol) Skylark

Ok so I JUST (as in today) bought a '77 Buick Skylark which I'm already in love with and hope to learn inside and out, front to rear. It runs beautifully, and while with the v6 it's not the most powerful car on the streets, you wouldn't know that by looking at it or listening to it. The few problems it does have I'm eager to try my hand at fixing.

Let me first say I know very little about cars but am a fast learner so as much detail and explanation as you care to give I'll dutifully study.

The first problem that I'd really like to get out of the way asap is the steering. It handles like a boat, but that's not a problem, the problem is that when I steer too far in either direction it makes a loud shuddering noise that can be heard and felt through the car. It's a little embarassing because here I am telling my friends how awesome my new car is and as soon as I try to take a sharp turn it sounds like it's falling apart. If I keep my turns mild I don't get any noise or problems whatsoever.

The second problem is electrical. The "GEN" light is on even though the previous owner tried installing a new alternator to fix it. All of the lights in the car dim and brighten slightly in a flickery way sometimes. It's not a huge deal but if I can learn something about my car and fix it all at once it's a huge win-win.

The third problem is the mechanic I had look at it before I bought it recommended I check the fuel lines (he went under the car to do this) when I got home to make sure that something he tightened fixed a fuel leak. I don't know where these parts are and if someone could point me in the right direction I'd be really grateful.

In closing, sorry for having so many questions but I'm really eager to learn and I really hope that you guys are the ones that can help me. Thanks in advance and I look forward to being a member of these forums!

 

Hands down go and purchase a factory service manual for the car and read it cover to cover several times.

The gen light and flickering is likely the result of an electrical short if your alternator is good. You'll need to find the short. If you can't see any plainly obvious damaged wires, you'll need the wiring charts in the service manual to narrow it down.

The steering is hard to say. It's could be a worn out steering gear box, a loose power steering belt, low on power steering fluid or you got really crappy tires. You'll have to narrow it down from there. I'd start by checking the power steering fluid, followed up by the belt tightness. Then you'll have to decide if it's your tires or steering gear box.

Fuel lines run along the passenger side of the car, cross along the frame under the engine and go to the fuel pump on the front left side of the engine. The Service Manual has diagrams for this as well.

 

Welcome to V8Buick. Lots of knowledge and friends here.
Definitely, the Factory Service Manual is your most valuable investment, if you need to fix something, it's in the book. :TU:

 

The steering could be the belt. Also the belt could be causing the problem of the alternator.
Welcome to V8Buick!

 

Like everyone else said, get the book!

Other than that, since you want to learn lets give it a general idea of how to shake down a problem.
You know you have a problem with the car when in a tight turn.
Without knowing much at all about cars, the way to look at something like that is to look at all the parts involved in the process that is giving you trouble.

Simply do visual inspection of the components, then check fluids or lubrication on parts.
Next is to put your hands on things.
Without knowing anything, you can look at where the steering column goes through the firewall, see the power steering box, the steering linkage, the wheels and tires.
Look at all of the parts, feel them, look for wear and don't be afraid to put the car up in the air and try to move things to see if there is wear that you find, slop to the way things interact.

You have the right attitude and there is lots of good information here.
Just go look everything that you can see that is related to the problem over.
You will get great satisfaction from figuring some of these things out.

 

I was thinking about this more. You're not talking about when you crank the wheel as far over as it will go are you? When you hit bump stop on the spindle/a-arm and continue to try and turn the steering wheel, it'll definately shutter as the power steering pump is loaded up. These X-bodies have a horrible turning radius given their size, and there is a tab on the a-arms that stop the spindle from turning any more. None of my other cars behave the same as my Skylark when I turn the wheel as far as it'll go and try to keep going. The resistant-less steering can be decieving in letting you think you should be able to turn the wheel further when infact you are maxed out.

 

Here is a picture of what I'm talking about. There is that bent plate of metal riveted to the back side of the lower control arm. You can see the brown spot where the spindle hits when the steering wheel is turned all the way to the right in this case. I've been tempted to remove it, but it'll probably cause some kind of steering bind if I did.

 

Today I: patched the tail light (a temporary fix. I need to replace it), topped off the oil, topped off the power steering fluid (very low and responsible for some of the steering problems, though squeaking still persists I'll get to that later), removed the dry-rotted and half missing bumper filler, installed a bulb into my license plate light, and removed, had repaired, and reinstalled a flat tire. All while driving the thing all over hell and creation to get it insured, fully in my name, and aired up. Yeah, I'm no where near knowing what I'm doing, but I feel like I'm making real progress.

A million thank you's to you, TheSilverBuick, for actually taking a picture of your car to help me learn more about mine lol. I thought that was really cool. It would be even cooler if I knew where to find what you took a picture of, perhaps you could give me some directions? Because of your advice I was able to much better understand what is and isn't normal and I feel like the problem is probably, as bhambulldog stated, the belt. Or at least I hope it's the belt, as that's probably a fix more to my skill level than the pump being bad.

Of course, I wouldn't have even found anything if it weren't for 1967GS340's oddly zen advice which really put me at ease and in the right frame of mind lol.

Thank you all again so much, this is turning out to be a tremendous resource. I'm so glad I joined lol.

Also, on the topic of a shop manual, I couldn't find anything other than an owners manual and this:
http:/
/cgi.
ebayDOTcom/
ebaymotors/BUICK-1977-Skylark-Century-Regal-Shop-Manual-CD-77-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem43a0f49e2aQQitemZ290463194666QQptZMotorsQ5fManualsQ5fLiterature
Would that work?

P.S. Sorry to circumvent the post count link posting rules, but it's infinitely easier than describing the thing.

 

Is this the link to what you were looking at?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BUIC...90463194666QQptZMotorsQ5fManualsQ5fLiterature

I like a paper manual. You can take it to the rig with you better, mark pages and so on.
The CD is cheaper though so having it would be way better than not having a manual. Plus it's probably got good colored wire diagrams.

Glad the advice of just doing it, looking at things and figuring out things out helped.

 

i have a 76 skylark service manual if that helps

scott

 

I buy the manuals on CD. They have the same information, plus you can print the pages you need and not worry about ruining them. Or you can print the whole thing and bind it if you want and you will always have a back-up on disk. :TU:

 

A '76 manual would be 99% the same as the '77 one, with one added bonus of likely having info on the Buick 455, which the '77 one does not.

preyor15, I have dozen's of random pictures of my car from all the modifications I've made, that one was one I just happen to have. What you are looking at is, if you cranked the steering wheel all the way to the left, then go and look behind the right(passenger side) tire, that is what you would see. Of course in my picture the car is on jackstands and the tire removed so it's easier to see. Similarly, you can crank the wheel all the way to the right and look behind the wheel on the left side (driver side) and see the mirror image of it. If you can get it to shutter while stopped, do it, let go of the steering wheel, shut the car off for safety, then look behind the wheels to see if you are at that stop (or within 1/4 inch from the tire rubber rebounding). I'm betting you could be close if the problem occurs when turning the wheel fully. Low on fluid will definately cause a jerky wheel, as will the belt.

 

For a little bit of information to work with on the generator light situation, head down to Autozone and tell them you want your charging system checked. They have a hand-held tool that will read how charged the battery is, and how much electricity the alternator is putting out.

Usually when the GEN light is on, it means that the alternator is not making enough power to keep up with the demands of the engine, and is leaning on the battery to make up for the difference. If you're able to drive the car for extended periods of time without the battery dying, then you may have a more interesting problem...

But it can't hurt to see what the Autozone guy's machine says. Its a free service, so why not?

 

Actually, Stampy, I was playing around inside the cab yesterday with a flashlight and a screwdriver just seeing what I could take apart and I found that one of the glass fuses was missing. I put a new one in and the gen light turned off and everything seemed to be fine. Although now all of my lights flash on when I start the car (meaning GEN, Fasten Seatbelts, and OIL) I thoerize that that may just be normal since my Oil is fine, though I'm not certain about any of the others.

I've also got a fuel leak that's really cutting into my wallet. It seems like at the fuel pump I'm loosing gas whenever it's under pressure. I'd really like to get to the bottom of it but I feel like I should wait for the shop book to arrive so I know what I'm doing under the car. As is I'd have no idea how to replace it. I did however buy a replacement for it as well as a power steering pump replacement so once all this comes in the mail I'll be good to go.

I've also ordered some hokey pleather seat covers which will look (marginally) better than the upholstery. I'm also planning on repairing the dash cracks with some silicone caulk, sandpaper, and paint. I'll have to put up a sun visor to protect it, and everything I'm doing to the interior it's a temporary solution, but for my budget right now it'll do.

Once I've done all of this I think the car will a beautiful well tuned machine.

Thanks again to everyone for your information and help.

 

Wow preyor15 looks like you and i are in the same boat (or car?)

I just picked up a 62 special and cant wait to learn all kinds of things about it.

So far my cars only issues is the fual gauge which shows i still have 1 quarter of a tank when its really empty. Replacing a bad gauge seems like it would be an easy fix but it could be in issue with the fuel sending unit?

I got some light smoke coming out the side of one of the cams. I hope its just a gasket and not a crack ray:

good luck with your project dude

 

Told you that if you poke around you will figure stuff out!!


FoxProGT Smoke from one of your cams????
I can tell you don't know anything about cars, but you are in the right place and you can learn.

Now, since you don't have smoke coming from one of your cams, describe where this smoke is coming from?

 

The tell-tale lights light up momentarily, on start up. As a check that, the bulbs are are working.

 

Yes bhambulldog your right!

I ment valve cover X(. When im looking into the engine bay, there is light smoke coming from around the valve cover gasket area on the left side of the engine. I cant tell for sure if its coming from gasket. maybe its something else. maybe i should try to get a pic of it.

 

Do you see oil there, maybe some that looks fresher than the rest of the old oil on the engine?
Probably just leaking around the valve cover, but hard to tell from here.