I need a pair as my car is devoid of them. These were often discarded during clutch replacements. While I wait for my metal fab guy to get back from hiatus - and before I resort to stacking washers - I'd like to see if someone as a couple collecting dust. Thanks in advance!
ID is 0.055" bigger & OD 0.019" bigger but length is spot on https://www.mcmaster.com/bushings/spacers-and-standoffs/length~1-4/for-screw-size~1-2/
I hadn't either until Brett mentioned it to me awhile back. There's also a special thick washer on rear lower control arms on BBB cars IIRC. I'd have to look @ an assy manual. Maybe on F41 only but I think my non-F41 S1 had them. If you wind up getting them made, post something. I'd take a 2-4.
I didn't know they were there until Dave Johnson asked if I had them during my Muncie swap last year. I may just be left with stacking washers as an option for now. I'm also going to rummage through my stash of parts and see if any are at the bottom of the boxes.
Just a thought: Are the 3 washers for the steering box bolts that same dimension? They have a thick washer like that. I can look at Fastenal next time I am there. They have an assortment of odd fasteners.
I will have to look tomorrow. I have a Fastenal a couple towns over. Maybe I'll check next week and see if they have anything. Good idea.
I have some originals here if you need dimensions. Yes, the rear lower control arms forward bolts were longer and that position gets a very thick washer, too. Todd sells the longer bolts.
Just for clarification: these came on both automatic and manual transmission big block cars in 1970 and the TH400 only in 1971. It might have had something to do with the different driveshaft length in '71.
If you have a really good hardware store in your area, you will find that item in a box marked "extra thick" washers. We have two hardware stores in Pine City, a newer ACE, on the outskirts of town, that only carries the faster moving stuff, and another one that has been in business downtown since 1919. The old hardware store has those washers, I have bought them before. The big cars used a completely different shim washer between the mount and the trans case.. Looked very much like a really thick starter shim.. and those would work also if you could find them.. probably more common than the A body individual washers. Good luck JW
I will look for one of those plate shims that come with the urethane mounts. I never use the shim because the mount itself is taller and the tail rubs the tunnel with it installed. They are about 3/16” thick,but I will mic one when I find it.
There is an optimum angle for the driveshaft for the least vibration, a better ride, wear and tear on the joints, etc. My take is the washers were put there to get within that optimum range when the cars were built new. The key words here are "when our cars were new", as mentioned most have had spring changes, mount changes, rear end changes, etc. Racers mess with the angle of the shaft for different reasons. I believe they were put on all our cars new. I knew about them, and when I saw mine were missing, I stacked washers. Do you need them now? Hard to say...you could check the angle as previously mentioned. Of course, I don't know what Buick engineers felt was the perfect angle. Personally, I'd be interested in some if repro-ed.
This car previously had the clutch replaced at least once. I know this because during my archeological dig, one of the previous owners told me he remembered seeing the car (2 or 3 owners after him) getting the clutch done in a driveway in his town some years later. There's been all kinds of rear suspension modifications over the years. Ladder bars in the mid 70's; removal of the rear sway bar; air shocks and the spacers I found on top of the old rear springs last month. The rear springs/shocks are essentially factory replacements, now. I'm just trying to get it back to as close to normal as possible at this point and hopefully eliminate wheelhop while I'm at it. Ultimately, adjustable rear upper control arms may be the answer but I'd prefer to rule out everything else first.
