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engineers had developed a new V8 engine. This was inevitable because compression, an important precondition to improve power and efficiency, couldn't be increased much with the traditional L-head design. The valves were moved into the heads, resulting in better cooling along with a differently shaped combustion chamber that reduced loss of combustion energy to the cooling system. Despite a small decrease in displacement, the first version of the new engine delivered 10 brake horsepower more. The basic construction underwent light improvements before some design changes became necessary in 1957. The drawing below shows that the new engine was more compact than its predecessor. This was made possible by a flat water pump and mainly by a new crankshaft with shorter piston rods. Weight was reduced by 220 lbs. In independent tests a maximum speed of about 100 miles per hour was measured. Acceleration time from 0 to 60 miles per hour was 15.8 seconds. In midyear Cadillac introduced the 62 Coupe de Ville, the first hard top model industry-wide. It was priced at $3,497. The cheapest model (61 Club Coupe) bore a price tag of $2,788, and for $4,839 you could buy the top model Fleetwood 75 Business Imperial. Of 92.554 cars built, 80,880 were registered during the calendar year, resulting in a market share of 1, 67% and 18th place in sales ranking. Power steering and power brakes (not really essential) were not available in 1949. The optional standard heating system came with only one heater under the front seat, while the costlier deluxe Automatic Heating System had two under-seat heaters. This seems curious today, but don't forget that until the late 1950s buyers could order a new car without a heater. The chassis was state of the art: knee action shocks, hydraulic drum brakes, coil springs in front and leaf springs on the rear axle. Buyers could choose between a 3-speed manual transmission and a 4-speed Hydramatic, both with column shift. Hydraulic windows and front seat were optional on Series 62 coupes and sedans, but standard equipment on Series 60 and 75 Sedans, the Convertible, the Coupe de Ville and Series 75. The hydraulic pump is essential on convertibles to move the top up and down. The Convertible also came with a full leather interior. (Cloth would soak water in an unexpected shower.) That 1949 has a special significance in Cadillac's history is underlined by the fact that there is a special interest group within the American Cadillac & LaSalle Club. This group even publishes its own magazine, the '49 Times. Ed. Note: Michael is one of 2 Forty Niners Chapter members in Germany. Besides owning a gorgeous ‟49 convertible (which can be seen on page 7 of the <strong>March</strong> ‟05 issue of the Times), he is the editor of “Pre-„50 Magazine”, a German language publication for enthusiasts of American cars of that era, in which this article first appeared.
PITTSBURGH PAINT JOB Rege McDonough, a resident of the Steel (and Steelers) City recently wrote to say: “A milestone has been reached! [My] 49 Fastback has officially been painted - Madeira Maroon Metallic. Hope to have it on the road in the spring!!!” The photo below shows Rege hard at work while wearing an impressive paint mask... TECH TIP: CHASING DOWN THOSE ELUSIVE EXHAUST NOISES By Jay Friedman Figuring out exactly where an exhaust noise is coming from is sometimes tricky. If the location of the leak is not apparent by sound alone, a first step is to visually check the manifolds and pipes to make sure there are no small cracks or breaks visible. Then, if nothing can be seen, start the engine and have an assistant run it at various speeds while you run your hand near (don‟t touch!) the exhaust manifolds and, from under the car, the crossover and exhaust pipes. You can sometimes feel the hot air escaping. If still no luck, another way to possibly detect the leak is to run the engine, then pour a bit of Marvel Mystery Oil or ordinary engine oil in the carburetor and look for smoke coming out of one of the above mentioned points. Assuming the source of the leak is still elusive, the next step is to unfasten the six manifold bolts on each side of the motor so that, using a large screwdriver or pry bar, you or an assistant can pry each manifold a small distance away from the corresponding cylinder head. Then, using a mechanic‟s mirror and light, the other guy can visually check that there is no corrosion on the surfaces where the manifold mates to the cylinder head which may cause a leak that even a gasket can't contain. A more involved procedure is, after removing them from the motor, to check the surfaces of the crossover pipe and its flange, the heat riser and the outlets of the manifolds (particularly around the studs) for the same defects, as these are susceptible to cracking and corrosion when they get old. Also, the heat riser can develop an exhaust leak not necessarily via a crack, but through the shafts supporting the butterfly valve which extend into holes in the heat riser body. Because of this very problem, I replaced mine with a spacer. (As I live in a mild climate, my engine warms up well without the hear riser, even in the winter.) By the way, you must have a heat riser or a similarly dimensioned spacer in its place, since the crossover pipe is engineered with the correct angles and to be just long enough to reach between the outlet of the left manifold and the inlet of the right manifold. This pipe is quite rigid, so it is almost impossible to bend it to reach the manifold in the absence of the heat riser or a spacer. In such a case, the angle of the end of the crossover pipe and its flange would not be parallel to the surface on the manifold it mates to, causing an exhaust leak.
Page 1: From the Prez— Newsletter Of The
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March 2009

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