Northend Buick Site 2008

The area's in red show the demolition north of Leith street. The area's in yellow show the buildings that have been abandoned. The one's in green are still in operation as of early 2008.

Buick North 1966 Overview

Building #38 was the Buick warehouse built in 1964. I used to go here with my switcher (Smitty) who retired in 1981. Engines were stored here. This is where Buick ends it's expansion north at Pierson rd. Factory #36 I also used to visit. Ground was broken for this new V8 engine plant in 1951 and started production of V8 engines in 1952, assembling motors for the 1953 model of which you could also order a Straight 8. Overlapping production of the old straight 8 took place in factory #11 which then became factory #31 when the old "Fireball" was finally retired. In the 1950's factory #10/bldg #20 was originally numbered 05. This was Buick's new transmission plant replacing old #40 at the south end of the complex. Factory #10 was built in 1942. Factory #05/bldg #43 was built in 1953 for doing military work, specifically a new jet engine for the government. After 1955 with the jet engine work done they then produced gears and other parts for the transmission and engine. Factory #03 the spring plant was originally factory #30 the brass and aluminum foundry built in 1918. Factory #70 was Buick's last gray iron foundry built in 1927 and would see it's last metal poured in 1981 and then becoming factory #81 building torque converters. Factory #27 built in 1917 for government work building the Liberty V12 engine and later used for export shipping was totally gone by 1932. Factories #31/#11, building #85, factory #12 and #29 plus the powerhouse #14 have been covered in previous posts.

Factory #81/#70

I took this photo from the Stewart st overpass in January 2008. When you enlarge you can see the north end loading dock of factory #81. The foundry had it's last heat on August 15th 1980 thus ending foundry operations at the Buick site since 1908. The factory was converted to build torque converters and is still doing so as of this writing in march of 2008. Factory #81 as a side note was the first factory at Buick to eliminate time clocks. In the distance you can see the old Genesee bank building in downtown Flint and just right of that the old Mott foundation building.

Factory #70 Raw Casting

This shows a V8 block just emerging from its sand mold.

This is showing the straight 8 engine head before machine work. These parts had just left the shakeout department.

Factory #70 Before 1953

This photo came from the fifty year anniversary Buick book published in 1953. I don't recognize the part being made.......jim yuill said...

This appears to be a transmission "bell housing" that was being placed on the molding line at the drag set- off. As it moved down the line before being poured, a cope or top of the mold is added and "clamps" are applied to prevent the halves from separating during pouring. If they did a "run out" would occur causing a loss of molten iron rendering a partial filled mold and a scrap casting.

Full book of the 50 year anniversary.

Factory #70 Core Room

These photos show both V8 & straight 8 cores being assembled.

Assembly of a straight eight core.

For a time both eight cylinder blocks (straight & V) overlapped and were assembled during the 1953 changeover when work shifted from factory #11 to the new factory #36

............jim yuill said...

The cores were assembled on a slab with core paste. With the wheel housing in the back and the "J" core that form the area for the timing chain is shown closer to the viewer. The body core that formed the cylinder wall "skirt" is visible. The cores forming the cylinders and water jackets were assembled in a different area for placement on a "core conveyor" for their 1.5 hour ride through a drying oven and on to the molding line. The jacket and cylinders were placed separately in a fixture with the slab assembly, then turned upside down and set in the mold by the core setters. Again the copes and drags were clamped together to prevent run outs, during or shortly after pouring.

March 23, 2008 1:19 PM

jim yuill said...

The 3rd picture was of "green" cores on the sody core oven, There were 4 different body core that were made by blowing the core sand mixture into a closed but vented core-box. This allowed the sand to take the internal shape of the core-box and was then place on the oven conveyor for trip, that consisted of baking the core sand mixture. The mixture was composed of sharp and bank sand, corn flour, clay (in a powder) form, water and core oil. The core oil fused the particles together during baking. The clay and some oil properties gave the core "green" strength for placement on the core dryer. This way it maintained its strength during baking.

March 23, 2008 1:29 PM

jim yuill said...

The last photo was on 4 or 6 line in the foundry molding area. It is a straight block drag mold with the core assembly in place. Next the Cope or top will be added to the mold, clamped and poured

Block Grinding In Factory #70

As you can see this is now the 70's and longhairs are now being placed in the foundry. Some people liked it there, plus your time until retirement was reduced by five years if you put in enough time.

Factory #70 Engine Block Pouring

Expandable version 1935.

This and the photo above is actually in the first foundry #20 built by Buick on Oakland Street (Leith St. now).  

First Iron Poured In Factory #20 Foundry.  Factory #20 The Buick Foundry  Factory #20

Expandable version.

This large collection of jumbled castings appear to be scrap. 

This shows how the Buick engine blocks were poured. I don't know the direction because I never ventured in here but Jim Yuill stated the line for pouring was against the west wall.  ....jim yuill said...

The pouring of blocks occurred on 3 and 4 line. The ladles held enough 2600 degree molten iron to pour about 9 block molds. The production speed was 200 molds per hour with 35 employees. A pyrometer man checked the temperatures to make sure the iron was "hot" enough although visual sighting would enable it to be checked as well, "from experience".  ........ Leonard Thygesen remembers...Details for pic of pouring loop, Jim Yuill text below photo. He's correct on all info. I'm sure that is 4 line looking south. Those little containers on floor, lower right, that is where left over molten iron was poured into. The operator knew how many molds he could pour. And not wanting a mold to be half poured, he would stop the pour into the mold and pour excess into those containers.

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Note: Because the engine block required so much iron, the moisture in the mold would finally escape causing a small explosion. Not dangerous, but startling when or if you were not aware when walking past. The sand mixed for the molds was moist, necessary for the cope and drag molds to hold their shape. Cope was top, drag was the bottom.

Back to those floor containers. Don't know any specific name for them... possibly ingots.

Those ingots were reused after cooling. In the winter months I used to warm my hands over those cooling ingots.

Those vertical grooved vents behind the line sucked the smoke and heat off the line. Because of the huge volume of air removed by that ventilation system, the areas on the floor near by in winter would not be very warm, thus the warming of hands.

That ventilation system was much appreciated in summer months!  

One did not linger near that area if both lines were pouring. Sparks would always be flying around this area.

They filled the pouring ladles at the south end of each line. An overhead crane car would deliver the hot iron from the cupola area.

That operator had a manually operated bell he (was supposed to ring) rang if passing over you. Didn't always happen!

The overhead rail ran from the copulas and weaved it's way north and then west to each line. Time was of essence. If the iron cooled too much, it could not be poured but had to be reheated and tested.

Another note. They would take a small sample of hot iron from each new melt from the large ladle, and pour it into a small mold. When cooled they would test it for various properties. Those small triangular pieces 'may' have been sent to  metallurgy for further testing.  That happened for each new melt. Trying to remember, but I'd say they were about 6-8 inches in length. So as to make it easier to break it in half and examine the internal structure. Any other theories beyond that would be conjecture on my part. 

After checking properties this guy would sometimes add some granular substance to get the carbon content right. I'm thinking it was chromium, not sure. 

Back to crane operator. 

That operator had some sharp turns heading to the pouring lines.  If his crane ladle was too full, some would spill out on the 90 degree corners. Pretty sight to see from a distance. Not so pretty up close and personal.

For a new person working in the foundry for the first few weeks, that whole system and area was fascinating to watch when all the lines were pouring.  Working there off and on for two years was as close to HELL as I ever want to be.

All the men involved in the pouring of iron had special dark goggles because that molten iron was so hot/bright it would blind you. Also worn for safety.
That's my remembrance from years 1967 and 1975... Life in The Buick Foundry.

Factory #70 POTS

Here were looking into one of the furnace's in factory #70.

These are pots being filled with the raw materials that will be heated until molten......jim yuill said...

Those are cupola charge doors where the charge buckets entered to be stacked for unloading the charge of pig, coke, limestone, returns, scrap forgings.steel and cast iron briquettes

Factory #70

This is #71a the new addition after WWII. This view is facing northeast across Division st from the roof of then factory #11......jim yuill said...

This is actually 71B, the cleaning room. 71A is on the right and not in sight. 71A was the old cleaning room for casting and cleaning, and later became the "new" core room where Manifold, cylinder head and intake manifold core assemblies were made. Some of the "head" cores for Oldsmobile were made there too.