I still think I've got a worn plunger/cylinder on the #1 exhaust valve lifter but... It does make sense to drive the car a while to make sure. I've only driven it on to/off of the trailer and once around the block. Soooo, I'll put the valve covers back on, drop the oil pan and clean out the sludge, install an oil filter, re-fill the car with light weight oil and maybe some detergent product and gently drive it a few hundred miles. This will also give me a chance to see if it overheats or has some other things that may need taking care of. If the 'clack' doesn't go away then I'll pop the head myself and test the lifters replacing any that don't pass muster.

The 41-49 Engine Service Manual on this website has been an enormous help in seeing what the hydraulic lifters look like out of the engine and the methods used to check them out.

RedRon,
You have a sharp eye. I hadn't noticed the difference but you are correct. The intake valves have their springs attached closer to the lifter than do the exhaust valves.

I'm currently debating whether to bite the bullet and pop the head to pull all the lifters out of the engine in order to clean them and verify that they maintain oil pressure, or wait till I can get an appointment with a mechanic and spend $90 an hour to let him do it.

I haven't taken the head off a flathead engine since I was 16 but I am leaning more towards doing it myself since I could re-direct the $90 per hour towards new hydraulic plungers where needed. The darn things run $60-$75 apiece. Well... nobody ever said this hobby was cheap.

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It clacks hot or cold. There are no broken springs and all the valves appear to be opening and closing. I think I'll see if I can find some tubing to isolate the location of the noise as you suggest.

I'm trying to track down the source of a pretty loud clacking noise. I suspect it's valve related and appears to be coming from the front part of the engine. I removed the valve covers and found that one of the hydraulic lifters seems to be oozing far more oil than its 15 counterparts. The attached photo taken with the engine running shows the suspected hydraulic lifter. Any opinions are welcome.

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BigKev,

The PAC website defines the Packard engine gray as:

Gray is medium or dark gray or similar to "Sears gray front porch enamel".

There is very little gray paint left on my '50 356 engine head or block but what there is appears to be pretty dark. I think I'll roll under the car with putty knife and solvent to see if I can find a pristine patch of paint on the oil pan (it was painted the same color as the engine, right?). I expect to be painting the engine sometime late summer or early fall. While I have no intention of ever having the car judged, I would like the car to be as close to factory original as possible/practical/affordable. If all else fails, I could always just get a gallon of Sears gray front porch enamel...
Yes, I'm kidding.

Gents, Thanks. That's just what I needed. Now, off to NAPA for a new cable. I really appreciate the help.

I'm getting ready to 'borrow' the oil filter off my '41 limo and move it over to the '50 sedan (both engines are 356 post war). Gazing under the hood, I find that the previous owner has connected the battery ground to one of the bolts that should hold the oil filter. This leads to two questions:

1. Where should the ground be attached? I've looked at all the illustration plates in the parts manual and can't find an example. I've looked at all the photos of engine compartments I can find, and in all of them... the battery cable just sort of disappears out of view.

2. Since I will probably have to replace the cable to get to wherever it's supposed to be attached, should it be a braided ribbon cable or an insulated copper cable? The two major vendors seem to offer different products as replacements.

I was just on the Hirsch website and in the drop-down box under Engine Enamel Quart they list Packard; Bronze, Green, Ivory, Gray, Red, and Turquoise. $33.00 a quart. I'm going to need a quart of Gray myself.

I agree with Clipper47 on this one. I don't know about anybody else, but I don't have anywhere that I'm willing to let that amount of oil/grease, and/or grease solvents hit the ground... certainly not the concrete driveway or garage floor! Anyway, I think it's easier to get rid of the solids first than to deal with the liquified run-off of those solids.

If I had a place to do it... I'd probably try steam, but since I dont...

That's my worth.