Just saw this old post about Jim Hollingsworth being in poor health.
I had the pleasure of meeting him in Des Moines in 2008 and again in Branson MO in 2009. He was so kind and friendly in welcoming me into PAC. And very encouraging about my 1941 Clipper. In Branson I had the privilege of being on a Judging Team that examined Jim's black 41 Clipper.

When I complained about the steering on my 41, he handed me his keys and said, "Here, drive mine and see how good a Clipper can drive. WOW! It took me (with help from my brother, Ray) to get my 41 Clipper to drive that nice. Here is a string of photos from Branson of our two 41 Clippers side-by-side with details of Jim's upholstery work.

https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=5523

A real Packard Gentleman, and a "Man Who Owns more than One,"

Here is a great 2008 Hemmings article on Jim:

http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/2008/06/01/hmn_feature19.html#PhotoSwipe1351311297643

Enjoy,
Dan Leininger

Welcome to Hillbilly Packarding -- the 41 & 46 Clipper Bros. -- Ozark Mechanic-kin' in the shade of the post oaks.

While Packard said,
"Ask the man who owns one."
Hillbilly Packard says,
"Ask the Lads who couldn't afford to own one."
(much less two!)

As a boy of six, I remember admiring the beautiful Packard Limo, Hearse, and Ambulance that sat peeking out of the triple garage at Sedalack Funeral Home in East St. Louis, Illinois. Cream and gray, silver and black, these just gorgeous vehicles had that tall winged-chrome-bird on the hood. I thought, "What a shame you had to die to ride in one of those."

When I found my Clipper five years ago, I was thrilled. Even though it needed a year of DIY work to be road worthy, I felt no need to start a Project Blog here on PackardInfo. The Clipper was an 'older restoration' not a project, Right?
NO! Wrong!

Now I am smarter.
Five years of fixing, repairing, driving, patching, showing, owning, storing, and repeating all the above have taught me that --
"Every old Packard is a project"
Whether you start with someone else's 'baby' from 10, 20, 30 or 40 years ago, there was a continual need to learn, study, fix, patch, authenticate and enjoy this machine, and its history.

While "Clipper Jack", as I call this 41, did not need major rebuild or overhaul work, 20 years of neglect and storage had not treated it well. It lacked regular running, repair, and basic TLC.

[add pict engine compartment. 2007]
[ update to 2010]

Stored indoors all those years, the body was solid, but it needed 100s of improvements.

HILLBILLY PACKARDS.

"The home of Hillbilly Packards" is a shed in the Ozarks. Here my brother Ray and I have developed a retirement game called :Hillbilly Packarding." Located just 75 miles north of Branson, Missouri and 140 miles south of Kansas City this small town setting

After devoting three years of "rolling restoration work" on my 41 Clipper, I suggested tha Ray take it to his house in Bolivar, Missouri. My winters in South Dakota are long and cold.) After my brother, Ray, and I enjoyed the Cadillac-LaSalle Club Grand Nat'l in Kansas City in 2010, I suggested that Ray take Clipper to his house. After a winter of driving and repairing it, Ray wanted to buy it. Reluctant to sell it, I suggested that we find him a Clipper as well. Enter one 46 Packard Clipper that was a definite project car. That is what is being overhauled presently at HillBilly Packard.

"41 CLIPPER JACK"
Dan's 41 Clipperhttps://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/registry/index.php?Action=view&ID=120

"Clipper Jack" -- I found this 1941 Clipper in Versailles, Kentucky in 2007, stored at Brookdale Farm (http://www.brookdalefarm.com/contact-us.shtml ) by the nephew of the original restorer.? After an interview by Louie Logan, manager of the nephew's thoroughbred horse farm, I now realize I was approved for the 'adoption' of this family-heirloom-retirement-project Packard.? It is an older restoration from the early 1980s; a retirement-hobby project of a Packard lover who I never knew, named Jack Williams, from El Reno, Oklahoma. Thus, I named the car "Clipper Jack" in tribute to them both.

Clipper Jack had been silent for about 20 years since Jack's death.? Evelyn, his widow, kept the car for about 15 years after her husband's death.? I surmise that selling it to someone who would 'hot rod' it, would have broken Evelyn's heart and the family members' honor as well.? I found a rusty screwdriver (presumably Jack's) under the back seat which I also rejuvenated and added to the tools I am using on the car. I am pleased to watch this Packard puppy come back to life with each new upgrade. A 1941 Packard Clipper -- first of the Clippers.

I have done ongoing maintenance and rehab on the original engine (120,000 miles), generator, starter, and distributor.? Other work has involved brake and master cylinder rebuild, front suspension, and drive train rehab. I? use it as a daily driver vehicle 8 months out of the year.? Turn Signals and Seat (lap) Belts are added for safety.? [double bulbs added in rear turn signals and hazard lights.? Also 4" turn signal lamps concealed behind the side grilles].? The original radio is rebuilt and working with an authentic rotary roof antenna added.? Drive train is now refurbished to operate at highway speeds.? Overdrive is operational in all three gears. In the front suspension the upper control arm pins and bushings were replaced. Front end aligned.? The shocks were not operational (no fluid) when purchased in 1997, and then they leaked fluid badly whenever I added it.? I considered rebuilds.? However, after adding fluid about 3 times (with higher viscosity each time) they quite leaking.? (Someone told me many shocks had leather washers in them that become dry and rehydrate in fresh fluid, Don't know). ? BUT the shocks have been functioning for the last 2000 miles.??? The re-upholstery is corded cloth on seats (not authentic) and smooth camel on door panels and headliner (close enough to authentic).? Incorrect carpet was replaced with closer match to original colors.?

Solid metal throughout with no old damage. Older repaint (25 yr old) shows well with nicks and scratches. Color is close to Flare Taupe and waxes well with lots of curb appeal. The paint code might originally be BG which is two-tone with the top (above the rain gutter) being Laguna Maroon Metallic with the bottom as Flare Taupe. I may repaint it those colors IF I become wealthier than I ever expect to be. ;)

PHOTOS TO COME:
STAY TUNED.

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Mal,
Thanks for the advise.
The 282 in your 41 Coupe seems to be giving you good service since the overhaul.

WE are concluding that there are some problems with the crankshaft being stressed in the past before Ray's purchase of the vehicle. At this point the most reasonable thing seems to continue assembly at somewhat reduced torque settings.

This may test the design safety factors engineered into the motor originally. But I am of the opinion that the Packard engineering that went into this basic straight eight was as reliable as the 60,000 Merlin engines build during WWII (between the 282 in my 41 Clipper and the 282 in Ray's 46 Clipper.

We are getting the engine back together now. We hope to know by Monday.

Later,
Dan L

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Got some Plastigage at Larry's Auto Parts.
Thanks Howard for response about factory specs being the standard on overhauls.

Ray and I are beginning to think that his Clipper may have a 'compromised Crank shaft.' The #5 cylinder rod that Ray found bent when he disassembled the engine seems to be severe enough to be related to a bent crankshaft.

We did not take the engine or crank shaft out, so we can't confirm out fears with actual bench measurements. The behavior of the crank seizing on hand turning when it is torqued to factory specs, sure seems to indicate to us some bending of the shaft. For two Ozark brothers "playing a game of hillbilly Packard mechanics," we think that is down right cleaver thinkin'

Got to go eat lunch and let my brain cool down.

Later,
Dan L.

Thanks Howard.
We'll check on plastigage.

Hillbilly Packard Overhaul - Torque settings?

My brother Ray is overhauling his 46 Clipper -282 CID.
It sits here in his shed in the Ozarks with my 41 Clipper beside it. They are a beautiful sight, or as our Hillbilly Packard motto says, "Ask the boys who could not afford to own one."

BEFORE Ray tore into the engine, it turned over, ran very poorly (the #5 rod was bent badly) and needed a rebuild of all the usual parts: water pump, gen, starter, etc.

We ground the valves, (replaced 2), lapped them, new valve springs, new #5 piston and rod, new rings, new main bearings, and new rod bearings. Now we have put the block back together.

Our QUESTION:
What are WORKABLE torque settings for and old Packard engine?
'Old' meaning 84,000 miles or more likely 184,000 miles.
We know the original factory settings, but they don't work:
Main bearings = 80-85 ft lbs
Rod bearings = 40-45 ft lbs
When we set the engine up that way we could not turn the crankshaft with out 4 ft bar and pipe extension.

Hillbilly Solution #1:
We backed off the torque settings and reset them to 2/3 the factory settings.
Result: Still could not turn the crank.

Hillbilly Try #2:
We used 1/2 the factory specs (43 mains and 20 rods).
The engine can now be hand turned with our bar and pipe on the crankshaft.

Other Questions:
1. How likely is it that we have a crank shaft out of 'true'?
We are Hillbillys (no lift, no motor stand, little know how) so the motor is in the car. We brought it in from under the shade tree. If we had the engine out we would have taken it to measure the crank.
What other ideas, experience do you Packard Lovers have with overhauls and torque settings?
ALSO can we adjust the valves cold? How?

Thanks for getting this far.

Dan L.

Thanks,
Dallas
and everybody,
I talked to Ray and he downloaded the manual sections.

He is back to work.

DanL

Dallas,

OK
46-50 Packard service manual addresses the issue. Page 5

Got ya.

Now we need the manual.
Found it!!!

https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/article/view.article.php?300

Great website!

DanL

DAve,
It is worse than that.
Your 47 super Clipper is on a 127" wb.
A 46 Clipper Deluxe is on a 120" wb.
The extra 7 inches moves your oil pan 7 inches back from the chassis frame cross member.

On a 120" wb frame the oil pan is actually ABOVE the cross member of the frame. It is 7 inches farther FORWARD than on a 127" frame setup.

I don't have any pictures and I am 6oo miles from my brother's shop.

I saw my mechanic tonight and he agreed that he has had to loosen front motor mounts in such a situation on other cars.
So it is not just a Packard problem.

It is more an "amateur mechanic, hobby mechanic, DIY-mechanic" problem. Like me and a 600+ other PI members

DanL

Thanks for the comments.

I suggested another clearance possibility to Ray. I found in a 2008 thread that BigKev commented on.

He said that loosening the front motor mounts and jacking the front of the engine a bit gave enough clearance to get his 53(?) oil pan out.

Since the rear mounts are way back at the transmission, it should give enough room to get the oil pan out.

We will let you know how it goes.

Dan L