Good advice, but if you've replaced the two radial ball bearings (which often corrode and freeze up) and the replacments are not exactly the same width, best do it "by the book".

A well-known Packard collector in New Jersey has also had two of these created, one sold by Hyman at Hershey a few years ago for quite significant money. There are perhaps as many as a dozen of these creations running around the country, I'd guess.

Mine did the same at some time in the past. If your hearing is keen you may also hear multiple clicks from the relay. Not to worry, just follow the procedures in the service manual for the anti-hunting adjustment. And make sure the push button actuator is properly adjusted for the detents, and the set screws are properly tightened on both the outside and inside of the transmission case.

Yeah, some of them are really attractive, but Packard discontinued making trucks shortly after the First World War. The ones you see are either new creations, or perhaps more often were made up by dealers for their service work from low value returns, crashed cars, and the like. Dealers of the 30s and 40s often had service trucks, especially wreckers made from old Pierce Arrows, Lincolns, Packards and the like as most of these had very strong chassis and very numerically high rear axle ratios. The half-dozen Packard pickup-style trucks I've seen in the last few years are all new creations.

Something on the brake assembly looks incorrect to me. It appears that both the primary and secondary shoes have the same return spring, at least same color, apparent diameter and number of coils. I believe I'm correct when I say the primary shoe must have a weaker spring so it will release and contact the drum first and thus provide the camming action to the secondary shoe.

As far the washers go, I don't believe that they are actually "crush" washers, meaning a hollow core that collapses. I think they are solid copper washers; I don't know of any torque specification. If I were to use a torque wrench I'd tighten them to same torque you'd use for a bolt of the thread and hardness; actually most folks just use "feel" and tighten them just a bit past "snug".

The vacuum pump is a separate entity from the oil pump, though they share a common drive system. So even if the vacuum pump needed repair or replacement, it doesn't necessarily follow that you need to replace the oil pump. BTW, did you check the vacuum check valve on the side of the block for a sticking or chattering valve?

As the chassis and wheels on the commercial chassis are different from the Packard passenger cars, I think your best bet will be to contact persons who own one of these vehicles (there are several in the Packard clubs) and borrow a wheel from one of them. Sorry, I don't know what other wheels may fit, I checked my Hollander but it doesn't cover models that new. Good luck, its a worthy vehicle to save.

My own experience with the heat riser on my V8 Caribbean is that I omitted the entire unit when I installed a new exhaust system, and I regret it. The car is very "balky" for a few minutes until it begins to warm up, even with ambient temperatures as high as the 60s. I intend to reinstall it.

If your car is hard to start when hot, first thing I'd check is to see if there is fuel in the float chamber (just peek down the venturi and actuate the accelerator pump)and the choke is open. If yes, though you should have a free or at least frozen in the open position heat riser, I'd next suspect a deteriorating coil. Heat riser is open when the counterweight is in the down position. BTW, you didn't say what engine you had but a heat shield between the manifolds and carburetor is correct for most if not all 356 engines.

If the "extra nipple" you're referring to is brass or copper, very small diameter, about 1/2 inch long, at about the center of the motor and facing the driver's side, it's an air vent, not a location for a connection. Perhaps someone else will be able to help you with the balance of the problem as I've never had problems with the wipers. If it appears the motor itself needs service, I highly recommend Ficken wiper service, they've been in this business for decades and provide excellent service. They are a Hemmings advertiser.