Now that book would be a great reference for the website! Sorry just thinking outloud.

Read with great interest everybody's comments on the Treadle-Vac. I've been rebuilding these things for myself and a couple of friends for almost 30 years. I drove my rebuilds reliably in two cars for fifteen years to and from work in Fresno and Long Beach, California, and across the country to the east coast and back, twice, as well as other trips to Fort Worth, Portland, Las Vegas, the central California coast, etc.

Many years ago I was blessed with the good fortune of locating a Bendix power brake technical binder containing extensive parts listings and procedures. I found it at "Acres of Books" in Long Beach, and paid a goodly sum for it, since "Acres of Books" charges by the inch.

Having this resource at my fingertips allows me to confirm the contents of repair kits for Bendix Power-Vac, Master-Vac, Hydro-Vac, Treadle-Vac, and numerous other Bendix products of the 1940's and 1950's.

For the group's benefit, I list here the complete contents of the four repair kits that Bendix made available for 1955-56 Packard Treadle-Vac:

Minor Repair kit:

Guard - Push Rod (boot)
Gasket - End plate (the triangular cork gasket)
"C" Washer - Compensating Valve
Seal - Compensating Valve Fitting
Poppet and Stem - Compensating Valve
Seal - Hydraulic Outlet Fitting
Cup - Residual Check Valve
Gasket - Cover, Fluid reservoir
Cup - Hydraulic Plunger
Washer - Hydraulic Plunger (fiber)
Seal - Hydraulic Plunger (leather)
Seal - Master Cylinder End (rubber)
Gasket - Flange (the large roughly square one)
Gasket - Air cleaner screw (a small rubber washer)
Gasket - Plate and tube (for the vacuum inlet fitting)

Major Repair kit:

All of the above plus:
Seal - Push rod
Seal - Tube plate
Atmospheric Poppet
Vacuum Poppet
Clips (for Vacuum poppet) Quan. 2
Gasket - Diaphragm

Don't expect a new push rod guard (boot) with kits you buy today...that is an extra-cost item (around $15).

Note also the "C" washer that retains the compensator spring was included in the minor and major repair kits, but neither contained the spring itself. Today, expect to have to re-use *both* parts from your old unit, as neither part is provided in new kits.

Piston Packing and Diaphragm kit:

Tube - Vacuum (the short curved rubber hose)
Spring - Piston Packing Expanding
Wick - Piston Packing
Packing - Piston (Leather)
Seal - Tube Plate
Diaphragm
Gasket - Diaphragm

Poppet Replacement kit:

Diaphragm - Vacuum Poppet Compensator
Atmospheric Poppet
Spring - Atmospheric Poppet
Vacuum Poppet
Clips (for Vacuum poppet) Quan. 2
Snap Ring
Gasket - Diaphragm

Notice with the Bendix kits, you really didn't get everything unless you bought all four, and even then you still didn't get that lousy compensator spring.

On DOT5 fluid, have not used it myself, but I've heard generally negative comments about using it with Treadle-Vacs. Would like to hear any positive experience from someone who has used it successfully over an extended period.

The only things I've ever had fail on my Treadle-Vac were the leather piston seal and the compensator valve and stem, and in both cases they simply began to seep a little...nothing sudden, nothing catastrophic.

BTW, the book recommends the 1956 Packard unit (P-4) as the service replacement for for 1955 early (P-2) and 1955 late (P-3) Packard Treadle-Vacs.

The identification numbers can be found stamped into the vertical end of the Treadle-Vac master cylinder.

Wish I knew more about this Craig Henderickson fellow, and what the nature of his brake failure was.

Hope this helps someone.

Thanks all. I have 3 PhDs (my escape from reality for many years). London School, Economics Cambridge, Mechanical Engineering Cambridge, Theoretical Physics. I taught Theoretical Physics at the post-graduate level for over 20 years. One of the 6 current grand-unified theories is mine, quantified by Hawking, as I am the conceptualist and he is the mathametician.

Owner's manual is an original which came with the car. Haven't had a chance to see what else is there, but there is a big box of Packard Club stuff.

Thanks for the tip on the rubber seals and proper tire size. As the tires on the car are almsot new, I will keep them as is for now. Sometime in the future, I might restore the car to as close to built as humanly possible, but I want a car I can DRIVE, not a show queen....

As to Batista "Pinin" Farina, he is a personal friend, as my "big thing" is Italian sports cars. Count Johnny Lurani, the race car journalist and 1920s-1950s race car driver, was a cousin on my mother's side of the family.

Again, thanks all...

Stu

92%, but I had to really think about my answers.

I say we setup an un-offical meet time of 7pm PST, which is 10pm PST for daily chat (of course we can adjust this time).

If you happen to be online at those times, then pop your head in to see who else may be in the chat room.

I am on right now for those interested.

On page 121 of the Master Parts and price list (price pages) I find #6480508 at $15.00 $25.00 $18.75. This number not found in the parts and supersessions list immediately preceeding this section.
The price list is dated September 1956, the parts list is dated December 1955. That may explain the discrepancy.

For any of you that are considering a trip to Hershey next year (10/8-12/2008), several hotels are already sold out. Most of the hotels in the area offer reservation request forms during Hershey for the next year, and fill up very quickly.

What subject did u teach at the colleges???

Peter: Thanks for the information on your fine car.

The real feature I would like to see in operation is the built in jacking system. 138 inch wheel base that is one heck of a long car. Which means lots of leg room in the rear for passengers.

I know some of the history of the major English coach builders, but know nothing of Freestone & Web. Could your please give me some history on this firm.

John F. Shireman

Keith, you have some good instincts sometimes, but I unscrewed the plug and there is no hint of anything other than casting in the threads. That flat could have been a ground-off riser, but I'm not sure. The BB you referred to was a piece of dirt shiny from the camera flash.

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