FPTGearhead,
Regarding the use of shocks from a six, junior 8 on a Su8, I would caution that although the primary Delco part number is the same (example 1966C or 1966D) may be the same for six/junior 8, there is an internal compression and rebound valve difference that is designated on the shock endcaps by a suffix after the main Delco number, such as 1966D xxxx-xx. So, they may bolt in perfectly well, they may have a response that renders a bumpy ride.

I have the suffix number literature if you need it.

Pat

Al,
I have a couple latches from my 39 Six. I haven't yet looked at the parts list (at this website) to determine if they'd fit, but if so and if you are still looking let me know.

I am searching for the paint codes for the pinstripe colors corresponding to 1939 Packard Blue and Centennial Blue body colors.

Per the 1935-41 Service Parts List, the name of the pinstripe color corresponding to Packard Blue is Gold Bronze; for Centennial Blue, the stripe is Flake White.

Does anyone have a photo example or paint code for these colors. Looking at several online paint code sites, I found several examples, not sure what is nearest the authentic color.

Thanks in advance.

FlackMaster: I think they are the same, No? To cut to the chase, I am looking to repace both. When I installed the R9 overdrive, I put in new ones but was not smart enough to record the numbers. I can probably take an old one to NAPA and have them look it up based on dimensions.

PS: I'll be watching to see if a 39 Six Sedan project car shows up at Hershey.

Pat

Anyone have a NAPA or other interchange number for a 39 junior ujoint for overdrive vehicles? Non OD cars have a smaller diameter ujoint, OD cars have larger. Didn't see one in the cross reference listing.

Ken,
Wish I knew you were in Dayton, I would have driven my 39 Six Sedan to the museum to meet you. Glad to hear you had the opportunity to visit the museum. I expect there may be a few parts in their 'for sale' inventory for your 37.
Pat

Back to the VIN tag: Although the 38's used the decaying decal, I think Packard still put the vin on the top side of driver's side frame rail at that time. So, if you scrape through any crud about midway between the master cylinder the Left Front shock absorber mount, you may find the VIN.

FYI, I have a 39 Six Sedan, very similar to the 38 body. Smaller engine of course, but a wonderful car. You'll enjoy it.

I don't think we've discussed this one before (I could not find it):

I have wondered many times about the orientation of the shield of the front bearing of the 39 and later column shift manual transmissions (I call this the front bearing, although technically it is the "clutch shaft rear bearing" 3.2091, pg 46, as the clutch shaft has another bearing: the pilot bearing, at the front of the shaft).

My observation is that the bearing shield is on the inside of the transmission, clearly shown on page 46 of the 35-41 Parts Master List. I would have thought the shield would be on the outside such that the rolling balls would be directly exposed to great oil flow. However, the design of the bearing cover, includes a flow path that aligns with a hole in the transmission, which I expect would facilitate flow in either direction. Supporting the literature is the fact that every one of the 4-5 transmissions I have worked on over the years have had the bearing arrangement as documented.

A few years ago, I read an article in the PAC Cormorant in which the author states the opposite is correct and warns of the danger of putting the shield on the inside resulting in bearing starvation, failure and massive damage.

My engineering background would agree with that author and therefore disagree with the design, but my observations of multiple transmissions, each of which had no bearing damage, seems to confirm it. I have always replaced/repaired by installing per the book. Apparently, the oil flow is sufficient.

Has anyone else made this observation? Has anyone had a failure? Has anyone else swapped the shield to the outside?

PackardV8: I expect you are correct in that it is gearlash, not backlash. That is what we call it in my engineering department.

THanks also for the info; I think I understand; would it be best to place the indicator at the center of the contact region?

I am considering whether the ring & pinion in my 39 Six are correctly adjusted, but am not sure how to measure. The manual and every other piece of original literature I have found specify a backlash of "0.003-0.005" inches; but it is unclear to me where this measurement is made. I expect this is one of those obvious types of measurements that any worthy mechanic understood; therefore, clarification of the method was not needed in the literature. Is this measurement spec referencing perhaps a pin gauge somewhere in the gear tooth engagement?

Jselph wrote: " Many years ago, when I was "turning wrenches" for a living, I found that the most common use for a dial indicator (in the auto repair business) was for checking/setting the backlash for the rear end ring and pinion setup..." That would indicate to me perhaps backlash is measured as the difference between two relative measurements.

I have seen gear backlashed measured in degrees of free rotation of one gear member while the other is held stationery, but that is clearly not the metric here. The reason I am considering pulling the rear end apart is that I get an occasional high frequency vibration/groan at about 45 mph from the rear end and while poking around under the car, I noticed about a 10-20 degree free play of the pinion input shaft. However, I don't know what amount of free play in degrees is acceptable.

If this has been addressed in a thread I couldn't find, please point me in the right direction.
Pat