The only thing that comes to mind is to blow some compressed air through the brake lines and hoses. Disconnect the hoses from the front wheel cylinders and from the rear axle junction. If the air flows freely, then so should the fluid. Since you have the T/V removed you will need to bleed the brakes anyways so a little more air in the system won't matter. Brian

Back to the question at hand, what could be the problem. When I accquired my 55 400, it had sat for 3 or 4 years prior. The brakes worked, but not properly. The pedal was very hard but would gradually depress and stop the car. I discovered the flexable rubber brake hoses had swelled shut internally and would only allow the fluid to flow very slowly. Once I replaced the flexable rubber brake hoses everything worked great. Almost put me through the windshield with the first application. I also replaced all 4 wheel cylinders while I was at it. You might try disconnecting a rubber brake hose from the steel line and depressing the pedal. If your pedal goes to the floor then you have the same problem I did, collapsed rubber brake hoses. Hope this helps. Brian

Thanks BH for locating Ross's earlier post. That makes everything black and white, or should I say, black enamel and main body color.

Paint NK, trim code 9.

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I went ahead and installed the composit gaskets. When I talked to Kanters, the vender I purchased them from, they said they have been selling those type gaskets for years and haven't had any complaints. I sprayed 2 coats of copper spray on both sides of the gaskets and on the heads and block. If you don't hear back from me then all is well. Thanks everyone for all the input and advice. Very much appreciated. Brian

I'm convinced as well. I will paint my fenderwalls the same color as the main body color. I'm glad the decision is made. I'v been going back and forth between flat black and gloss black and then when a third color possibility came into the picture I started getting discouraged with the whole thing. Thanks everyone for your help. My trim code is 9. I get a lot of "Are those the original colors?" at the car shows.

It's been a couple weeks, the engine is out, freeze plugs replaced, (forum info, thanks) head gaskets replaced (another forum), everything has been stripped and prepared for painting. I'm trying to find out what colors are correct for certain areas in the engine bay. When I was cleaning (degreasing) the engine bay I noticed something peculiar about the paint colors. Right now the top areas of the fenderwalls are gloss black while the areas under the fresh air vent ducts are flat black. When I removed some of the wire harness brackets on the upper fender walls there was the main body color under them, not black. Also, in the pockets where the vaccuum canister and radio antenna are, it was also the main body color. This only adds to my confusion about the correct paint scheme under the hood. Is it possible Packard painted the entire body (including firewalls) the main color then repainted the secondary colors on the body and painted the engine bay flat and gloss black? Here are some pictures of my engine bay and of the paint colors. I need to decide what I'm going to do as far as painting. I want to do it right but I haven't been able to find any guidance on the various Packard websights. It is supposed to dry out this weekend (not rain) and get a little warm (upper 60's)( Hey, it's the Pacific northwest). I'm ready to paint, just don't know what colors to load into the gun.

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Quote:

Looking in the parts book I would have to answer yes.
5.0504 GASKET-HEAD
440469 ALL 55TH; 5640-60-70 (2)
440976 5680-88 (2)

5.05047 SHIM-CYL. HEAD GASKET
440884 5560-80 FOR LOW COMPRESSION RATIO (2)
6480755 ALL 56TH FOR LOW COMPRESSION RATIO (4)

Wow!!! It's like the calvary just came over the hill. I really appreciate all the input. To answer some questions, The block vin matches the car vin 5587-4098. As far as I know the car was purchased in CA and it did not have a block heater when I got it. The old gasket had no P/N markings that I could find, the new one is from an engine overhaul gasket set I purchased from Kanter's last year and it has a mfg P/n of Best 719 on the gasket. The engine has been overhauled prior to my purchase. I can tell because the pistons are stamped .030 on top.

Hello everybody,
While I was getting ready to put the heads back on the block I checked the head gaskets to make sure they were correct and they aren't, or are they? On the block and head there are three passages for coolant flow from block to head. They are located at the bottom, a large round passage in the middle and two triangular passages between the outer and inner cylinders. The gasket I removed, a steel gasket, had openings to allow coolant flow at these three passages. The new, composite, gasket does not. In the Service Manual, Engine chapter, page 4, figure 11 shows coolant flowing through these passages. Page 22, figure 51 shows a picture of a head gasket without openings at the three points. Which is correct, flow or no-flow?

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