I have the bearing in hand, and it looks like a perfect fit.

I just ordered one off feebay, for less than $10, with shipping. I looked at two crankshafts yesterday, and the pilot bearing recess is at least an inch deep, so I seriously doubt the extra 1-MM (3/64") width of this bearing will be a problem. Also, if the bearing will hold up in an alternator, I am sure it will do just fine as a pilot bearing. Will find out, and report back.

I believe I have cracked the code for the pilot bearing, which is .590" ID, 1.850" OD, and about .5" wide. In millimeters, that equals 15MM x 47MM x 13MM. Bearing #5-4712 is for some Mitsubisi alternators, and is: 15MM x 47MM x 14MM. It is a double sealed, ball bearing, and is on ebay for $9.27

I believe Timken #204FRK and 204FGB may fit. They are 1.850" OD, .626 ID, .686" wide, double sealed, ball bearings. If the T85 snout is .590", that may be a tad loose though.

Alternatively, Dorman #691-032 oil-lite bushing for a Ford is .851" OD, .671" ID, and .505" wide. It would be easy eough to machine the ID to fit the T85 snout.

Did anyone mic the ID of a Parkard OEM pilot bearing? I am gonna guess it is around .595" to .600".

Thanks

UPDATE 1/29/14: I just noticed the Dorman is .671 instead of .571, so it is obviously not a contender. Dunno what I was thinking.

Here is one with a motor and transmission attached to it.http://www.ebay.com/itm/Engine-Packard-Caribbean-Convertible-V-8-2x4-Intake-Hot-Rod-Transmission-/331418513669?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4d2a153105&vxp=mtr

Per maintenance records, on 09/13/2014, the CCP on the 352 in the 56J, with 94,000 miles on last rebuild, was: #1: 155; #3: 150; #5: 175; #7: 175; #2: 165; #4: 170; #6: 160; #8: 150.

Not sure what the OEM spec was but agree the spec in the S-P manual is pure hog-wash.

Well it is now 11 months and around 6000 miles later. The noise has grown loud enough that I believe the root cause will be discernible upon tear down. The last few early morning starts, with temps in the 30s, it has developed a more distinct knock. It is present during the first 5 minutes, under light load, coming off idle, in low gear. I am thinking its gonna be a wrist pin.

I was hoping it would last till spring, but I am now leery of driving the car any further. So it looks like its gonna be a winter project.

I have a couple of other 352s, back from the machine shop several years ago and carefully packed away. They just need re-assembly, but I hope to keep the original motor in the car. So I will disassemble it and see what I am dealing with first.

Will see how it goes, and post results & pix here when the time comes.

Jack, I believe I'd fit them at .0035"-.004", but that's just me. I had heard a couple of years ago about the steel strutted Kanter/EGGE available now, but have not tried a set. It will be interesting to hear how the ones you just bought turn out.

Even the earlier gen EGGEs will cool down eventually, even if fitted at .002"-.0025. But it takes a good 20,000 miles or so, at least the two motors I used them in took that long. Probably would cool down a lot quicker if fitted at .0035"-.004".

Hope you'll keep us posted on how yours turn out.

I have only rebuilt one UltraMatic, and that was for a 56J, in the late 1980s, under John Bryan's tutelage. (For those who remember him, in So-Cal.) Rebuild & overhaul, to me, are not synonymous. To me, rebuild means, "make new again" and I tried hard to do so. Anything not well within spec was tossed, modern clutch materials were used, and every upgrade John suggested was installed, i.e. steel backed, perforated bushings, steel parking lever, etc.. I even incorporated a couple of my own, i.e. a BMW motorcycle seal for the shift-shaft.

When I re-installed the transmission, all was well, and leaks were minimal. Only problem was (as yours), it would not stay in DD, and the more it warmed up, the worse the problem. Long story short, it turned out to be the rear pump, if I recall correctly. Even though the pump was well within spec, with the feeler gauge, per the Shop Manual.

So, of course try all the simple stuff first, but you might wind up coming back to the pump.

Once fixed, I chickened out at 120 MPH, in doing a top speed test on a 2-lane desert road in So-Cal. My point being, the DD holds up well, when operating properly.

Last I heard, the car is still on the road with the guy I sold it to, up in Maryland. But he is getting older, and drives it very little now days, so his wife says.

Not long ago, I installed a set of heads in the 56J that were rebuilt abut 10 years ago, and included hardened exhaust seats.

I decided to double check everything, but could not find stem height spec either, and decided that was secondary to closed valve spring length anyway (1.750"). I found most of the springs a little too long, with about .090" variance between longest and shortest. I shimmed each as needed, up to .090" in order to get them as close as 1.750" as possible.

For comparison, the old heads, at around 120,000 miles, had closed spring lengths around 1.800-1.850", which I attributed to valve recession.

The "new" heads now have close to 5000 miles on them and all is well, except one of the new Johnson lifters has a light tick that comes and goes at 2100-2500 RPM. I am hoping eventually to isolate it in order to keep from having to replace all 8 lifters on that bank.

In sum, I believe if we forget stem height and just focus on getting closed spring length to around 1.750", all will be OK. Though I suppose, if some bonehead machinist sunk the seats too deep, i.e. .100" or more, the hydraulic lifters could run out of their minimum range and the valves would not close all the way.