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g'day Mal; You might check the linkage adjustment- with the car out of gear see if the holes in the cast iron shift arms on the column line up. I think the holes are 3/16's, if not undo one of the linkage rods, line up the holes and adjust the rod. Also correct any wear in the linkage.

Saturday 24th February, 2018

About an 8 mile run to a flea market this morning where I picked up a small engineers ball peen hammer for AUD$2.00, about USD$1.50. Will come in handy if I need any MBM(Made by Mal) gaskets. Packard ran well, if a little hot at times, but flicking on the auxilary fan helped overcome that. I know, rather than bandaids, need to find the source of the problem and remedy accordingly. Friend PeterPackard has already given me advice in regard to this. But the best news is no more shifting woes, mainly I think because of Howards advice of "a few drops of oil at the bottom of steering column". Now I shift out of 1st, allow the spring loaded mechanism to move the lever through the gate, then up into 2nd, now sooooo easy. One of the other things I have to do is refill the front shocks and plan to do that tomorrow. I'm so glad this knee action shock thread was recently resurrected, it provides advice even I can follow!

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I cannot tell you how happy I am that another guy, half-way around the world, is having 1950 Packard Eight adventures similar to mine. After seeing my two nice 1956 hardtops, people seem surprised that I say that the rather plain Eight sedan is my second favorite Packard. Even I don't know why that is, but for a car that is sixty eight years old and still with less than 60,000 miles, somewhere somebody must have also felt the same charm to keep her around. Mine still runs well so all the advice to do compression checks and other things will just have to wait until I am really bored with the other two and have nothing else better to do. I hope that you are as equally pleased and lucky.

My daughter has also had her own fit when she discovered that I had taken several grandkids out for a neighborhood ride in the Eight, minus back seat belts. For once, I refrained from giving the speech as to how I survived my youth standing on the back seat of my parent's cars about the same time this Packard was new. I cannot imagine a time when my daughter has ever ridden in a moving car without a belt fastened. I would not have it any other way.

Sunday 25th February, 2018

Before refilling the Packards front shocks turned to the floor jack and treated it to some jack oil. It had given up the ghost some months back when working on the Coupe. Talk about being left high and dry because that's just what happened. Had jacked the Coupe right up at the front and put jack stands under then removed the jack. Later, after finishing what I was doing, pushed the jack back under but......it didn't work. Then had to get the Coupe back down from elevated heights by using a number of other jacks, lumps of timber and a few well chosen words. The jack had been sitting in the corner of the garage since then but, with a new Packard to attend to, needed to be resurrected.

Jack done, and apparently operative again, turned to the front shocks of the Packard. Started on the right side shock, which has better access, because the left side shock is "hidden" below the battery tray. Access in or to the engine compartment, as a whole, is a lot easier on this '50 than it ever was on the '41. The height of the '41's bonnet(hood) sides was a huge obstacle to this shortish, fat individual. The '50's comparatively low mudguards(fenders) with no bonnet(hood) sides to contend with makes for much easier access.

For the shocks I'd purloined a small plastic beaker with a pouring lip from the kitchen. Shhhhhh.....don't tell Kath. About half filled it with jack oil and then attempted to pour it into the shocks oil reservoir. I don't think a drop went in the hole! Instead part of the exterior and one side of the shock received a good oiling down. Just then the phone rang and who should it be but PeterPackard asking if I was headed to a swap meet at Goulburn. The answer was obviously no, but not because of my situation or the fact that the rain was coming down in buckets. It was no because the swap meet is on the 25th March and not the 25th February! I'd also had a call last night asking if I was going today and was able to explain the months difference in dates precluded my attendance at this time. But back to the oily mess. Explaining my predicament Peter advised use a small plastic bottle with a tip ? la those used for lead replacement additives. Fortunately, although I didn't have one of those, I had a similar bottle of fuel injector cleaner. The daily driver should benefit as it was afforded the full bottle. Then cleaned out the bottle and filled with jack oil. Much easier, the nozzle can be inserted directly into the filler hole and after some gentle squezes about half the bottle, or 25mls, seemed to top up the shock. Repeated for the left side, and even with the more restricted access didn't spill a drop. The left side taking about 30mls. Peter also gave me a tip in that, rather than rocking or bouncing each side of the Packard, just take it for a short run. With the natural action of the suspension doing the trick! However, because of the deluge, will wait until tomorrow to do so.

Another item attended to was the battery, which needed topping up, and had purchased a container of demineralised water in preparation for this. When checking each cell, noticed that the three cells on the engine side of the loooong battery were down to plate level while the outer cells, although fuller, also needed topping up. Had also purloined another slightly larger lipped beaker from Kath's kitchen for this job. But because it's being used with H2O and not with oil it can returned from whence it came. Hopefully Kath will be none the wiser.

Tomorrow, God willing and weather permitting, as my old Scottish high school economics teacher used to say, will take the Packard for some shocking treatment. And if need be, now that I know how easy it is, the shocks can be topped up again.

Referring back to Photo #5 in Post #45, what do you see? Well I see a failure just waiting to happen! While the bush mechanic who did this no doubt reached around and patted himself on the back for a job well done, down the road he won't be around when things let go. So I need a Group 3.1151 Part #418936, Pedal Retracting Spring Bracket, as per the 48-54 Parts List, I think. Don't see a reference there to a RHD part. It's either find a bracket or have one made and installed. If the latter, anyone have the requisite measurements?

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Monday 26th February, 2018

Took the Packard for a run, selecting bumpier roads as much as possible. Ride seems better, but will check and refill front shocks again and go for another drive. Then repeat, as required, until there's no further improvement.

Looking at the photos taken in the eighties(?) there are no backup lights or a spotlight/rearview mirror. So these accessories appear to have been added to the car in the last 30 years.

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Wonder why the backup lights were installed in that high position rather than lower near the bumper and closer to the guards like the template shows. I believe you mentioned some lights you installed on your 41 had to be in certain places. Is there something on the backup lights too?

Tuesday 27th February, 2018

Frank, the guy who bought my Coupe dropped by today. When I say dropped by, it's only 290km each way! The reason for doing so? So he could "return" some stuff I'd given him with the Coupe. After all I was never going to have another Packard, so what did I need jack stands and other stuff for? They certainly are going to come in handy now and will get a workout, in the next few days, when I change the oil for one thing. Also dropping in was Geoff, another Packard owner and good friend of Franks. Geoff only had to make a mere 60km each way trip.

Before they arrived I'd topped up the front shocks the left side took about 10mls and the right side about 20+mls. With what was added on Sunday both sides now have about 50+ml more than before. Because of the shock re-fill and to also to fill up with fuel, went for a run with the boys. Fuel gauge was sitting at about the 1/4 mark and it took almost 52 litres of 91 straight unleaded to fill. With the Eight fuel tank having a capacity of 17 US gallon, or about 65 litres, 52 litres is pretty close to 3/4 of a tank so I have some confidence the fuel gauge is reasonably accurate. A pleasant surprise was the "whistling fill", wasn't expecting it when it happened. I'd read about it here but never previously experienced it. A nice feature to have on your Packard. The run also permitted the re-re-filled shocks to settle in again, and it does ride better than yesterday. Will check again tomorrow and repeat if necessary.

I was also able, on the run, to hand over driving duties to Frank and Geoff. They both were pleased and impressed with how well the car handled and ran. Seems I made the right decision in purchasing the Packard!

"I believe you mentioned some lights you installed on your 41 had to be in certain places. Is there something on the backup lights too?"

Howard,

You may either be referring to the turn indicator lights I added to the Coupe or, less likely, the front compartment courtesy lights. If the indicator lights, I just positioned them as far to each side as possible. Believe, but don't quote me, there are limitations as to how close together these can be. If the courtesy lights, these(I think?) came mounted to the bottom edge of the dash. When I had the kick panels out found there was a perfectly sized round hole in the framing the kick panels mount to, so mounted them in those holes. Meant I had to punch a round hole in each kick panel and fit a rubber grommet which worked perfectly.

I too wonder why the reversing lights are mounted where they are. Have no documentation but they don't look at all in keeping with the style of a bathtub. Look more like bulbous eyes! I am considering removing them.

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Mal, just for reference here is the official install instructions for the backup lights. Only bad thing if you decide to remove them now is holes you would need to fill but you might be able to get some small reflectors or chrome buttons that would disguise and cover the holes.

I do think the pair of backup lights would look better and still function well if moved down to their regular location at the side of the license plate but that is just my opinion. Normally there is only a single light but a pair with one on either side of the license has been put on other cars and looks quite good. I think there may even be a photo in the archive of one such install.

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