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Never give an Aussie or Gerd any extra ideas. They are inventive enough without suggestions.

Wednesday 27th July 2011

Just a "drop in" at the workshop today. Wade managed to manufacture some seals for Noel's trans top and that's all back together. And has cleaned up the R6 OD case and the OD mounting for the trans in the parts washer and re-installed the OD mounting to the trans. Now awaiting the arrival of PeterL complete with Mazda engine under one arm and R6 OD parts under the other!

Still using the Crypton Engine Analyser on Big Red. I'd previously said this ".....the CRT came to life, with one of the CRT display functions showing each cylinder firing by a sharp peak. But there were only 7 peaks, Wade thinks he has the display set "too fine" so will adjust accordingly....." Turns out, that by taking the rpm's up to about 1,000 that all 8 cylinders are shown firing. Always good to read the instructions.

And a backward step, the '38 water pump was returned! Works OK. but leaks! Turns out the weep hole had corroded to such an extent that it now wasn't sealing. Parts are back with the machinist for remedial work.

Aaaargh, Gerd me lad!

Love Robert Newton in "Treasure Island"!

As for YFAM Randy Berger, lets just say we are enjoying ourselves.

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Friday 29th July 2011

Another day, another "drop-in".

Wade's been playing with Big Red, concentrating on the EE-23 carburettor but ended up sending it off to Carburettor Service Company for their specialised attention. Although CSC rebuilt the carb a few years ago Wade wants everything checked over again just to be sure.

Wade's still waiting for PeterL and his Mazda Engine and R6 OD parts to arrive. Seems that Peter is waiting for a Mazda part to arrive then he'll be ready and in a position to make it to the workshop.

The remedial work on '38 water pump is complete and the pump was shipped back to it's owner this morning.

Left Wade to replace the hydraulic brake switch on Big Red which has again failed. Dot 5 fluid chews up and spits out these switches out on a regular basis!

And I'm going OK. Still look like I've suffered a stroke from the look of the right side of face. Long haul before it recovers. Most irritating thing is the right eye, because there isn't an automatic blink reflex at present, the eye drys out. Have to keep up a supply of "FAUX" tears to keep the eye lubricated.

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Mal, don't let "she who must be obeyed" catch you winking at some other lassie. She might close your good eye.

Monday 1st August 2011

Today is 1) the horse's birthday, well it is here in the Southern Hemisphere, and 2) Bank Holiday in our state of New South Wales. But I wasn't celebrating either of those, instead being down at the workshop putting in some quality Packard time.

Wade was working on re-routing the heater hoses on Big Red in order to try and overcome the glugging and gurgling currently being experienced. I was put to work making a cardboard template for mounting a heater into Noel's '39 120. After marking and punching holes for the inlet and outlet pipes as well as the mounting studs the template was marked and cut roughly to shape then trimmed a little further. The fan motor and outlets were also measured to provide dimensions for clearance checks.

After a short side trip, going round to Repco for more heater hose for Big Red, on returning the heater mounting in the '39 was addressed in earnest. After the firewall carpet was removed the template was used, in conjunction with the dimensional measurements, to determine how best to site the heater in the '39. Although Noel had expressed a preference for it to be sited on the LHS, this is a RHD car, it is being mounted in the middle because of a relay and a major junction of the wiring harness being on the LHS of the engine side of the firewall. The radio speaker will be re-mounted on the LHS instead and will pose fewer problems by doing so. With the carpet out the template came in for positioning purposes and also served the same function on the engine side of the firewall to ensure mounting bolts and inlet/outlet pipes weren't compromised. Satisfied positioning was OK the template was used to first mark and punch holes in the carpet then inside the car to mark the four holes required for mounting bolts and inlet/outlet pipes. Holes made in the firewall and, without the carpet, a trial fit of the heater squeezed it into place, fitting first time with plenty of clearance of the engine side of things. Final installation, including the carpet, was somewhat more difficult, the extra thickness in the carpet making the fit a bloody tight one, but fit it did. Still need to mount fittings, run hoses, mount controls, etc, etc, but the major part of this task has been accomplished.

And why weren't we working on the R6 OD? Because we don't have the R6 OD parts yet. Apparently Peter expects to be here soon with the precious parts but until then the OD doesn't get a look in. And tomorrow it will be by-passed as well, we're having a day's R & R on a Morris Minor Picnic Club run to Sydney's south. According to the weather forecast, it looks like a perfect day to go for a drive in a Packard. I'll be in the Coupe and picking up Wade and Gina from the run start point because Big Red is awaiting the return of it's carb from Carburettor Service Company.

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Tuesday 2nd August 2011

No workshop activity, instead met Wade and Gina at Heathcote and proceeded south to Woonona to Janet's Royalty Rooms, Australia's(maybe the world's) largest collection of British Royalty Memorabilia.

Meanwhile Barry Smith had sent me some pic's last month of his '38 Twelve Club Sedan. Barry brought the car over from the US a while back as a "driver". He was just going to tweak it a bit here and there which led to a full blown body-off restoration! The Twelve is now back on the road with only some minor details still being tidied up. Will see it in person when Barry brings it down as a Concourse entry at the big display day later this month, enjoy the pic's.

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Wednesday 3rd August 2011

No R6 OD parts yet so attention returned to the '39's heater. Noel had provided two copper lines. One from the water pump to near the heater inlet pipe. The other? Probably part of a bathroom sink setup, it certainly wasn't for a Packard heater! First though, had to lower the water level in the '39 to accommodate taking out the brass plugs in the water pump and the head. But even before that had to drag out the catch tray from under Big Red and empty that so it could be used to catch the water released from the '39. All was going well as I ladled water out from the tray and into a bucket. Emptied the first bucketful of water then decided to short cut the process by tipping the remaining water into the bucket. What resulted was almost a trunami with little water finding the bottom of the bucket, most spreading out on the floor between Big Red and the '39. Bucket and mop time again, I've had plenty of experience doing that, to clean up my own mess.

With the tray positioned under the '39 the water was drained to a level below the plugs, plugs removed and threads cleaned of plumbers tape. From the brass outlet fitting on the water pump body, the heater pipe curves up and back in about a 6" radius and extends almost the length of the head finishing about mid way between #6 & 7 plugs. From there there's a gap of about 10" to the heater inlet pipe which, thanks to Wade's foresight and planning, is almost directly in line to the hot water pipe and which a length of heater hose will bridge. The rear fitting on the head, for the returning water, wasn't so co-operative. As I said the pipe and fittings Noel supplied seemed to relate to household plumbing rather than Packard heater operation and use. For once Wade wasn't able to reach up to the shelf and pick up a suitable fitting, so off we went to Pirtek instead. Although they too couldn't supply an off the shelf item, a combination of fittings together with a valve(needs to be ordered in with Monday the likely day of arrival) will provide a solution. This combination of fittings will also provide another almost straight run for the heater hose to bridge the gap remaining. The other side to this is that Wade ordered two valves, with the extra one to replace the valve now on Big Red which currently is in a permanent open position. But why is it permanently open? It leaks otherwise!

Plumbing work having come to a standstill, pending the arrival of the heater valve, turned to the heater controls. Noel had a heater switch(looks NOS) in the parts supplied but was lacking a switch for the fan control. No worries this time, the magic shelf provided not only a switch(not Packard but it closely resembles the switches already under the dash for electric pump pump and the back up light) but a bracket to mount both switches in! Had to file out the hole in the mounting bracket to accept the heater switch. Then the bracket was fitted to the under edge of the dash. Back to the bench to make the cables required for operational control. With most cables made up but with extra cable lengths, connectors, stripping and crimping tools returned to the '39. Then followed an awkward situation with Wade leaning in through the left front door, padding on the running board to alleviate it's unforgiving nature. Wade did all the work while my major task was to hold the light and not shine it in his eyes! Although at one stage I did hold the back of the heater switch to stop it from turning while Wade tightened the bezel nut. So there we have it, a heater fitted save for a valve, hoses and re-filling with water. Of course we can't start the car yet with the trans mounts removed and the bellhousing supported by a jack stand and block of wood!

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Monday 8th August 2011

Arrived at the workshop only for Wade to walk out on me! Actually he and John were going round to Repco to pick up some parts so it wasn't as dramatic as I tried to make it out to be. Wade then rang PeterL, no answer, so left a message. Wade had expected Peter at some stage last week but he didn't show, so the R6 OD is still awaiting parts. And the heater hose valve is still coming so there wasn't anything that could be done on the '39. And last Friday Wade had put in some time lightly cutting back the paint on Big Red(it's a 1961 paint job) and had run out of compound, that was part of the reason for going to Repco - more compound. Wade still needs to finish the trunk(boot?) lid and the doors but there wasn't anything for me to do or keep me amused, so shortly after arriving I left! However before going I was able to tell Wade his '34 striker plates should arrive soon from the US together with Harvey's '37 Super 8 hood louvre as well as some parts for yours truely.
DAF and BigKev!

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Tuesday 9th August 2011

Couple of nights ago had a call from Fred, aka pepepackard, enquiring after my health and to pass on some info. Was able to tell Fred that I was much improved, so much so that I now look almost human!
Fred was able to tell me about a stainless steel valve he used for the heater installation in his '37 115 Sedan. Also told me that he'd installed the radio, that Wade had rebuilt for him, in the '37. And that the fender guide that Wade had re-furbished for him was also installed. In fact, Wade added a light in the hexagon on the tip of the guide, a feature the original lacked! Tonight Fred forwarded pic's of all these features on his '37 while I have included one of the '37 when his daughter was married and the '37 was pressed into service as a wedding car.

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Wednesday 10th August 2011

Following on from yesterday, Fred tells me ".....The heater tap is made by Gates (USA) and....available in most good parts stores for around AU$45....." And, speaking of heater valves, Wade picked up the valves from Pirtek and fitted one to Noel's '39. Has the other one ready to go onto Big Red but that'll mean another lowering of the water level!

But before getting going at the workshop this morning, where Wade was grinding some rubber off The Fossils rear window gasket to get a better fit, a trip to Carburettor Service Company was in order to pick up Big Red's EE-23. It had been checked over by Tim with not much being done to it although he'd dispensed with one spring because it was counteracting another! Wade also went home with the kit from Daytona he'd taken to Tim along with the carb because it wasn't required. Most of the parts are available including some valves(I think) that he sourced from Rochester equipped Holden(local GM brand) V8's. Back at the workshop carb back on Big Red, necessitating a choke adjustment, and we were off on a test run. At first didn't seem to have improved at all, in fact it seemed worse. However once warmed up it did improve, then Wade said "hear that"? What? I said. "The heater" was the reply. But there wasn't any noise! Reversing the direction of water flow had worked with no gurgling evident, So at least one thing had worked!

Back at the workshop turned to The Fossil and fitment of the rear window. Wade had been planning for Greg from Ralph Moore Autoglass to do this but Greg had "convinced" Wade he could do it himself especially as Wade had acted as Greg's "helper", a position I'm very familiar with, when Big Red's rear window was replaced. Earlier, as said earlier, Wade had ground off some rubber from the gasket to better facilitate fit in the partly re-wooded window surround. Now the glass and fitted gasket were placed in the window opening, the metal retaining frame inserted and fresh holes drilled into the new wood. The retaining frame was then screwed in and positioning of the window in the opening checked from the rear. After removing the retaining frame and the window a bead of black silicone sealant was laid on the rear face of the window rubber gasket and another bead on the internal surface of the rear window opening. Then after very carefully positioning the rear window in the opening the retaining frame was screwed to the wooden surrounds. Next was the hard part, removing and smoothing the excess silicone sealer from body and glass. This mostly went well, but was not up to the high standards Wade imposes for work on The Fossil. Result being that Wade phoned Greg for advice and Wade's opening words were to the effect he'd plucked up the courage to tackle the job but now needed help. Greg advised some technique and materials changes which, though helping the situation somewhat, still didn't improve things enough to pass inspection. Although a more than serviceable seal has been achieved, it will be left for now and returned to for further work once The Fossil is more advanced.

Some other things:

1) While out on Big Red's road test I had a call from Kevin enquiring if his Daimler had gone to a specialist Jaguar workshop at Rydalmere. It hadn't, but was expected to go later in the afternoon. Well later in the afternoon came and went and it's now going to be tomorrow. The tow truck couldn't make it today, sorry Kevin.

2) Wade had been in contact with PeterL who had been laid low by a virus so that was why we hadn't seen him or the R6 OD parts. I suggested I could pick them up from Peter because I was heading in his direction at the end of the week. But, later at home, learned from Peter he wouldn't be available then, making it likely to be a couple of weeks before the parts arrived, sorry Noel.

3) Took some pic's for Wade of a '34 wiper motor because his camera doesn't do closeups well. Pic's are for forwarding to Odd Moen, 2470Packard, in Norway who Wade has been corresponding with for years regarding their respective '34's. Odd has a '34 Super Eight Club Sedan.

4) My wife Kath found a Packard connection to Camelot. What? Or should I say a Packard connection to the Kennedy Clan? Kath is currently reading a book "THE KENNEDY WOMEN" by Laurence Leamer and the last paragraph on page 815, which spills over to page 816, alerts us to the Packard link. Pic's attached.

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