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(1) 2 »

374 Lifter issue?
#1
Quite a regular
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Muir
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Hi,
Been a while since I've been on here - I do so much reading and not much writing!
Anyway, my 59k mile 374 (patrician) is finally all road legal (Down in this neck of the woods we need a registration (licencing) and a warrant of fitness: a bit of a safety check but with the hand of the bureaucrats) and It's been pretty much my everyday driver, commuting to work, shopping etc.
Now, at odd times - I'd like to say after say 8-10 miles at 50mph one or two of the lifters start clattering merrily away, oil pressure is still adequate (say 1/3 to 1/2 on the gauge) and if I stop for five it goes away. Pulled the heads off when I got the car and the cam was very sound and I was wondering if the lifters had any history of being noisy or other issues?
I'm thinking that maybe the oil pressure to the gallery may not be as good as what it could be - yes, I'm still running the stock oil/vacuum pump and that will be getting a modification as soon as I get hold of some standard rod bearings (might as well do them at the same time).
If I drive it at lower speeds (around 30 mph which is the general round time speed limit) theres no lifter noise at any time - hot or cold motor, it just seems to be apparent when doing a bit higher road speeds.

To be honest I'm not too sure what my question is, I suppose I'm thinking is it necessary to look at renewing my lifters, which I'm not too keen on doing if theres no reason to. Would the likeliest cause be my oil pump?
Thanks for any advice or comments.

By the way the car is by far the most enjoyable and roadable vehicle I've every had the pleasure of driving, Packard really did know how to build a superior motorcar. I use it far more than my late model Rover 75.

Many thanks
Muir

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Posted on: 2015/11/6 21:25
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Re: 374 Lifter issue?
#2
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Randy Berger
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Perhaps when someone swapped in a 374 they changed the lifters and put in the wrong ones??

Posted on: 2015/11/6 21:46
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Re: 374 Lifter issue?
#3
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Ross
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You will find that there has been endless discussion on this issue if you begin to dig.

The basic scenario is this: The input shaft to the oil pump wears and begins to allow air to be drawn in. Foamy oil is bad for the engine bearings; they wear and oil pressure begins to drop. Foamy oil combined with low pressure is an impossible combination for hydraulic lifters and the ones farthest from the pump will begin to tap.

So your lifters may still be quite OK, but you will have to do something with the pump and have a good look at all your bearings, especially the center mains.

The old timer's trick my friends and I used when driving tired V-8 Packards as cheap beaters was to fill the oil in to a quart over full. That would keep the air from being drawn into the pump and if the engine still had decent oil pressure you could get tens of thousands of miles of quiet driving.

Posted on: 2015/11/7 7:01
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Re: 374 Lifter issue?
#4
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Muir
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Hi Randy - the car is actually a 56 (the rear window which you can just see in the piccy is the big giveaway) - it had no front chrome or side trim when I got it, and the front guards were off a 55 clipper I think (the park lights holes were non existent) and I had to grab what I could at the time and 55 trim was all I could locate, so for better or worse it's ended up as it is - :)

Posted on: 2015/11/7 12:18
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Re: 374 Lifter issue?
#5
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Muir
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I think too, that the oil pump is cavitating a bit at higher rpm, I've got a bit of a plan to remove the vacuum pump (it's got electric wipers now) and place a thick lump of milled steel as a pump cover, reliant, of course, that the pump is still in good shape.
I've read on here regarding these olds oil pump conversion kits etc, but I still have to get hold of the bits and the local shops there don't readily ship to NZ.
Cheers

Posted on: 2015/11/7 12:26
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Re: 374 Lifter issue?
#6
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Randy Berger
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Thanks for your explanation. The side trim is 55, so between that and the front clip I assumed 55.
Ross gives good advice about running a quart over full. Eliminating the vacuum pump isn't as important as keeping the top of the oil pump covered in oil.
Are those '51 scuppers on the rear fender or the later stainless versions and what is the lettering?? - just curious.

Posted on: 2015/11/7 12:56
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Re: 374 Lifter issue?
#7
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Troy Taylor
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Muir-

Here are some pics of the plate to remove the vac pump

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Posted on: 2015/11/7 13:15
[url=http://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/
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Re: 374 Lifter issue?
#8
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HH56
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It is an interesting mix of trim. I would have thought 55 too with the front fenders and side treatment. In addition to the 52 "louvers". what is the script on the rear door?

Posted on: 2015/11/7 13:55
Howard
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Re: 374 Lifter issue?
#9
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d c
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Before resorting to pulling the pan (which may be nec),you may want to keep the pan 1 qt high as suggested above and try some other things. I have been driving a recommissioned 55 with orig oil/vac pump for 8+yrs now so I speak from experience. Is yours an un rebuilt orig engine or has it gone thru the machine shop boiled out,heads done etc? If the prior is true, -try dropping the oil ,replace with NON detergent 30W oil and add 1/4 qt of marvel.M.O. and lead substitute to your fuel tank if full (or same to 10 gal of gas).Make sure your carb Has NO leak down or rich issues to dilute the oil. You may not need to go thru the time ,exp, hassle of any other repairs suggested above. Please post experience here if dealing with an orig, non reman engine. There may be another issue at play.

Posted on: 2015/11/7 17:14
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Re: 374 Lifter issue?
#10
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Owen_Dyneto
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If you don't know that it has been done recently, don't hesitate - drop the oil pan and clean it and the oil pump intake screen; not uncommon to find 50% or more of the area of the pump intake screen choked with sludge. If you familiar with the job, drop the center main bearing and check the clearance with Plastigage. And check the hot, idling oil pressure at the INLET to the oil filter; this will give you a measure of the loss of internal pressure. Ross or others may have a better number but to have a warm comfy feeling I'd want to see at least 15 psi at the filter inlet.

Posted on: 2015/11/7 19:12
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