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The screen can be removed and cleaned. It is a serviceable item.

Finished up the fluid changes today.

-Got a new filter (NAPA 1080) for the oil, and put in 7 quarts of 10W-30 Rotella.

-Filled the Ultramatic with Type F ATF according to the instructions in the manual.

-Drained the rear diff and filled with 80W-90 gear oil

-Filled the PS reservoir with Dexron ATF. NAPA could not find a filter that fit, so I'm running sans filter for now. The part number in the parts cross reference doesn't look like it would fit at all.

-Cleaned, painted and oiled the oil filler cap

-Cleaned, painted and oiled my new (to me) air cleaner (thanks Michael!)

-Threw on a temporary ground cable from NAPA. Not the correct size or type (size 4 cable), but better than the original I had on there....only a handful of strands were still connected. I have a correct one coming.

-Hooked up a gas can for fuel (fuel tank is likely non-salvageable after all) and started the car. It started up fairly easily, but runs very, very rough. I'm almost positive several of the cylinders are not hitting. The spark plug wires are all garbage....half don't stay on the plugs, many have dirt and dust caked in them, and some have evidence of rodents eating the boots. I'm going to see if NAPA has a wire kit that I can use to build my own wires. Also going to get new plugs. I'll start with those, and will likely end up doing the points, condenser, cap, and rotor.

Once I get the car running smoothly and confirm no leaks, then I'll order a new fuel tank.

-Kevin

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I'm not an expert on these, but it looks like you have the air cleaner on backwards. See picture on page 1.

https://www.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/servicemanual5154/FuelExhaust_XII.pdf

Plate 87

https://www.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/partslist4854/48-54_Plates.pdf

Nice catch, you're totally right. For some reason I thought this is how it looked on photos I had been looking at, but now that I go back and look closely at them, the shield is to the front of the car. I'll flip it around tomorrow.

-Kevin

It seems to me that there is an indentation underneath that gives clearance for the choke housing.

If the engine is running really rough, I would suggest checking all the vacuum lines for wipers, fuel pump and brake booster for leaks. That is often a problem that can easily be fixed. Listen for sucking noises coming from any of those accessories.
Great progress!
-Mike

Try and get solid core plug wire not the resistance type....

Good Morning Kevin...When I was getting our 49 ready to run I purchased a good bit from Max Merritt 800-472-2573. They became friends and always had what I needed and sometimes made corrections to what I thought I needed! Very nice people. Fred is an amazing fellow. They do have correct hard wire plug wires for your machine...Ernie in Arizona

I hope you used a GL-5 or HP rated gear oil in the differential. Anything else will lead to severe problems.

Before I tried to start my 1954 Patrician that was rebuilt but which hadn't been run for forty years, I did everything you've done so far but I also took out the spark plugs and filled the cylinders with oil which I left in there for a couple months with the spark plugs only loosely screwed in by hand to keep out dust. Then I removed the plugs, placed an old towel over the top and cranked to blow out the oil. It made a mess and smoked quite a bit for the first couple minutes it ran but it was nice and quiet without even any lifter noise.

Sounds for you, though, like the plug wires, fuel pump, vacuum leak or any combination of the items mentioned. It also wouldn't hurt to do a compression test somewhere along the line but I think that I would change the wires and check those other things, then soak the cylinders before running it again. Even soaking for a few days might help.