Re: Packard Heaters

Posted by HH56 On 2017/4/25 10:58:46

Quote:

Thanks, but I really don't know that much detail about prewar cars other than what information Packard published. My interest in the down and dirty has mostly been with postwar models. One nice thing about Packard is once they found something that worked it usually lasted for years and remained relatively unchanged. What is on a 47 or 52 may well have been on a 39 or 42 except the later one might have a different cover or trim hiding its age.

Don brings up an excellent point about the outer housing being reversed. On this earlier deluxe unit I have the cover is symmetrical, held on by 4 screws, and can be reversed without disturbing anything inside. The only thing I can see that might give some aggravation in doing that is Packard used some kind of rubber based cushioning material. It is almost like a sponge rubber and in many cases it has not held up well. The heater I have has some of it on the front of the core between the core and cover. That stuff had turned to a tar like material in a couple of spots which made for an excellent strength glue. Another poster found the same issue with a radio that was stuck to his dash.

From everything I can see in your photo that does appear to be a Clipper switch and later heater. I doubt a Packard dealer would have done that install -- particularly with bare wiring and terminals exposed -- so perhaps a previous owner recycled the heater system out of a Clipper. I suspect there is either corrosion or something out of place inside the switch that is preventing it from moving to all positions. At any rate, it is not the correct switch or mounting for your car.

I have no idea how hard it will be to find the correct 4 wire rotary switch for a deluxe heater. I know there was at least one and I think two other posters looking for one in the last year or so and don't know if any were found.

For the look and true function it will have to be a Packard switch.. Universal aftermarket switches can be found, and if LaVine has started reproducing the knobs again after buying the Yesterdays Radio business, one of those could be used for an appropriate look. Downside is the universals won't handle the reversing part. Having said that, I believe a universal switch could be made to function by adding a relay in the circuit to handle the reversing but I would have to work on the logic a bit more to be sure.