Re: 1934 1104 running hot

Posted by HorriblePerson On 2009/7/20 21:24:15

Hi Tom:

Since I was thrown out of this forum, I normally wouldn't bother with you people any more. But from time to time I do peek in. In your case, you seem like a decent nice guy with a SINCERE interest in keeping a Packard on the road.

So - here goes a suggestion that you may not like because of the absurd cost ! But it the ONLY thing that will WORK!

First, BELIVE in this. A properly set up Packard, no matter WHAT the year, does not over-heat. EVER.

Not when freshly over-hauled, not when new. PERIOD.

As one of many examples of the superiority of Packard's philosophy over "over - engineering" - - by the late teens Packards were "sectioned" into busses by a predecessor of the GREYHOUND BUS CO. in California, and regularly BEAT the express train from Los Angeles to San Francisco. That means they were SCREAMING over the then tortourous "Ridge Route" and across the often extremely "desert hot" Central Valley. Over-heating was not authorized ! And be assured it can get as hot in the Calif. Central Valley, as it does out in the desert!

Here's the problem. No matter how many times you "boil out" or try and "rod out" an old radiator, you can never get it to have anywhere NEAR the "heat exchange" capability it had when in service as a new or late-model used radiator. Just cant be done. The problem is "basic laws of chemistry".

I can assure you (from my own experience with my own '34 Super Eight), that when you get your radiator "re-cored", you will find you can subject that Super Eight of yours to any kind of combined extreme temp.driving conditions you can think of, and it WILL NOT OVER-HEAT.

So here's the bad news. I wouldnt be surprised to find that present day cost of a comparable "core" for your radiator will be close to a thousand bucks (by the time the radiator shop is done getting you a core, and setting it up using your existing top and bottom "tanks"). Your motor produces a LOT of heat, so it takes a LOT of radiator to cool it right.

Dont worry about getting your oil cooler operational. It was a attempt by Packard engineers to solve the connnecting rod bearing failure issue. It failed. Cooling the motor oil did NOT solve the problem of "babbit" connecting rod bearings failing from high speed driving - it wasnt solved until 1935 production with the introduction of "insert" type rod-bearings.

With insert-type con rod bearings, Packard was able to run a 1935 Eight wide open, doing 90 mph plus, for 25,000 mi. without significant wear. A bone stock '34 or earlier 8 cyl Packard with stock 'poured babbit' WILL have rod bearing failure in less than 2,000 miles of high speed driving. If you want to see why that didnt matter much given the road conditions when your car's motor was originally designed (in the early 1920's) come out west and see what the roads were REALLY like in those years - "awful" dosnt cover it !

Hopefully, if your '34 Super Eight was PROPERLY re-built, it already either has '35/later connecting rods, (which were already set up for "insert" type con rod bearings,) or someone took those lovely "finned cap" rods of yours and machined them to take an "insert" type bearing. If your car isnt so equipped..please PLEASE dont drive it over 40 mph for any but a short burst, and the MOMENT you dont have at least 40 lbs oil pressure HOT, and/or hear any "thumping" noises, GET THAT MOTOR APART AND FIX IT RIGHT!

In any event, use a water filter on the top of your out-put hoses to protect that expensive new radiator core that is your ONLY solution to over-heating.

No matter how thoroughly you THINK you have cleaned that engine block...it will continue to "sweat" little particles that can stuff up a radiator core and leave you back where you were.

Good luck ! You should be able to find my phone number if you want to go into further detail.