Re: BigKev's 1954 Packard Clipper Deluxe Sedan
Posted by BigKev On 2008/10/4 21:56:02
Alrighty...I was able to get several things done. First I got the heater box back on the firewall. I left the rear screw of the heater box lid off, as now I can remove the heater box lid, without having to remove the entire unit from the firewall (which on '54 and prior has to be done under the dash). The other 5 screws will hold the lid in place just fine.
I also remounted the throttle linkage assemble, parking brake assemble, fan and water-pump pulley, and also the trans-cooler.
The biggest challenge was remouting the sway-bar. First I thought the sway-bar was 5/8" when I ordered the sway-bar bushing from Energy Suspension. But the bar is actually closer to 3/4". So I had to bore out the bushings to the correct size. That only took a few moment on the drill press. The biggest challenge was the end bar bushings. The bushings went over the bar ends ok, but I could for the like of my could not bed the retainer clips back in place on the control arms. If I had a big enough C-Clamp then I could have squeezed them in place by force. It can down to the shape of the clip, compared to the shape of the new bushings. So I slightly trimmed the outer edge of the bushings to match the shape of the clip, and then I was able to strong-arm the clips into snapping back in place.
The solid spacer blocks I made to replace the Packard swaybar backets worked perfectly and allowed me to use the Energy Suspension bushings and brackets, and maintain the same spacing and placement.
Anyway here are the pics:
Attach file:
(44.57 KB)
(51.43 KB)
(47.42 KB)
(43.49 KB)
(46.32 KB)
I also remounted the throttle linkage assemble, parking brake assemble, fan and water-pump pulley, and also the trans-cooler.
The biggest challenge was remouting the sway-bar. First I thought the sway-bar was 5/8" when I ordered the sway-bar bushing from Energy Suspension. But the bar is actually closer to 3/4". So I had to bore out the bushings to the correct size. That only took a few moment on the drill press. The biggest challenge was the end bar bushings. The bushings went over the bar ends ok, but I could for the like of my could not bed the retainer clips back in place on the control arms. If I had a big enough C-Clamp then I could have squeezed them in place by force. It can down to the shape of the clip, compared to the shape of the new bushings. So I slightly trimmed the outer edge of the bushings to match the shape of the clip, and then I was able to strong-arm the clips into snapping back in place.
The solid spacer blocks I made to replace the Packard swaybar backets worked perfectly and allowed me to use the Energy Suspension bushings and brackets, and maintain the same spacing and placement.
Anyway here are the pics:
Attach file:
(44.57 KB)
(51.43 KB)
(47.42 KB)
(43.49 KB)
(46.32 KB)
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