Re: Carl's 1952 Packard 300

Posted by Carl Madsen On 2009/6/8 21:10:58

Got the oil pan off, good news to report: looks clean inside, no big chunks of metal, just 50 years of sledge on the bottom (nearly 3/4 inch!). I'm soaking the oil pickup in kerosene overnight, and have cleaned the pan inside and out. There's one large dent on the bottom, I'll get a picture posted tomorrow. I don't feel like banging it out, doesn't seem to get in the way of anything.

BTW I didn't have to jack up the engine. The four pan bolts near the crossmember came off with an open-end wrench, and then I spun the motor to clear the counterbalance on the crankshaft. I did have to drop the steering on the passenger side, and one of the bolts (the one that attaches to the frame) needs to be re-threaded. It's between 3/8 and 1/2 inch, and I don't have a die for that, so it's off to the store I go. The castle nut that was on it is missing threads as well. Is that part of the design?

The engine and crankshaft, looking up from underneath, is quite interesting. Someday I'll have to take the entire engine apart, replace the rings and the main bearings, but for now everything looks good.