Packard Motor Car Information

Re: Jeff's 48 Custom 8 Victoria Project

Posted by bigmoparjeff On 2013/10/6 21:57:21

In late June I moved the Packard back onto the lift to finally start the process of putting the car back together. The first new parts to actually be installed on the car were two new axle seals. I figured the grease on the bearings would be pretty well broken down by now, and I was right. Despite the runny old grease, the bearings were still in nice shape. The job was straightforward, though it was tough to get the old seals out of the axle tubes. The old seals certainly look more impressive than the wimpy replacements. It appears that someone did a complete brake job on the car shortly before it was taken off the road, and it looks like they even machined the drums. All I had to do was replace the wheel cylinders and give the drums a quick shot in the blasting cabinet plus a light sanding with 80 grit paper.

I had been very worried about what I would find in the gas tank. There was no gas cap and no fuel door on the car when I got it, and I feared the tank would be full of water and rust, though it didn't smell bad. I was quite pleased to find that the tank is in almost perfect inside, with only a few light rust spots where some drops of water sat on the bottom of the tank. It had over 10 gallons of 1980's vintage fuel in it, and other than a bit of sludge that was at the bottom, the fuel was good enough to use in the lawn mowers when mixed 50/50 with fresh gas. The sending unit didn't fare as well as the tank, but it did clean up nice in the bead blaster, so I'm hoping that it still works. It's one of those oddball King-Sealy units that you can't test with an ohm meter.

I dropped the radiator and heater core off at a local radiator repair shop. Other than a big mouse nest in the top tank and a slight leak around the fill neck, the radiator was in good shape. The heater core, not so well. It froze and split apart when the car experienced it's first New England winter. The core needed a new core. That doesn't sound right, but I can't think of any other way to explain it.

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