Re: Ken's 1953 Packard Clipper Deluxe Touring Sedan
Posted by kens53clip On 2009/12/22 16:51:15
10/15/09-10/29/09
The 12 volt battery (now replaced with a 6 volt battery) burned out all the bulbs in the Packard's instrument panel. Wanted to replace all the bulbs so that I could have a better reading as to engine performance, particularly the oil and battery idiot lights. The 1953 Packard Operator's Manual, available here at Packard Info, on page 35, has a light bulb chart, listing the types of bulbs needed for the instrument panel, and is very helpful.
The 1951-1954 Packard Service Manual, also available here at Packard Info, in Section XIII on Instruments on page 1, tells how to remove the Instrument Cluster. The Service Manual tells how, step by step, and I will accompany the steps with my commentary:
1. Disconnect battery cable.
2. Disconnect speedometer cable at rear of speedometer.
At this point I am lying down in the front floorboards of the car, my feet on the passenger side floorboard, my rear end over the transmission hump, and my head and chest on the driver's side floorboard, the most comfortable of the uncomfortable positions necessary for my 54 year old body to do the task in the 56 year old car. (My temporary masonite floorboards kept me from falling through the rusted through portions of the floorboards.) I am accompanied by a trouble light I have managed to hang on a protrusion from the firewall to enable my eyes to see up into the spaghetti guts of the dashboard. The speedometer cable is fastened to the speedometer cable by a circular metal fastener having horizontal ridges on its sides. In my case I was able to unfasten it with my hands (possibly because it had been unfastened by the previous owner who was trying, unsuccessfully, to figure out why the speedometer did not work, but that is another task for another day). If you are unable to unfasten the speedometer cable with your hands, you should be able to do so with gentle use of a set of pliers.
3. Remove two screws from the front of the cluster at the top that attach it to the instrument panel.
The two screws were in my case Phillips head requiring use of a Phillips screwdriver.
4. From underneath the instrument panel, remove the two nuts from the studs attaching the bottom of the instrument cluster to the instrument panel.
A real pain. Look through the spaghetti of wires at the bottom of instrument cluster until you can see two threaded studs coming through from the bottom of the instrument cluster, fastened by two square, four sided nuts (at least in my case). The one on the passenger side I was able to get off with an open end wrench. The one on the driver's side I could not do with an open end wrench. No room for a normal socket wrench with an extension due to all the spaghetti of wires. A socket mounted on a screwdriver type driver was thin enough to get through the wires but not long enough, as the lower edge of the dashboard got in the way. Finally got to it with a socket mounted on a screwdriver type driver with an extension.
5. From the rear of the instrument cluster, push outward on the top half of the cluster until access is gained to the instrument wiring.
At this point you could disconnect all the wiring IF you want to take the instrument cluster totally out. However, since you can get the instrument cluster out far enough to replace the bulbs without taking the instrument cluster totally out, I left the wires in place. However, this way there is a danger that the two studs at the bottom of the instrument cluster may scratch the paint on the dashboard, as they did in my case. Perhaps more careful handling on my part or covering the studs with something might have prevented them from scratching.
Also, there was some scraping of the electrical wires insulation against the sides of the dashboard, which may be unavoidable, requiring a bit of application of electrical tape.
The light bulbs have a metal backing and snap in and can be pulled out with a bit of force if you are careful, with a plier if necessary. Obviously, you want to pull on the metal backing and not the wire itself. To replace all the bulbs you will need eight (8) number 55 six volt bulbs and one (1) number 51 six volt bulb. The number 51 six volt bulb goes in as the high beam headlight indicator at the upper center of the instrument cluster.
Reinstallation of the instrument cluster calls for the reverse of steps 1-5.
Parts required:
Eight (8) number 55 six volt bulbs (Lawrenceville NAPA's LMP 55)
One (1) number 51 six volt bulb (Lawrenceville NAPA's LMP 51)
Electrical tape.
Perhaps aspirin or some other pain reliever for your bodily contortions.
The 12 volt battery (now replaced with a 6 volt battery) burned out all the bulbs in the Packard's instrument panel. Wanted to replace all the bulbs so that I could have a better reading as to engine performance, particularly the oil and battery idiot lights. The 1953 Packard Operator's Manual, available here at Packard Info, on page 35, has a light bulb chart, listing the types of bulbs needed for the instrument panel, and is very helpful.
The 1951-1954 Packard Service Manual, also available here at Packard Info, in Section XIII on Instruments on page 1, tells how to remove the Instrument Cluster. The Service Manual tells how, step by step, and I will accompany the steps with my commentary:
1. Disconnect battery cable.
2. Disconnect speedometer cable at rear of speedometer.
At this point I am lying down in the front floorboards of the car, my feet on the passenger side floorboard, my rear end over the transmission hump, and my head and chest on the driver's side floorboard, the most comfortable of the uncomfortable positions necessary for my 54 year old body to do the task in the 56 year old car. (My temporary masonite floorboards kept me from falling through the rusted through portions of the floorboards.) I am accompanied by a trouble light I have managed to hang on a protrusion from the firewall to enable my eyes to see up into the spaghetti guts of the dashboard. The speedometer cable is fastened to the speedometer cable by a circular metal fastener having horizontal ridges on its sides. In my case I was able to unfasten it with my hands (possibly because it had been unfastened by the previous owner who was trying, unsuccessfully, to figure out why the speedometer did not work, but that is another task for another day). If you are unable to unfasten the speedometer cable with your hands, you should be able to do so with gentle use of a set of pliers.
3. Remove two screws from the front of the cluster at the top that attach it to the instrument panel.
The two screws were in my case Phillips head requiring use of a Phillips screwdriver.
4. From underneath the instrument panel, remove the two nuts from the studs attaching the bottom of the instrument cluster to the instrument panel.
A real pain. Look through the spaghetti of wires at the bottom of instrument cluster until you can see two threaded studs coming through from the bottom of the instrument cluster, fastened by two square, four sided nuts (at least in my case). The one on the passenger side I was able to get off with an open end wrench. The one on the driver's side I could not do with an open end wrench. No room for a normal socket wrench with an extension due to all the spaghetti of wires. A socket mounted on a screwdriver type driver was thin enough to get through the wires but not long enough, as the lower edge of the dashboard got in the way. Finally got to it with a socket mounted on a screwdriver type driver with an extension.
5. From the rear of the instrument cluster, push outward on the top half of the cluster until access is gained to the instrument wiring.
At this point you could disconnect all the wiring IF you want to take the instrument cluster totally out. However, since you can get the instrument cluster out far enough to replace the bulbs without taking the instrument cluster totally out, I left the wires in place. However, this way there is a danger that the two studs at the bottom of the instrument cluster may scratch the paint on the dashboard, as they did in my case. Perhaps more careful handling on my part or covering the studs with something might have prevented them from scratching.
Also, there was some scraping of the electrical wires insulation against the sides of the dashboard, which may be unavoidable, requiring a bit of application of electrical tape.
The light bulbs have a metal backing and snap in and can be pulled out with a bit of force if you are careful, with a plier if necessary. Obviously, you want to pull on the metal backing and not the wire itself. To replace all the bulbs you will need eight (8) number 55 six volt bulbs and one (1) number 51 six volt bulb. The number 51 six volt bulb goes in as the high beam headlight indicator at the upper center of the instrument cluster.
Reinstallation of the instrument cluster calls for the reverse of steps 1-5.
Parts required:
Eight (8) number 55 six volt bulbs (Lawrenceville NAPA's LMP 55)
One (1) number 51 six volt bulb (Lawrenceville NAPA's LMP 51)
Electrical tape.
Perhaps aspirin or some other pain reliever for your bodily contortions.
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