Re: doc's 1951 200

Posted by Larry51 On 2014/6/22 8:11:18

Yes Doc, I used the Kanter full front end kit, it was mostly OK. BUT - I did have one big problem which made the replacement job quite frustrating. And that was with the style of the rubber seals 15.5037 that slip onto the Support Arm 15.502. Slip them on, and then you screw the 15.5036 Inner Bushings on.

The Kanter replacement rubber seals are a different shape / style to the original Packard ones, and as you screw the bushings in they grab the seals badly and start to destroy them. I backed off / restarted a dozen or more times on each side of the car (- also a '51), and tried various methods of lubrication etc etc (etc!!)so as to stop the grabbing. The seals kept being grabbed and were getting damaged a little more each time. Eventually after a couple of HOURS extra I managed to get the bushings screwed in and luckily the seals were still in reasonable shape. From memory the kanter replacements are squared, and therefore edges grab. Originals were round and don't grab.

I reported this to Kanter in an email but got no reply.

Suggest source other round seals or try and use the old ones because it was something I would not attempt to do again if I could avoid it! Two of us tried many ways and I think it was shear perseverence that got them in eventually.

BTW, good to see another 51 2-door being worked on. But is this the Business Coupe in your photo??