Re: 1956 Packard Patrician for Project or Parts- Asking $3,000

Posted by Carl Jr On 2023/9/29 17:14:23

Thanks again to everyone for all the feedback.

I've come asking advice as somebody who has looked at old cars from the outside for a long time,
and as someone who is finally taking the plunge to turn wrenches on rusty old nuts and bolts.

So I greatly appreciate the benefit and value of y'alls experience.
Even with (or maybe because of?) differing opinions,
this interaction is so much more helpful than trying to find useful info via Wiki-Tube-Etc !

Sounds like there is a well established process to start long-sitting Packard engines that's worked great in countless cases over many years.
But it also sounds like some have experienced possibly avoidable problems.
Respect and appreciation all around.

In my case, the goal is to asses & prep the Patrician for sale with relatively small effort and minimal risk of degrading vintage parts.

I would love to hear that engine purr or roar...
It would be different if I lived closer than 1,200 miles away from the garage.
End of the day, it would be great fun, but I have to leave getting her up and running to the buyer.

FWIW - I plan the endoscope inspection because -

well, it's fun and easy
I anyhow plan to soak the cylinders as a courtesy to the future buyer,
I won't have a chance to pull the Packard engine apart,
and I'm curious -
I'd like to compare this Packard with 68K miles to it's stablemate the Mercedes with 32K miles that shared the same garage for the same 58 years.

In the Mercedes case, I can see all kinds of rust on the CamShaft - first documented herehttps://youtu.be/2_8hWgg5m3M?si=hhneQ97BY3FpDau6.
Turns out Dad said he had a problem like the timing chain slipped - so then turning the engine over broke the camshaft.
So that rusty camshaft in the video was the new replacement,
purchased from the Packard/MercedesBenz dealership for $32.40 and installed in September of 1964,
then acquiring all that rust wile sitting ever since...
Also, I'm told that various engine bearings are surely oxidized, and that any loose rust from the rings,
connecting rods and crankshaft would form a very nice abrasive grit - and likely prematurely age finished surfaces.
I did use a pry-bar to exercise each valve on the Mercedes - they were all loose.
But as a cautious neophyte I'm generally playing things safe.
Hence we'll just do a full-up engine rebuild for the Mercedes, instead of chasing immediate gratification.
And I plan to give the same option to the next Packard owner.

FWIW - this shows my first peek into the Mercedes cylinder #2https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8awSH7U1TE
- look closely and you'll see the Packard drivers' door at the start of that video.

Fun fact - when I finally got into the other Mercedes cylinders - I found a moth in restful slumber on piston #1
- no doubt 'sleeping' there for most or all of my life.

FWIW- this is the endoscope I usedhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08P5RZK44

Pretty cool little toy.
I've also found it helpful to avoid pipes and wires when drilling into drywall...

Lessons learned from the Mercedes, I found that 20 or 30 ml of Marvel Mystery Oil seeped past the rings in 2 or 3 days for most of the cylinders.
But one cylinder apparently had rusty enough rings that it took a full 2 or 3 months of soaking before it seeped past.
And now that same amount of MMO will leak past the rings in that cylinder in just a couple days.
So I figure the patient soak has done some good.
Even though I won't hand-crank the Mercedes before rebuild - perhaps this extra soaking will make it easier to pull apart and restore.

Anyhow - thanks again!