Some antique auto parts suppliers (perhaps knowing that engines could be swapped between some years) used to ask for the motor serial number to help insure that you would get the correct parts for the motor itself.
However, some external parts ARE different - like the carburetor.
I believe the Carter 4-bbl. WCFB first appeared in regular production Packards with the 1953 (26th Series) models. However, the model number of the carburetor was reassigned as the design evolved, and interal parts may differ between models. Carburetors of that era were supplied with a brass tag fastened under the head of one of the air horn (or float bowl cover, if you please) that had the model number stamped on it. However, over the years, those tags were often lost by thoughtless mechanics.
The carburetor, if orginal to that engine, might be a WCFB 985S model, which includes 300/400 chassis. We have a factory specfication sheet for that model archived here:
https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/article/view.article.php?132 Yet, I see, from the
Model Info pages for 1953/236th series, that those cars may have also used a WCFB 2084S model. Unfortunately, I don't know enough to tell you how it would differ from the 985S, and no spec sheet is presently available here.
This Post was from: https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=14126