Re: 1951 Packard 288 Oil Pump

Posted by HH56 On 2023/1/31 10:25:48

As I recall, to ensure the distributor rotor is at the proper location there is a procedure in the service manual as to how to prepare the engine and then insert the pump with a locating mark on the gear in a specific position.

The pump cover gasket must be extremely thin or the clearance to the rotors will be adversely affected and pressure will be lost. I don't know how the thickness you have found will work but several have made the mistake of using regular gasket material and when starting the engine found they had very low oil pressure.

I don't know the exact thickness of the original but the gasket supplied in full engine sets is paper thin. Some have used a thin hard coat copy paper that is almost as thin as tissue paper to make the gasket. That type paper was originally for making multiple carbon copies in the days when typewriters still ran supreme and I believe is referred to as onion skin paper. Should still be around and may be similar to another commonly found hard coat paper architects and draftsmen use for tracing over drawings.