Re: 1950 Packard 288 Auto overheating HELP

Posted by Fred Puhn On 2010/1/26 12:12:31

On my 1950 touring sedan I was concerned about accurate readings on my temperature gage and my oil pressure gage. I ran a test by hooking up Stewart Warner gages and found the Packard gages to be wildly inaccurate. I then put the SW temp gage on a bracket under the dash so I can see what is really happening when I drive.
A test is easy. Use a "mechanical" temp gage rather than an electric one because they are cheaper, they are full sweep, and there is no wiring. Just screw the SW gage fitting into the threaded hole for the heater fitting on the water pump. The water pump has water flowing in it all the time. I found a place to mount a bracket under the dash to the right of the steering column, using existing holes. It is quite comforting to be able to monitor the actual temperature as I drive.