Re: 1938 Packard Hearse - HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by flackmaster On 2008/8/6 23:35:22

First, there are plenty of Australian folks who can be of assistance. Are you familiar with the Packard Club of Australia? Where are you? Worst case I know an American Packard expert that is trespassing on Australian soil this week, "on vacation". But I also know this probem is solveable - just please don't start the engine, or even turn it over much while trying to diagnose. As to the oil pump, there is a relief spring behind the large single bolt that is crosswise to the other 4 at the "cap" of the oil pump. Possibly this spring has broken and is "relieving" any pressure at all? Second, the oil pump is driven off the cam, there is a gear pinned to the bottom of the pump shaft. The distributor seats into the center of this gear. Since you infer the vehicle still runs, I will surmise the pump shaft is turning, meaning you have not spun the gear at the camshaft end. Even if the internal oil pump gears were worn, I suspect there would be some pressure to register, and I suspect you are testing along the 4 oil galley plugs above the oil pump, one being where the oil pressure line is now, so I will surmise you have eliminated a gauge problem. Yet you say you were driving this with NO oil pressure? YIKES! OK, how about remove one of the galley plugs and crank the engine a few times - must be pushing some oil out? how about the filter at the other side of the engine, over by the generator - any oil moving there? NO oil moving...well the only thing I can think of is the oil pump gear must be spinning on the oil pump shaft. I don't know this to be common the 120's at all, but I have seen it happen on MGB's....so its definitely worth checking - remove the oil pump cover, gears are visible plain as day - possibly it will be obvious, like maybe the pickup pulled up something that jammed the gears, and shaft spins but not gears? For my two cents, I vote you have an oil pump issue, most likely the gear is spinning on the shaft, but hey, my vision is a little bit blurry from here... please report back, thats what this forum is for.