Re: CLEANING PAN OF SEDIMENT UPON PURCHASE

Posted by shinyhubcap On 2016/10/10 23:16:19

REGARDING "dropping" & cleaning oil pans :

Let me preface my remarks to note that I have done business with the Kanters for many years. Without fail I have found them to be ethical, informed about their business subject-matter - a pleasure to do business with.

I am thus frankly surprised that in this one area, they've come up with seriously wrong advice. Don't listen to them on this particular issue. AT LEAST every two years, "drop" that oil pan and clean it out with some kind of solvent.

Let me explain why. Virtually all Senior Packard products prior to the war years had VERY long oil pans, with multiple baffles.

Unlike many more modern motors with "floating" oil pump pick-ups, these Packards have their oil pump intake at the very lowest part of those long pans.

Given how much "dirtier" old design low compression motors burn, all manner of abrasive gunk winds up in those oil pans; impossible to get it out with each oil change.

Yes, you can get SOME of it out by taking off that little "mini-pan" right at the oil intake of both the Standard, Super Eight, and Twelve oil pans.

But lurking behind those baffles, is going to be all manner of end-products of combustion that you most certainly do not want sucked up and pumped to the bearings.

In the earlier years of the "let's preserve old Packards" movement, so many were ruined by rod bearing failure that need not have happened, had more people "dropped" their oil pans at regular intervals for cleaning.

It is so laughably easy to "drop" those oil pans there is no excuse for not doing that at least every couple of years. Let me qualify that - on the '38 - '39 Twelves, there is an extra three minutes work to un-bolt the steering center-crank mechanism, shove it forward, so you can get the pan off without fussing with the steering "tie-rods".

I am not clear what Kanter THINKS we can learn by opening up a valve compartment "door". That's not where the oil pump sucks up oil! And, of course, inspecting the valve compartment on the 12's isn't quite practical for obvious reasons.

Yes, from 1934 production on the 8 cyl. cars, and from 1935 on, on the V-12's they had full-flow oil filters. What some people forget, when the motor is first started up with cold oil, the "by-pass" is open - the oil that is pumped to those connected rod, main bearings, and valve compartment is unfiltered.

So - bottom line - three cheers for the Kanters for their outstanding service to us - but a bucket of "boo's" for this particular very bad advice of theirs!

Please - if you love to drive your old Packard...drop those oil pans and clean them at regular intervals. It is the easiest, cheapest way to get the outstanding service a properly maintained Packard can provide !