"Owen" I haven't got as far as checking the journals for scuffing, taper or clearances yet but that wasn't the question. I see that there are several suppliers; Kanter, Merritt and others, even an E-Bay store but the prices vary by as much as $100 a set. If the bearings have not been made in the US or Canada in some time by big major bearing makers the suppliers are using either NOS or the ones made from offshore (China?). I just thought I would throw the question out and see what experiences others had buying bearings from the known suppliers.

I don't know if these bearings have been reproduced or not, but even 15 years ago they weren't that easy to find in some undersizes. I'd suggest what's more important than the brand of bearing is the condition of the crankshaft; if you've got a slight knock and the shaft if more than 0.0005 out of round or scuffed, it's not going to hold any bearing for very long.

I've used SAE 85/140 gear oil in Packard overdrives and manual transmissions for many, many years, never with a problem. I suspect the problem is not lubricant-related.

Thank you for the replies. As far as the oils, the owner manual says S.A.E. 140 viscosity in warm weather all the way to 80 in extreme cold weather. That's quite a large range of thickness. I have not changed the oil as of yet. Maybe dirty oil is the problem.

All of the wiring is hooked up to the aero-drive solenoids, I also checked for loose attachments. If anyone knows of an old Packard mechanic in Central Florida, please advise.

This winter one of my projects is to inspect and if necessary replace the main and rod bearings in my 356CID engine Packard. It has a dull knock at start up when hot that instantly goes away when oil pressure builds and the oil pressure when hot is not the greatest at idle. I have been searching publications and the net for the best price and I find that they are all over the map. I am concerned that lowest price is usually not the best quality so I am asking what others have experienced with bearings and if a good brand name or supplier can be suggested.

Welcome also. Regarding the overdrive, have you been able to determine if it is electrically disengaging as if the kickdown switch is misadjusted and coming in early or if it's mechanically failing. There is an overdrive manual here in the Articles--Service Manuals and Wire diagrams (item 31) section you can read or download which might be of some help.

Bill,

Welcome aboard, I'm sure you'll find this a rewarding and interesting site with plenty of people willing to offer advice or assistance.

Regarding the overdrive, I don't have any experience with these but having just imported a '41 120 Coupe from Idaho which is O/D equipped, but doesn't work although it's supposed to check out fine mechanically, so I'm about to find out! Yesterday I was speaking with some members of the Packard club here and the first thing they said was use the correct grade of oil in it as too heavy a grade can effect the operation of the O/D. As I learn more I'll let you know.

It would be good if you could complete an entry in the Owner Registry of the '41, including a pic and history, so we can all see and enjoy it.

Again, welcome.

Hello, My name is Bill cook and I am a new Packard owner. I just stumbled on to this site and it looks very educational. I look forward to joining the Packard family. I have a 1941 120 sedan with a standard transmission with overdrive. The car runs good but I am having issues with the overdrive not staying engaged. There seems to be oil in the unit and I want to change it but I am unsure what modern day type. The green light comes on fine at the correct speed, and the drive will engage but as soon as you put a load on the tranny, it kicks back out. Any comment would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Bill

Very interesting. I have a unit from a '56 which was a flat fabricated steel bracket and the separate Lehigh compressor bolted to it. Has anyone seen this version?

BTW, Compressor and bracket is for sale for $150 if anyone needs it. Compressor is clean externally and the bracket has been sandblasted.

thnx, jack vines

Great pics Mr. Pushbutton! I love the factory A/C switch on the dash.

Thanks for taking the time to post these.

Regards,
Robert.