This gives me motivation to re-tackle the wacky gas gauge in my '55 Patrician. It now will show the correct fuel level but then bounce around in a semi rhythmic manner. Ground checks out good but I still wonder about the instrument voltage regulator. Hooked a voltmeter to it and got a bouncy reading on it too. With my body for now as it is more or less should be at 75 I want to give this gauge mystery one last shot.

I have added one new tool to the toolbox: A Cellphone; in case I need help getting out from under the damn dash!

Any ideas, as always, will be gratefully accepted!

Jim L in OR

Hi,
It's been about 10 years now but what I did was to have the shoes on my '55 Patrician relined. As I said, it's been 10 years but I haven't had any problems with the shoes or the BTV after I had the unit rebuilt. I think that the key thing to avoid BTV problems is to drive the car regularly. It's worked for me.

JimL in OR

My '55 Patrician will do that if I haven't driven it for some time. After driving it regularly, it calms down.

So far (small delay while finding a piece of wood to knock on) so good.

I have had mine for 10 years now and I have had less trouble with it than almost any other car I've owned - including new ones.

Everything thing still works including the radio and the clock, although the clock and the gas gauge have been getting a touch erratic. I have had offers from total strangers to "clean my clock" but so far I have been able to do it for myself

As for the gas gauge, I need to get a new combination Ohm and Volt tester, but first the holidays, an ankle injury and then cold weather followed by the recent snow and Silver Thaw (an Ice Storm for you non Oregonians) have put that on hold.

As for the Ice Storm, the '55 and the '51 200 Deluxe (barely) are fine. Unfortunately two carports didn't as witnessed by my '75 Continental Mark IV and '51 Patrician.

I was able to get to the Mark IV but not, as yet to the '51 Pat.

Where is this "Boredom in retirement" I've heard people tell of. I could do with a little.

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Hi Everyone, I'm still breath'n.

And having fuel gauge/tank/ and so on.

THE PROBLEM: Drive to filling station and fill the tank - needle rose to F but as fuel was consumed needle would sink to halfway point and go no further until ignition switch is turned off.

STEPS TAKEN: Wiring checked and it's OK. Removed sending unit from tank and it read .000 for Full, .073 for Empty. Checked gauge by grounding out put wire and it rose fitfully to F then moved fitfully up and down. Fitfully, but with a pulse. Cut hole in floor of trunk for access to Sending Unit with tank in place. I am tired of playing with the fuel tank proper. Put everything back together and went and filled the tank up.

RESULTS: Not much. Established that when tank is full needle will, with a steady pulse rise to F then dance up and down All over the place. Incidentally, Temperature Gauge barely registers. Checked Gauge out several years ago by grounding method. It's OK suspect sending unit - just never got around to replacing it.

I suspect the Instrument Voltage Regulater isn't playing the game but would like to hear what more experienced people have to say. Don't want to have to go back behind the Instrument Panel if it's something else.There are things with sharp teeth lurking back there.

Thank you in advance for any help you can give.

Jim L in OR

Several years ago when starting my '65 Cadillac, a bad head gasket demonstrated to me that water does not compress. Proof: A bent connecting rod. I shudder to think what would have happened if it had failed at 70 mph.

In the "Right at Home2" picture, The Duchess appears to be smiling.

Thanks for sharing these.

Hi Pacdon -

I'm sending you a PM about the box.

I've got a 1951 Patrician Project so I've been reading your blog this evening. I too wanted to remove the scoops or vents on the rear quarter panel. I used a wood chisel with a very fine edge to work under the sides of the vent then did the same going around and around each time raising the vent a little more from the body work. It took a little time but managed to get all six vents off with pins plus retainers intact with no damage to the body.

I hope to get back to my Patrician this year and make some real progress. I managed to remove all the grease/gunk from the outside of the engine with a thin putty knife and lots of Easy Off Oven Cleaner. That's as far as I got before a stroke, heart surgery and then brain surgery to clean up after the stroke and heart surgery. There was a request by my "Significant Other" to remove the Old Car part of my brain while they were in there but if they tried they failed.

If you have a spare rear seat and back rest frame left over I'd like to talk to you about it. Mine looks like it was from a Patrician Hauled out of the Andrea Doria.

Good luck with your project and I'll be following it closely.

And Howard, I do remember that I owe you a tear down report for the Fuel Pump on my '55 Patrician.

By the way, the Dual Action Pump used by Nash on the Packard 352 V8 is still working great and so are the wipers. I did add a small vacuum reserve tank out of a 70's Lincoln so there is never a slow down in wiper action even if I punch the "Go Pedal".

Cheers!

Jim

That looks like the bracket I used on my '55.
Had to change the Fuel Pump over to the dual used on the Hudsons that used the Packard V-8 to use it though.

I was finally able to take the '55 out for a test drive this evening and I must say it performed better than it has for quite some time.

I headed out to my usual Packard Proving Ground and even before I got there it was clear that the stuttering and bucking have been relegated to the past. Sure, steady acceleration and the most important part which was steady speed driving - turned out to be a non-event. Just quiet power - which certainly goes a long way towards building confidence in the car.

Tomorrow I'm giving it another little test as I have a doctor's appointment out in the Gateway District which is about 18 miles each way.

I want to thank JW, Ross, O_D, duane.g, Riki, bobp, 56GHMD and Howard for all your help, suggestions and good wishes.

I've attached a picture of the finished product but I won't get to the Postmortem of the old pump until Wednesday.

For the Future: If your V8 is stumbling, stammering and jerking when at steady speed, you might want to consider taking a peek at the old pump.

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