Well my compliments to you Ross!! That is some job. Years ago, I was thinking of doing that to a 54 clipper. Never made It past the dreaming stage though

Hi:

I saw recently, on the net, 1953 packard 4dr. Clipper, turned into a pickup. beautiful job!!!! Who was the talented fellow who built that?

Thanks

Hi Carl:

Sorry for the late reply, been busy with my sons. If you click on the link, at the bottom of my post. It says: "1954 packard pacific" in blue letters. It will bring you to my packard owner registry. There's a picture of it there at the last Staten Island car show. The packard owner registry is a nice feature. Like I said, it's a 10 foot car but it looks good in pictures. I too had alot of rot around the rear wheel wells. Seems to be a briggs problem. Any specific picture, you need, for your restoration I'll be happy to supply.

My firewall number is C81847. Owen, this is for you also to add to your database. Maybe you'll find some neat stuff. Like who owned it in the fifties, I'd like that!

Warren

Hi Carl:

I too am an owner of a 1954 Pacific. Good luck with your restoration. Sounds like you are doing a frame off? I'd love to do that with mine but space and funds prohibit it. So, right, it's a very presentable "10 foot" car.

Owen:

Thanks for the claification of that number. I never knew what it was either. If interested, I'll send you mine too.

Warren

If you are rewiring it, I'm sure you know all the extras that go with a 6 to 12v conversion. Mainly lights, gauges, relays, radio, motors, ignition and horn.

I did it to my 54 some years ago. I changed to negative ground and used a 100a 1 wire Delcotron with pertronix igition. At the time I was thinking of making it a daily driver and installing a modern Air Conditioner. Well that never happened and I could have left it alone. I did my conversion before I found this board and it's wealth of knowledge.

Save all your 6v stuff for the next guy, I did.

Good luck.

thanks gator! I never knew of that hole in the frame. I was going to lower the tail shaft. You saved me a lot of work.

Great tip thanks

Hi guys

How do you remove the selector shaft seal. On a 1954 ultramatic

Thanks

Yeah, me too, Thanks Ross. I suppose I'll start looking for a good 356 head.

Warren

Good tips guys, thanks. Owen I think you might have hit on something. You might be right about the intake valve. As it's making a funny wheezing noise when it sticks. And it seems to be affecting #7 & #8 this time. I just assumed it was the exhaust, because that's what stuck the last time.

As to the Aluminum Head; There didn't appear to be any cracks or leakage of coolant. But the spark plug threads are getting real sloppy. I picked up a 327 cast iron head, last year. It might be time to swap them out. On another subject: What have you heard of the Cast Iron heads causing excessive pre-ignition on a 359. If so, what's the remedy?

This car has 77K miles on the odometer. But I think the engine was rebuilt or replaced at some time before I obtained it. As there is no ridge in the cylinders. And minimal play in the valve guides.

Wesley; I had the same black crap on my exhaust valves. When I pulled them 2 years ago, only #8 was stuck. I had to use a wire wheel to get it off. I too heard of Marvel Mystery oil being a wonder drug. Any of you use it?

As to the gas, I read somewhere that our flatheads don't like this 10% ethanol they use now. As a precaution, I'm using a lead substitute. At the end of the season I use Stabil. How would marvel mix with this stuff?

I guess if I'm going to replace the Aluminum head. All this is null and void. As I'll probably do another valve job. I suppose the question here is: How do I keep this from happening again, two years down the road?

Thanks for the help guys
Warren

Hi Guys:

Do you guys have any old time Packard tricks for freeing up a sticking exhaust valve? Without removing the head.

I had the head off 2 years ago for the same problem. I cleaned all the valves and guides and found no burnt valves, as I blued all the seats. At that time, I found #8 exhaust to be sticking. Cleaning the guide and valve stem cured the problem for a couple of years. Now it's doing it again.

It's a funny sort of intermittant miss, it comes and goes. It takes a while to smooth out, when it happens. I suppose due to the lifter pumping up when the valve sticks.

I'm puzzled as to why it's always #8 exhaust? I thought #8, being at the end of the block, maybe some crud buildup, in the water jacket. Causing localized overheating back there. But I had the water distribution tube out when I did the valve job. And flushed everything out with a garden hose. I've got a 160 degree themostat in her with no overheating.

I suppose running her more often would be benificial. I only use this car for shows. What else can I do?

Thanks
Warren