Quote:

I've never found any correlation between engine casting date codes and car build dates. Most blocks carry 1955 dates, so it would seem the contract foundry cast most of them within a short window.

jack vines

We've got boxes of used STD, but I can't remember any .030"; in any case, I'll look for you.

jack vines

Yes, replacing valve stem seals in sutuis best left to someone with a bit of experience.

jack vines

Opening a can of worms, you are!

Are you just patching a problem or do you want to clean, check, fix everything While you're in there?

Replace the valve stem seals, disassemble the rocker shafts remove the end plugs and clean the interior of the shafts.

We always test the valve springs for pressure. About half are no longer as stiff as the spec.

Check the rocker arm tips for wear and regrind if necessary. Check the pushrod cups in the rocker arms. There have been a few cases of enough wear to capture the pushod and keep it from rotating.

Check your valve spring retainers for hardness. If a file easily cuts an edge, they're soft. A file will skate on the later hardened retainers. The '55 retainers were so soft, the keepers can pull through the retainer. Some may have been replaced already.

Is the oil pump still original?

jack vines

Hi, Karl,

If your engine is sound, the installed spring should be OK.
If your engine is worn, you may need the optional spring. It is easier to change oil weights than oil pump springs.

Whichever, install the pump per instructions and verify there is free play, that is the drive shaft can be moved up and down slightly; 1/8" is enough. If there is no free play, grind 1/8"-1/4" off the bottom of the drive shaft.

Usually, no adjustment is necessary, but with the hundreds sold, we've found one or two that were too tight. It seems with the Delco and Autolite distributors, gaskets under the distributor and no gasket, there are variations.

jack vines

Quote:
There are many reasons the Cadillac crank won't fit in the Packard block. Here are a few more:
1.You don't quite understand how line honing works. It only removes a few thousanths to get the main bores round and true.
2. Line boring is how holes are made much larger, but no, there is not enough stock in the Packard 2.5" main webs to line bore to the Cadillac 3.25" main diameter.
3. No, the Cadillac crank would be too weak if ground down to the Packard 2.5" main diameter.
4. No, the thrust bearing is the wide one which takes fore/aft thrust. There's not enough material in the Packard #3 main to mate with the Cadillac #3 thrust bearing. The Cadillac #5 bearing is not wide enough to accept the Packard #5 main cap.

And yes, the Packard V8 entered in the EMC was basically my engine with a tunnel ram added.

jack vines

Quote:Yes, the Packard main webs are not strong enough for extreme horsepower builds. I tap the main bolt holes with a bottoming tap and install ARP main studs. This, plus a good balance job is all that can be done.

Quote:Yes, all Studebaker V8 crankshafts are forged. Unless turbocharged, the Stude V8 can't make enough horsepower to hurt the bottom end.

Quote: One might understand your interest in the Cadillac crank but it ain't happening. As I said earlier, the Cadillac V8 uses a center thrust bearing and the Packard V8 uses a rear thrust bearing. The Cadillac main bearings are 3.25" and the Packard V8 are 2.50". Cadillac engineers knew they needed all that big diameter for the crankshaft to be strong enough for the 4.30" stroke. Turn it down to 2.5" and it would not be long for this world.

Bottom line - the Packard V8 is an interesting antique. It's never going to be as powerful or as durable as later, more perfected designs. All we're racing for is "fastest antique". If there were a racing class requiring blocks and heads with 1955 casting dates, we'd probably win that one.

jack vines

FWIW, the Packard V8 top end also needs all new parts:
1. The long, heavy 3/8" stem valves aren't suitable for higher RPM. They have to be replaced with custom 11/32" or 8mm stem valves.
2. The valve springs are not strong enough. They have to be replaced with custom springs.
3. The valve spring retainers on earlier engines were too soft and would let the keeper pull through, dropping the valve into the piston. Again, custom retainers.
4. The Packard cam profile is great for a smooth idle and low speed torque. For maximum power, a custom camshaft more lift and duration is necessary.

Then, there's the oiling system. I've learned to modify the OEM pump to work satisfactorily, by it's actually less expensive to convert to the Oldsmobile oil pump and pickup.

jack vines

Enthusiasm is good, but so are facts:
1. The Packard block and heads are NOT a high-nickel alloy.
2. The Cadillac crank cannot be made to fit the Packard block, because it uses a center thrust bearing; but it's a cast crank in any case.
3. The Cadillac heads cannot be made to fit the Packard block. The head bolt pattern is completely different.
4. Most 374" blocks can be bored to 4.250" and we just bored one to 4.270" for 401".
5. The very rare Packard V8 forged crankshafts can be welded and ground to 4", but the longest I've personally done is 3.875" for 427". Long strokes with stock rods hit the bottom of the cylinder bores.
6. Aftermarket rods are so inexpensive it's not cost effective to use stock rods in a race build, especially a stroker which needs the extra clearance of rods with cap screws.
7. To build a high-performance Packard with custom machine work, forged pistons, custom rods, stroker crank, roller cam, et al, figure $10,000, minimum.

jack vines

When a "rebuilt" but with unknown details has a problem, it can be difficult to diagnose.

In this case, I recommended beginning with the lowest viscosity petroleum base oil and a known accurate aftermarket oil pressure gauge. This gives a baseline.

While not likely, sometimes over-use of sealants can block that drainback hole in the rear main cap and cause a leak.

Overfilling can cause a leak at the rear of the pan gasket indistinguishable from a rear main seal leak.

If all else fails there is the conversion to a neoprene rear main seal.

A bit off topic, but I was asked to diagnose why on a recently rebuilt engine, the rocker arms weren't getting any oil. I knew what the problem was as soon as the shop owner started waffling on how he'd cleaned the rocker arms and shafts. Finally, he admitted he'd just washed them externally with solvent. The rocker shafts are always clogged internally with crud. Proper rebuild requires complete disassembly, removing the end soft plugs, rodding the inside of the shaft with a bore brush, regrinding the rocker tips and reassembly. Then, the rocker arms oiled as they should.

I only mention this as we have to consider the engine as a system and what else might be causing the OPs problems.

jack vines