Thursday 14th August 2008

Morning at the workshop then it was off to see our grand daughters in the afternoon. On the way to the workshop dropped into Bunnings, our biggest hardware store chain in Australia, and bought a bolt and nut for the middle of the rear bumper to the splash shield. The bolt has a round head with a square shoulder under it where it slips into a slotted bracket at the rear centre of the bumper. Cut it down by about 1" and of course had to undo all but one of the bumper bracket bolts to swing the bumper down to slide the bolt into the slot. All went well and the bumper was bolted back on to all the bumper brackets.

Next was making up brackets to mount the rear turn indicators to the bumper brackets. So after some eyeballing and judicious measuring cut a bracket out of a piece of thin aluminium plate I've been carting around for 40 years. The plate, although now small in size, had originally contributed the bulk of its area to a firewall for a Y-Block Ford powered dragster back in the 60's. Using a Bosch Jigsaw cut out a rectangular piece 4&3/4" x 1&3/4" then drilled a 1/2" hole for the bumper bolt. Using a piece of paper measured from the bolt to up behind the bumper bar then bent the piece in the jaws of the bench vice at about a 90 degree angle. Whoops, too much! Needed about a 45 degree angle so cut another piece but this one was about 5" x 1&3/4". Some judicious bending at the approximate angle and it came up and back to clear the bumper. More eyeballing and marking and another 45 degree angle bent in the vice by hand. I discovered I didn't need to use a big shifter just lean on it carefully with a 230lb Aussie and "voila" instant angle! That was the left side mostly done so turned to the right side. All went well, cut another 5" x 1&3/4" piece, drilled the 1/2" hole and the first 45 degree bend. However on mounting it on the bracket discovered this side of the splash shield is higher than the left side. Wade suggested jacking up the bumper bracket on the right side so slacked off the bolts, jacked away, did up the bolts and maybe 1/4" was gained, it all helps. Thought I get a bit creative with this bracket and put 2 more 20 to 30 degree bends instead of the single 45 one I'd done of the first bracket. Looked OK but because it was dissimilar to the left one just didn't look right. So cut still another 5" x 1&3/4" piece, drilled the 1/2" hole and the first 45 degree bend. Then another 45 degree bend but a bit further up the piece because of the splash shield discrepancy. And it worked. Next was drilling 3/8" holes in the above bumper end. Then rounding off the corners, first with the jigsaw, than some smoothing on the grinder. Will probably require a little further tweaking but the basis is now in place. And of course had a couldn't find it moment. The rubber washer for one of the turn indicators couldn't be found until I turned over the steel washer and there it was "stuck" to the other side. Turned out well, but I'm having these senior moments all the time now with nuts, bolts, washers and parts big and small!

While this was going on Wade had been under John's '39 and re-installed the flywheel himself. I did offer to lend a hand to lift or hold as required but Wade went under, came out a few times, and before you knew it emerged with the job done. He'd held the flywheel up to the crankshaft flange and found it fitted on snuggly so didn't need a second pair of hands. Then Kevin, the owner of the '35 Sedan that Wade's repairing the engine of, arrived for an update and chat. Kevin also caught up with John, who's going to get his Daimler up running and ready for registration.

As mentioned above the aluminium plate was used as a firewall for a Y-Block Ford powered dragster. And my brother used similar pieces of thin plate rolled to shape, by a mate in the Gladiators Hot Rod club, as the rear fenders for his Y-Block Ford powered A Bucket. I've included a few pic's of the rail and of my brothers rod. Please forgive the pictures of a Ford powered hot rod and a dragster. They are there to illustrate the use of thin aluminium plate which is also being used in the '41 and as examples of my automotive history.

Attach file:

---

  (15.89 KB)


  (24.29 KB)


  (18.41 KB)


  (31.52 KB)


  (22.80 KB)


  (22.00 KB)


  (25.71 KB)


  (34.16 KB)


  (22.42 KB)

Quote:

Eric,

Nice looking '49, and nice looking workshop too.

Wednesday 13th August 2008

Two bites of the cherry today, couple of hours in the morning then a few more in the afternoon. Started early because of my middle of the day absence and began by working on the bumper bolts proper, the four rear teardrops and the front hexagon bolts. These all needed to have the chrome cleaned out of the threads because none of these had been protected by plastic tape. Wasn't as easy as the studs and nuts because of their awkward shapes being very hard to hold firmly even in padded vice jaws so the threads could be re-cut. Took a while re-positioning and re-tightening the bolts in the vice jaws until all were done. Then using a plastic milk crate and a couple of pieces of timber for positioning mounted the bumper bar, only loosely. And just as well because no sooner than it was mounted than I had to undo the bolts and nuts on the left side. Why? Because I'd left the cable for the lead light wrapped around the bumper irons! That'll only be the first of many times I'll have to do the same until it can be tightened up completely. While all this was going on Wade had arrived and we had discussions about the radiator tube and hose I'd installed yesterday and that I needed to take off the taillights as part of the re-wiring process. Unfortunately at this point I had to leave, as shortly Wade was expecting Noel together with Gary and Doris his American friends.

On my return discovered Wade had gone out so I took the taillights off. Reason being the wires leading to them need to be replaced and as we hadn't sent those sections to be re-made we'll have to do them ourselves (ourselves meaning Wade). Got both taillights off fairly easily but left the number plate light wire as is for the moment to use as a feed for the new wire under the centre skin of the trunk lid. Wade returned about this time with the rebuilt pressure plate, new clutch plate and re-surfaced flywheel for John's '39. Then started on re-installing the brackets for the rear splash shield between the bumper and body. After a minor scare, when I couldn't find half the parts I'd been holding only minutes before for this job and found them where they should be in the can holding the bumper bolts and bits, they were re-installed. But another minor hiccup along the way as I couldn't find first the nuts and then the threads on the studs I'd POR-15'd. On closer examination these weren't studs but pins with a hole for a split-pin! Once I realised the error of my ways all was well. During this Wade was inspecting the new wiring harness which we'd wanted fairly urgently 5 months ago, how time flies. He was checking to see all looked OK. And then was measuring up to see how much additional cable, all 16 gauge, and the various colours was required. On getting home I rang Vintage Wiring Harness and these will be on their way soon. Last night had a call from Harvey, he'll be having another go at the dash wood-graining next week once he gets the new paint he's ordered. And Noel had returned my temp/oil gauge which Peter Toet had taken with him to Canberra about a month ago. I'll now start chasing a few more leads to have it repaired.

Attach file:

---

  (27.35 KB)


  (30.18 KB)

Quote:

Guscha,

The skis are one aspect but the other is the rear wheel arrangement which is unusual to say the least. Is this a "common" feature from days of old, before chains, when owners used their cars in the snow? And I don't think it's a RR - the radiator shell shape isn't right.

Peter,

Do you have any of these down on the farm? I was intrigued that Guscha posted this pic, thought of you immediately!

Attach file:

---

  (25.31 KB)

Tuesday 12th August 2008

Started the day by painting the air cleaner canister, lid, wing-nut and bracket bolt with POR-15. Next, as the stainless steel 1&3/4" exhaust pipe bends had arrived on my doorstep before 7:00am, started on the lower radiator to water pump radiator hose fitting. The '41 had arrived with a petrified flexible radiator hose in lieu of the metal bend and 2 pieces of hose. Had bought a radiator hose and clamp kit from Max Merritt before I realised I needed the metal tube. The s/s tube will do the job, even though it doesn't have the desired kink in it, and I had to shorten one end by 1" for fit. Fooling around with it, to get it in place with the clamps screwed up tight, took most of the morning.

After a quick cholesterol hit, of hot french fries and a coke for lunch, than started on re-installation of the re-chromed rear bumper, over-riders and drop down centre over-riders and bars. Thought this would be straight forward, but like most things the preparation is the killer. Had to clean up all the stud threads although they had been protected by the chrome-plater with plastic tape. And also the nuts which I'd POR-15'd silver. So out with the tap and dies with a bit of wire wheel brushing thrown in where required and studs and nuts were all cleaned up. The front bumper stud threads and nuts were also cleaned up to save doing this later and separately. Surprising how long this took, even with time saving techniques were employed when possible, see pic's. Problem is, now I have to review the pic's I took of the dis-assembly to assist in the re-assembly process, the memory fades surprisingly quickly.

Attach file:

---

  (14.55 KB)


  (20.40 KB)


  (17.08 KB)


  (21.56 KB)

Patrick,

Attached is a pic of my '41 120 block, not the same as yours but probably similar. The drain bolt in mine can be seen on the lower edge of the water jacketed part of the block. It is above the steering box and between the middle and rear welch plugs but on the bottom edge of the jacketed part of the block. Click on the pic and it will enlarge. Hope this helps.

Attach file:

---

  (31.91 KB)

Quote:

Todd,

Looks like Kev's been on the case. Tried to do a post on another thread a little while ago and instead of wiping it this message and the post came up: "Invalid submission. You could have exceeded session time. Please re-submit or make a backup of your post and login to resubmit if necessary."

G'day Eric,

Welcome to the Packardinfo site. Could you please add your '49 to the Owner Registry with a pic, and history if known?

Mat, Russ, Peter etal,

Found this over in the AACA Packard Forum.

http://forums.aaca.org/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/530030/gonew/1/packard_rod_bearings_for_super#UNREAD

Mat, as you say you've got a '36 engine in the '34 and Peter says he has a set of rods, this may be of help.