Yes Charles - update please!

Just because I went quiet for a couple of months doesn't mean that you are allowed to! Lol

BTW, I have been reading parts of your old '51 project blog - the helpful bits when you were doing work on the Ultramatic. The help from people like Ross, HH56 etc I found very useful for the overhaul I am doing on my spare Ultra.

As Kev says, a satin black was the norm. I tend to favour a 2-pak because it will last longer and resist stone chips etc. Easy to apply for a full frame-off resto, you have easy access to all areas.

The POR black is single pak, and is very tough and resistant to things like gas, ATF and even brake fluid, and can be brushed on IF you don't have the gear to spray a 2-pak. But you have to overcoat it with the POR Chassis Coat because the POR Black is very high gloss (- and it is also expensive but a small tin goes a long way and is hard as nails). Spraying any other satin 2-pak black would be cheaper but caution about the safety aspects as the hardener is typically harmful to health.

By the way, Packard did provide an option for customers to have the chassis painted some colour other than black, but I believe that was in earlier years, and that option had been phased out before 1952.

I've started to overhaul a spare Ultramatic I have and am hoping someone can answer a question relating to the upper valve body.

When I disassembled the upper body I noticed a difference between the diagram in the 51-54 Service Manual and the valve body I am checking. Looking at the Parts Listing might possibly have solved the problem but thought I had better get opinions from the ever-helpful experts on packardinfo, who will probably know the answer.

Figure 36 (page 12 of 51-54 Service Manual) shows a slider valve "Valve - Control Oil Pump Check" Group Number 3.579. When I took the end plate off the bore there was no slider in there. Just the empty bore, with a couple of folded black steel clips pressed into slots along the bore, effectively blanking off the bore. One of the clips (- closest to the cover plate) has a small hole drilled in it, approximately in the centre (see photos below). Other one is the same but no hole.

I grabbed a spare valve body and checked it - same thing. They are both off 24th series cars.

Checked the Parts Listing and noticed that Group 3.579 on Plate 143 is a slider whereas it appears that the Plate 144 illustration is showing the two folded steel clips (- although the diagram is not very clear but it looks like two small clips are shown).

The Parts Listing has three different p/n's for Group 3.579:

421904 suits 23rd series Ultramatics
423547 suits 24th series, 1 piece, Front
434527 ditto, 1 piece, Rear.

So could it be that Packard changed the design and replaced the slider valve with these two clips for the 24th series Ultra's? Maybe the slider was unnecessary and could be replaced?

Also, I wanted to be sure that the folded clip with the drilled hole is in the correct slot, and check the orientation of it also. It is only drilled on the one face, so the way it is placed in the slot might be important. The Manual doesn't give any details about this.

Any help appreciated thanks!

Showing position of the two clips



Clip with a hole drilled on one face. Other clip is plain (no hole)



Another view

Hello again Troy . . . . Hope you got my PM's. Still waiting to hear from you regarding a Direct Drive friction plate for my '51 Ultramatic. Can you PM me please?.

You are so fortunate to be able to get test equipment like that . . . . I believe there is loads of it in the US!

Also - the Dale Adams article posted by Dave on 19/9 . . . . . great article, so much good data in it. Thanks for that. (Have handled a con-rod from a Twelve, beautifully made one-piece rod which really impresses).

Troy, I've PM'd you about getting a Direct Drive friction plate from you (as discussed).

It's a pleasure Chad. Enjoy your car, sounds like the engine is in fairly good condition!

When you were driving it, did it show the 'typical' signs of engine wear?
- used oil
- blew smoke
- heavy fuming from oil filler tube after a run
- smoke from road pipe
- engine oil gets dark within a few thousand miles (ring blow-by)
- poor oil pressure
- a few more engine oil leaks than was typical for the model
- rattles or knocks ('piston slap')
- lacks power
- you see a lot of gum in crankcase, on side covers, sump has quite a lot of sludge in it
- take a plug out, check amount of coke on piston tops.

I would think that a properly rebuilt engine with not too many miles on it should be reasonably OK in regard to these symptoms, unless it was neglected and ran without regular oil changes, or was driven harshly.

Two things ,. . . . that IS a beautiful car, and now I know that So-Cal means Southern California.(Thanks for that!)

That is looking very good!! Nice colour combination. To me, getting the paint on is about the most satisfying part of a resto job.

Well . . . I never realised! Built by Ross, and what a great result.

Thanks Mal for the link . . . I had not seen it before. I have an old but rusty full chassis and quite a lot of spares . . . . I wonder if . . . . . .