Kev - your car is looking great. Perhaps the pictures below will help answer your question on hinges - thanks Frank

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Carl,

Try an impact wrench. That is what I used to break those exhaust bolt loose. If I remember right I had to use a long impact extension to reach the bolts with the impact gun. The impact hammering does a better job of breaking them loose with actually snapping them.

The TreadleVac in it's day was just fine because OEM kits were available. Who knows what materials are used in modern day kits????? This especialy true of the COmpensator Valve which makes the TV unit a peculiar design.

There is also issues with the fluid getting sucked into the vacuum unit.


ASIDE from the above issues with the Bendix TreadlVac there is a common misconception that a 'modern' DUAL or Tandem master cylinder is safer. Perhaps true but only to a marginal or negligable degree is the tandem safer.

THERE IS a DANGEROUS down side to the tandem master cylinder espeicaly at very low speeds. This danger element is really only evident at very low speeds of say 5 mph or less. It can be experienced on very slippery roads dur to ice, heavy snow, moss covered creek beds, descending steep hills, loose gravel and other such low speed negotiations of peril.

The problem is that the rear wheel cylinders do not recieve equal pressure as the front wheel cylinders and what happens is that the rear wheels will tend to continue driving the car forward while the front wheels loose traction due to slippery surface.

To eleminate the above problem, with a stick one can disengage the clutch. An automatic requires a fast shift to nuetral. The problem is that pushing in the clutch is somewhat natural reflex at very low braking speeds. Shifting to nuetral IS NOT a natural reaction.

I do not like the tradlevac due to various reports from reasonably technically astute people as well as my own experiences with the BTV. But, this has NOTHING to do with the fact that the BTV is single cylinder.

NONETHELESS, i do not like the modern dual master cylinders either. For 56 and 55's (don't know about earlier Packards) the best bet is to use the 96'ish Ford explorer power unit and brake pedal assembly with a ranger master cylinder. Mount it thru the left fresh air vent hole in the fire wall. U will need 2WO of the F pedal assemblies and stop lite switch to make one. Cost it out at about $150. Pedal position will be about 1 inch higher than stock packard pedal.

More research needs to be done to see if an earlier SINGLE F master cylinder will fit the 96'ish Explorer power unit,

I know that Dodge vans from around '79 or so did, and I tried every which way to use one of those on the '56 Patrician that I had and could not find a way to make it work. The BEST way, IMHO, to eliminate the BTV is to use a '51-'56 manual brake setup, with a dual master cylinder under the floor, and a small diameter booster along for the ride. I will be doing something similar on my Speedster this summer, so people will get a better idea on what I'm talking about.

I do have a question for you guys with a 51-54 Packard. If you open your hood up, and press up against the hinges, is the bracing bonded (attached) to the underside of the hood skin? It appears mine is only attached at the side, but not in the middle.

Not sure if the bonding or spot welds came loose at some point. As there is a lot of flex in the hood, and I am worried about it cracking the paint after it is sprayed. I can always as a flex agent the paint, but I figured the hood would be a little more stiff.

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While you guys may be right, it would be nice to come up with an alternative that wouldn't require major surgery before staking them all in the yard.

Since it presently seems major surgery is all that's available, then some photos & component x-refs that have been successful and look like something Packard might have done would be a help for anyone contemplating a stake in their own yard.

Didn't some mfg use a bellcrank and mount their master cylinder at 90 degrees to firewall. Wonder if that would be a possibility to raise high enough for the proper mechanical advantage for the unit Craig found & still be under steering column.

Since so many people are so keen on keeping the stock auto transmission cooler I figured it was time to do some edumacation on them, starting here:

http://www.alamomotorsports.com/pmc/pmc_transmission_cooler.html

http://perma-cool.com/Catalog/Cat_page02.html

Trans Cooler Info


More Trans Info

We all know that the Ultramatic is not the most efficient transmission in the world, and can definitely benefit from added cooling. The stock "cooler" only heats the transmission fluid even more, and do not work efficiently!!!

Also, the chances of cross contamination between transmission fluid and antifreeze is extremely high in situations such as ours, which is using a 50+ year old cooler that has never been "reworked" (which you can't rebuild them that easily). You are inviting even more problems when this happens, to both your engine and your transmission. Take this info as you will.

Like I said, put the f'r out on the front lawn on a stake, I'm half tempted to do that with the one I have laying around, but no-one would get the joke but you and I.

Another good day - slept in late and worked on the Packard.

Noticed a leak in the transcooler, bottom fitting. What's the verdict, do I braze it? Solder it? Look at the picture below...

Also, I'm preparing to take the intake and exhaust manifolds off. I even got the hidden nut off with a flexible fitting on my 3/8 drive ratchet.

The problem, of course, is where the exhaust manifold meets the exhaust pipe. Those bolts look VERY stubborn. I'm soaking them in PB Blaster overnight.

I really think they are going to snap; that means I'll probably have to extract the bolts, unless enough is left to put a wrench on it.

I am soliciting ideas on this before I go and break these bolts. Maybe put a vice grip on the bolt body while I also twist the ratchet?

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Randy, I probably have the same pulse pump and do just as you do.

Wish I had checked the Then & Now site because I bought the pieces for the bypass individually locally as well as the rotary Carter pump shown in the complete bypass kit on their website from Summit. Never thought anyone would have a kit. Have plans to change the pump when I find some more "round tu its". Anyway, do think the electric backup is a good idea--if for no other reason than what we use it for.