It is not hard to shorten the vertical stack on your air filter. With a cutting disk and a welder its about 20 minutes work--perhaps an exhaust or body shop would do it for you.

Don't cheat and discard that insulator under the carb. You will not enjoy the results when warm weather comes.

Place jackstands under the rear axle and let the weight of the car press the springs flat. As the arc of the spring straightens the dif will move rearwards. Also, install the driveshaft from the bottom upwards as its arc of swing will be more favorable. I believe you will find that when everything is assembled the driveshaft will not be fully compressed even when the springs are hanging.

Flathead Dodge and Plymouth lifters can be used in the 288/327 engines and are readily available. The diameter of the mushroom must be ground down considerably to not hit the casting webs in a Packard. Ends up being easier to find a set of real Packard solids.

I've used a couple of sets of the new Kanter hydraulic lifters with perfect success and know of two other sets in happy usage. And here I was under the impression that Packard was a production line automobile like all the rest. Was not aware they had been deified.

All the postwar straight eights have their date cast into the block just above the oil pan in the rearmost rectangle of the block skirt. It is usually on both sides, but for sure on the starter side. Probably have to do some scraping.

Thanks very much for posting that link. I have somehow not had that much success in researching that car and some of those photos were new to me. Interestingly, I also have photos of the car showing a bench seat and bumpers. In other photos the car has holes in the front fenders as if there was a grill fitted. Trevoux must have driven the car apart from racing.

Would love to see that thing come out of dusty storage and give us all a thrill.

Am more than 80% finished building a near replica of the car starting with a rusty 51 200. As I have no intents of racing something that has consumed so many hours I have contented myself with a simple bored out 327, ported and relieved with a 4bbl. One carburetor is problem enough, much less four!

Howard: I have only ever seen the flat check valves no matter how late the production was. As long as yours "seal up" they should be fine.

Where is that info you mentioned about the buzzing noise as my 56 has it big time? I was familiar with the fix for the 52-54 units to prevent buzzing in reverse. My front pump buzzes until the rear pump takes over at 25 or so. Started all at once one day after a 600 mile weekend. Inspection of the pump revealed---nothing. Sounds like it is drawing air, but from where? Shifting is unaffected and quite good.


Like your shoulder bolt idea--and don't worry, an Ultra won't make 300 degrees unless already in advanced death throes.

Geez Louise, I'll sell you three 288 heads for that money.

Great to hear her go. Congratulations. Now get some coolant in her before you have something new to cry about.

Quick point to mention, Howard, if you place your shim in the bottom of the shift piston as I do, it must have a good sized hole through it as there is fluid flow through the piston. You will notice the hole in the bottom of the piston.

To make my shim pack, I usually flatten a 1/4" lockwasher, and grind its OD a hair on the bench grinder so it fits inside the piston nicely. This will be sure to leave the hole in the poston uncovered. Then I add a 3/16 flatwasher on top of that to get the .120/.130 package I am looking for.

Look forward to hear your feedback.

Don't particularly recommend the toggle swith idea except as a stopgap. The automatic operation of the overdrive is way cooler and more fun--lift your foot off the gas to upshift and tromp the gas to downshift in either of second or third.

With the toggleswitch it is possible to have a major Oh-Sh--if you forget to turn it off and then cram the thing in reverse and let out the clutch. Bang bang dead.

You can still enjoy the car while you get the overdrive sorted out, just leave the overdrive knob pulled out and drive like any other stick shift. I'd keep it under 60 till it works right. Overdrive was considered a "high performance" option back in the day and you will like it a lot.