Looks terrific. Makes you want to take a long drive, doesn't it? Time spent on instrument clusters is some of the most satisfying--its almost like making jewelry.

Whenever I redo a 51-54 cluster I repaint them gloss white inside with a spray bomb, and even blow a little white down behind those baffles.

Maybe someone already metnioned it, but did you check that the bulbs are #55s? Could be someone stuck a bunch of 12 volts in there. Generally I have not found illumination of those clusters to be a problem. Now, even road testers at the time complained that the hands did not show up well, but I've had very good success with flat white model paint on those. On long drives a night I usually have to dim the dash lights in my 51.

Pumps, turbines, and other high class rotating machinery that don't have space for a labyrinth seal often use a face seal like Packard used on the straight eights. This gives a static seal on the shaft itself, and a hydrodynamic seal on the housing. The seal rotates with the shaft and is spring loaded against the housing.

The only problem I encounter with the Packard system is that most of the new cork sealing rings that come with gasket sets fit too snugly on the hub of the damper and won't slide forward under the available spring pressure to contact the timing chain cover. A couple minutes with some rolled-up sandpaper takes care of this. I then glue the ring to the old holder, grease it up and install.

I've installed several dozen with no problem.

A mixture of components from pre and post 51 cam drives, ie wide and narrow timing chain components might leave the seal hanging in midair, but you can look in and see that before the damper is slid on.

The plate you mention is only used on the 55 senior cars that had the stainless steel extender strip along the top edge of the bumper. It went on the underside. It was not needed on the 56s.

Sure, you can use the back side of the caliper, only that in many places it won't reach. That's when the telescoping bore gages are nice.

Its very good, and quite strong. With good maintenance the bottom end is essentially permanent. At the top end, engines run at high speeds or with poor air filters will suffer top ring breakage when they get to higher mileages.

When rebuilding, always check the gudgeon pin bushings, rod straightness, and the exhaust valve guides.

Head gaskets are not a problem if the studs and nuts have not been ruined by time, corrosion, or mouth-breathing troglodytes masquerading as mechanics.

Be sure that the cork crank seal is cemented firmly to its holder, and that it will slip with a light push over the nose of the vibration damper. Many of the repops are a skosh too small and will not slide on the damper. Then the damper holds them away from the face of the timing cover and they do not seal at all. You can sand them til they fit.

Don't be in a panic to replace bushings just because you have new ones. The fit is the thing as most all bushings in an Ultra serve the dual purpose of supporting a shaft and retaining hydraulic pressure. The standard fit of all bushings in these trannies .003" clearance. The bushings are all nominal size , for example 1 1/4", or 1.250, and then the shaft will be sized .003 under, 1.247. All you have to do is get a telescoping bore gage set, about $18 at Harbor Freight, and a reasonable dial caliper. The caliper does not even have to be accurate as you will only be measuring the difference between the shaft and the bushing.

There is no intrinsic value to changing bushings for their own sake. They just need to be carefully inspected--along with the mating portion of the shaft.

If I recall, you had a good direct shift, in which case I can already tell you that there is nothing very wrong with your bushings or shafts.

Do try to find your matchmarks as those convertor pieces were balanced together.

On a hunch I bought a pair of repop 53 Chevy truck arms and blades to try on a 52 Packup. They were gorgeous polished stainless like original and with nice firm springs. The crook in the arm out near the blade was a wee bit too sharp but could be fixed in a jiffy with a squeeze in the vise. They snapped right on the car and looked terrific. I believe the whole shebang cost $45 or so. I am never screwing with tired original arms and blades again. Sorry I don't have a photo as the owner took the car home.

Not to put too fine a point on it, as the Brits say, you will not live long enough to wear out a second clutch disk, especially one of the big ones like is in your car.