Ross I think we need to be friends You say you have done 100 in your roadster what are the specs of the car weight and gearing and how much more did it have in it at 100 mph? Also what RPM were you at at 100? I really want to take mine to the track but as noted I don't want to blow it up and I would like to make a decent showing, I now it will never be as fast for as little money as a modern engine but I really want to know what it can do.

Ross, does the service bulliten day what caused the vibration at 80-90? Also do you have any horsepower or torque figures from Packard dealing with the later L8 engines? All the literature I have been able to find has those engines peaking at around 2000 RPM for both torque and horsepower. The internet being what it is I'm not sure I was reading correct information. I will be doing something that rhymes with racing with my engine so I would really like to get some good information on what the engines could sustainability handle stock so I know what needs to be addressed.

David, I am by no means an expert on engine harmonics but from what I do understand the balancer must be reasonably matched to the operating RPM of the engine. One that is set up to work with the 2000-2500 RPM range of the post war L8 is likely fine for that range, in my build I am attempting to stretch that to 4000-4500 RPM if possible and I feel that the stock style balancer wont be up to the job.

In the V8 Chevy world they have 2 common balancers (6 inch and an 8 inch if memory serves) the 6 inch was generally fitted to the 327 and smaller engines which had a stronger stiffer (all other factors equal) crank due to more overlap between the rod and main journals in the casting/ forging thus creating a crank less prone to flex where as the 350 and 400 CI engines (though the 400 was externally balanced) had the larger balancer, less overlap of the main and rod journals more flex and vibration equals the need for a bigger/ heavier balancer.

In the L8 engines where you have a proportionately long stroke, IE my 327 has a longer stroke than a 427 Chevy it will be more prone to flex and vibration than say a shorter stroke 288 or a more modern oversquare engine (big bore short stroke). Drag racers tend to use the smallest balancer available myself included when I ran small block Chevy engines due to the reduced rotating mass (think lightened flywheel)they were able to rev faster thus getting you into your power band quicker during launch and as you went through the gears. In the L8 no matter what I do it will never be a quick revving engine in the modern sense so I am not as concerned with the rotating weight as I am keeping the potentially severally damaging harmonics at bay.

I am a racer at heart as many of you know and in the racing world any engine that was slightly warmed over from stock it was advised to use a more sophisticated balancer that a stock cast two piece unit with a rubber isolater between the two. Properly controlling engine harmonics will increase power and longevity in any engine out there.

Has anyone ever attempted to use a more modern harmonic balancer on their L8? as many of you I am planning to build my car up pretty far (for an L8 Packard that it) and I would like to get a bigger better harmonic balancer for it to better keep the vibrations down. I know many of you will say I do not need it but as the plan stands right now I will be likely spinning the engine close to twice its stock 2000 RPM power and torque peak and I don't really want to find out if my crank can outrun my car when it drops out of my oil pan.

I must have looked right over that thanks for having better eyes than me Oz

Also what is the going rate of an Edmunds 2x2 intake, mine is by no means new but seems like a very steep price he has on his piece.

I see the price for the intake but none for the head did you find a price for it anywhere?

I will be using a tubular header, a cut 288 head (on a 327), 12V electronic ignition via Pertronix, and a reground cam. I will be using an automatic transmission so unfortunately cant cut the flywheel down. It should be a pretty good combination. My goal is to get the car on the road by October, but I have a lot to do.

I have never used the BMW V12 personally but I had a friend in the Navy that was a huge BMW fanboy. The V12 is a great engine and all things considered they are fairly light weight. The engine is resentally 2 L6 BMW engines smashed together. They are pretty much completely computer controlled and if I remember correctly so is the transmission. The more modern ones are fly by wire so I feel that packaging all this in a vintage car would be an issue. the transmission tunnel would very likely have to be cut and new crosmembers would have to be made but this is true with most engine swaps. If you did away with the fuel injection you would still need an ECU for the ignition timing and variable valve timing and from what I have been led to understand the BMW computer does not like to be messed with. Also these cars have a security system that may or may not be able to be bypassed in the factory ECU so a key with a chip and the related software may need to be used. There is a reason you don't see many BMW engine swaps dollar for dollar they are a very cheap V12 with only an 80s era Jag being cheaper. With all that said it can be done several months ago Hot Rod Magazine had an article where a man swapped a BMW (if I remember right) engine into a Cobra Kit car but that was a mega dollar build. The torque numbers on a vintage Packard engine are very good considering the age of these engines (the big L8s coming in at 270-300 ftlbs) and dollar spend to make the BMW do what you wanted (unless of coarse you already have what you need or have a line on a wrecked V12 car with everything you need)or running the Packard engine would be pretty close in cost IMO and the value of the car would go down quite a bit with the BMW engine. It really comes down to you, your skill level, and dedication to the project. A slow Packard with a Packard engine is much better than a non running cut up Packard with a BMW engine half installed.

No you cant get anything like this new. The distributor I found is quite old I would venture a guess that it it was not produced outside of the 50's. As a side not Mallory doesn't seem to have and parts for them as in points, rotors, caps and so on. The one I have if it in fact can fit an L8 Packard seems to be very new on the inside so i would be able to run it till something wears out then it would be a hunt for parts, It does look cool though :D.

Steve, what makes you think your bearings ect are worn? If you are not getting weird noises or erratic timing you are probably fine. Packard L8's have their HP and torque peaks at around 2000 RPM so having excessive wear on the distributor would in my opinion be unlikely though very possible.