Confucius say, if Packard hood is dented by woman bottom get thinner woman.

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You mean like this one?

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+1 On the redhead idea....

I totally agree, if you've got new bushings and the shaft surfaces they ride on are in good condition replace the bearings, it's cheap insurance against future problems.

The Packard Ultramatic is a simple transmission that once understood properly and driven properly will give you years of daily driver quality dependable service. Drive it like a hot rod and it's life is seriously shortened.

Like I've said before, you have to put yourself into the mindset of the typical '50s Packard owner, it wasn't "pedal to the metal", it was "Onward Jeeves, but don't spill my Cognac!"

I've got to agree with cortcomp, put the next larger size stud in it. The reason why I say this is there's two different kinds of helicoils, the standard "spring" looking type and a solid type. Since it's going into coolant I'd be cautious about using the spring ones, seal the stud with blue Locktite at least. I like the oversize stud idea better.

Maybe there's a mouse in there banging two walnut shells together. I would have guessed a coconut shell, but I don't see how a Swallow could fit through any of the openings in the engine.


And NO, I don't know if it would have been an African or European swallow...

I think what Fred means here is that it's not "economically feasible" to have a minimum order of parts that are definitely not a fast moving part to be made in the USA. I completely understand and agree with that assessment.

I also understand where Keith's (PackardV8) is coming from, when you buy parts it's nice to know where they come from before you buy them, for any future reference.

Point of fact, Packards aren't made anymore, and we're lucky to even be able to buy parts for them at all. NOS stuff is nice, but it's even more expensive usually (unless you get lucky and find a sleepy auction on ebay) and the supply of that is dwindling up.

If I was Fred and I had a choice of ordering 10,000 sets of bearings from a USA manufacturer at say $50 a set, or 500 sets from a foreign manufacturer for the same price, there's a no-brainer decision. I don't think he wants to sit on half a million dollars worth of inventory for an unspecified amount of time and I wouldn't either. You don't get to where he is today without making good business decisions, no matter what some of us think of him.

That being said, I think that most people would like to know what they're buying beforehand, and the simplest solution to that is also like Fred says, ask when ordering where the parts are from, and if you're not satisfied with the answer buy elsewhere.

Fire away.

I've come across both brass and steel, I would like to think the brass ones are original and the steel ones are replacements from the past. I'd think that brass would be the way to go if you need to remove the nuts for whatever reason.

If I wanted to own a Cadillac I would have bought one.


And if you think you can find a mid 90's Chevy or Cadillac that is 100% American made then you're off your rocker more than I thought.


ANYONE who knows me on here knows that I'm 120% for keeping the original engine and 120% for keeping the Ultramatic transmission. When people ask about the kits to convert to the modern Chrysler 727 trans I try to talk them out of it. One thing that I won't talk someone out of is the commons sense approach of making their cars safer. I suggest you get to know people around here a little more before attacking them, unless you have an ulterior motive for being here which I'm starting to suspect.

As for the seal question, I've already stated that it would be difficult to do, and that we're pretty much stuck with what we have. Just because I don't like the looks of something doesn't mean you need to be up my arse about it on every move.

From everything that I can tell looking at my engines the nut on the manifolds is your standard, fine threaded nut. I've owned straight eights for years, and have never had one some loose.

I've had more than one of the dang studs break on attempted removal, but that's par for the course.

Fred, what's so wrong with giving people alternatives?