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Re: Head light bulbs
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I bought an H60006 at NAPA for $15.99 to have as a spare. I figure it's cheap insurance should I have a failure out on the road. Hard to find a 6-volt headlight at the nearest filling station! It's good to know I'll have two really mis-matched headlights for a while after that. I'm wondering about current draw with the halogen bulbs. They are much brighter, but do they draw the same amperage as regular filaments? More? Less? (I haven't read this whole thread, so pardon me if i'm asking a question that's already been answered.)
Posted on: 2015/9/14 15:27
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Guy
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Re: Tire Shopping for a '54 Clipper
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Well, I'm actually going shopping at the stores now, instead of just looking on-line.
My plan is to try Wal-Mart, Fleet Farm, and Menard's (last two are local hardware and supply chains that carry decent tires). This way I can try it out on radials. I don't think I'll like 'em as much as bias ply that are on there now, but it's time to do something! Guess I'll have to buy 5 so I have a radial spare. I just can't see putting $800-$1000 worth of tires on this car at this time. I'd rather save about half of that and put it into other things it needs. For mounting, I plan to take them to my mechanic. I think this is much safer than relying on a service department that might not know anything about removing bias ply tires (those beads and sidewalls can be really stiff) and to notice that some cars have righty-loosey lefty-tighty threads on the left-side mounting BOLTS. I also plan to have my mechanic replace the stems, because he'll match them instead of just pulling something off the shelf. An few questions: ? Any suggestions on other national chains that might carry something in the $100 range? P 235 75R is what I seek to replace L78. ? How much of a discount should I ask for (and probably not get) for buying the tires un-mounted? ? Anything special to look for in stems? Comments always welcome, because someone on this site will probably point out why I'm nuts to do this, and that's fine by me!
Posted on: 2015/9/14 15:10
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Re: Brake Fade? What Brake Fade?
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It's all good, man.
Posted on: 2015/9/14 14:41
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Re: Brake Fade? What Brake Fade?
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Wow! You-all saved me some time. What has been described as a fix will be done at the shop. I do not mess with brakes at all, except for checking the fluid. I should've know to apply this policy to the e-brake as well.
I just have one comment: If the e-brake cable needs to have slack or be removed before adjusting the rear brakes, then it would seem to me that the cable would need to be tightened again after the shoes have been adjusted. The shop manual seems to have some pretty clear instructions on how to adjust the cable following the brake adjustment. I'm sure glad I checked in here before just going ahead and wrenching on it. Thanks to all for sharing this information!
Posted on: 2015/9/13 16:00
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Re: Brake Fade? What Brake Fade?
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OK, so I practiced what I preached that everyone else should practice, and lo and behold, my emergency brake has lost some of its stopping power! It slows the car but doesn't grab like it should. I think this is part of the process of "keeping it limbered up." Probably have to readjust the cable a little tighter. It was serviced and set two years ago, when the brake shoes and linings were replaced. This experience might indicate the time it takes to lose stopping power after adjusting the e-brake. I wonder if it's due to brake wear and cable stretching combined? (I set it every time I park.) Or, something has failed, maybe one side let loose or broke and I only have one-side braking. I'll have to struggle under there and see. In case it just needs tightening, does anyone have hints on adjusting the cable? (The shop manual doesn't have all the tricks that Packard owners have developed over the years.)
Posted on: 2015/9/12 22:12
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Re: Brake Fade? What Brake Fade?
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Don't forget that any conversion to different brakes is worthless for improving safety unless you ALSO install a dual master cylinder system, 'tho I think even this is not going far enough, because unless you have some kind of warning light to let you know when 1/2 the system fails, you're driving around with 2-wheel braking and a single master cylinder working. YIKES! Quote:
Naughty, naughty. Disengage OD in hilly country. Thanks for the links, Craig! 
Posted on: 2015/9/1 17:51
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Re: Brake Fade? What Brake Fade?
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Craig,
Thanks for the reply. Interesting story. My brother had a '55 400 that he used to drive to HS and then commuting to college in the early '70s. Most weekends he made a round trip of about 60 miles, and often had friends with him. No brake issues. My dad had rebuilt the MC. He kept that 400 and our Clipper Custom roadworthy for 30 years! But then, he was a professional mechanic. (I'd like to be able to ask him lots of Packard questions if he were still around.) Quote: When I had a chance to put disc brakes on my 55 Pat, I did not hesitate. I suppose if I had the money I'd go for the disc brakes and dual MC, but meanwhile I thought I'd share my experiences with the stock system since I had the complete brake job, including Bendix MC rebuild, two years ago. The brakes don't have the instant grab that I remember from driving our '55s. But the pedal is very firm. I think you have posted your experience with switching out to disc brakes, and it would be nice to hear some of it again (which MC and rotors to use, cost and mods needed for installation etc.). or a link to the info. For all: It's a good idea to practice stops with the E-brake if you have the original PB system, or even manual brakes with a single MC. Knowing how to reach the handle quickly could save you and your car. Practice on a side street with little traffic, or in a parking lot. Also use it regularly when you park to keep it limbered up. BTW, it's a good driving habit to tap your brakes a couple of times before you are coming to a stop or about to need to slow down in traffic, just to make sure they grab. Other experiences with brake fade woes or lack thereof? (Next time the wheels are off mine, probably for new tires. I'm thinking of painting the drums with black radiator paint for better heat dissipation. Good idea?)
Posted on: 2015/8/30 23:11
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Brake Fade? What Brake Fade?
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A note on my experience with brake fade, or lack thereof. (I noticed somebody started a thread on drums.)
Last summer I drove the '54 Clipper all over Duluth, including the Skyline Drive, if you know what that is, and even using the OD with long braking down steep grades, I did not have a hint of brake fade following long (1/4 mi or so) and drove on to stop again shortly afterward and made stops with no extra pedal pressure. I suppose power brakes helped, too. Maybe I was just lucky, but it was a hot day as well. Here's how my brakes have been set up and maintained: Rebuilt Crash-O-Matic MC, good fresh DOT 3 fluid, near new brake shoes (drums were good after 85K). Using the OD puts strain on the brakes due to freewheeling. But it also gives a smoother driving experience around town. It seems to shift smoother, the OD kicks in at about 30 mph so it probably saves some gas, and there is much less engine noise at the lower revs (OD cars have the 4.1:1 diff). I realize that in hilly driving, it's advisable to turn the OD off and get the engine braking, but this was kind of an experiment. I also braked down a long grade to the St. Croix river at about 55. Stopped at the bottom no problem, with a firm pedal. Thoughts?
Posted on: 2015/8/30 14:31
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Re: Tire Shopping for a '54 Clipper
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This is something I'd like to see. Never have to worry about matching ww widths when you have to replace one tire. I've never seen it done, though. It might look striking if done right. Quote:
I don't know what came with my car, but IMO wide white walls looked very good on the Reinhart bodied cars.One of the main reasons that this look works for me on these cars is the front wheel well radiuses set off the tires so well... and vice versa. I want my Clipper to remain "upwardly mobile".  Attach file:  (5.97 KB)
Posted on: 2015/7/20 23:51
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Re: 55PackardGuy's '54 Clipper Deluxe
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I can't see the regulator screw holes, but I suppose they are on the half of the case that is removed in the pic to show the innards. As I see it, there are 3 possible grounding problems (in addition to a completely bad cluster ground). 1. Both halves of the regulator case need to be grounded to each other, so the crimps need to be secure, with no corrosion or debris that might interfere with ground. 2. The screw holes being on just the one half of the regulator case, may tighten up just fine, but then cause the regulator case to pull apart if there's any interference or misalignment with one of the case halves. 3. The regulator doesn't really have a unique ground to the cluster, it relies on the breaker grounding screws and hardware, leaving more chances for a loose connection or corrosion. I think I'm going under there armed with a short screwdriver and a can of WD 40 to clean things up and tighten them. Then we'll see if there's any life in the gauges. I hope everything is still connected. I don't want to root around under there trying to get screws started. It also looks like the circuit breaker nuts could be checked with either a hand-held socket or just fingers. Anybody try this from under the dash? This little exploration may be helpful for those whose otherwise working instrument cluster has dead Fuel and Temp gauges. Howard, One last thing that wold help a lot, do yo have a pick or drawing of the location of the screw holes on the other halve of the reglator? I'd like to see how they where they fit over the circuit breaker screws. Neither pic shows it actually attached, and It's hard to visualize--and't see quite how it would be oriented, just eyeballing it. Many thanks.
Posted on: 2015/7/20 15:00
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