You have it backwards, Scott. Installing the heads from the smaller engine will raise the compression ratio on your 356 as the combustion chamber volumes are smaller. If you install a 53 327 head, the compression ratio will be approx. 8.7 and you will need to use premium fuel. A nice compromise would be a 7.5:1 head from an earlier 327 which would give you about 8.1.

That is almost certainly from some tractor as many had updraft carbs long after cars gave them up. Since it is wrong anyway, just get any old thing that is also wrong but works. I'd check antique tractor websites unless you want to drop a load of money and get the correct one.

Not only is driving your Packard the cheapest, easiest maintenance you can do, it also helps the resale value of all our cars and gives the name a posterity.

Clippy had his big day out on Friday: delivered a '53 block to the machine shop for boring, took me to some mountain bike trails, then to a favorite restaurant, posed in front of the Shenandoah PA Packard dealer, stopped at an industrial ruin to explore, then took me to a terrific farmer's market where I buy the best smoked chipped beef on the east coast, then stopped at Bob's Packard parts and picked up a water pump on the way home. All told, 290 delightful miles--and made many people smile and ask questions.

Just think: 6 volts. Points. Drum brakes. Single braking system. Freezing temperatures. Delightful. Packard built great cars.

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I do mine in my shop press with the aide of a couple pieces of steel welded together. Will try to take a picture tomorrow.


In regards to your babbit query, the new bushings in the rebuild kit will be babbit lined in that location.

Merry Christmas and a fine New Year to all.

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Although much maligned as idiot lights the gen light is a useful thing. First up, on long drives I can get very lazy about scanning the gages and it is good that something gets my attention. Second, every time you turn on the key, it polarizes the generator correctly. Of course, if the generator dies, the light comes on. But there is another cool trick. If the light comes on and gets even brighter as you rev the engine, it shows the the gen is working but the cutout relay in the regulator is not.

In a similar vein, I am delighted that the oil light comes on as soon as there is a devastating problem and I don't have to be alerted by a rod knock because I was entranced by the scenery while the oil filter gasket blew out.

That sideswipe could be repaired in one long afternoon with the aid of the Patrician rear door. Cut and paste. I know the folks that have the car and they and their restoration shop have a fine reputation.

As I shuffle through the stuff for sale on line it is rather plain that the supply of Packards vastly exceeds demand.

Decorated the shop with something colorful that makes me feel festive: NOS bearings.

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On the '41-50 cars the trim snaps onto the body first. Don't have my manual near me, but pretty sure you put the glass into the rubber, press it up to the opening from inside the car, then work the lip up over the trim using the standard rope trick.

Did you receive your new clutch as individual sprags or as an assembly? Putting one of those together from pieces and then inserting the springs is a monstrous job. If your new clutch is locked up in both directions then one or more of the sprags is reversed. Did you get a new outer race? How is the reactor shaft?