Pete ‘56

More than likely the bolt that has a Packard part number has a decorative head, while the ‘G’ part number is a general hardware item. The utility fasteners will not be visible when the bumper is viewed during a casual ‘walk around’, and can be found behind guards and attaching the brackets to the frame. I believe the ‘G’ designation also indicated to the dealer that the item could be procured locally. In group 50.050 there are plenty of ½ - 20 cad plated carriage bolts, which somewhat supports the assumption that the Packard part number would likely be the visible/decorative bumper bolt. If the intent was for the dealer to locally procure the utility items, then additional technical information (diameter/pitch/length) would be required, not so much for the Packard part number items.

dp

Don, I understand and appreciate your preciseness to detail on this subject.

Don other than badging are there any identification plates that state ‘Clipper’ on your car (same question for R Anderson)? The web confirms that for ’56 only, the Clipper was classified as a stand-alone marque produced by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation, so I assumed some type of ID plate would contain the name Clipper, only because later ID tags for other short lived ‘brands’ identified the new brand name. The web also acknowledges a process of authorization of Clipper dealers by the S-P Corporation prior to the ’56 model year, and if there was no Packard dealers close at hand Studebaker dealers could join in and become Clipper dealers. My assumption is we likely had local businesses that were Packard-Clipper dealers, or Studebaker-Clipper dealers, but no Clipper alone dealers. I’ve also assumed that HH56’s comment about state’s bureaucracy is absolutely true, in that the 48 individual states would have to agree/approve that the ‘new brand’ met the automotive standards for that state, prior to the titling/registration process. Perhaps there were gaps in the state submittal/approval process for the ’56 Clipper, but the car would otherwise be acceptable if registered as a Packard. All of this surely predates the ’58 ‘Monroney sticker’ legislation, and 17 character VINs. Sounds a lot like the 4 GM companion cars in the late ‘20s

R Anderson’s comment about last couple of years confusion seems to explain the situation quite well. At the local car shows I have a hard enough time explaining my car is a Packard, but imagine trying to explain a Clipper. I won’t mind having a ’56 Clipper as long as it was a standard transmission, non-power brakes, and non-torsion bar suspension . . . assuming there was one of those produced as long as we are going rare let’s go all the way.

dp

My 2 cents is the local DMV would look at the cowl/identification plate and whatever manufacture is identified that would be what goes on the title and registration. I’ve surfed a bit and found all kinds of ID plates, however when I include ‘Clipper’ into the search the only returns are for boats/ships.
dp

HPH

Pinion bearing adjustment is somewhat similar to adjusting the clearance of the outboard axle bearings, except in the case of the pinion bearings the clearance is considered negative, meaning the bearings are tight enough to produce a rotational drag. Some manufactures used a shimming procedure that was somewhat iterative. I don’t know of any designs that had a threaded adjustment for the pinion bearing adjustment, but given the number of designs there may be at least one that featured an adjustable feature, but alas not the Packard design.

Fast forward to a simpler design of setting pinion bearing preload that does not require a distance measurement, or shimming, and can be done once and once only. This simpler design places a spacer between the bearings. This spacer is a piece of tubing (pinion gear passes through the center) that starts life longer than needed. A long spacer results in loose bearing that would have much less than the required drag torque. One more special feature of this design is the spacer tubing has a bead rolled in it. The bead is proud on the outer diameter. Most shop manuals suggest this bearing spacer is a ‘use once’ item.

As the pinion flange nut is tightened the inner races of both bearings and the spacer become in intimate contact, but may not yet be the correct total length. Addition tightening of the flange nut begins to collapse the tubular spacer and the length is approaching the correct length. The bead in the tubing is the location where all of the plastic deformation is occurring (that’s why the bead is there in the first place) . . . the spacer is getting shorter. You continue this process until the required drag torque is correct. By using a collapsable spacer the pinion bearing drag is an assembly process that is not iterative.

One of my non-Packard shop manuals suggests a torque of 350 ft-lbs may be required to collapse the spacer. The forums advise on pinion seal replacement stress the idea that getting the pinion nut back to the same position with respect to the pinion shaft is a recognition that the collapsable spacer should be returned to the same load / dimension . . . not tighter, or looser. Ultimately, we’re trying to get back to the same bearing preload.

Since you have a bare case you will be determining the correct spacer length by measuring the rotational drag of the bearings and seal. By the way, the bearing drag adjustment is a completely different process from the pinion depth shimming.

dp

Chocobo9x

It is a traditional mechanical fuel pump design. Cam mounted eccentric moves an arm, which deflects a diaphragm up and down. A set of inlet and outlet check valve allow the diaphragm to draw-in and discharge the fuel. The check valves keep the fuel flowing in the correct direction. Failure points are several, including: 1) Malfunction valves, 2) Ruptured diaphragm, and 3) Inlet air leak . . . likely at the flexible hose just prior to the pump inlet. Those are the typical failure modes of the pump itself. Another less likely would be a worn arm or eccentric.
If the pump is a duplex design the upper section is a vacuum pump to aid in maintaining wind shield wiper vacuum during low engine vacuum conditions. The design is similar to the fuel side in that there is a diaphragm, and check valves.
I think on this site you can find a tutorial on overhauling a fuel pump. That tutorial has plenty of photos that you can acquaint yourself with the inner workings of the fuel pump. See Literature Archive / How-To’s & Tech Tips / How To: Rebuilding a Packard Fuel Pump.

dp

Thanks Kevin

I would say both the nut and the drum came off as we all would hope for . . . or that’s the most powerful impact gun imaginable. Nice video!

dp

Kevin

It’s a bit off topic but I know you’ve recently had the rear drums off. Two questions: 1.) Were the axle nuts found to have about the same torque as when you installed them? 2.) Did the hub/drums release with little effort?
I’m just trying to get another data point on whether the axle nut torque initially relaxes with use.

dp

George40

If you decide to jack the rear of the car there is one more check that you might make, that is check the drag on the wheels cold, and then depress the brake pedal and reaffirm the drag is the same once the brakes have been released. You’re checking whether the brake shoes retract properly. A restriction in the flexible brake line could (emphasis on vague) be inhibiting/slowing the retraction of the rear shoes. A mal-adjusted brake pedal could inhibit proper shoe retraction on all four wheels, so you might consider jacking-up the front wheels and conduct the same check. The use of a helper pressing on the brake pedal will speed-up the process. The wheel should release as soon as the brake pedal is released.

dp

HPH
I guess I went off the deep end . . . I agree if that’s the extent of the wear then chalk one up for Packard. The trouble I have is the inner race cannot be inspected. I guess one could conclude that if the inner race is damaged that would transfer to the outer race in short order, and (leap of faith) if the outer is OK then the inner is OK.
dp

HPH, if the close-up photo is a bearing race, and the dark area is material ‘pick-out’, then IMO your phrase “hardly anything of concern” is aspirational.
dp