Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

I have a 1929 633 that still has the manual operating Bijur system installed but it is is missing parts and I am sure is in need of a detailed general cleaning. I know Bruce Blevins and others are making parts for these systems but I need to find someone who is proficient and is willing to restore this system to operation. I am what many call a purist and don't want to alter to a manual grease system. Anyone have any suggestions?

You don't mention how much of your current system is currently exist and in place (e.g. tubing still there, most of the fittings there), which makes it a little hard to describe what might need to happen to put it in working order. The actual system is pretty simple and does not take a lot of mechanical expertise to get it in working order or even for that matter to completely remake. If you are missing a lot of the nuts, compression sleeves, and metering units that don't work it won't be cheap. You can get the above mentioned hardware that you are missing from Bruce while 3/16" copper refrigeration tubing is available. All the tubing joints are soldered with soft solder like you would use on copper house plumbing. You might try Classic & Exotics to see if they can rebuild your pump if it is not working.

When I rebuilt my system, I removed all of the metering units that I had and soaked them in carburetor cleaner overnight and then blew solvent through them in the opposite direction of the normal flow to clear out any junk. I then flowed solvent through them in the corrected direction. If I couldn't get flow through them at that point I trashed them.

Do a search on this site for Bijur and you'll find a lot of post including diagrams that should prove you with enough info to determine how the copper tubing should be routed on the frame.

Again, is not difficult to do and anyone that is reasonably mechanically included should be able to perform the task.

Thanks, Marston.

I have needed someone to rebuild the reservoir assy in my 1928 526 and have not been able to find anyone that will work on these units. I have also been unsuccessful in separating the handle shaft from the lower unit. Seems that the old pot metal parts have melded together. When one of the pot metal parts breaks you cannot put them back together so be very careful.

Rrhorton I'm sorry to hear about your woes with your pump. You might want to consider using Muggy Weld Super Alloy 1 to repair your pot metal part. If there was a fairly clean break and the part is not subject to much stress.

I've used it to repair broken pot metal parts in the past and I'm pleased with the way it works. I've fixed tail lights and other such parts for friends of mine. I also used it to repair the left tail light on my '32 Packard, On the '32 I needed to make part of the tail light out of brass and attach it.

If you decide to give it a try, I would suggest a little practice on some scrape pieces of aluminum to see how their flux behaves before giving it a go. Also, make sure the part are good and clean & oil free. If you want to discuss, send me a PM with your phone #.

I used to send Bijur pumps to a fella named Jim Simpson in California. I never had a broken manual pump so I sent him automatic pumps. But he is talented and is worth contacting.

As for servicing the metering units, I let them soak for at least two weeks and longer. I made up a hand pump for priming systems. The system pressurizes to only 3-4 psi so the flow rate is very slow. The fittings have to sit under pressure to begin dripping. And the process takes time. I would walk by the car and give my homemade hand primer a little squeeze every day or two. The only fittings I replaced were ones where some rocket scientist tried to drill through them to get flow, were missing, or were damaged.

On the seventh and earlier series cars I got the whole system working right out to the tie rod ends.

There is a renewed trend toward chopping up those systems which I find disheartening. However, motor oil is not an EP lubricant so the system will not hold up as well as grease fittings. Thus, putting little oil cups on those cars is worse than converting to grease fittings.

But you can't appreciate the Bijur until you spend an afternoon greasing the Caddy 12's and 16's with a fitting at every pivot point on the car. To convert the Packard requires a fitting at every pivot point. Grease will not flow through pathways designed for oil.

Tim,
Can you provide any contact information for Jim Simpson?