Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Hey Packarddom!

When did Packards get hydraulic lifters in the L8's? If it did not happen all at once, when did each displacement get hydraulic lifters? Curious. Thx

The 356 engine introduced for the 1940 model year was the first Packard automotive engine with hydraulic lifters, though the V12 introduced in 1932 used a hydraulic device to take up valve stem clearance, though it was not a hydraulic lifter in the conventional sense. Postwar they were standard in the 9-main bearing version of the 327 as introduced in 1951 as the replacement for the prior senior 356 engine. Hydraulic lifters also became available (not necessarily standard equipment) in the 288 and 327 starting in the 22nd Series. These lifters in the L8 engines were all the Wilcox-Rich design, also used by other makers.

Thanks!

Is there any way to tell if a 51-52 200 288/327 is hydraulic lifter?

Sure, pull the valve covers and look, obvious visual difference. Mechanical lifters will have an adjustment screw and lock nut, the hydraulics will just show a plunger head with a small spiral spring. Also, motor number suffix "H" denotes hydraulic lifters. However, the absence of suffix "H" shouldn't be taken as proof-positive that the engine has mechanical tappets.

engine serial number will tell you also

Follow up question on this subject. Are all 288, 327 blocks drilled to feed oil for the hydraulic lifters?

John

Yes on the feed side but if the 288/327 5 main block is an early one it is possible the port into the crankcase where the oil filter would return might be missing. There was a thread in the last month or so where a poster said his block did not have the return port into the crankcase. .

On pre 51 288/327 5 main engines hydraulic lifters were more an option and not ordered much nor was the oil filter. In those engines without much need for a large oil flow to the lifter gallery the optional oil filter was plumbed so all flow to the lifters went thru the filter before feeding the lifter gallery.

Somewhere around 50 - 51 the 288 5 main block became more often equipped with hydraulic lifters and with the 327 with hydraulic lifters becoming more of a higher end engine, as with the 356 and 327 9 main it appears there was a need for more oil flow into the lifter gallery for hydraulics so that was accommodated. The return plumbing for the optional filter was changed to match the 356 and 9 main 327. The oil filter got a partial flow and apparently the return from the filter was dropped into the crankcase rather than needing to go to the lifters port. On those engines I believe there is a return port just above the oil pan in a thickened area on the side of the block.

If you added hydraulics and a filter to an early block flow would still need to go thru the filter before feeding the lifter gallery. If that proved to be an issue with starved lifters then a return port could be drilled and tapped into the crankcase as was done on prewar 356 engines when the starved lifter issue was first noticed.

Thanks Howard for the information. John