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Friday 22nd May 2009

Wade was busy dis-assembling my latest windchime when I arrived today, this after he's re-installed the newly painted trans stabiliser rod. Finished the dis-assembly by placing the painted parts back in their respective allotted areas. Then the re-built rear shocks and the sway bar were re-installed in Big Red. This operation comprised Wade under Big Red on a creeper and Mal squatting under a rear fender feeding the shock bolts through the chassis. Wade then tightened up the nuts, finishing using a looong bar so they won't come off in a hurry. Next the sway bar went into place but without the necessity for high torque tensioning. Should probably have pumped up each shock individually before the sway bar went in but Wade solved that by doing them together and raised a bit of a sweat doing so.

Tony the other day had said he'd be back by the end of the week with the water jacket sideplate cover and true to his word there he was. Looks great, Wade is certainly pleased with it. After Tony left we turned to Big Red's engine as it needed to taken off it's bench and placed on a wheeled wooden trolley. Reason being, Wade's having the cracked fuel pump boss welded up and then will drill and tap the hole again. Hoisted the engine, slid out the bench, it's on wheels, lowered the engine to the ground, then with John's help muscelled it over so it lying on it's right side and presenting the fuel pump boss for easy welding access.

Turned then to the partly reamed right king pin bushes and completed that task. Also reamed the right lower supporting arm outer bushes. And was just getting organised to press the king pin into the upright support arm when PACA members Barry and Cheryl arrived. They dropped in a power steering box for PACA member Paul's '54 convertible. Needless to say tools were downed and it wasn't long before lunch was upon us. Barry and Cheryl are accompanying Wade today to experience the workshop's long Friday lunch. Unfortantely I had to pass up this opportunity because of prior commitments.

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Mal, we had a presentation at the Texas Packard Meet in Salado in March where the presenter discussed rebuilding front end components. Specifically, he talked about installing new king pin bushings and the need to burnish them for proper fit and wear. He passed around a tool he uses to do this. It has a series of dimples that when pulled through the bushing treats the surface in a certain way for the material to fit and wear properly. Just wondering if Wade has any experience with burnishing bushings after reaming them. This was new to me, but the presenter said it was a critical step for the job. Maybe one of the members can shed more light on this subject.

I really enjoy your posts. I see some folks are wearing jackets now. Must be getting cooler.

Take care - John

Can't remember specifically for Packard, but burnishing kin pin bushings was a very standard practice, all shops I know of that specialized in front end work did it routinely.

PS - and never use any process that can leave an abrasive (like a wheel cylinder hone) behind, or close the lubricant pockets in the bronze. Ream and burnish is the standard method, burnishing "work-hardens" the surface, I suspect for longer bushing life.

Thanks Dave. I was taught never to hone a bushing, always ream it for fitting. I recall my father having many reams, but don't recall any burnishing tools. Probably, my aging memory. Happy holiday weekend.

Since most of my other cars have ball-joint type suspension, I'm a bit confused about the need to burnish king pin bushings.

Mind you, I do understand the difference between reaming to remove metal as opposed to burnishing to compact/polish it. Yet, while the 51-54 shop manual specifies reaming undersize, then burnishing to size, including a pic of the tool, the 55-56 shop manual only talks about pressing the bushing - doesn't even mention reaming. As a mechanic, my dad worked on a variety of automobiles, up to and including medium- and heavy-duty trucks, but he only ever talked about reaming king pin bushings - never mentioned burnishing them.

More recently, I've read that some front-end kits (in general) are being supplied these days with a warning to NOT hone or burnish the king pin bushings as it will damage them and void the warranty - that they should only be reamed to fit.

Perhaps some bushings are of a different material and require different techniques. Any thoughts?

Recent pic's of Barry's '54 Convertible resto.

EDIT - As it has been made so obvious that it's a '51 and not a '54, see the next four posts, I have retitled the pic's to show the correct year but left my post line intact.

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1954? I assume 1951, with this cormorant, PACKARD spelled on the hood and teeth in the grille.

Tom

Can't say I'm a fan of "resale red", but it looks like a lovely restoration on that 51. I shudder to think what the cost was for rechroming the grille!

Mal,

Pretty sure that Convertible is not a '54. Wrong grille, side trim, bumper. Also with the fender ventlets, and "Packard" on the hood I would think that is a 51.

Looks like '51 to me. Those "Pre-War" guys can't tell the years apart!