Packard Forum Index » Project Blogs

David,

Thanks for the suggestion as well as the offer to fabricate the part for me. However it has given me an idea and, if I can find a little time tomorrow, I'll try it.

Thursday 16th February, 2017

Friday 2nd February - "it has given me an idea and, if I can find a little time tomorrow, I'll try it"

Famous last words because tomorrow never came! Reason being my back played up on me, was still mobile but restricted in movement by pain and stiffness. But with the passage of time, the back is now good enough to let me again work on the Coupe. The "idea", in lieu of a 200+km round trip for David to weld two bolts to a plate, was to: use an aluminium(aluminum) plate then bend the ends of the plate to hold the heads of the bolts, and it worked!

Before that, tightened the manifold assembly to the block. But this time didn't use any RTV, as advised by other Forum Members and Peter. Also didn't follow Peter's other advice of: "Remember that there is a specific foot lbs rating for the attachment nuts(25?)". Have a torque wrench but fail to see how it could be used on all the manifold nuts! There are ten studs and nuts of which 4 are pretty well directly accessible, being the two at each end. Another two are reasonably accessible while the other four need "three armed monkeys"(apologies to all three armed monkeys who read this) just to reach them let alone tighten them as per "spec". Instead went with that other attribute Peter also suggested, "gut feeling", and tightened them till my elbow went click. And that was hard to do with some nuts only allowing 1/2 or 1 flat to turn before having to reset the spanner(wrench) on the nut.

Anyway, with the manifold assembly now in place, reinstalled the carburettor(carburetor) and the vacuum and fuel lines. Also reconnected the engine pipe to the exhaust manifold and the engine pipe clamp to the bellhousing. Still to remount and reconnect the accelerator linkage. There's still a lot to do and check before the Coupe can be fired up which, as long as my body holds together, will be tomorrow.

Attach file:

---

  (23.89 KB)


  (49.58 KB)


  (51.94 KB)


  (32.67 KB)

nice to see how Packard made the header pipe so that it would hold the seal.

i didn't have that luxury when i got the exhuast we put on. the rotting corpse of a pipe we took off didn't look anything like yours and i'm pretty sure it was someone else's idea of a fix back in the day.

I had them put a bulge in the pipe to form a "45" that would sandwich up in the manifold. it worked...but as you saw in my blog i had to take it all off to weld some pieces.

anyways, thanks for the pic, nice to see what it looks like vs being scrutinized for my own inovative idea of a fix. dare i say....

Friday 17th February, 2017

Connected the accelerator linkage, mounted the automatic choke pipe, reinstalled the air cleaner, ran the starter without the ignition on, then fired the Coupe up. Seems to be running well with no fluid or exhaust leaks. Then went and filled the Coupe up at the local service station where I was approached by a guy who has a late '40's Mark IV Jaguar Drop Head Coupe. Just as I finished the fill the Jag pulled into the service bay and went up on the hoist for the undercarriage to be cleaned. Tomorrow there's a local car show at Mittagong, about 5 minutes away with about 80 cars expected including brass and teens and twenties. I'll take the Coupe for a run to look the cars over, then go for a reasonable run to get everything properly warmed up for an oil change.

"Nice to see how Packard made the header pipe so that it would hold the seal.......nice to see what it looks like vs being scrutinized for my own innovative idea of a fix. dare i say...."

Hank,

I've included a pic of the fritzed engine pipe to hot box gasket, even with the "correct" part it too failed. As to being scrutinized, when you put things into words on the internet it almost always "invites" comments whether they are agreeable or not.

Attach file:

---

  (61.63 KB)


  (53.94 KB)

Saturday 15th April, 2017

Haven't updated here for a while, not much having happened. Although in March had intended the drive the Coupe to our Packard Club AGM, but under pressure flooded it and it wouldn't start. Of course it started easily the next day! Have been for several local runs here in the Southern Highland then a couple of Sundays past drove to Wildwood Garden at Bilpin in the Blue Mountains for a Packard Club run, a mere 310 km round trip.

Today was a 220 km round trip to West Ryde, where the Coupe revisited Wade's Workshop. John still conducts his mechanical repair business there and had agreed to replace the Upper/Outer Pin and Bushings on the Coupe along with the rubber bump stops. Reason John was doing this? I didn't think I had the equipment to do so, probably needing a spring compressor, besides he does have a hoist, two in fact.

Backed the Coupe into the workshop and between the hoist uprights only needing one small shuffle sideways to get it in the middle, not bad for me. Before going up, removed the hubcaps and loosened the wheel nuts, although John then produced his rattle gun but the hard work had already been done!

Rough procedure for bushing replacement, as follows:
1) Tie up/back the brake drum so it doesn't droop and stress the flexible brake line.
2) Remove the split pin and undo the nut from the bushing pin,
3) Knock out the pin(Right side required a little gentle persuasion, the left finger pushed out),
At this point, having started on the right side we undid the 4 bolts holding the shock to the top of the frame. Didn't do this for the left side as it was found not to be necessary!
4) Check fit of new components,
5) Small smear of rubber grease and insert two halves of rubber bushings,
6) Insert steel bush inside rubber bushings,
7) Having identified orientation of offset fittings(terminology lapse here, sorry), insert large washers. Mea Culpa - We didn't, working on the right side, but figured it out using working marks. Took more interest on the left side and didn't need to figure anything,
8) Insert new bushing pin, new nut, tighten accordingly and fit new spiltpin.

Fitting of the rubber bump stops was as follows.

For the large lower bump stop:
1) Remove the circlip(Terminology again?) retaining the bump stop to the stamped bracket rivited to the side of the chassis.
2) Reverse procedure from 1) above to install the new bump stop.
Note, you have to align the circlip so it can be knocked out and in.

For the small upper bump stop:
All Occupational Health & Safety Professionals please look away now.
1) Place a hydraulic floor jack under the front suspension member.
2) Place a length of timber on the jack going up to the front suspension member. Fortunately John had a suitable length of timber at hand, about 3' long, which was perfect for this.
3) Very, very slowly and carefully raise the jack, to raise the shock absorber arm just enough to fit the bump stop.
4) Lower the floor jack and, Hey Presto, the bump stop is pushed into place. Wish I'd known this trick/technique about 9 years back when the Coupes front suspension was gone through previously. On that occasion, besides copious amounts of rubber grease, an awful lot of cussing was required to accomplish what I now know to be a very simple task.
5) You'll also need a transmission jack centrally located under the diff housing because when raising the floor jack the whole front of the Coupe started to lift. The trans jack provided a nice counterpoint to the forces at the front of the Packard.

OK - OH&S may rejoin us now.

Reason for this, besides bringing the Coupe back to spec? In June there's a Packard Club run at the Sirromet Winery at Mt Cotton in Queensland, about a 2,000 km round trip and now have a good solid front suspension for the trek there and back. Did a similar trip in 2014, sans Packard, because our Queensland Packard Club members have no specific Packard events to attend. Have attached a link to the article penned for our club magazine.

Another matter, had a starting problem about a week ago. Knew it wasn't fuel(or so I hoped) but checked that anyway. Spark was there but it just wouldn't start. After numerous attempts gave up and brought in a professional, an NRMA man. NRMA is our state Motorists Association who provide breakdown service, at varying levels, for your membership. Young guy, Jaiden, turned up but wasn't fazed by a car about three times his age. Did similar checks to those I'd done, then a number of futile start attempts. But.....he had one of those little jump starter packs which was 6V/12V and with the assistance of that the Coupe sprang to life. Ran it for a little while, turned off then started again(easily this time). Repeated the start and off a number of times, each time started easily. Thanked Jaiden and enquired where I could buy a jump starter similar to his. On enquiring where Jaiden had pointed me, found out they only have a straight 12v model. Pity, it would have been nice to have the 6V option. What I did find though was that my battery, an Optima, was down on charge showing 6.3V when first hooked up to my trickle charger. The following morning it was at 7.2V and since then the Coupe has started very easily every time. Checking this morning before I set out it was at 6.8V.

Attach file:

---

  (43.83 KB)


  (47.95 KB)


  (67.86 KB)


  (88.90 KB)


  (85.41 KB)

Size: 704.00 KB; Hits: 63

Good Morning Mr. Oz...Great post to wake up to...along with strong coffee, here in the desert. We often forget that our 6 volt batteries must be up to snuff or our Packards behave like grumpy women! Those front end parts looked really narley! Happy touring...Ernie

Speaking of suspension parts, I am wondering if anyone has ever tried fitting polyurethane bushings on any front suspension parts (except the stabilizer bar) on any Packard.

Wasn't there a discussion some years back that one of Kanters companies was in the poly bushing business and might be able to come up with some possibilities for crossing modern bushings to some of the Packard items. I believe the rear rubber on TL cars was part of that discussion but don't remember if the front was.

I have a 41 Packard 110 coupe which needs rear shocks, can you tell me what make and model I could use?

Thanks

One poster has added an entry for a rear shock in the parts X Ref and has listed a Monroe 34803 as being a perfect fit for a 41 120. It would probably fit the 110 also so maybe worth looking into. It appears to be a gas shock so with the smaller weight of the 110 I don't know if that would make a difference in ride quality. They are available on Amazon and probably at most parts stores.

Another poster has listed the Napa 94080 as fitting 41 thru 50 rears but he didn't specify if that was only for Clippers or included conventional 41 bodies. It is also gas filled and has slightly more travel than the Monroe so maybe another worth looking into.

G'day 1234,

Don't remember the details but the rear shocks were replaced about 9 years ago with a pair bought off eBay, sorry.

Had a look in the Parts Book, different shocks listed for 110's and 120's. But, even saying that, I'd imagine the suspension components are likely to "fit" both models.