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Thursday 21st January 2010

After Wade spent a couple of days away from the workshop at the end of last week, and I missed the first three days of this week being away myself, I managed to get there for what must have been a good half hour today! Over the last week some things that happened were 1) More parts arrived for the '41, should only be one last lot to come, 2) Wade's finished assembling components in/to Big Red's crankcase in it's upside down state, 3) Stan, the new machinist, has already made a new clutch/brake pedal pivot for the '41(forgot to take a pic), 4) Yesterday Wade attended a funeral for a PACA members mother, 5) Also yesterday other PACA members attended former PACA member Ken Gilbert's funeral and 6) Wade re-assembled the '34's trunk rack. While I was there, took a few pic's and, helped Wade turn Big Red's crankcase right way up so re-assembling of engine components can continue.

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Wednesday 27th January 2010

After what's been an extended break, back to the workshop today. Although I did drop in on Saturday morning for a few minutes for a phone number and ordered some POR-15 for the painting phase not far away now. Saw that Noel had been there on Friday and left me some magazines, including the Hemmings Packard issue. He also dropped off the NOS rear view mirrors I bought on eBay and which I'd had mailed to the Flackmaster, guys. And took a pic of the new clutch/brake pedal pivot pin that I forgot to take earlier.

Wade had been working on Big Red's crankcase but it was the old story about 2 steps forward and 1 step back. Wade had painted the crankcase, because there were stains there which defied removal. Prior to that he trial fitted the roller rockers in their housings and thats where the step backwards occurred. Because the rockers are not Packard, there was now some interference where the middle cam bearing is held in by it's two piece brass housing. This necessitated some judicious grinding of the brass housing, just enough to give clearance, but with removal of cam , grinding of housing, re-install cam, trial fit then repeat those same steps, a day was virtually devoted to overcoming this little speed-bump.

Today, before Wade got back to Big Red's engine, we took the '41 120 engine block and head over to Redi-strip at Blacktown for chemical cleaning. And all going well it looks like they'll be ready on Monday. If that's the case when we pick them up instead of bringing them back to the workshop we'll take them straight to Wilkins Engineering for fitting of sleeves, grinding crankshaft journals, surfacing of block and head(if required), removing old and installing new cam bearings, etc, etc. It'll probably take Graham about a month but that'll work in well with Wade's timetable. Reason being he and Gina are off to New Zealand in about two weeks for South Pacific Packards National Rally known as the 2010 Wild West Wander Rally, and won't be back until mid March.

Back at the workshop, with a pickup of some washers at Lee Bros as a pitstop on the way, Wade resumed work on Big Red's crankcase. While he was inserting con-rods and upper bearing shells I cleaned the camshaft and crankshaft so come next week they'll be ready. Then I was again scraping and cleaning in and under the '41. Part way through my labours, a break I thought I was thankful for, I gave Wade a hand to lift the very heavy cast iron block onto the crankcase with eight con-rods now poking through at various heights. Now carrying the block is very manageable shared between two old codgers but then lifting it high enough to clear the skyward pointing con-rods is another matter altogether! As Maxwell Smart would say, "missed it by that much"! Necessitating calling on John to re-align the rods and another effort from the old guys to get the block up, above the con-rods and then down. The down was the only easy part, fortunately with John aligning and re-aligning con-rods, it didn't take too long but it still seemed like an eternity. Wade then carried on, in his usual fashion, bolting the block and crankcase together while I returned from whence I came, back under the '41 not to clean but to recover.

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I REALLY like that pin on the magazine Mal!

The pin came courtesy of Noel. I'll ask him where he obtained it.

Thursday 28th January 2010

My time today was spent Marine Cleaning and Metal Readying the lower firewall, front underfloor, inside the X-member and portions of the front crossmember. Prior to that I had to rearrange many of the parts laid out around the '41 so they wouldn't get flooded, it's a messy operation especially when it's being conducted indoors. A mop and bucket were necessities to soak up the overspray and then the water used to wash off the areas sprayed, I'm becoming quite a dab hand at it. And tomorrow.....it's POR-15 time, I'll have to be very careful as there are a lot of hard to reach, awkward places where it has to be applied.

Wade meanwhile was working on Big Red's engine. First he installed the roller rockers in their housings onto the crankcase. Then he installed the rings onto the pistons. And just before I left, with the help of John and Rick the crankcase/block assembly was rolled onto it's side on the bench. This will enable Wade to push the con rods out the top of the block, install the now ringed pistons to them, push the whole assembly back into the cylinder and install and torque up the big ends.

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Yeah, those finned rod bearing caps are really beautiful, first used in 1934, the last year of babbitt, when they went to the oil cooler and full-flow filtration.

Looking at the cotter pins on the main bearing cap screws, I seem to remember that mine were originally cross-wired in the aircraft style and didn't use cotters. I redid them that way just as an interesting exercise, cotters of course are just as effective, just a bit less elegant.

A question - why engine-green paint on the rocker arm roller covers? They were of originally painted to match the aluminum crankcase. Just a matter of personal taste?

Friday 29th January 2010

POR-15 painting time today. Wade wasn't getting in until later in the morning so it was a matter of preparing for painting including masking off part of the wiring harness. The part where it comes up through the floor under the left lower corner of the cowl and exits at the left bottom of the firewall. Not very long, but just enough to worry about, and in a very awkward place to access. Even with the engine out, the steering column is still in the way, and being right handed didn't help either. That done, and just about to climb under to start, when a visitor arrived in the form of PackardInfo member Snapey, aka Matt. Well that cut short painting for a while, with Matt and I sitting down for a very very interesting discussion about his speedster ideas as well as his family background in vintage/historic race cars. But after an hour or so of this delightful discourse I had to leave Matt to do what must be done, that is POR-15 under the '41. Though Matt came dressed to lend a hand I declined his invitation to do so and left him reading Wade's copy of Robert Neal's Packards at Speed.
for the offer Matt, it was much appreciated.
About half way through my labours under the '41, Wade arrived and caught up with Matt including an inspection of the '34 rolling chassis under the carpark ramp. Matt took some pic's for reference together with discussion about Matt's proposed Speedster project. By the time I finished my POR-15 painting they were back inside looking at engine blocks, crankshafts, etc, etc. Wade is reluctant to part with the '34's engine but the rolling chassis is another matter(I think). Maybe this from another thread could be an option? Quote: It'll be interesting to see how things develop whatever direction this goes in, I'm sure Matt will keep us updated.

Wade had asked a little earlier had I seen Big Red's block/crankcase now that the pistons were installed. I hadn't, because it was sitting on the bench shrouded in material when I arrived and I hadn't disturbed it, just taken a few pic's of how it had spent the night. Comfortably, I'd say. When unveiled, first saw the bottom end with those great finned rod caps. Next took some pic's of the pistons now filling the cylinders. Graham Wilkins in his engine work had measured and marked each piston for size, and found two differed in size a little from the others. Not much, but when re-sleeving Graham selected these two pistons as #7 and #8 with the sleeves for these cylinders being bored to suit. And it turns over very easily and smoothly using a bar on the front pulley nut, for all the weight in the reciprocating assembly very, very impressive. After Matt had departed, with Wade's copy of Packards at Speed clutched under his arm, I also bid farewell, leaving Wade in the midst of cleaning the oil delivery system for the bottom end.

Quote:Dave,

Sorry forgot to ask Wade, but I think it just is his personal preference.

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Monday 1st February 2010

Late start after donating blood plasma, Wade was about to install the sump(US=pan) on Big Red's crankcase. The oil pump and pickup together with the lower end oil plumbing system having been installed earlier. While he was preparing to do that I took the filler plug out of the '41's steering box to check the oil level. This because the two '39's that Harvey works on, as well as Noel's '39 when checked by Wade, were all bone dry. Foruntately mine was close to full and will only need a top up. Sump back on Wade then cleaned and masked it up and gave it a couple of coats of silver to match the crankcases rejuvenation.

Then Packardinfo member tabletennisport, aka Noel, arrived not quite bearing gifts but almost as good. He had a box of rear trans mounts from "club stock" and from which I chose a pair to replace those in the '41. Now I have to pay for them, so Russ I'll deposit the money in PACA's account and send you an email. Noel also filled us in about his US trip and the Packards and Packard people he saw and met throughout his journey.

After Noel left, cleaned up the replacement trans mounts while Wade attended to installing Big Red's water jacket side cover. This entailed more of one of Wade's favourite past times coating all sealing surfaces with gasket cement. It doesn't matter how careful you are with this irritatingly sticky stuff some always ends up on hands and fingers. I also cleaned up the flywheel, pressure and clutch plates for the '41 to take them to Burt Bros for rebuilding and/or refacing. When done they will then be ready then to go to Wilkins Engineering along with the reciprocating parts for balancing.

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Wednesday 3rd February 2010

Yesterday Wade and Gina went on the Morris Minor Picnic Club run to Mamre House. I was scheduled to go too but a late call to visit the granddaughters took preference. What I did do however was take the '41's flywheel, clutch and pressure plates to Burt Bros for rebuilding.

Then, at the workshop today, first up was a pick up and delivery run. Picked up the '41's cleaned block and head and instead of returning with it to the workshop delivered it to Graham Wilkins. Graham also received two boxes of parts for the measuring, machining and rebuilding process, more of that to come. Next stop was Lee Bros for a heli-coil kit. When trying to tighten up the water jacket side plate Wade had found the threads for three bolts were stripped. Last stop was Hare and Forbes for consumables, a new wire wheel and sanding belts and discs.

Back at the workshop, while Wade was heli-coiling, I cleaned up the blasting cabinet. This also entailed cleaning up the general area because the wire wheel/belt sander is mounted close by and also to tidy up the clutter which always accumulates. Cleaned the cabinet filter and the vacuum cleaner used to provide suction for the cabinet filter. Must say the cabinet filter does an excellent job because there was almost nothing in the vacuum cleaner. Then I blasted the nooks and crannies of various parts, which couldn't be brushed or scraped, of the parts cleaned over the last few weeks. Wade successfully installed the heli-coils and replaced the bolts involved. He then re-installed all the head studs. That done the Big Red's block/crankcase assembly was then returned to an upright position, looks much more like an engine now!

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Thursday 4th February 2010

I mentioned yesterday that on our pickup run we procured a new wire wheel, but only trouble it was the wrong size. So instead of going directly to the workshop diverted first to Hare and Forbes and exchanged the wrongly sized wire wheel for one of the correct, larger, size. Plus a small cash adjustment of course. It was only when I arrived at the workshop did I find that the last item from Max Merritt for the '41 had just arrived, the rod bushings, apparently overlooked earlier. Now I'll have to do another trip back out that way to drop them off with Graham Wilkins for the engine rebuild.

With Wade out on business I Marine Cleaned and Metal Readied, mostly parts from under the '41, in preparation for POR-15 painting. When Wade arrived back he returned to Big Red's engine on which he'd installed the tappets earlier. Installed the front pulley and harmonic balancer then set about re-installing the valves, valve springs and spring retainers. Not an easy job, and after I'd strung up yet another set of wind chimes in preparation for POR-15, I watched, help where/if I could then left Wade to it. Learned later tonight at the PACA monthly meeting that he got them all in.

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