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Re: Wile Family's Second Packard
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Home away from home
 
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The Four Hundred's power brakes are now fully operational with the donation of the Patrician's re-built master cylinder. The car now stops on a dime, which is a great improvement. With the re-built carburetor the engine runs like a top.
Last night I took my lovely wife out for her first ride in the Four Hundred and we went to your favourite cheese steak/pizza shop nearby. The ride was uneventful except for the reaction from the folks at the pizza shop who simply loved the Packard. I am looking forward to getting the door panels and the headliner done. I found that I need to replace the wiper switch since it does not hold vacuum. The wiper vacuum motor also should be rebuilt so the wipers work effectively. Still, it is nice to have a driver while the Patrician gets its make-over.
Posted on: 2012/5/31 20:13
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PA Patrician (Tim Wile)
[size=x-small][color=000099][font=Georgia][url=https://packardinfo.c |
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Re: Wile Family's Second Packard
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Forum Ambassador
 
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I found that I need to replace the wiper switch since it does not hold vacuum. The wiper vacuum motor also should be rebuilt so the wipers work effectively.
The switch is just an on off valve on the vacuum side. One port is open to air with the lever at one position. If you hear a hissing noise when the lever is at one extreme but not in the middle, reverse the two small tubes. The motor end is usually easier to get to.
Posted on: 2012/5/31 20:18
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Howard
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Re: Wile Family's Second Packard
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Forum Ambassador
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You are smart to take your bride out in the 400 and hear the positive comments. This will impress her and make her a willing partner in your vehicle solutions.
Just remember what ACOlds says "If she aint happy, you aint happy" Good to hear you are having some fun. 
Posted on: 2012/5/31 22:38
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Re: Wile Family's Second Packard
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Home away from home
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Absolutely, Randy! I find that I'm much more stoked to work on both the Four Hundred as well as the Patrician now that I've got a Packard to drive. Still, I think my wife will be happier riding in the Four Hundred once I get the windows working properly and the door panels re-done and back on the car. Still, it is fun driving it around the neighbourhood just to keep it excercised.
I also took the opportunity to check out the heater core I installed before the re-built carb and the brake work was done. The heat controls appear to work fine and we have heat with no leaks! That's a good thing, right?
Posted on: 2012/6/3 17:46
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PA Patrician (Tim Wile)
[size=x-small][color=000099][font=Georgia][url=https://packardinfo.c |
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Re: Wile Family's Second Packard
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Home away from home
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I've done some smaller detail work on the Four Hundred but nothing major lately. The big news is that I took it for its first major excursion since the brake system was fixed and I must say that it appeared to work like a champ. The brakes stop the car on a dime and the pressure it takes on the pedal is much more like that described in the owner's manual. I would have loved to have driven one of these cars when they were new!
Back to the story . . . I had joined my daughter and granddaughter for lunch this past Friday and decided to drive the Packard to the diner where I was to meet them. My granddaughter had never seen the Packard and I was curious as to her reaction. I was also curious how the car would stand up to the stop-and-go driving in town since my temperature gauge was inoperative - or so I thought. With the re-built carb, the car idled at stop lights rather nicely and the rumble of that Packard V-8 turned the heads of a few youngsters who had been left out of middle school early on Friday. Pulling out from a stop, there are times the transmission shifted smoothly and sometimes it was a bit more jerky. I also observed a jerking motion when I would let off of the accelerator and the car would coast a bit. I'm not sure if that is the engine or the transmission causing that. However, when the gas is applied, it takes right off again. As I pulled into the diner after a 15-minute drive from home, I noticed that the needle on the temperature gauge had moved from "C" to about a quarter way up the dial, or about half-way to the centre point. I observed the same slight movement on the way home after a 15-minute drive. So, it appears that the gauge does work, but it takes some time for the engine to get up to operating temperature or is there something else happening that I should be aware of and/or concerned with?
Posted on: 2012/6/9 13:47
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PA Patrician (Tim Wile)
[size=x-small][color=000099][font=Georgia][url=https://packardinfo.c |
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Re: Wile Family's Second Packard
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Webmaster
 
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You can check it with a different temp gauge, or use an thermal reader to see what the head temp is around the water jacket and the water neck after it's fully warmed up.
If the top of the radiator is hot, then that means the thermostat has opened, and it should be warmed up. You can get those laser thermal readers at Harbor for less than $30.
Posted on: 2012/6/9 17:50
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-BigKev
1954 Packard Clipper Deluxe Touring Sedan -> Registry | Project Blog 1937 Packard 115-C Convertible Coupe -> Registry | Project Blog |
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Re: Wile Family's Second Packard
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Forum Ambassador
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Your temperature gauge is powered by a thermal resistance type sending unit. These give a somewhat slow response and at times when the engine temperature is varying, some lag in response is normal.
It's a good idea just for the sake of reference to get some idea of what gauge position corresponds to what actual temperature. In my case (and yours may be quite different) a gauge position of about 1/4 movement from "C" corresponds to about 175 deg. F in the top radiator tank as measured by a very accurate chemical laboratory mercury thermometer. At 1/2 gauge position my radiator upper tank measures about 195 degrees. I've nevere seen it move beyond the 1/2 way position. These cars have a very competent cooling system with good reserve capacity, assuming the system is in good condition serious overheating is very uncommon even in the most stressful conditions.
Posted on: 2012/6/9 19:20
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Re: Wile Family's Second Packard
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Home away from home
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An interesting weekend with the '55 400 coupe. I took the 400 for its weekly short drive and experienced one of those momentsI am sure that most of us have had - a complete engine shutdown while on the road. To make matter worse, I left my cell phone at home. So, there I was, sitting on a back road with a dead Packard and no phone.
Raising the hood and removing the air cleaner, the smell of fuel was readily apparent and I quickly noticed that a fuel line had come undone. Managing to get the line re-connected, it was time to fire up the engine and see if I could make it home for some more permanent repair. Naturally, it takes forever for the engine to crank long enough to get fuel back to the carburetor and start the engine. Not wanting to draw down the battery too much, I again dis-connected the fuel line, caught some fuel in the oil breather cap, re-connected the fuel line, and poured the fuel into the carburetor. Fortunately, it coughed a little and kicked over enough to draw sufficient fuel to keep the engine running. The balance of the drive home was rather uneventful after that. I finally managed to take a few photos of the 400 and work in progress. The re-built carburetor and new fuel filter looks pretty good and the engine runs great. If the car is not run for a week or so, a shot of starter fluid is needed to get the engine going. But if has only been two or three days, the engine starts on the first or second crank. Pretty cool. I've also attached a few shots of the engine compartment showing the re-done heater core and enclosure. The heater works and there is no leakage from the core, which is a good thing. Now to re-connect the fresh air ducts and that is ready to roll. I've stripped both of the doors on the 400 since I needed to have the window glass replaced and needed to work on the alignment of the window so as to allow the power windows to do their job. The passenger's door vent wing was so far out of alignment that the flipper on the roof couldn't close when the door was shut. I found after that assembly was removed that the mounting bulges out a bit farther than it should, which would cause the vent wing to stray farther outward than it should. I'm thinking I'll have to remove the door handle and stainless trim so I can move the mounting back into alignment before re-installing the vent frame. The past week has been in the 90s in this area so getting time to work on either car has been difficult. Even a few minutes of working works up a sweat and one becomes rather uncomfortable rather quickly. Unfortunately, the next few days look like more of the same. Attach file:  (112.59 KB) (97.31 KB) (83.55 KB) (80.22 KB) (115.89 KB) (64.40 KB)
Posted on: 2012/7/8 16:18
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PA Patrician (Tim Wile)
[size=x-small][color=000099][font=Georgia][url=https://packardinfo.c |
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Re: Wile Family's Second Packard
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Home away from home
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Howdy, ya all. I know its been a while since I've posted anything but the 90 degree plus weather plus a bout with bicep tendonitis have kept me from working much on either Packard. Of course, the tendonitis is in my right arm, which is my dominant one, and makes any attempt to use it a new experience in pain. It is on the mend and I've had the Four Hundred out for a short drive earlier today since the temps were a bit more reasonable, but still warm.
I've noticed that the prior owner of the Four Hundred had slipped on a after market hose from the fuel tank feed to the fuel pump which appears to me to be a bit small. I also noticed that there are no clamps on either end to ensure a tight fit. I'm going to replace that line with something more sturdy and I'm wondering if the group has any ideas as what is the best type of line to run from the fuel tank feed to the fuel pump. I've also noticed that if I don't run the Four Hundred for a couple of days, I have to prime the carburetor in order to get it running as the fuel pump simply won't get enough fuel to the carb by cranking the starter. I'm also thinking of replacing the fuel pump with the spare one I re-built from the Patrician. I noticed that the Patrician starts up with only a few cranks even if left standing for a week or two. The present fuel pump is a Carter while the one I've rebuilt is an AC 4299, but it should work fine as it does in the Patrician. Another issue I've seen with the Four Hundred is that the bracket for the manual brake handle has rusted through and when the manual brake is applied, the handle just dangles. I found a set screw at the bottom of the manual brake handle and I suspect that the handle will come off so I can replace the bracket with a new one without messing with the manual brake linkage. The manual brake has become important since I'm avoiding trying to put the tranny in Park because it has a tendency to lock up there and is a major chore to get the linkage free again. I've had a mechanic friend look at the linkage and he thinks that the steering column linkage is worn to the point where it causes the linkage arm in the tranny to go farther than it should and lock up. I don't claim to be a mechanic, but that doesn't sound right to me. Any comments from the peanut gallery?
Posted on: 2012/9/9 14:07
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PA Patrician (Tim Wile)
[size=x-small][color=000099][font=Georgia][url=https://packardinfo.c |
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