Packard Forum Index » Project Blogs

Tuesday 18th January 2011

First up this morning we were off to Burt Bros to have the clutch and flywheel for Noel's '39 rebuilt. Over the weekend Wade had picked up another pressure plate from PeterL and that as well as the flywheel, pressure and clutch plates from the '39 were deposited with Burt Bros. They are going to examine and determine which pressure plate will best suit rebuilding. Expected to be done by weeks end.

Back at the workshop things are almost stymied. Waiting for the clutch, the synchro kit and the radio all for the '39. Parts from the US for The Fossil. As for Mat's '34, The Flackmaster asked me the other day in the Chatroom "What's happening about the alternator"? To which I replied "Not much". Well, with all else at a standstill, eyes turned to the '34 and the probable alternator mounting point. It's going to be mounted over the water jacket side plate on the left of the engine. In fact I volunteered to measure up, draw up and create a "template" for a mounting plate. Wade suggested I remove the side plate off the spare '34 engine and use it for this exercise. So while I did that, it was only held on by 4 bolts, Wade attended to some personal business. Side plate off, although only 4 bolts, it was awkward to do because of the cramped area it's in under the ramp to the roof top carpark with junk car parts surrounding it. Then I started measuring, and re-measuring trying not to bring myself undone by incorrect or imprecise readings. Used a small straight edged ruler and a steel tape and they proved adequate. Numerous trips to Mat's engine compartment to measure and re-measure, first for basic fitment then for alternator placement. And trips to the side plate for measurements of bolt hole spacings and placement. Sitting down at Wade's desk to draw up Mal's Mud Map showing sideplate, alternator and bracket dimensions and translating that to a template for a mounting plate. Originally I was going to use a piece of Aluminium as a template but didn't have a piece big enough so settled for cardboard.

During the time doing that Wayne, who has a '55 Four Hundred he's gathering parts for to restore, had arrived for a lunchbreak chat as he works close by. After Wayne left, the template was cut, bolt holes punched and it was time for closer attention as to where to site the alternator bracket on the mounting plate. Next the bracket for the alternator was straightened, it had a bit of a kink in it. A little ground off one of the bracket mounting fingers so it could rotate freely for belt adjustment purposes. A bolt found, retapped and a spacer found and ground down to size. Now we had an alternator swinging on the Holden(GM) alternator bracket and which could be used in conjunction with the template. Optimum siting for mounting the bracket on the plate appears to be near the lower edge. An "ear" will need to be included along the top front edge of the mounting plate(see pic) to anchor the alternator adjusting/tensioning arm. Now all we need is a piece of metal plate, looking at Aluminium for ease of working for us non metal fabricators, so the mounting plate can be made.

Oh, and Mat, Wade checked under the '34 because a pool of something had been slowly growing. Found that the diff appears to be leaking from the drain plug and ditto for the trans. These will be looked at more closely and action taken before the car is returned to you. And.......Wade pumped up the tyres, now 30psi all round!

Attach file:

---

  (28.49 KB)


  (38.63 KB)


  (28.00 KB)


  (42.15 KB)


  (36.30 KB)


  (16.84 KB)


  (26.26 KB)


  (27.88 KB)


  (19.41 KB)


  (31.21 KB)


  (28.11 KB)


  (21.53 KB)

Wednesday, 19th January 2011

Drove the '41 down to the workshop today. Had been missing when accelerating but changing the plugs to new Autolite 3136's fixed things, see Noel, I did take notice! But, cleaned the old Champions up and re-gapped them to carry as on-board spares.

Last night I'd been on the Internet looking for aluminium plate for the alternator mounting plate for Mat's '34. Found 2 pieces, but one was smaller than required, while the other would have provided about 6 plates. Wade consulted John in case there was something in the workshop which could be utilised. Not to be, but John did suggest we try Jacobson's, a steel merchant, at Silverwater. Off to Silverwater where Wade picked up some bearings for Rick from ABC Bearings. And following from an email last night from Terry, Traumjaegercat, ".....Just to let you know that the bearings arrived today. Everything's perfect....... Please give my thanks to Dennis at the bearing shop.....", I was able to thank Dennis as requested. Bearing business done, off to Jacobson's, only it's not now Jacobson's but Metaland sort of a boutique steel business. Well it seemed boutique to me, because I remember Jacobson's from 40 years ago as a typical "dirty" workplace. Metaland by contrast, you could almost eat off the floor. Sorry for the lapse into nostalgia but when you see that big a change it hits home. Anyway, procured a piece of plate 250mm x 250mm x 12mm with 25mm holes near each corner, it's actually a column base plate. Could have bought a strip of 10mm, 250mm wide but the minimum length was 3M. about 10', much too much for our purposes.

Back at the workshop Wade did some tidying up of Old Blue while I contemplated the new paperweight and it's planned application. Also cleaned up and re-gapped a set of plugs for Old Blue to be carried as spares. In the last couple of weeks that's 4 sets of plugs so done. Wade also measured up the picnic table that folds into the back of the front seat of Old Blue. This involved removing the top from the cantilever arms on which it rests and by which it folds into the seat back. One of the cantilever arm setups was also removed for photographing and measuring. Once all photos and measurements were done, back in it went. It's quite an interesting piece of design and engineering and works well.

After that it was back to the paperweight and determining how best to cut it. I didn't like the thought of hacksawing all that metal and suggested oxy-acetylene cutting it. Wade wasn't comfortable with that idea but, then, a fortuitous event. Graham came round and suggested using a grinder, and even better he would do it for us! Problem solved. Turned then to measuring for the different hardware now required, such as longer, thicker bolts together with spacers to fill the gap between the mounting plate and the water jacket side plate.

A bit of a break from the workshop till Thursday of next week. Because 1) tomorrow Wade won't be there, he's collecting the last of the painted panels for The Fossil, 2) Friday I have family responsibilities, 3) Monday and Tuesday Wade won't be there, and 4) Wednesday next week is a Public Holiday, Australia Day.

Attach file:

---

  (26.85 KB)


  (19.91 KB)


  (25.68 KB)


  (27.88 KB)


  (14.90 KB)


  (17.95 KB)

Well, hello gentlemen. The Wade mud map above looks like something you might like me to look at for you? If so that will give me a second reason to come and see you in the workshop soon as I now just about have enough space in the shed to at least move the 282 engine in and out of your way. Work is extremely busy at the moment but perhaps we could organise a time one weekend soon for me to turn up with a box trailer? Anyway Mal, have Wade give me a call or I will ring him in the next week or so as I have some other questions to ask him also.

Cheers

Matt (aka Snapey)

Thursday 27th January 2011

Quote:

Dropped into the workshop, for a couple of minutes, and saw that Graham had returned the rough cut alternator mounting plate for Mat's '34. Speaking of Mat, he's probably winging his way to the PI Meet as I type this. Good luck to all the Aussies and the other PackardInfo members attending.

Attach file:

---

  (21.14 KB)


  (25.93 KB)

I suppose Wade already knows this, but you can't just block off the oil cooler plate with a flush plate unless you've modified the interior of the side plate internal jacket. If not, there is no path for the cooling water to reach the rear cylinders.

Wade probably does, but thanks for the heads up just in case! Looked at some of the pic's I've taken recently and see what you're saying. The take off on Mat's side plate for the oil cooler has been capped for some time but the cap is domed so water will circulate. As Wade has said on numerous occasions, Mat's '34 has been "got at"

Attach file:

---

  (42.15 KB)


  (28.00 KB)

Saturday 29th January 2011

No not Wade's Workshop today but Camden County Customs, aka Hot Rods by TJ. During the week received a call from Chris, starliner, enquiring whether I'd like to see what progress had been made on his '48 Club Sedan Woodie since early December? I did, and arranged that Chris would pick me up on his way through. Best part about that was the ride was in Chris's '54 Clipper Super Club Sedan. And after the drive there and back I'm impressed with the way it goes, handles and stops(BTV and all!). In fact Chris has been so impressed with the '54 Clipper's handling that things like Jag rear end, IFS and disc brakes as well as converting to RHD for the '48 have been shelved in favour of retaining the original suspension and steering!
At Camden County Customs found the '48 '49 Woodie, more of that later, now has a roof! The roof came from a HQ Holden Station Wagon and because TJ had been unsure whether he'd find a roof which would fit without too many dramas that was why the original roof had been cut off and stored in case it had to go back on! TJ says he now sleeps better at night. I took many pic's of the '48'49 while Chris and TJ discussed what had been done as well as what was to come. Chris also brought with him the radio he bought on eBay for $22(only bidder) but shipping to Oz was $120, and it's the right one, ugly hole in the dash now filled. During the course of all this three guys arrived to see TJ and the cars he was working on. They are all old time Hot Rodders and I was able to reminisce with them about cars and characters from my mis-spent youth. In fact it turned out the Hot Rod '28/29 Model A 3 window coupe I once owned had been owned later by one of these guys who converted it back to a Sports Coupe! Also turns out this same guy knows Harvey, went to the same school and now sees him about once a week. Small world.
Anyway back to the '48, '49. Asked Chris to pop the bonnet(hood) which he/we did after a bit of fumbling. This was the first time I'd had the pleasure of popping a bathtubs bonnet(hood) and experienced first hand how it opens from either side - a neat piece of engineering. Once under the bonnet(hood) my attention was taken by the Thief Proof Number, but I don't think I've made a "discovery" like I did with Michael's '52 Touring Sedan. Then to the ID plate, and there I was able to point out to Chris his is a '48 re-numbered as a '49 so that explains the . Dave, for your research, see pic's below of Thief Proof, ID and Engine Numbers. I see that the engine number is in the range of '48 22nd Series cars but this is explainable by being re-numbered as a '49?

Link to Picasa Album of todays pic's

Attach file:

---

  (29.54 KB)


  (37.75 KB)


  (37.35 KB)


  (27.18 KB)


  (40.33 KB)


  (39.41 KB)


  (34.25 KB)


  (63.01 KB)


  (44.84 KB)

Short video of Chris's '54 Clipper Super Club Sedan.

Chris's car look great Mal.

Monday 31st January 2011

Arrived at the workshop to find Old Blue.....gone! Actually this was expected because Wade has sold the old girl! And that's why there was some cleaning and minor adjustments carried out on her a couple of weeks ago. However I was sworn to secrecy at the time until the deal was done. What happened was that Barry, bksmith, has had his '37 120 Touring Sedan up for sale for some time and hadn't had any interest until recently when 3 serious buyers popped up. The first of whom Max, from Geelong in Victoria, bought the car. Now with more buyers than Packards to sell, and knowing that Wade had mentioned he was interested in selling his '37 120 Touring Sedan, AKA Old Blue, Barry referred one of the buyers Wade's way. The day Wade gave Old Blue a wash was actually the day David and Shelley, the now new owners, arrived to inspect and go for a test drive in the old girl. Old Blue departed the workshop, probably for the last time, Thursday of last week. One of the things that Wade told David and Shelley before they left was that in the 23 years he'd had Old Blue he'd never had a puncture. And wouldn't you know it, half an hour after they drove out Wade received a phone call to say they'd just suffered a puncture! But luckily it happened outside a tyre store, so salvation was at hand, and a new tube later were on the road again. David and Shelley are from the Gold Coast area of Southern Queensland and will be driving Old Blue home in the near future.

Although the workshop is now lighter by one Packard I tried to redress the situation somewhat by arriving with the radio for Chris's '48 '49 Woodie tucked under one arm and a box of timber pieces, Chris had fixed or made for Wade, under the other. Then it was into Big Red and off to Burt Bros to pick up the resurfaced flywheel, rebuilt pressure plate and new clutch plate for Noel's '39. It was good to be out chasing Packard parts in a Packard. Back at the workshop Wade re-installed the flywheel, then the pressure and clutch plates in the '39 with a little muscle assistance as required. While Wade was doing that I started on the next stage of the alternator mounting bracket for Mat's '34. And with my lack of skills there was a whole lot more measuring and checking before I started scribing lines on the mounting plate. And still more checking and measuring as I went. The lines were the centrelines for the series of holes I had to drill to mount the plate on top of the engine side plate, because if I'd drilled a hole in the wrong place it could have been very unforgiving. Fortunately all were OK, although I did drill two holes I needn't have but they are not in a critical area. So now we have a mounting plate for the alternator that fits on top of the side plate in Mat's '34. Still more work required because six of the holes require countersinking to accommodate some of the short studs where the oil cooler was located.

Wade was also busy under the rear of Mat's '34 where he was replacing the right rear spring. He'd started late last week, by taking Mat's spring out, and was partway through replacing it with one of the originals from The Fossil. Wade had had a pair of rear springs made for The Fossil in lieu of the originals so just happened to have a pair "on the shelf". The replacement spring is now almost in place but a snag has been struck. The head on the spring centre bolt from The Fossil is 0.566" in diameter while the head on the spring that came out is 0.499", not a great deal of difference but enough to stop the replacement spring from seating into it's mount under the diff housing.

During the course of all this Harvey arrived, literally bearing gifts. Something practical for Wade, some new springs for Super 8 harmonic balancers, as well as other balancer internal parts. While for me, just see the pic's below. In return Wade was able to supply Harvey with the Sylphon thermostat he needs for one of Vince's '39. And tomorrow John, Appin, is bringing his '40 110 Sedan over for some help on his OD per this thread. I happened to see PeterP, the previous owner of John's car, at a car club meeting tonight and he has passed on some advice which might be useful tomorrow.

Attach file:

---

  (42.17 KB)


  (22.71 KB)


  (41.06 KB)


  (28.92 KB)


  (34.87 KB)


  (35.06 KB)


  (35.64 KB)


  (46.53 KB)


  (30.25 KB)


  (36.68 KB)


  (34.72 KB)


  (45.84 KB)


  (44.05 KB)


  (31.52 KB)


  (30.75 KB)


  (35.95 KB)


  (34.99 KB)


  (36.43 KB)


  (37.35 KB)