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Mal, be prepared because at a certain level of expertise it will be difficult to distinguish between craftsmanship and magic.

"...As a professor, I emphasize design as a philosophy, not a practice. Minimalism is one of the ideas I introduce, eliminating everything to leave the very soul, the very essence--what chefs do with nouvelle cuisine. I bring books to class that help expand the students' thinking. A favorite of mine is Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers. Wabi-sabi is the Japanese aesthetic of imperfection. At a certain level of expertise, you can play at imperfection, intentionally making something imperfect to achieve a kind of perfection. If you see a real master, whether a chef or a baseball player, once they reach the very top of their craft, sometimes they do a little different thing that bends the rules, and that gives them the edge. ..." [Jinbae Park, Interior Design Faculty]




sources
quotation:http://www.fitnyc.edu/4157.asp
picture: www.geburtstagsgeschenk-online.de
inspiration: Mal
magic: Wade

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Gerd, You've done it again!

Mal,

Are those door latches similar to the one I posted that about a couple of weeks ago? If so I had those also. :)

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Now you tell me!

I didn't know you needed them! lol

I wondered about the postcard that you got with your delivery Mal. Perhaps it is ment to inform us that they are 'rear end' specialists?

Gerd - how is it that you have not done something with this yet? Surely Mal and Wades faces could find a place in that lineup???

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Harry, what do you think? And Harry replied ...

Monday 29th August 2011

Thursday of last week had a call from Wade enquiring whether I'd be at the workshop on Friday. Reason being he'd had a call from Wendy, Emily's owner, that Emily had sprung a leak returning from the display day the previous Sunday. If I was going to be in then we'd go and pick up Emily, but unfortunately I wasn't going to be there. So first up this morning off we went to pick up Emily. Well, never has a girl car been so easily picked up! No one at home, garage door chocked open, girl car waiting inside the door and keys in the ignition. Topped the radiator up with water and off we went, Wade driving Emily and I following in Wade's Ute. Didn't get too far though, because Wade pulled into a fuel station to fill up, the gauge was showing empty. But Emily wasn't quite empty, took a couple of dollars worth to fill-her-up. An in-operative fuel gauge will do that to you, but best not to take chances.

At the workshop first the fan came off, Wade tells me it was very hot against the radiator removing the fan bolts. Then the fan belt was loosened but couldn't get the fan pulley off the water pump, because there wasn't enough clearance between the pump and the radiator. No drain plug at the bottom of the radiator or in the lower radiator hose so the radiator hose inlet to the water pump was loosened and water allowed to escape. Then removed the water pump to block bolts, juggling the fan pulley to suit bolt removal. Pump out, backing plate off and, besides the rust stains from the leak, turning the impeller by hand found a fair bit of movement present. The reason for this became clear once the fun pulley boss was pressed off and the impeller and shaft pressed out. The impeller had been riding forward and has shaved metal out of the blades, base and the pump housing. Wade's magic shelf wasn't so magic today with the only '37 water pump there being the original out of Old Blue, which was replaced years ago, and was in worse condition than Emily's. Pump body, impeller and fan pulley boss all cleaned up ready for transportation tomorrow to Anglade Engineering via ABC Bearings for pump seal and bearings to replace the worn bushings.

Next, moved on to Emily's accelerator linkage. This was going to addressed last year when Emily was in the workshop receiving treatment prior to the Kangaroo Island National Rally. Definitely being addressed this time round because Wade found there wasn't much oomph when he put his foot to the floor. And me, following behind, just thought he was driving Emily in the courteous manner she expects! At some stage in Emily's past the carburettor has been replaced, probably with one off a Holden 6, seems to be fairly common practice in Oz for 6 cylinder Packards. The carb is unlikely to be a problem though, it's the linkages which are a concern. There is a lot, make that a whole lot, of slop between depressing the accelerator pedal and the carburettor butterfly opening. The linkage has been removed from Emily, dis-assembled, cleaned and the cross shaft, cross shaft bracket and other parts will also make the trip to Anglade for repair and/or replacement.

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Tuesday 30th August 2011

Before heading off to ABC Bearings and Anglade Engineering Wade spent some time drawing up another sketch for the machining required to make a press in sleeve for the double row bearing and modern seal for the '37 water pump. Wade was going to use the previous drawing from the '37 pump done a month or two back but it seems no two are alike. Saying that, it's not that the pumps are different, it's just that each new pump presents new challenges!

First stop was ABC Bearings where two bearings and seal were purchased. At least these don't change, so Wade is now able to ask for these by numbers. While at ABC a customer told us his Dad had a '54 Packard and he was a PACA member many years ago and Wade remembered his Dad's name. The guy also said he still had many spare parts so Wade gave him a card in case he wants to divest himself of them. Then off to Anglade where the machining requirements were detailed. Then the other project for Anglade was discussed, rebuilding or remaking worn components for the accelerator linkage. All going well, both tasks should be ready by the end of next week. While at Anglade. Noel rang and was going to be at the workshop later in the morning, but then rang again a little later, and he'll now be there tomorrow!

Back at the workshop turned to Noel's '39 120. Last week Wade had installed the right side rear inner axle seal but not the outer seal, retaining plate and backing plate. Because of the seal failures I was set to work cleaning up the right side of the axle housing, the right backing plate and the immediate undercar area of the resulting oil and grease residue. While I was doing that Wade removed the left axle and inner seal and fitted a new inner seal. My cleaning of the right side finished, swapped sides with Wade. Then, while he fitted the outer seal and bearing retainer to the right side, I cleaned the left side. By the time I'd finished cleaning the left side was able to assist Wade with finishing up the right side including re-fitting the brake drum. We both then turned to the left side and it too was re-assembled. Next step was bleeding the brakes, accomplished with me sitting inside but on the floor because the seat bottom had been removed for the heater installation. Brakes bled, wheels back on the rear and that part is almost done. Once the car is back on the ground the axle nuts and wheel lug bolts will be properly tightened. Another matter to attend to on the '39 is the heater ducting from the blower motor to the demister outlets at the bottom edge of the windscreen, will source tubing/ducting in the near future for this.

And come this weekend, or maybe early next week, Wade will have a two post hoist! Hoist is from the bloke who had the hoist Wade looked at some months back. He doesn't want to sell this hoist but, because he's sold his workshop, needs somewhere to store it. Enter Wade, who will "store" it for him until he needs/wants it back, whenever that might be. The guy can also access and use the hoist at any time, subject to reasonable notice being given. In the meantime it'll be a win/win situation, the hoists owner is happy and Wade is happy with it helping to get and to keep Packards on the road!

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Wednesday 31st August 2011

Last day of winter in this part of the world but, at the workshop, Packard life goes on regardless of the season.

Besides the miscreant throttle linkage on Emily, the insulation pad between the bottom of the carb and the intake manifold was broken around the outer manifold stud. Didn't look good and didn't know how far the fault extended. To find out the carb needed to come off. Turned out the pad was broken only on the outside of the stud so probably would have been OK to leave as is. But now the block was off it was decided to replace it anyway. Unfortunatly the shelf was again low on stock, with stock = Nil. Made a trip to see Tim at Carburettor Service Company necessary but before doing so needed to know when Noel was coming over. Left a message on Noel's phone but he didn't call so moved to other matters. Sparkplugs out of Emily, cleaned and re-gapped with #1 plug not looking as good as the others. As result, before the plugs went back in, Wade was going to run compression tests on all cylinders. Except he didn't, Emily's battery was flaaat because someone, who shall remain nameless and it wasn't me this time, left the ignition on. Battery put on the charger with compression tests and sparkplug re-fitment postponed to another day.

What to do until Noel arrived? Why work on his '39. The '39 is currently up on jackstands but, with a hoist soon to be part of Packard corner in the workshop, Wade wants to get the '39 onto the hoist before finishing off the trans/OD re-fitment. Because the trans/OD is out of the '39 the rear of the engine is being supported by a jackstand and a piece of timber in lieu of transmission rear engine mounts. Not wanting the engine to fall on the ground, if the '39 is dropped back to earth, to facilitate moving it a different rear engine support was required. Wade had cut a length of angle iron to the approximate size required where it could be slid between the frame rails and support the flat bottom of the bellhousing where the lower cover had been removed. Under the '39 a trial fit determined that, with some trimming, the angle iron cum engine support should fit if about 1/2" was removed from one side of it. Wade was using the angle grinder to slice the angle iron to size when Noel arrived. Noel was just dropping in because he was on his way to pick up some stuff from "The Pirate Ship", the import service of choice for larger parts from the US. Noel inspected first hand the cleaned up spears Wade had mounted on the heater doors of the '39. And, as Noel was on his way out, learned that his '39 also has a name, being "Fleurette". Fleurette literally means "little flower" in French and the name was given to the '39 when it was in the body/paint shop when someone took the opportunity to write the name in the accumulation of dust on the '39. Noel, if I have the story wrong, please fell free to correct me. After Noel left there was more minor trimming of the angle iron before it could take the place of the jackstand and timber support. Can now report the rear of the engine is now comfortably supported in this manner. And once the hoist is installed Fleurette is projected to be it's first occupant and the trans/OD will be re-installed. Much easier to do using a trans lift not to mention giving Wade's back a rest.

That done, it was then off to Carburettor Service Company in style aboard Big Red. At CSC Tim too had difficulty in putting his hand on an insulation block for the carb. What is the world coming to? Instead, after some ferreting around, Tim produced 3 insulating gaskets, one about twice the thickness of the other two, but once together only about half the thickness of the broken insulating block. This was good! Why? Because with the present insulating block the carb is only held on by a couple of turns of thread onto the studs. The thinner insulating gaskets should let the studs show through the top of the nuts.

On my way home, picked up a length of flexible plastic hose/tube to be used in Fleurette between the blower motor and the windscreen demister outlets. Love the colour! Fleurette, just like most girls, will certainly enjoy the way this little trinket, for want of a better term, will make her stand out from the crowd.

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