Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Thanks for the input on the fan pulley. Black it will be!

Also, thanks for the check valve location.

About the color, we matched a part of my engine, with an industrial tough paint, in copper color, slightly metallic. It may not be exact but it has to be close enough. The pics were taken at night, with flash, so the lighting is deffinately playing tricks on us.

Another progress report. The engine started and everything seems to be fine. You will notice the fan pulley already painted black. This week we will be mounting fenders, radiator, etc.

Again, lighting is not ideal, but this picture shows the engine in the color that it really is now (at least in my computer screen). Copper, slightly metallic.

Question: What is the type of hose clamps used originally? I got a set, together with hoses, from a reputable vendor, and I got this double wire clamps in golden or yellow plating (sorry, don't know the name). Is this what was used originally? You will see them only in the small hose to the right of the fan in my pic.


Thanks!

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Here's a couple of factory photos from the field AC install manual showing a 55 engine and type clamps used. I believe 56 was the same.

Those you show in your photo all look period correct and I doubt anyone would say anything. A dealer would have installed what he had on hand if another was needed.

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Packard used a lot of Corbin clamps on most hoses including the vacuum line for power brakes and the hoses leading to and from the heater. Most of the time they were referred to as the %$#@^&**0 clamps. The clamp on the hose at the water pump was unique and not the same as the clamp that was six inches away clamped to the transmission cooler which memory says was a Corbin clamp.

I doubt that the double-wire, screw-adjusting clamps were authentic to the original build.

For service, the Radiator section of the 55-56 parts book shows Corbin spring wire clamps at ALL radiator hose ends, EXCEPT one - the water pump, which uses a screw-adjusting band type clamp. While the quantities per car specified in the parts book don't quite add up, I believe that only one band type clamp was used simply because the water pump casting isn't barbed - like the tube fittings on the radiator, trans cooler, and engine water outlet.

Figure 5 in the Radiator and Cooling section of the 55-56 shop manual shows the band type clamp. It's also shown in Figure 6, together with a spring wire clamp on the trans cooler end.

Also, there are special tools available to install/remove the Corbin spring wire clamp. The one that I have (and prefer), from back in the day, is similar in construction to a pair of slip-joint pliers, but with jaws grooved in two directions to grip the "ears" - straight-on or at a right-angle.

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Not original and it's called zinc plating. I used them too cause they look nice.

Thank you all for your postings. I do have the Corbin type in the heater hoses. So, from what I read, I need to locate large Corbin clamps for the radiator hoses and generally all hoses except for the water pump.

From what I see in my old clamps, they must have been galvanized or some other 'white' finish. I can have them galvanized if that is the case.

Is there a source for these clamps, preferably in a kit? Thanks!

Here's a picture of a very fine tool for handling Corbin hose clamps, pick one up if you can, you'll love it. The knurled heads have several different size grooves for different wire diameters and additionally rotate so you can have any angle of access that you wish. When you expand the clamp to remove or install, it locks in that position so the clamp stays expanded without any hand pressure. It's a K-D #429.

There are vendors who advertise in Hemmings that claim to have kits of correct hose clamps for many collectible cars, by year and model. Never dealt with them so I don't know if they are truly OEM-authentic or have some subsitutions but you could contact them for more info.

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What brand and where would I purchase the Black paint used for the various engine parts? Air cleaner etc?

Also, any tips/recommendations for stripping current old paint from small pieces and new painting techniques?

For most underhood accessories I just use Cook & Dunn or Krylon rattle cans in semi-gloss black from the local hardware store. I prefer Krylon as they seem to use a better nozzle. If there are no internals to be concerned about, I use a paste paint stripper to remove the old paint, give it a good water wash, then a solvent wash with mineral spirts, followed optionally by a quick swap with dilute phosphoric acid (you could also use an etching primer); otherwise spray primer again in a rattle can from the hardware store, followed by the finish paint coat(s).

When doing something like an air cleaner or oil filler cap which may have internal parts like copper mesh or kapok that might be harmed by paint stripper, I either sparingly use lacquer thinner to remove the old paint, and/or a powered wire brush. Be careful not to get abrasives or chemicals into internal parts, solvent sloshing might be a good preventative.

I'll bet you get lots of opinions on this, powder coating is also an option.

PS - if you have an oil bath air cleaner, be sure to use kerosene to clean it and not gasoline which may harm the paint surface. Powder coating is a really good choice for oil bath oil cleaners and oil filler caps as this potential problem is circumvented.