Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Several months ago I posted a question concerning the engine number on my 1948 Station Sedan. There were a couple theories offered along with a request for more numbers from the car. Here is what I have, feel free to offer an opinion as to if mine could be original to the car or a replacement. The first pic is the # on the block, second is the casting date, third is on the cyl. head The car was registered in Calif. at one time. Thanks, Jeff P. / MN

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Those are dealer authorized retrofit motors typically used when the 356 motor were no longer available for replacement. There is a 1940 here in California with a similarly marked "N-XXXXXXX-CAL" motor and all the retrofit bracketry that matches the service letters on the subject.

Hi Kev, no doubt you're correct about the source of the non-factory engine number, but a 356 replacement wouldn't have been involved in this particular case; the Station Sedan was just an Eight on the bottom-of-the-line chassis and would have had a 288 engine. And of course the engine in the car could still be a 288 with a 327 cylinder head added later. Both the 288 and 327 have the same bore so I don't know how to tell them apart other than pulling the head or pan and measuring the stroke. If someone else knows a way, I'd be interesting to know that.

So I could assume that my block is a service replacement for the original block? Could the six digit number surrounded by the letter prefix and suffix be the original engine number? It seems that that number would fall into the 1948 sequence. As far as displacement, I hesitate to take anything apart (if it ain't broke don't fix it!) but I do know this car goes, really moves compared to other base 22nd series cars. Perhaps it is a 327.

the bore is the same for the 288 and the 327, if you can measure the stroke through the spark plug hole, you should be able to figure the engine size.

G'day 54packman1,
Although a PackardInfo member for a while, see these are your first posts, so

And I invite you to include your Packard/s in the Packard Owner's Registry here on PackardInfo!

if you can measure the stroke through the spark plug hole, you should be able to figure the engine size.

Since the spark plug is over the valves and not over the pistons, I wonder how easy it would be to get a measurement that you could rely on.

I have been on this site on and off for a while now, all 4 of my cars are on this site, was at the Packard Nationals in Toronto in 2003, as the break down mechanic.

54 clipper special
54 clipper panama
54 clipper super
54 packard patrician

Forgive me, I now see your:

'54 Clipper Special Touring Sedan,
'54 Clipper Super Panama Hardtop,
'54 Clipper Super Touring Sedan
'54 Patrician Touring Sedan

in the Registry, and very early entries they are too!

Why I didn't find them was that the Forum name I searched for 54packman1 is not the same as the one used to load those Packards of 54packman.

the other name, i lost the password for, and i no longer have the same e-mail address so its hard to reset it lol so i use this email insted lol