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For my 2 cents, media blasting would be a better option because there are so many things you are not going to be able to remove without unloading the bars or making some kind of non accidentally moving long term chain holder for the front--the entire front suspension for starters. It's a given or Murphy's law that something important or expensive left on will be damaged by the chemicals.

Some judicious masking to keep media out of bearings and other areas plus a soft media and some grunt labor to take car of what the blaster can't do and I think you would have a very presentable car and one that you or it isn't damaged by trying to remove something improperly or having it destroyed by dipping.

You're still going to have to get the tension of the short bars off the compensator gear & motor assy so that it can be removed however. I would not want to send that to the blaster.

Normally, as the book shows, neutral no load will be with the ends around 1/2 inch toward center of car. As the car sits now, I believe the bars will want to try and spread apart at the ends so instead of pointing toward center, each will probably be several degrees the other way.

One possible way to take the tension off is to run the motor a bit at a time and stopping every little bit to feel the transverse links. You should be able to feel when the tension has relaxed because the bars will be able to twist a bit in sockets. At that point, a lot can be removed probably even including the short bars. If you run all the way to limit switch and still tension, then maybe place a block of wood between frame and lever link to stop any further movement. At that point work the motor so the gearbox and transverse links are unloaded & can be removed--just be careful not to force against the wood. The short bars and wood will have to stay in place though.

dammit i wish my grandfather was alive. Now, once again, i realize how much i miss him.

this is confusing the hell out of me! i need to get my dad to look at it too and read what you are typing, maybe with his years of experience and being around the packards more than me he will understand better.

i am used to coil over suspension and leaf springs and such....easy stuff. this is freaking confusing. i kinda understand what you are saying, but not enough to really dig in. i need to study the suspension parts of the manual.

pretty much all the bushings on my car are VERY rotted, falling of, ripped, etc....they ALL need to be replaced and i want them ALL replaced....so i want to take this whole thing ALL the way down to the frame so i can dip it or media blast it, etc....so, that is my decision.....help me take this thing down.

is there anyone in the DFW area that could help me?? i am getting to be very discouraged with my project and it is affecting my self esteem a bit.....i don't want to fail my grandfather.....sorry to be so sob....

another question....the armature??? (spinning part) of the torsion motor bounces back and forth inside the casing....towards front and back of car. am i missing some kind of bushing to keep it still and in place while it spins

i know i can do this, i am just in a rut right now i guess.

thanks,

hank

Hang in there! You've gone this far, so don't quit on us now.

The armature should not be moving more than maybe 1/32 to 1/16th max. Any more, and something is wrong. How much is yours moving? When you cleaned the motor, did you remove it so there is a possibility anything dropped out un-noticed? If not, there was a condition on early 55 cars of a loose lock ring. Since your car leveler apparently moves, the symptoms are a bit different since the motor does not disengage but is a possibility maybe if lock ring not fully out of position. As I recall, the armature fits into a slot on the worm gear??? Read this bulletin and see if anything sounds familiar.

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when looking through the inspection holes on the electric motor. the spinning piece moves towards the front of the car about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch. and it will move back again. it slaps forwards and backwards while spinning. there is alot of electric sparks from the brushes when it spins too, which i guess is normal.

i am pretty sure nothing fell off when i was taking it apart. nothing is on the ground where i was working on it. the front part that connects to the transmission part of the leveler has that little key piece that fits into the transmission part.....i am pretty sure i got that into the groove otherwise i wouldn't beable to bolt it up.

so far, i hate this torsion level business, it is a great idea, but in the long run it is a PITA!

i will see if i can post some video of what i am talking about this weekend.

later,

Hank

That much movement is absolutely wrong--wouldn't even run it for video. Pop the motor off again and look at or measure the worm gear as described in the bulletin. If gear is not sticking out the 3/8 inch or if you can grab it with pliers or something and move it at all back & forth, the ring has loosened.

Unfortunately, Packard just didn't plan on going out of business so the expertise and tools didn't have a chance to get to the real world in quantity. Had they been around a bit longer, even Sears might have carried tools. Once you ride in a properly functioning car, you'll be amazed.

Stick with it, when you get it done you'll really be impressed with the ride. My own experience with T/L has been that it's totally trouble-free. Other than putting new brushes in the motor and new grease in the gearbox, I've done nothing and had no problems in 11 years of ownership, and according to the prior (and original) owner, neither did she.

i will keep at it, i am just alittle discouraged i suppose. i will get through it though. i guess everything else on the car was so easy to take apart and now that i am to the part that i don't really know about i am alittle freaked out by it.



i am guessing media blasting would probably cost less than dipping too, 1600 or so just to dip.....www.metalrehab.com

i really just don't want to have to do this all over again, i want it done right the first time, i don't want rust popping it's ugly head up a couple of years from now because they didn't blast one area really good. know what i mean....i want this car to be so pristine.....

i have about 600 saved right now to start getting the frame cleaned up.

don't worry i will get back in the ring and fight the good fight....

One other option would be to soda-blast the frame. This would not leave the abbasive grit that glass or other blast media will, and you can have have it done in your backyard as you can just wash it into the grass. There are a few outfits that will come to you and blast it onsite.

I would think that after being hosed off, that the soda should not cause any issues with the seals or needle bearings.

Excellent suggestion, and what the soda doesn't remove, a wire brush, solvent and labor will. Dipping claims to (and may) get everything pristine although I seem to recall one of the TV car fixit shows that promoted it saying there was still a lot of touch up labor required. $1600 would have to be awfully perfect though or I'd sure be cranky.

Invite your body lifting-off friends over, have a "lets clean the Packard day". Fire up the BBQ, supply a case or 2 of Texas's finest drinking brew, have the spray gun or rattle can's of primer or semi gloss black rustoleum or some such ready and have at. When you get around to changing the rubber, it will also be a lot easier to do or touch up.

I've seen lots of frames professionally sprayed or powder coated. My 56 was blasted, then sprayed with Imron catalyst type paint, and quite frankly, with semi gloss paint and the amount of frame clearly visible, I can't see enough difference from that pricy job vs conscientiously applied rattle cans to justify the expense again. Unless you're going for a 100pt restoration that never leaves a trailer, the pricy jobs get as dirty and scratch just as readily.

Look at the results Kev is getting with labor, rattle cans and spray on his 54. The 47 I occasionally work at/on now, is just going to be spray gun and cans. After seeing the results of a couple of people that took their cars to one of the chain paint shops, that is also looking good as well.

OK, enough and will fall off the soapbox now.

i have heard that, just like acid dipping, that soda blasting can cause problems with the paint not sticking because of a film left behind after soda blasting. soda, being akaline, needs to be based with an Acid compound, very light. some say that vinegar and water will work, i don't know though.

so, what about Dry Ice Blasting....sound really expensive but even better than soda.

i found a place near that does soda and others i will call and talk about the paint issue and ask their recommendations as well.

later,

Hank