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Can't wait!!!

Here are digipix of the D-side metal prototype fitted to the 1955 (flipped) Clipper. The header is installed from the "top" (hood side). This requires removing the battery, battery box, washer bottle & bracket and front air vent tube (requires removing radiator-to-oxbow facia to get access). The power steering pump bolts must be removed to move the pump and lines out of the way; the pump and lines stay. The spark plug wires need to be disconnected, but the spark plugs stay in place. Note that the header bolts are readily accessible from the top.



The remainder of the digipix are from the "bottom" side. On the 1955 Clipper, the starter/solenoid and bottom shield must be removed. This is not necessary on the 1956 because the steering column can be moved out of the way once the rag joint is disconnected. On a 1956, the 2 of the steering box bolts to the frame are removed and the 3rd (top left) is loosened, then the steering box can be rotated around it out of the way. In both cases, the headers clear the shift linkage and power steering hoses. Clearance to the 1956 PB shift mechanism on the side of the T-U is not yet tested, but, by eyeball, it appears to not be a problem.

For those of you who like digipix with people in them, here's one of Packard friend Roy (owns a 1956 400) starting to install the prototype steel tubing D-side header on the flipped Clipper. Roy's the one who coined the name "MaTILTa" (devices attached to the wheel hubs) that was used to help flip the Clipper.



If you had any doubts before, now you can see why flipping the Clipper up on its side was a good idea. Six thunderstorms later, it's still there exactly where it was the day we flipped it.

Craig

been a month...update?

The passenger side steel prototype was actually done about 2 weeks ago, but I didn't post any digipix because I wanted to test fit it first on "Flipped Clipper", but I ran into a significant problem. But first, here are digipix of the steel prototype fit on the Panther chassis with the mockup engine:

The problem I encountered on the "Flipped Clipper" was a crushed and bent passenger side motor mount. As you can see from these two closeups of the #2 exhaust tube, there is very little room to spare between the engine, upper control arm rear pivots and the motor mounts. In the views shown, I have a new (actually revulcanized) engine mount installed and there is enough room to clear the tube.





So you can see that if the motor mount is bent/crushed, there is insufficient room for #2 exhaust tube. To fix the bad motor mount on the "Flipped Clipper", I had to:

Drag the cherry picker back out to hold the engine up.

Get a friend to come over to help and for safety.

Remove the bad motor mount.

Fix the bad motor mount.

Reinstall the fixed motor mount.

Remove the cherry picker.

So, the lesson is: if you are planning on installing a production copy of these headers, you need NEW motor mounts.

FYI, there was no problem on the "Flipped Clipper" driver side because the engine is pulling down on that mount while vertical and the #1 tube routing is different, but you still would need NEW motor mount on a car that's horizontal.

Craig

Finally, I had to slightly modify the #2 exhaust tube at the rear to clear the T-U dipstick and its tube. The T-U tube also has to be bent slightly to clear the headers. The T-U dipstick snakes it's way down its tube of course, so it's no problem.

The Road Draft tube fits without modification.

If you are using the vacuum pump on the bottom of the stock oil pump, then you will probably have to slightly relocate those lines up by the P-side head.

The T-U trans cooler lines also will need a slight relocation. More pictures on this later.







Craig

Quote:
And as luck would have it, Kanter has new repro motor mounts available at a price less than Max or Steele charge for revulcanizing the old.

My focus after the update is the relocation of the vacuum line and the trans lines. Also the heat produced onto that suspension bushing with the header so close.

Cli55er Quote:

That won't be a problem because it's right up front near the fan. Radiated heat from the header tube is not nearly the problem that conductive heat from some line actually touching the header tube. One place to especially take care is the front P-side brake line routing. It can easily be moved out of the way, but it's possible that direct contact can happen if you don't pay attention to it. You definitely don't want that to happen!

In your case, don't install the front clip until you are ready to install the headers as it is just MUCH easier that way.

Craig