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Keegan....

i received your Rhino bushing and talk about a perfect product to use for this purpose. that thing is solid and i doubt it would break even if i tried like you said.

i know i will be in contact with you about a roll of it when i get to that point in the restoration.

talk about a perfect solution, and cheap too, way cheaper than Kanter that is for sure.

Kudos to you for a great way to get this done! ;0)

Hank

Don't remember where the original thread was on this to check the details but think you said you used a PVC pipe as a form?? Believe the bushing was solid & you sawed to length. If that the case, was thinking you could either find CPVC pipe which is available in smaller diameters to put in center when you pour or get a piece of steel rod or copper tube and wrap a few layers of wax paper or similar around so it could be removed. That way you'd already have the hole and if correctly sized, a steel bushing could be pressed in for those that require it. Still wonder about the shouldered bushings though. Keep giving us ideas like this and might even get you a sideline business going before it's over.

This is a GREAT developement for the Packard world. I'll be changing my body insulators but probably not for several months yet.

Perhaps a 1/2" PVC pipe cap could be adapted to the mould to create the rubber shoulder that HH56 is citeing. This would require that the mould be made for 1 piece ata time.

The question at this point is which is better???? The Rhino material or the Flexane????? Maybe either is just as good as the other???

The other question is how do we determine the ORIGINAL thicknees of the ORIGINAL body insulators?????? Altho i would think that +or- 1/16 inch is not critical.

the thickness that Keegan sent me looks great when you set it on the frame ear. the diameter is perfect. i think this stuff would be an excellent choice. the pipe in the pipe idea is even better, that way you don't have to drill anything, just have to make sure you get it perfectly centered in the bigger pipe, which may be difficult, but not impossible.

i don't know what "step" you guys are talking about....is there an illustration of this "step"

Hank

Hank, if you still have your old bushings, would appreciate if you would take a look at them and maybe can help us out.

Most of the holes in the body are approx 1" in diameter but the bolt is only 3/8. Some of the bushings are flat, others have the shoulder or step that fits into that hole. The only reason I can think of is to keep anything from shifting and for a layer of rubber to keep the bolt well away from the body for quietness. There was a combination used. Some had 2 bushings, one flat another with step used in pairs. Others just had a flat, others just the step. Some had a steel sleeve in the center to keep the bolt from being tightened too much and squashing the rubber bushing. Thickness used varied due to manufacturing tolerances and the bracket location. Some tolerances taken up by use of 1/16 shims.

If you still have your old bushings, if you could give us an idea of the thickness and the number of each, it would be a help. I had written all that down when taking mine apart, but info didn't get saved apparently. I still have most of my old molds so can give dimensions I used, but not the quantity of each. Don't plan on doing anything with the info other than writing it down but others may find it useful.

Here is a crude pict showing a partially squashed step. They were all about 1/8 high off the thickness of bushing.

PV8. As to using Flexane or Rhino, depends on who is doing. The specs appear very similar with Rhino being just a tad softer which I think is good. As Keegan pointed out, Rhino only available to those in the business so if you are going to try at home, Flexane just about the only option. The Flexane is also sold in l lb cans which is good because you can do small bunches but bad because can get expensive as you'll need 5-6 cans to do a complete car. Haven't checked recent prices but was around $20/can 10 yrs ago.

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Hank,

I'm glad you got it alright! Just let me know when you get to the point of needing some more and I'll be happy to send some your way. I just sprayed 4 large steel hockey goal frames for a local hockey arena and they wanted them in red. I'm tempted to make a casting from some of the left over material, then I can tell people that Prothane just came out with a Packard line of bushings!


HH56, I'll try to get some more pics up this week of a couple other bushings that I made. One was with the original washer and sleeve molded into the bushing.

As far as the shoulder is concerned, I was thinking that you could just chuck up a hunk of this in a lathe and machine the correct shoulder that you wanted. It wouldn't take that much time. I've been looking for a small machine lathe here in MN, but I don't have a ton of money to invest. I've been watching craigslist, but so far everything's been way too big, or way too expensive.

I'm pretty confident that they would machine quite well based on the curling I got from boring the bolt holes on the drill press. A person could probably turn quite a few out in short order.

I suppose you could machine the part, then cast a flexible rubber mold for quick and repeatable parts. Then crank them out night and day for the millions of Packard lovers world wide...


I might be getting ahead of myself just a bit.

by the time i get to needing these you will have them perfected for sure!! so....sign me up...i am sold ;0)

Hadn't thought of the lathe for shoulders but might work. Seems a bit labor intensive though.

There does seem to be a bit of difference between 55 & 56. 55 lists a thick & thin and 1 7/8 diameter. Steele says 5/16, 1/2, and 3/4 thick x 2" diameter but uses same for both years. With & without the shoulders. Looks to be very nice pieces as usual, and see no reason they wouldn't interchange. Not sure if the washers are molded in though.

The molds I made for the 56 were all out of 1/8 plexiglass and PVC rings cut to thickness wanted. The pict shows how they were put together but was just a sheet of plexi with PVC rings glued on. The ones needing shoulders had a 1" hole drilled in the plexi, pvc centered and glued on that sheet and then another solid sheet was placed underneath. Ones needing the washers and sleeves, had them laid in & ones just needing a hole used a 7/16 steel rod cut into short pieces.

Diameters I used were 2 3/8 & 1 7/8 by 1/4 thick with shoulder. Same diameter x 1/2 & 3/4 thick with washer & sleeve. These were by measurement hence the 55-6 difference statement. The large actual was 2 1/8 but couldn't find that size pvc. Everything sprayed with WD-40, then Flexane was poured. Sat overnight, then next batch done. I made them to use up a can of stuff at a whack, but with your setup, you could do a full car in a session with the right molds.

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/uploads/newbb/209_486bd307a6f8c.jpg

Anyway, just my experience with what was easily available for anyone wanting to try them. There is always the alternative of Steele now, but calculations are around $20 a spot and there are 22-24 spots on a complete redo. Assuming around $30 a can for Flexane, still about half materials wise doing it yourself, and if Keegan decides to go into production, a lot less work--for you, not him.

Keegan:

see pic of 56 cowl body insulators. Should be the same as over the axle body mounts. I have the mould made for the top rubber with the lip, the one on the rite side of the pic. Need to know shrinkage (if any) percentage for the Rhino juice. I'll send u the mould if u want it. Will make mould for the bottom one too.

Pic of mould in bottom pic. It will produce the lip in one pour.

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Keith, if that's the view out to your "back yard", I truly envy you.