Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Packard V8 oil pump problem? I can remember back in the early 90's when I helped Brad rebuild the ultramatic in 56 Clipper. The Clipper had over 200,000 miles on it and Brad at 150,000 miles complained that he had to replace the crankshaft because it broke. However as I recall he never mentioned to me having any problems with the oil pump.

John F. Shireman

Craig writes: "how many V-8s are out there that have this problem and how many owners would spend several hundred dollars for this adapter kit to get their V-8s back on the road?"

The answer to that question IS another question. How many hundreds of dollars will they have to spend for some OTHER oil pump remedy???? As far as i know the only other choices are the Aller pump and the PI pump. Both running about $200 each?????
The PI is NOT a rebuild but rather just a modification. So any wear that existed originaly will still be there after the PI mod. PI ELEMINATES the vacuum pumnp.
According to Aller he rebuilds the pump to "factory specs". What does that mean???? It's only good for 25k to 40K miles????

Yes, there are reports of engines with high mileage and no pump problems. But do they really know what kind of pump (ALler or Pi or NOS or aftermarket rebuild) is in the engine or when it was replaced before they got the car.

ONLY ONE known case of a high mileage pump (w/ KNOWN HISTORy) that has no problems that i know of is BH's fathers car.

FURHTERMORE:
Anyone can go read the PI write up on the V8 oil pump at the PI web site. There is states that the V8 pump would start sucking air at as low as 25k miles. Seems like PAC had somekind of write up about it too.

SO, many people claiming high mileage cars with no pump problems are not reporting how many miles were on the car BEFORE they got it. How many miles THEY have driven it. Do they know any history about the pump or the engine????

I agree, if it's not broken then don't fix it. Sale of the Olds conversion will depend on those that have one that's broken AND wnats a PERMANANT fix.

My dad's '56 Exec, which he purchased brand-new, had 74,908 miles on the clock in 1963.

When I first learned of the PI modification, decades ago, I aksed him about lifter noise, and he told me that his car never had any problem with engine noise; in fact, in all those miles and years, he never had the engine opened up for anything.

However, the trans had been rebuilt once by and independent shop (at a time when there was practially no dealer support left). Parts were becoming difficult to find by 1963 - had to scavenge stuff to replace the exhaust. Rust had also set in on the body. All things considered, and with a family of three and another on the way at that time, he parked the car in a field and picked up a new '63 BelAir coupe (with a 283-V8 and three & over manual gerbox).

I do believe there is an oiling issue with some V8s that gives rise to the symptom of unusual lifter noise, which can lead to catastrophic failure of the engine.

Yet, I could never fully buy into the notion that the vac pump cover and/or separator plate actually warped and admitted air into the oil stream.

IMHO, the wear on the driving shaft and oil pump body, as addressed by Bob Aller, is the main culprit, but the lack of an oil channel, as noted by Keith in recent years, is a contributing factor to that.

However, there may be additional issues involved. I'm gonna looking into alternate solutions, but won't have time to make any real progress on that until I get a new garage built to store the old cars (and get out from under the sunk cost of rent) and can return the attached two-car garage to workshop status. Yet, there's a lot of groundwork ahead of even that.

I think the problem can be solved a lot more simply than adapting some other pump.

I've chatted with Dan Kanter several times over the years on this topic. He believes the pump should have a top bushing and doesn't fault the vacuum pump but thinks there is another possible issue which has pretty much escaped attention and is based on the fact that noisy lifters are often overcome by running 1/2 quart over full on the crankcase oil. He believes the oil pump floating intake screen may have it's lower level limit set a bit too high. I did lower mine a bit when I had the pan down.

Owen, did the end tip of the dip stick stike the top of the float any???? Interference on both 5672's i have.

Boy, that's an interesting observation and a good question! Sorry to say I didn't take notice.

FWIW, I've spent years analyzing the Packard V8 oil pump problems:

1. Yes, as Craig has said, the '55 oil pump is a flawed design. We differ in I feel there IS enough gear area, there just isn't enough bearing area. The big block Mopars with the same deck height use an intermediate bushing at the top of the drive shaft and a longer bearing area in the oil pump The Packard engineers did three design changes to the oiling system. By the time they were finished in late '56, it was good for 100kmiles IF the oil was changed regularly and kept at the full mark. Two of the modifications, the cam spacer/ retainer plate and the dip tube, are easy. The redesigned oil pump with the internal bypass is unobtanium.

2. No, the fixes to the Packard pump are neither easy nor inexpensive. Eric/Craig's Olds conversion cost began this discussion. I tooled up to remanufacture the oil pump with a longer top bearing and a new thick iron bottom plate with a bearing, did a run of six and decided no one would pay $500 for an oil pump.

3. Maybe, there is an easier and less expensive fix than Eric/Craig's Olds conversion or my redesign, but no one has found it yet.

thnx, jack vines
Studebaker-Packard V8 Limited
Spokane, WA

Because the dipstick is one of the last things installed in a rebuilt engine, I've never noticed. I've got one rebuilt 352" with the pan not yet installed and my truck engine should be going together soon. I'll check both of them before I install the pans.

thnx, jack vine