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I have in a 38 Twelve that needs its waterpump serviced--packing nut is seized etc.

I am horrified to see that I will have to remove the front of the car to get the water pump out. Is that correct? This is a dismal proposition and any advice would be appreciated. You can hardly imagine how little I want to undertake this job...

Hi Ross:

The regular on here who has a '38 Twelve is BDC, maybe he'll have an answer. In the interim I've contacted some folks who have 38/39 Twelves, hopefully one or more of them will have some useful information.

Update: Sorry Ross, I've spoken to a couple more 38/39 Twelve owners but no useful info, none of them have required water pump service. I'll keep at it.

Thanks so much for your efforts ,Owen, I really do appreciate that. I was so demoralized that I worked on rebuilding an Ultramatic instead. Much easier. OK, tomorrow I will gird my loins and begin the onerous task.

Ross,
If you want to keep your loins ungirthed a little longer, I can send you a few twin ultramatics 😀😄😳😉

Hello Ross, I have a 38 Twelve and I had a look at the water pump installation. I have not removed my water pump but it would be scandalous to have to pull the front clip etc to remove it. I would have imagined that it would be as for a 37 or 38 Super Eight where there appears to be no room, but once you remove the fan blades and undo the water pump mounting bolts the pump has sufficient room, with the narrow impeller, to be removed from the front. We recently had a 37 Super with a broken water pump shaft and it was difficult to diagnose but came out fine. I would be extremely surprised and disappointed if it did not remove as per the Super Eights. There looks to be enough room to achieve this. Good Luck Peter Toet

Thanks, Peter. I agree it is scandalous and it took quite a while for me to suspend disbelief: The shaft of the pump extends slightly beyond the fan, thus within 5/8" of the radiator or so. Plus, the pump is mounted on studs so I must slide it forward a long way. Perhaps I can get the studs to come out....

Sorry O_D, but I don't have a 38 V12. I have a 39 V12 but the front clip is off for as long as I have it, and I never had to take the water pump off. I know a guy here that did some extensive work on a 37 v12 I'll ask him today.

Hey BDC, sorry I misidentified your Twelve but I'm sure you will forgive me - except for the vehicle and motor numbers and a bit of paint on the shutters the 38 and 39 Twelve are just about identical so I sort of lump them together when thinking about their features.

Were you aware that perhaps half of the 39 Twelve bodies were leftovers from expected but unfulfilled 38 production?

I've exhausted all my 38/39 Twelve contacts and still can't get an answer for Ross.

I would suggest that you speak to one of the restoration shops that specialize in Packard Automobiles. One would be Custom Auto in Santa Ana, California. Robert Escalente is the owner and the number is 714-543-2980. Ernie, caretaker of the 1949 288 Deluxe 'Miss Prudence'.

Ernie, I considered that but at the time of Ross' inquiry they were all or mostly all at Pebble Beach.