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Hi, I'm installing a new (new to my 39 Super) heater and I'm wondering if anybody has a spare set of pipes that attach to the rubber hoses going from the front of the motor to the firewall. Also the two "L" angled guides that hold the metal pipe in place from the head bolts. The pipe itself looks to be "S" shaped. The image in the Service Index for installing 17th series hot water heaters has some detail to it, just trying to figure it out.

Thanks,

Steve

Maybe Flackmaster but also check with John Ulrich. He has reproduced what appears to be a straight pipe listed for 38-42s but maybe you can put any needed S curves in it. No idea on the brackets unless he has some and doesn't show them on that page. He probably knows exactly what is needed for your car.julrichpackard.com/water_related_parts_belts.htm

It may be wrong, but you can see the pipe I bought from John Ulrich for my '40 installed.

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Hi, Flackmaster is checking out if he has it, but he told me he's pretty sure he doesn't, and John Ulrich says his only fits the Six and One Twenty - not the Super-8 and JoeSantana my engine is different in that the feed from the water pump is down low and on the drivers side, not on the top and on the passenger side as your pictures shows.

Steve

That water tube really doesn't look very hard to make. It looks like two simple bends starting at a bracket under the first head bolt and ending at another about equal to the water outlet location. Rear bend looks about 90 degrees and front maybe a bit shallower. If someone could post a better photo and some dimensions it would help but I think a reasonable copy could be made from this photo.

McMaster has three foot sections of 5/8 OD thinwall bendable steel tubing and the brackets look like nothing more than maybe 1 1/4 wide x 3/32 or 1/8 thick flat bar bent in a 90 L with a couple of holes. Maybe 6 inches total length with the bend at about 2" from one end. Can't really tell if there is a grommet in the holes but kind of think the tubing is just snug. McMaster also has varying lengths of flat bar stock in different grades and widths.

Tubing benders are rentable or they are not too expensive if you bought one at Harbor Freight.

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Howard, thanks for the picture - its great for following the hoses. Now I have to get some pipe to bend.

I seem to be having a hard time locating that "S" shaped pipe that is attached to the two brackets on the head. Can anyone tell me if 5/8" copper pipe would be best or it has to be steel and the dimensions of the pipe (like how long in total it is and the length of the curved end, which looks sorta like7 inches?).

Thank you,

Steve

Almost all Packard heaters used 5/8" hose so a pipe with an OD of 5/8 should suffice. You can measure your heater connections to get your size just in case there were differences between models.

IMO, for this particular pipe steel would be look better because the lengths are absolutely straight and can be bent with a tubing bender such as those used for electrical conduit. Those benders can probably be rented. Straight lengths of copper pipe are generally not bendable so to get something that you can bend in copper would require coiled. That, IMO, would be harder to straighten out to have the nice crisp look of the straight run shown in the photo. Depending on whether you can find a store that sells by the foot you might also have to buy a coiled copper length of several feet.

Overall length can be determined by measuring the distance on your engine between where the two brackets would mount. Add 2-3 inches on each end to that measurement for the bend radius and then figure another 6 inches or so on each end for the other leg of the bend. I don't think that leg measurement is very critical as you can make up a short difference with hose or cut off if too long. Just make it look something like the photo. You could also get a rough length by bending a piece of wire to the appropriate shape and then order a length of tubing plus a little extra for a fudge factor.

You might also pick up a short length of 1/2" electrical conduit at the home center and practice some bends or shape of the tubing before working on good material. The conduit is inexpensive and almost the same size as 5/8 OD tubing. Slightly larger than 5/8 and not rated for plumbing use but if the hose would fit, painted and with the corrosion inhibitors in antifreeze, it might be a possibility too.

I don't know if the pipes were painted or left natural. To keep steel tubing from rusting you could use something like Sharkhide over the tubesharkhide.com/mpinfo.html to protect the natural finish.

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